The Legal 500

Drew & Napier LLC’s 94-lawyer team, which includes five senior counsel, garners praise for its ‘outstanding analysis’, and provides a ‘level of service which is among the highest worldwide’. Davinder Singh SC is ‘simply one of the best’; recently, he successfully represented several high-ranking officers of the Brunei Military, and acted in high-value claims brought against Asia Pacific Breweries and DBS Bank. Widely respected practice head Jimmy Yim SC represented the largest pipe trading company in Southeast Asia in a S$70m dispute. Cheryl Tan is ‘fantastically clever, tenacious and committed’, and rising star Wendell Wong is commended for his ‘sound strategy’ and ‘responsiveness’.

The 79 fee-earners at Allen & Gledhill LLP take on complex and high-value cases for banks and financial institutions, multinational corporations and public bodies. The team is praised for its practical and comprehensible advice, its ‘patience’ and its ability to ‘develop strategies’. Ang Cheng Hock SC impresses with his ‘knowledge, expertise and experience’. Well-respected litigator Dinesh Dhillon successfully defended Jurong Town Corporation against a S$1bn claim in the Court of Appeal. Edwin Tong is recommended for corporate, commercial and insolvency disputes, and Andrew Yeo for contruction and infrastructure disputes; he appeared for Singapore’s train service regulator (LTA) in a high-profile investigation into disruptions caused in December 2011.

With a ‘responsive’ and ‘pragmatic’ team, Rajah & Tann LLP is billed as ‘second to none’ for insolvency and dispute advisory work. Andre Yeap SC acted for the provisional liquidators of MF Global in a sanction by the High Court for the interim distribution of $350m of customers’ funds. Leading figure Eng Beng Lee SC has experience in judicial reviews. Francis Xavier SC heads the team, and Wei Na Sim was recently promoted to partner.

WongPartnership LLP is an ‘outstanding firm’, with ‘good, solid practitioners’. Harpreet Singh Nehal defended an individual against a breach of trust claim for up to $800m, and Tan Chee Meng SC acted for OpenNet in a high-profile judicial review action against the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore. Andre Maniam SC leads the team, and Alvin Yeo SC is an ‘outstanding litigation lawyer and strategist’.

Baker & McKenzie.Wong & Leow’s practice is co-headed by Leng Sun Chan SC and Andy Leck. It acted for Scandinavian company Master Marine AS in a €139m rig building contract dispute, and represented leading construction equipment manufacturer Caterpillar in a distribution dispute before the High Court. Celeste Ang has experience in IP, employment and energy disputes.

Philip Fong heads the civil and commercial litigation practice at Harry Elias Partnership LLP, and has notable expertise in business crime. Michael Palmer has earned an excellent reputation in high-profile matters involving senior government officials, and also represents athletes and national sports associations. Shipping, aviation and employment litigator S Suressh is commended by clients.

At KhattarWong, leading light Deborah Barker SC has complex corporate, trust and employment experience, and is well respected by peers. She appeared in the High Court on behalf of the former employee of a multinational corporation, in a claim for breach of fiduciary duty, confidentiality and copyright. K Anparasan is highly rated for commercial litigation, as is Chan Kia Pheng, who also specialises in insolvency.

Lee & Lee’s commercial, civil and criminal disputes practice is led by Mong Hua Quek. Tan Tee Jim SC and Julian Tay represented customers in a $10m claim against a private bank, and Matthew Saw led a contentious estate case involving assets of S$4m in Singapore, Indonesia and India.

Rodyk & Davidson LLP draws on shipping and maritime expertise, and acts in insurance and civil matters. It recently acted in a multimillion-dollar family dispute. Practice head Lawrence Teh offers ‘deep analysis’, and ‘delves to the heart of an issue very quickly’. Philip Jeyaratnam SC is recommended.

Shook Lin & Bok LLP acted for an international advertising agency in two matters in the Singapore High Court, and represented the managing director and majority shareholders of a fine dining restaurant at Marina Bay Sands in a corporate dispute. Sarjit Singh Gill SC and David Chan are key players. Vinodh Coomaraswamy SC left the firm, having been appointed Judicial Commissioner to the High Court in August 2012.

Corporate, IP and employment matters are mainstays of the litigation practice at TSMP Law Corporation. Led by Thio Shen Yi SC, the team represented Jurong Shipyard in its arbitration against Ernst & Young. Consultant Tan Cheng Han SC acted for an independent director of China Sky in a landmark action for judicial review against the Singapore Stock Exchange.

ATMD Bird & Bird’s contentious work draws heavily on its pre-eminent IP capability, and founding partner Alban Kang has appeared before the Court of Appeal in several complex patent litigation and IP-related cases. Head of disputes Swee Siang Boey has multi-jurisdictional litigation experience, and has acted for various international banks and large corporations.

Colin Ng & Partners LLP advised the chief operating officer of Airocean Limited in relation to a Security and Futures Act breach. See Tow Soo Ling is the key contact.

Well respected for its work in commercial and financial services litigation, Pinsent Masons MPillay acted for high-net-worth individual David Lam Chi Kin in his claim against Deutsche Bank in the High Court. Christopher Chong and Mohan Pillay are seasoned litigators, and Kelvin Teo is a rising star.

Practice head Tan Chuan Thye at Stamford Law Corporation represented the Fong family, shareholders of the largest pipe trading company in Southeast Asia, against allegations of tampering, money laundering, bribery and breach of duty. Bernard Lui is valued for his ‘good response times’ and ‘sound advice’.

Tan Rajah & Cheah’s Chelva Rajah SC acts in substantial commercial disputes, property-related matters and insolvency cases, and Han Kee Fong has experience in building and construction litigation.

Highly experienced name partner Molly Lim SC at Wong Tan & Molly Lim LLC has corporate, banking and property litigation expertise.