Legal500

Herbert Smith LLP

50 RAFFLES PLACE, 24-01 SINGAPORE LAND TOWER, SINGAPORE 048623, SINGAPORE

Tokyo, Singapore, Shanghai, Paris, Moscow, Madrid , and 8 more

What we say about this firm…
What the firm says…

What we say about the firm's legal practice in Singapore

Banking and finance

Within Foreign firms, Herbert Smith LLP is a second tier firm,

Herbert Smith LLP’s Michelle Chen and her ‘commercial, responsive’ team handle leveraged and acquisition finance, energy and project finance and debt restructuring matters. Tata Communications is a key client. Project finance specialist Adrian Cheng, who transferred from London, represented BNP Paribas and Commonwealth Bank of Australia on a $80m secured borrowing base facility for Coastal Energy Company.

Within Local firms Leading individuals

Capital markets

Within Foreign firms, Herbert Smith LLP is a second tier firm,

Herbert Smith LLP’s Austin Sweeney and Siddhartha Sivaramakrishnan and their team advised Deutsche Bank and JPMorgan on Agung Podomoro Land’s $250m IPO. A formal association with Hiswara Bunjamin & Tandjung, including the full-time secondment of partner David Dawborn, enables the firm to offer Indonesian capital markets advice under one roof. Kevin Roy and Veronica O’Shea advised on the guaranteed bond offering by finance SPV of Axiata Group.

Within Local firms Leading individuals

Corporate and M&A

Within Foreign firms, Herbert Smith LLP is a second tier firm,

Herbert Smith LLP’s team, led by Austin Sweeney and Veronica O’Shea, who ‘can hold her own under pressure’, includes four partners in Singapore and two seconded to Hiswara Bunjamin & Tandjung in Jakarta. O’Shea represented Rio Tinto in the acquisition of an interest in the Sulawesi Nickel Project in Indonesia by Sherritt International Corporation. Lewis McDonald led a team advising BG Group on the divestment of its Southeast Asia power assets.

Dispute resolution

Within Local firms Leading individuals

International arbitration

Within International arbitration, Herbert Smith LLP is a first tier firm,

Herbert Smith LLP’s ‘top-quality, thorough’ practice is led by Maurice Burke, recommended for his ‘strong, solutions-oriented advice’, and the ‘helpful, knowledgeable’ Nicholas Peacock, who specialises in energy, telecommunications and financial services. Highlights included acting on an AAA/ICDR arbitration for three global energy companies, and representing a global bank in an SIAC arbitration with an Indonesian corporate. Nicholas Peacock and Alastair Henderson sit as arbitrators.

Legal market overview

Within Legal market overview,

Allen & Overy, Clifford Chance, Herbert Smith LLP, Latham & Watkins LLP, Norton Rose (Asia) LLP and White & Case LLP hold Qualified Foreign Law Practice (QFLP) licences, allowing them to practise domestic law employing Singapore-qualified lawyers. Other firms achieve this through joint law ventures, notably Allens Arthur Robinson TSMP, Baker & McKenzie.Wong & Leow, Linklaters Allen & Gledhill, Hogan Lovells Lee & Lee and Pinsent Masons MPillay LLP. In 2011, market liberalisation produced new alliances and local subsidiaries of international firms, notably Duane Morris & Selvam LLP, a joint law venture between Duane Morris LLP and Selvam LLC, and Ince & Co’s establishment of Incisive Law LLC.

Projects and energy

Within Foreign firms, Herbert Smith LLP is a second tier firm,

Richard Nelson and Adrian Cheng lead Herbert Smith LLP’s four-partner practice. Lewis McDonald led a team advising BG Group on the $500m divestment of its Southeast Asia power assets. The firm’s association with Hiswara Bunjamin & Tandjung in Jakarta supports its Indonesian practice.

Restructuring and insolvency

Within Foreign firms, Herbert Smith LLP is a third tier firm,

Herbert Smith LLP’s Michelle Chen specialises in debt equity matters, attracting debt restructuring instructions across Southeast Asia.

