The Legal 500

With 23 dedicated partners, the corporate and M&A team at Allen & Gledhill LLP is led by Andrew Lim and Lim Mei, and continues to attract some of Singapore’s most prestigious instructions. Lee Kee Yeng acted for key client Temasek in establishing subsidiaries for the development of prime land parcels in Singapore and Malaysia, and also assisted on a $4.97bn acquisition subject to regulatory approvals in both Indonesia and Singapore. Clients recommend Christian Chin and Richard Young, who has ‘sound business acumen and takes into account clients’ needs’.

Lauded as ‘one of the best Singaporean firms’, WongPartnership LLP is involved in transactions across Asia Pacific and the Middle East, including cross-border deals, public takeovers and private equity matters. ‘Extremely experienced and knowledgeable’ lead partner Ng Wai King acted in DBS Group’s proposed S$9.1bn acquisition of PT Bank Danamon Indonesia. Deputy practice head Andrew Ang assisted with the S$80.4m joint offer by EQT Partners and Mr Ong Chu Poh for all issued shares in China Healthcare. Low Kah Keong is ‘decisive’, and provides ‘workable and practical advice’.

Drew & Napier LLC combines a ‘very professional manner’ with ‘reasonable fees’. Ralph Lim jointly leads the team alongside Gary Pryke, and acted in relation to Mitsui’s S$221m voluntary conditional cash offer to acquire all of the issued and paid-up shares in Portek International. Sandy Foo (‘an excellent commercial mind’) and Benedict Teo Lip Hua advised on a voluntary conditional cash offer for Heng Long International.

At Rajah & Tann LLP, Kim Huat Chia’s team counts CapitaMalls Asia, AXA and CitySpring Infrastructure Trust among its clients. Serene Yeo and Evelyn Wee are recommended, along with Cynthia Goh and Abdul Jabbar Bin Karam Din, who provides ‘consistently sound advice’.

Shook Lin & Bok LLP’s David Chong and Michelle Phang advised Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse as joint financial advisers to DBS Group on the proposed acquisition of PT Bank Danamon Indonesia. They also acted for HKSE-listed Boer Power Holdings in an unsolicited takeover of SMB United. Sriram Chakravarthi handles India-related matters, while Li Ying and Henry Tang lead on China work.

Stamford Law Corporation continues to ‘outperform its competitors’ in Singapore, recently winning high-value reverse takeover instructions from United Fiber System (worth S$2.2bn) and Contel Corporation (S$1.2bn). Lee Suet Fern leads the team, in which Yap Lian Seng is a key figure and Elizabeth Kong shows a ‘great level of responsiveness and very good knowledge’.

ATMD Bird & Bird’s Tay Beng Chai and Joanna Teng acted for a Cambodia-based supermarket chain in the sale of a majority stake to a leading pan-Asian retailer. Bureau Veritas and Gobi Partners are clients.

Baker & McKenzie.Wong & Leow ‘makes practical business recommendations with professional judgement and integrity’. The highly experienced Ai Ai Wong attracted new client LVMH Moët Hennessy-Louis Vuitton, and recently acted in its S$160.8m takeover offer for tannery Heng Long International. Al-Futtaim Group and Kirin Holdings are clients.

Colin Ng & Partners LLP advised Portek on the competing takeover offers by Filipino company ICTSI Far East and Japanese trading group Mitsui. Bill Jamieson and Gregory Chan are recommended.

The relatively small team at Duane Morris & Selvam LLP lost Kelvyn Oo to KhattarWong but recruited David Teo from Allen & Gledhill LLP. Leon Yee demonstrates ‘tireless effort’.

KhattarWong was diminished when a breakaway faction moved to RHTLaw Taylor Wessing LLP, but it has added Perry Yuen from Legal Solutions LLC to head up its corporate group. Nicholas Lim and Kelvyn Oo, previously of Duane Morris & Selvam LLP, act on a range of mergers, acquisitions and divestments.

Lee & Lee advised OSK Investment Bank on its merger with Malaysia’s RHB Capital, and acted for Ascend Capital on its S$95m partial takeover offer for 15% of Wing Tai Holdings. Adrian Chan leads the team.

