The Legal 500

Clients rate Allen & Gledhill LLP’s ‘strength in complicated structured transactions’. Big-ticket transactions included the S$982.6m IPO of Mapletree Commercial Trust, Singapore’s largest REIT IPO. Penny Goh advised on the S$664.4m IPO of the Sabana sharia-compliant REIT. Construction specialist Ho Chien Mien is project counsel to the consortium developing the S$2bn South Beach project.

WongPartnership LLP’s practice head and ‘leading intellectual light’ Dorothy Marie Ng, together with Tan Teck Howe (commended for his ‘commercial approach’), acted for the syndicate of lenders in the financing of more than S$1.33bn to Sportshub Pte. It represented the shareholders of Capital Square Pte in its sale to Street Square Pte for S$889m. Monica Yip acted for UOL Residential Development Pte and UOL Property Investments Pte in the S$313m acquisition of the Lion City Hotel and adjoining former Hollywood Theatre site.

Clients consider Sandra Seah and her ‘highly responsive’ team at ATMD Bird & Bird ‘a valuable resource’, advising on industrial and commercial property leases in the cleantech, petrochemical, desalination and pharmaceutical sectors. Highlights included complex lease negotiations for Public Utilities Board’s desalination plant and advising the Singapore SportsHub on commercial leases.

Colin Ng & Partners LLP recently advised on the sale and leaseback of industrial premises to HSBC Institutional Trust Services as trustee of Mapletree Logistics Trust. Chan Wai Mun Ho Soo Lih are leading names. Subramanian Pillai handles construction and engineering disputes.

Drew & Napier LLC handles contentious and non-contentious construction work. Qualified civil and structural engineer Tan Liam Beng, who heads the practice, is handling three disputes involving the construction of the Singapore Parallel Train Project on Jurong Island. Eugene Tan is advising the main contractors in a S$167m dispute concerning Singapore’s common services tunnel.

Pauline Lee and her team at Harry Elias Partnership LLP recently represented CEVA Freight in the S$34m sale and lease back of a property to Mapletree Logistics Trust.

KhattarWong experienced an increase in corporate and en bloc sales, as well as high-value disputes and arbitrations. Chia Ho Choon Tan Spring, and Pearl Lim are leading names.

Lee & Lee handles high-value real estate and financing transactions, notably advising banks and other lenders on structured lending to REITs. Practice head Ow Yong Thian Soo advises on en bloc sales and purchases.

Clients recommend Chong Yee Leong’s team at Rajah & Tann LLP, which handles regional and international construction disputes and complex, high-value domestic mandates, notably advising Jurong Aromatics on disputes relating to its $2.4bn integrated petrochemical complex.

Ramdas & Wong advises property developers on residential, commercial and industrial developments as well as private and government-led construction projects, property sales and purchases. Kenneth Au-Yong is recommended.

Rodyk & Davidson LLP represents developers and landowners in collective sale agreements, with Lee Liat Yeang representing the owners in the S$214m collective sale of Paramount Hotel & Shopping Centre. The ‘efficient, responsive and well-connected’ Norman Ho handles corporate real estate work. Lee Chau Hwei joined from Allen & Gledhill LLP.

Stamford Law Corporation’s practice, led by Susan Kong, recommended for her ‘high-quality advice and industry knowledge’, acted for Mapletree Commercial Trust in its S$2.8bn IPO. Yap Wai Ming handles land and property acquisitions.

Tan Bee Lian and his team at TSMP Law Corporation advise developers on tenders, contract negotiations, contract drafting and dispute resolution. Recent highlights include acting on high-value transactions, including Pinnacle Collection Suites and Seascape on Sentosa Island, and en bloc sales. Agatha Lee is recommended.

Wong & Leow LLC’s Ai-Ai Wong and her team advised a subsidiary of Grandline International on the acquisition of the 538-room ibis Singapore hotel. The team also advised YTL Corporation on its investment into the Starhill Global REIT.

Qualified architect and accredited adjudicator John Chung heads Kelvin Chia Partnership’s practice, which represents Mitsubishi Real EstateMEA in a joint venture with CapitaLand Commercial, and acted for CapitaCommercial Trust in the S$1.4bn Market Street car park development.

Pinsent Masons MPillay LLP’s Mohan Pillay and Jonathan Howes handle high-value civil engineering disputes and non-contentious work for clients, including Sembawang Engineers and Constructors, Punj Lloyd and Subsea. The team was strengthened by the arrival of David Platt from Shearman & Sterling LLP, and construction lawyer Helen Waddell’s arrival from Pinsent Masons LLP in London.

Shook Lin & Bok LLP handles high-value real estate financing transactions, notably representing HSBC Institutional Trust Services, as trustee of Sabana sharia-compliant Industrial REIT, in its S$491m IPO. Joseph Chun and Tan Woon Hum are leading names.

Tan Peng Chin LLC’s Gwendoline Ong and her team represent corporates and banks on major property developments and commercial and collective sales.

Donaldson & Burkinshaw is on the conveyancing panel of leading Singapore financial institutions, including the Central Provident Fund Board. Angela Teo-Yap and Daniel Yee Chern Chia are key contacts.

Engelin Teh Practice LLC’s Michael Seow and his team advise on the purchase and leasing of property in Singapore, and the acquisition and financing of property outside Singapore.

Chan Yee Min heads Keystone Law Corporation’s practice, which advises developers and banks on high-value transactions. The firm is on the panels of financial institutions and the CPF Board.

The ‘approachable, experienced’ Young Chee Foong and Patricia Lee at Legis Point LLC are advising on the sale and purchase of a hotel property in Singapore’s Central Business District.

Tan Rajah & Cheah’s Lim Leong Teen and Khoo Ghee Saik specialise in residential and commercial property sales and landlord and tenant law.