Rajah & Tann Singapore (R&T) said today that it has appointed Avinash Pradhan and Vikna Rajah as co-heads of the firm’s South Asia desk which came into effect on 1 November 2022, taking over from Deputy Managing Partner Kelvin Poon. Mr Pradhan will oversee contentious matters relating to South Asian markets while Mr Rajah will handle non-contentious matters.
The South Asia desk is a market-leading practice comprising lawyers with substantial experience in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in the fields of arbitration, corporate finance, shipping and construction. The firm was identified as a leading Regional & Specialist firm in the region by India Business Law Journal in 2020 and 2021. Most recently, it was recognised by the journal’s Deals of the Year 2021 report for its involvement in INTL International’s divestment of a 49% stake in Chongqing Yuhe Expressway.
Mr Pradhan’s extensive experience covers international arbitration, banking, corporate finance, hospitality, M&A, joint venture and shareholder disputes as well as project disputes in the construction, infrastructure and energy sectors. He has been recognised in Best Lawyers (2017 to 2021) as one of Singapore’s leading lawyers in arbitration, mediation and international arbitration and in Asialaw Profiles (2019) as a leading lawyer in Dispute Resolution.
He currently sits on the Singapore International Arbitration Centre’s Users’ Council. Mr Pradhan is also the Deputy Head of R&T’s International Arbitration practice and practices in Malaysia as a partner of Christopher & Lee Ong, part of the Rajah & Tann Asia network. Mr Rajah is a leading tax and private wealth lawyer, and heads the firm’s Tax practice and co-heads the firm’s Private Client practice. Mr Rajah also currently sits as the Chairman of the International Fiscal Association, Singapore Branch. His experience in advising clients on complex income tax, stamp duty, and property tax issues, as well as a track record of successfully resolving multi-million dollar tax disputes, helped R&T’s Tax practice clinch Singapore’s Tax Disputes and Litigation Firm of the Year by the International Tax Review 2017.Mr Rajah has been consistently recognised as “Highly Regarded” in the “tax controversy” practice area by ITR World Tax and a “Litigation Star” by Benchmark Litigation Asia Pacific since 2021. He is also ranked as a “Leading Individual” in tax by both The Legal 500 Asia Pacific and Chambers Asia Pacific since 2017. Prior to joining R&T, he was legal counsel for the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore.
Mr Rajah has also been named as one of the world’s Leading Experts in Private Client Practice by Who’s Who Legal since 2017 and one of the world’s Top 250 Private Client Lawyers by Legal Week’s Private Client Global Elite 2018. In addition, he was ranked as a Leading Individual for Private Wealth by both The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2022 and the Chambers High Net Worth Guide 2022 for his experience in advising leading trust companies and ultra-high net worth families on succession planning and creating multigenerational trusts.
Mr Poon, also head of R&T’s International Arbitration Practice, said: “Based on their wealth of experience and sterling reputations in their respective practice areas, I believe that Avinash and Vikna will continue to raise the bar within the firm. They are proven leaders and dedicated lawyers who will continue to deliver excellence to our clients.”
Said Mr Pradhan: “As one of the world’s fastest growing economies, South Asia is a key region that our clients operate in and represents an important inbound market for companies based in Southeast Asia. I am honoured to be appointed as co-head of the South Asia practice and bring my experience in arbitration and disputes to bear on contributing to the practice.”
Mr Rajah noted: “R&T has an established track record of advising and providing innovative and robust solutions to South Asian clients on their expansion into South-East Asia, capitalising on our deep regional expertise. I look forward to further strengthening our relationship with these clients and cementing R&T’s position as the dominant firm in Asia.”
Patrick Ang, R&T’s Managing Partner, said: “Kelvin has played an integral part in building a market leading South Asia practice and cementing Rajah & Tann’s reputation as a full-service law firm in the region. We look forward to seeing Avinash and Vikna, who represent a new generation of leaders at R&T, expand and enhance our service offerings, deepen key client relationships, and bring the South Asia desk to even greater heights.”