Niche practice Loo & Partners LLP is active across Taiwan, China and Hong Kong. Loo Choon Chiaw advises China Steel Company and leading private equity group F&H on acquisitions and investments respectively.

RHTLaw Taylor Wessing LLP’s 29-strong corporate department, headed by Chong Huat Tan, has quickly attracted an impressive client roster. Highlights included advising Fastube Limited in a reverse takeover exercise, and assisting Kyodo-Allied Industries in the S$600m acquisition of Great Spirit Management. Deputy practice head Lawrence Wong and senior partner Anne Chua are recommended.

The arrival of four new partner hires significantly boosted the capacity of the team at Rodyk & Davidson LLP, which acted for AmerisourceBergen Corporation on the global acquisition of World Courier Group. Nicholas Chong, Valerie Ong and Ng Eng Leng are recommended. Clients include CapitaLand and CapitaMall Trust.

Work highlights for corporate head Jennifer Chia, Stefanie Yuen Thio and Dayne Ho at TSMP Law Corporation included advising CapitaMalls on the acquisition of three Japanese shopping malls, and acting for the founder-vendor of luxury watch distributor Sincere Watch in its sale for S$232m.

Name partner Arthur Loke at Arthur Loke LLP specialises in mergers and acquisitions, and has experience in regional oil-related transactions.

Aw Ee Tuan’s team at David Lim & Partners LLP advised Crest Industrial Holdings in the disposal of its interest in Dormitory Investments for S$40.375m.

The corporate and commercial practice of Donaldson & Burkinshaw includes compliance, restructuring and financial advisory services.

Lee Kuen Yip at Engelin Teh Practice LLC has expertise in corporate restructuring, schemes of arrangement, M&A transactions and venture capital investments.

Harry Elias Partnership LLP’s Claudio Teo and Douglas Koh assisted Asia Pacific Medical Group on the acquisition of various hospitals and clinics throughout Singapore and Malaysia. The team draws on the firm’s real estate investment expertise.

Led by Cheah Swee Gim, the corporate group at Kelvin Chia Partnership undertakes corporate and commercial transactions across Singapore, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.

Joshua Tan at Legal Solutions LLC covers corporate restructuring, finance and general commercial work, and has advised financial institutions and fund managers as well as SGX-listed companies.

Niche practice Legis Point LLC acts in a range of joint ventures, sales and purchases, and divestments. Young Chee Foong heads the team.

Steven Lo of Straits Law Practice LLC acts for bidders, target companies and financial advisers in both private and public M&A transactions.

At Tan Peng Chin LLC, C Chandrasegar undertakes M&A and corporate finance work for clients ranging from small businesses to multinational corporations.

Tan Rajah & Cheah provides corporate and commercial services for SMEs, start-ups, large corporates and university clients.

At Wong Tan & Molly Lim LLC, Sunny Wong and the team provide the full spectrum of corporate finance, commercial and compliance advice to public SGX-listed companies and private entities.

A ‘go-to firm for M&A’, Allen & Overy’s team ‘understands the commercial drivers for a deal’. The practice reports an increase in natural resources related M&A transactions, and has substantial experience in this area. It advised a subsidiary of Bunge on the acquisition of a 35% stake in PT Bumiraya Investindo, a palm oil plantation company. The firm also advised SCG Chemicals on the acquisition of PT Chandra Asri Petrochemical Tbk from Temasek and PT Barito Pacific Tbk, valued at $430m. Christopher Moore is a ‘skilled negotiator’ and ‘able to tease out the issues during negotiations’. The newly promoted Brendan Hannigan is also recommended.

Baker & McKenzie.Wong & Leow fields nine partners in its ‘excellent’ corporate and securities group. Practice head Ai Ai Wong is a ‘strategic thinker’ with ‘expertise in local practices’, and provides ‘good and sound solutions’. The group advised Indonesian energy company PT Medco Energi Internasional Tbk on the sale of its 51% interest in PT Medco Power to PT Saratoga Power, valued at £112m. It also advised Malaysian company Scomi Group Berhad on its divestment of oilfield services in the US. Andrew Martin is also recommended.

