Rajah & Tann Singapore (R&T) today announced three flagship initiatives to mark its 50th anniversary, including donations totaling $650,000 to support legal education and children with developmental needs. The firm also made a two-year commitment to provide pro bono legal workshops and guidance to charities and non-profit organisations.
The National University of Singapore (NUS) and Singapore Management University (SMU) will each receive $250,000 from the Rajah & Tann Foundation. The scholarships to nurture future generations of legal talent are named the Rajah & Tann Patrick Ang Memorial Scholarship at NUS – in memory of former Managing Partner Patrick Ang, an NUS Law alumnus from the Class of 1989, and the Rajah & Tann Scholarship at SMU.
The scholarship endowments were announced at Rajah & Tann Singapore’s Gala Dinner, attended by Guest of Honour, Senior Minister of State for Law and Transport, Mr Murali Pillai SC, with a special pre-recorded message from Minister for Law and Second Minister for Home Affairs, Mr Edwin Tong SC.
In line with the anniversary theme “Excellence with Heart”, which reflects values that have guided the firm throughout its history, the Foundation has also made a $150,000 commitment to Fei Yue Community Services’ Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children which will benefit children with developmental needs.
Earlier this year, Rajah & Tann Singapore also launched a two-year collaboration series named ‘Totally Legal: Empowering Nonprofits’ with Pro Bono SG and The Majurity Trust to provide legal workshops and practical guidance to charities and nonprofit organisations, democratising access to legal knowledge for Singapore’s social sector.
Ng Kim Beng, R&T’s Managing Partner, said: “As we mark our 50th anniversary, it is fitting that we deepen our commitment to the society that has supported our growth over the decades. Our founders believed in serving the law for the common good, and that sense of purpose continues to guide us today.
“Through the Rajah & Tann Foundation, we are supporting the next generation of legal talent and extending our commitment to those in the wider community who need it most. These initiatives reflect what ‘Excellence with Heart’ means to us: doing our best by our professional calling while actively contributing to others and giving back.
“Our growth from a two-man practice into a leading Asian international law firm has been made possible by our people and sustained by the values we share. As we look to the future, we will continue to invest in people, embrace change and build an institution that future generations will be proud to inherit.”
Rajah & Tann Singapore was founded in 1976 as Tann Wee Tiong & T.T. Rajah, a two-lawyer practice founded by lawyers whose lives and work were shaped by Singapore’s post-war and independence-era politics. From the outset, the firm’s roots were grounded in a strong sense of public purpose, with its founders motivated not by material gain, but by a belief in using the law for the common good.During the last five decades, the firm’s growth trajectory paralleled Singapore’s transformation from a port economy to a global financial and business hub. Its regionalisation vision began in the late 2000s and was championed by firm leaders including then Managing Partner and now Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon SC, and subsequently spearheaded by Lee Eng Beng SC, and the late Patrick Ang.
This culminated in the formal launch of Rajah & Tann Asia in 2014, bringing together leading law firms across the region into a unified regional platform. Today, Rajah & Tann Singapore is part of the largest and most prominent ASEAN legal network, with offices across ten countries and a network of lawyers with deep on-the-ground expertise in Asian jurisdictions, enabling the firm to support clients seamlessly on complex cross-border matters.
Rajah & Tann Singapore’s notable alumni include Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, Justice of the Court of Appeal Steven Chong, former Attorney-General V.K. Rajah SC; and Quentin Loh SC, Senior Judge of the Supreme Court and a former High Court Judge. The firm has more Senior Counsel than any other Singapore law firm and is consistently recognised in the top tiers and bands across numerous practice areas by leading international legal directories, including Chambers Asia-Pacific and The Legal 500 Asia Pacific.
Managing Partner Mr Ng said: “Fifty years is an occasion not only to reflect on how far we have come, but also to think carefully about where we want to go next. For us, the future is about building on our legacy in a way that remains true to who we are — investing in people, embracing innovation and change, and continuing to serve our clients and the wider community with purpose.”