The Legal 500

Allen & Gledhill LLP’s 24-partner team, led by Andrew Lim and Lim Mei, ‘provides strong transactional support’. Landmark deals included representing Khazanah and IHH in their successful S$3.5bn bid for Parkway Holdings, and acting for Maybank on Mayban IB Holdings’ S$1.8bn acquisition of Kim Eng Holdings. Lucien Wong and Prawiro Widjaja represented SGX in its aborted merger with ASX. Clients recommend Christopher Koh and Lee Kim Shin. Daren Shiau provides competition, antitrust and regulatory advice.

Ng Wai King, recommended as ‘an astute lawyer, able to identify both broad and detailed issues’, and his team at WongPartnership LLP represent sovereign and private equity funds and corporations, acting for Parkway Holdings in respect of competing offers from Fortis Group and its S$3.5bn sale to Khazanah. The firm also acted for Peter Lim in his S$513m purchase of Thomson Medical Centre and his £320m bid for Liverpool Football Club, and advised Baring Private Equity on Nestlé’s $2.1bn purchase of Chinese confectioner Hsu Fu Chi. Andrew Ang and Linda Wee are recommended.

At Drew & Napier LLC, Ralph Lim and Benedict Teo represented RBS and Macquarie Capital as joint financial advisers to RHC Healthcare in its S$3.2bn offer for Parkway Holdings. The ‘strong, efficient, pragmatic’ team handles pan-regional work, with Sandy Foo advising a Singapore fund on its acquisition of the Cross Tower property in Shanghai, and Julian Kwek advising the Sawit Mas Group on the sale of its oleochemical plants and palm oil plantations.

Clients recommend Rajah & Tann LLP’s ‘sound business acumen, quick turnaround time and excellent client service’. Goh Kian Hwee acted for RHC Healthcare and Fortis Global Healthcare in the competing general offer for Parkway Holdings, and Chia Kim Huat advised Hyflux on the formation of joint venture company Galaxy NewSpring, its acquisition of four water treatment plants from Hyflux and the delisting and subsequent acquisition of Hyflux Water Trust.

Shook Lin & Bok LLP’s expanding team ‘punches above its weight’ acting in some of Singapore’s headline transactions. David Chong and Michelle Phang advised Morgan Stanley, as advisor to Parkway Holdings, on the contested takeover by Khazana, assisted mobile internet company Spice i2i with its S$223m acquisition of Affinity Group, and represented Morgan Stanley on SGX’s aborted takeover of ASX.

Stamford Law Corporation’s ‘astute, streetwise’ Lee Suet Fern and her ‘knowlegeable, responsive’ team represented Fortis Global Healthcare in its offer for Parkway Holdings. Other key deals included advising Advantest on its $1.1bn merger with the NASDAQ-listed Verigy, and representing Galaxy NewSpring in the Hyflux Water Trust delisting and exit offer. Bernard Lui and Elizabeth Kong are singled out for praise.

ATMD Bird & Bird’s strength in IP, employment and environmental law supports a prestigious client list, including Daimler, Pfizer and Eli Lilly. Susan de Silva advised The Dow Chemical Company on the Singapore aspects of the complex restructuring of a global joint venture, and advised Hong Kong-based Ming Hing Waterworks on its acquisitionof a Mongolia-based coal-mining group. Sandra Seah advised Lianbee Jeco on the sale of a majority stake in luxury goods company Jeco.

Bill Jamieson and his team at Colin Ng & Partners LLP advised mobile services provider i-POP Networks on the acquisition of AIM-listed InternetQ. Gregory Chan acted for investment holding company Golden Wang Holdings in its S$12.2m acquisition of a 20% controlling stake in Catalist-listed Progen Holdings.

Duane Morris & Selvam LLP handles corporate and M&A work requiring Singapore legal capabilities. Joint managing director Krishna Ramachandra advised Hersing on its Storhub joint venture with Capitaland.