The ‘very commercial’ team at Clifford Chance provides ‘sound advice’ on the corporate side, and is led by Simon Clinton and Lee Taylor. The firm’s recent highlights include advising HSBC and Hang Seng Bank on the $914m disposal of their general insurance business in Hong Kong, Singapore, and the Americas to AXA and QBE. It also advised China Architecture Design & Research Group (CAG) on the company’s cross-border acquisition of development company CPG Corporation.

A ‘pre-eminent corporate law firm in Singapore’, Hogan Lovells Lee & Lee is ‘incredibly responsive’, and provides an ‘outstanding service’. It advised Trafigura on an initial $130m investment in Nagarjuna Oil Corporation’s recently commissioned oil refinery in India: the client’s first expansion into the region. It also advised Sojitz Corporation on its acquistion of an 88% stake in Vietnamese company Long Duc Investment to run an industrial park in South Vietnam. Practice head Stephanie Keen ‘benefits from a deep pool of professional knowledge and deal-based experience’, and is supported by a ‘strong team of associates who work to the same high standards’.

‘Truly among the best’, Linklaters Singapore Pte. Ltd acted for Fortis Healthcare on its acquisition (one of six by the company in the region) of a 65% stake in Vietnamese healthcare group Hoan My Medical Corporation. It also advised Standard Chartered on a $74m private equity investment in African commodities operator Export Trading Group, and assisted JP Morgan in connection with Vallar’s $3bn acquisition of a stake in Bumi Resources. The ‘very high-quality’ team is rated for its ‘hardworking and experienced’ lawyers, with the ‘tireless’ Stuart Bedford singled out as being ‘even tempered’ and ‘highly practical’.

Norton Rose (Asia) LLP’s provides ‘strong legal advice’, and ‘its cross-border co-ordination between offices is very effective’. The practice advised Saratoga Capital on its 51% investment in PT Mandala Airlines (now a partner airline of Tiger Airways), involving a court-sanctioned $300m restructuring. The firm also assisted Securus Data Property Fund on the acquisition of a data centre in London, which contained elements of Islamic finance. Ferzana Haq is ‘highly competent’, and Adam Summerly leads the corporate team ‘very well’.

Allens gives ‘excellent legal advice’ and has ‘strong background knowledge’. It acted for a bidder in relation to a regional divestment worth $1.29bn by an international oil company. Marae Ciantar is a ‘solid’ practitioner, and co-heads the practice with Darren Murphy.

Herbert Smith Freehills is valued for its flexible pricing rates, and is one of the few international firms with a QFLP licence to advise on Singaporean law in the region. Its corporate practice also has an association with Indonesian firm Hiswara Bunjamin & Tandjung, and Brian Scott recently returned from a secondment at the firm. Veronica O’Shea is ‘always accessible’.

Latham & Watkins LLP’s corporate team is led by Michael Sturrock following the retirement of Mark Nelson. Its Singapore-related legal work is handled by Sin Chei Liang, who recently assisted EDMI Limited in relation to its delisting from the Singapore Stock Exchange and the exit offer by its controlling shareholder.

David Zemans leads Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy’s corporate offering, which acted for Japan Bank for International Cooperation on the acquisition financing of the CBK power project in the Philippines. James Murray is a key contact.

White & Case LLP has an ‘extremely effective operation’. A notable recent mandate for the ‘technically exceptional’ and ‘commercially minded’ team was advising Nestlé on its acquisition of a 60% stake in Hsu Fu Chi International for $1.7bn. The ‘outstanding’ Jonathan Olier is praised for his ‘technical expertise and attention to detail’.

In 2012, Ashurst LLP acted as lead counsel to San Miguel Corporation on its acquisition of Esso’s Malaysian downstream business, worth $610m. It also advised Concord Energy on the sale of its interest in the Fujairah oil storage terminal in the UAE. Keith McGuire heads the team, and Edward Bennett was promoted to counsel.