What we say worldwide

Please choose another Herbert Smith LLP office to view full details of what we say in that region, or choose from this list to view a specific editorial reference in context.

United Arab Emirates

Offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi

Belgium

Offices in Brussels

China

Offices in Beijing and Shanghai

Algeria

Foreign firms : Foreign firms

Spain

Offices in Madrid

France

Offices in Paris

Hong Kong

Offices in Hong Kong

Indonesia

Offices in Jakarta

India

Foreign firms : Foreign firms

Japan

Offices in Tokyo

London

Offices in London

Libya

Legal market overview : Legal market overview

Morocco

Foreign firms : Foreign firms

Russia

Offices in Moscow

Singapore

Offices in Singapore

Thailand

Offices in Bangkok

Tunisia

Foreign firms : Foreign firms

Search News and Articles

Legal Developments in Singapore

Legal Developments and updates from the leading lawyers in each jurisdiction. To contribute, send an email request to

SINGAPORE COMPETITION LAW WATCH

On 23 November 2011, the Competition Commission of Singapore (“CCS”) released an infringement decision against 11 modelling agencies in Singapore for breaching Section 34 of the Competition Act (Cap. 50B) (“Act”). Section 34 of the Act prohibits, amongst other things, price fixing activities.

- Drew & Napier LLC
TRADE MARKS CAMPOMAR WINS THE RACE

The issue before the Court of Appeal was whether the registration of the trade mark NIKE should have been rejected on the ground that as of the registration date of the NIKE mark, there existed another identical earlier mark on the trade mark register. The appellant, Campomar SL ("Campomar"), was the proprietor of the earlier mark and had appealed against the decision of the High Court Judge, who had refused to overturn the decision of the Principal Assistant Registrar of Trade Marks ("PAR"), and allowed the trade mark NIKE to proceed to registration.

- Drew & Napier LLC
PATENTS PROSECUTION HIGHWAY

It is a common practice for companies to seek patent protection in various jurisdictions for the same invention. As each of these patent applications would need to undergo search and/or examination by the different patent offices, it is therefore not only a costly process for applicants but also one which requires significant time and effort from the patent offices to perform.

- Joyce A. Tan & Partners
ASSET-BASED LENDING IN SINGAPORE

To what extent are asset-based lending structures used (e.g., revolving and term loan facilities secured by present and future accounts and inventory, with the amount of loans available at any time based on the value of such assets)?

- Joyce A. Tan & Partners
NEW REGULATORY FRAMEWORK FOR CREDIT RATING AGENCIES

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (“MAS”) has issued a set of subsidiary legislation and regulations creating a new regulatory framework for credit rating agencies (“CRAs”).

- Drew & Napier LLC
PROPOSED CONSOLIDATION OF REGULATORY CONTROLS OF WESTERN MEDICINES UNDER THE HEALTH PRODUCTS ACT

The Health Sciences Authority (“HSA”) is holding a public consultation on its proposal to consolidate the legislative provisions regulating western medicine into a single statute. Currently, the regulatory controls are found in separate pieces of legislation, including the Medicines Act and the Poisons Act. It is proposed to transfer these provisions into the Health Products Act.

- Drew & Napier LLC
GUIDANCE PROVIDED ON MALAYSIAN COMPETITION LAWS

IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPETITION LAW IN MALAYSIA Competition law in Malaysia will become a reality next year, with the Malaysia Competition Act 2010 (“Act”) due to take effect from 1 January 2012.

- Drew & Napier LLC
Proposed consumer data protection regime for Singapore

On 13 September 2011, the Singapore Government released a public consultation paper on the proposed introduction of a consumer Data Protection (DP) regime in Singapore.

- ATMD Bird & Bird LLP
The restraint of trade doctrine does not apply to forfeiture-for-competition clauses

By Venisha Lakshmi Nair

- ATMD Bird & Bird LLP
New WIPO-IPOS mediation option for trade mark disputes

By Deryne Sim

- ATMD Bird & Bird LLP