KhattarWong lost former managing partner Tan Chong Huat as part of a defection to breakaway firm RHT Law LLP that included seven equity partners and 17 salaried partners. Corporate parter Dennis Lui represented AirAsia Berhad in a joint venture with Expedia. Nicholas Lim handles regional and multi-jurisdictional transactions.

Lee & Lee’s corporate practice, led by the ‘well-respected’ Adrian Chan, advised on headline deals including Peter Lim’s acquisition of Thomson Medical Centre.

Loo & Partners LLP is recognised as a one-stop provider of legal services across the region, with particular strength in Taiwan, China and Hong Kong. Loo Choon Chiaw, who wins plaudits for his ‘in depth understanding of complicated technical and commercial issues’, acted for SGX-listed Chinese confectioner Hsu Fu Chi in its S$2.1bn acquisition by Nestlé.

Clients appreciate Rodyk & Davidson LLP’s ‘ability to guide discussion between parties’. S Sivanesan represented McAfee in its acquisition of TenCube. Gerald Singham and Sarah Choong represented Norwegian Apply and its subsidiary Apply Leirvik, in its $85.7m acquisition of the Aluminium Offshore group of companies.

TSMP Law Corporation’s ‘practical, commercially aware, responsive’ practice, led by Stephanie Yuen Thio, advised Digital Reality Trust on its S$170m data centre acquisition and Halcyon Investment Corporation on its reverse take-over of NH Ceramics. Jasmine Quek is recommended.

Ai Ai Wong and her team at Wong & Leow LLC assisted The Park Hotel Group in hotel acquisitions, and advised YTL Corporation in its investment in the Starhill Global REIT.

Sunny Wong and his team at Wong Tan & Molly Lim LLC assisted Bund Center Investment with its spin-off listing from Asia Food and Properties, corporate restructuring and IPO, and advised TTJ Holdings with pre-IPO restructuring and rationalisation.

Boutique Arthur Loke & Sim LLP advises local law firms on hostile takeovers and international firms establishing offices in Singapore.

Donaldson & Burkinshaw’s Angela Teo-Yap specialises in commercial matters.

At Engelin Teh Practice LLC, Angela Chen and real estate specialist Lee Kuen Yip advise on M&A and restructuring.

Gateway Law Corporation was appointed to the legal panels of the National Arts Council, the Civil Service College, the Ministry of Health, and the Economic Development Board of Singapore. The team, led by Max Ng, who has specialist franchising expertise, advises education institutions and commercial clients including DyStar Singapore and BigDeal.

Claudia Yeo and her team at Harry Elias Partnership LLP advised Nam Cheong on its successful listing following its S$472m reverse takeover of Eagle Brand.

Cheah Swee Gim and her team at Kelvin Chia Partnership work with the firm’s Myanmar, Cambodian and Vietnam offices. Local mandates included advising on Mitsubishi Estate Asia’s joint ventures with CapitaLand.

Joshua Tan at Legal Solutions LLC advised UMS Holdings on its proposed dual primary listing on the KOSDAQ Market of the Korea Exchange, and acted for Tye Soon on the S$16.24m sale of its non-core business to Kikkoman Corporation.

Young Chee Foong and his team at boutique Legis Point LLC provide regulatory and transactional advice on complex structured deals often with a cross-border element. Recent highlights included advising on Japanese investment into a Singapore hi-tech company, and advising a US company in restructuring its Singapore operations.

Steven Lo at Straits Law Practice LLC represented Chuan Hup Holding in its mandatory conditional cash offer for PCI. Together with practice head M Rajaram, he acted for an Indian listed company in its acquisition of a Singapore incorporated company.

Tan Peng Chin LLC’s clients range from multinationals to local SMEs. C Chandrasegar is the primary contact.

Tan Rajah & Cheah handles corporate and commercial matters, notably in the real estate and hi-tech sectors.