DLA Piper Singapore Pte. Ltd. advised Rhodia Asia Pacific on the sale of its salicylic and acetaminophen operations to Novacap. Sheela Moorthy works with a number of blue-chip clients.

The ‘highly responsive and accessible’ team at Gibson Dunn gives ‘technically accurate yet practical advice’. It represented Wolverine World Wide in establishing a joint venture with Tata International in India. Saptak Santra is valued for personally taking charge of transactions, and is ‘supported by a team with significant experience and depth’.

Jones Day is noted for its ‘timely responses’ and ‘good knowledge and advice’. It advised Toys R Us in connection with the acquisition of a 70% interest in businesses currently operated by Fung Retailing (formerly Li & Fung Retailing), including 90 stores in Asia. David Longstaff is ‘personable’, and a good communicator. Dennis Barsky is also recommended.

O’Melveny & Myers LLP’s corporate practice has a particular focus on Indonesia, and maintains a formal association with Jakata-based Tumbuan & Partners. Siew Kam Boon represented J&Partners LP in its $200m acquisition of the Indonesian and Malaysian gold mining assets of Avocet Mining.

Shearman & Sterling LLP advises on M&A, co-investment and fund formation, with Bill McCormack leading the project development and finance group. Senior associate Shirin Tang is ‘responsive and, efficient’, and demonstrates ‘good practical sense’.

Sidley Austin LLP acted for Philippines-based Petron Oil & Gas in connection with the financing of $847m worth of loans, to be used primarily for the acquisition of ExxonMobil’s downstream oil business. The practice hired Gerard Hekker as counsel in 2011.

Watson, Farley & Williams LLP’s three-partner team is led by Damian Adams, who acted for Singapore-based RCMA Commodities on the acquisition of N.V. Deli Maatschappij’s rubber trading businesses in the UK and US. Ivan Chia was recently promoted to partner.

Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP’s corporate team grew in 2012 with the addition of new practice head Ken Cheung, a ‘trusted adviser’ with ‘excellent rapport and a dedicated work ethic’. The firm advised private equity firm Co-Investor Asia Pte on the acquisition of a Malaysian digital media company and subsequent joint venture.

Respondek & Fan Pte Ltd assisted Germany company KME in its joint venture negotiations with four entities in Singapore. Andreas Respondek is recommended.

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP has a ‘strong and commercial’ corporate practice across Singapore and Hong Kong. Singapore-based Rajeev Duggal is the key contact.

Stephenson Harwood has seen an increase in joint venture work, and recently advised Lion Air on its initial proposition to join with Berjaya Group. Matthew Gorman is the key figure.

Conyers Dill & Pearman advises corporate clients on matters of Bermuda, BVI, Cayman Islands and Mauritius law. New clients include Courage Marine Group and Perennial Real Estate.

Duane Morris & Selvam LLP advised a Singapore subsidiary of a Thai governmental entity on the acquisition of a plantation company in Indonesia worth $26m. Krishna Ramachandra is the key contact.

Holman Fenwick Willan LLP acts for a number of energy clients, including Concord Energy, Alpine Energy and Tullow Oil. Its new head of department is Brian Gordon, who relocated from London in 2012.

Kleiner Rechtsanwälte’s Singapore practice includes advice on due diligence and tax strategies. Bernd Götze is the key contact.

Loyens & Loeff’s practice is led by tax expert Pieter De Ridder, who works on cross-border planning and due diligence matters.

Dr. Claus Trenner heads Luther LLP’s offering in Singapore, which has a focus on regional joint ventures and cross-border transactions.

Raslan Loong primarily provides Malaysian law support to its Singapore-based clients. Ong Cheow Lan is the key contact.

Niche practice Schick & Associates LLC was established by Sandor Schick, and has been operating from Singapore for the past five years. Clients include a leading telecoms company in Asia.

At Wikborg Rein In Alliance with Pan Asia Wikborg Rein, June Ho assisted in the $162m sale of Camillo Eitzen & Co’s business division.

ZICOlaw is a Malaysia-based practice with offices across Asia.

Ben Sheldrake leads the Singapore office of London immigration boutique Magrath LLP