The Legal 500

Within Foreign firms Leading individuals

Within Local firms, WongPartnership LLP is a second tier firm,

WongPartnership LLP’s team, led by ‘level-headed, practical’ Susan Wong and Alvin Chia, ‘bridges the gap between the law and commercial realities’, acting for the syndicate of lenders in the S$1.33bn financing to Sportshub Pte, and advising Bain Capital on the $1.63bn acquisition of The Dow Chemical Company’s Styron unit.

Within Foreign firms Leading individuals

Within Local firms, WongPartnership LLP is a first tier firm,

WongPartnership LLP’s practice head Hui Choon Yuen wins accolades for his ‘grasp of debt market law and practice’. Karen Yeoh represented a syndicate of six investment banks involved in the Global Logistic Properties IPO. Gail Ong joined the firm from Shearman & Sterling LLP, while Raymond Tong left for Clifford Chance

Within Foreign firms Leading individuals

Within Local firms, WongPartnership LLP is a first tier firm,

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.

Within Local firms, WongPartnership LLP is a second tier firm,

WongPartnership LLP provides ‘truly excellent service’. Managing partner Alvin Yeo and his team represented Unitas Capital in a complex shareholders dispute concerning its investment in Metalform Asia Pte, which involved proceedings in Mauritius and Singapore. High-profile mandates included representing the founder of private equity firm CMIA Capital Partners Pte Ltd against a claim brought by CMIA China Fund II.

Within Local firms, WongPartnership LLP is a first tier firm,

WongPartnership LLP’s ‘quick, detailed, commercially-minded’ practice, led by Jenny Tsin and Vivien Yui, advised Nikko Asset Management on the employment aspects of its acquisition of DBS Asset Management, and acted for HJ Heinz Company on its acquisition of Foodstar Holdings. Chan Hock Keng and Koh Swee Yen are advising the chairman of JLJ Holdings in relation to the implications of a US federal indictment and civil suit. Clients recommend Jenny Tsin’s ‘holistic, real world advice’.

Within Local firms, WongPartnership LLP is a second tier firm,

WongPartnership LLP’s ‘meticulous, resourceful, responsive and understanding’ practice head Lam Chung Nian assisted Expedia with its joint venture with Air Asia; advised Western Digital Corporation on the IP aspects of its acquisition of Hoya Magnetics; and acted for Hitachi Global Storage Technologies and CapitaLand on rebranding 40 shopping malls in China.

Within International arbitration, WongPartnership LLP is a second tier firm,

WongPartnership LLP’s ‘combined litigation and arbitration practice’, led by managing partner Alvin Yeo and Andre Maniam, successfully represented the Astro group in a $230m multi-jurisdictional arbitration. The firm’s regional offices attract international arbitration work, including CIETAC arbitrations.

Within Legal market overview,

The local market is dominated by four preeminent law firms: Allen & Gledhill LLP, WongPartnership LLP, Drew & Napier LLC and Rajah & Tann LLP. While the latter two are particularly strong in litigation, strong transactional firms, notably Shook Lin & Bok LLP, Stamford Law Corporation and Rodyk & Davidson LLP lead the chasing pack. Specialist boutiques are increasingly involved in some of the biggest deals. Loo & Partners LLP is one such example. Asia Practice LLP and RHT Law LLP, the latter recently established an alliance with Taylor Wessing LLP, are breakway boutiques launched by high-profile partners from large local firms.

Within Local firms, WongPartnership LLP is a first tier firm,

Clients appreciate Tay Peng Cheng’s ‘practical solid advice’, and Ian de Vaz’s ‘excellent reputation for EPC’ (engingeering, procurement and construction) at WongPartnership LLP. Highlights included advising Keppel Merlimau Cogen on the S$900m expansion of its power plant on Jurong Island, and acting for Resorts World at Sentosa on construction matters. The team has particular expertise in construction disputes and arbitrations. Clients appreciate Susan Wong’s ‘level-headed, practical solutions’.

Within Local firms, WongPartnership LLP is a first tier firm,

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.

Within Foreign firms Leading individuals

Within Local firms, WongPartnership LLP is a first tier firm,

WongPartnership LLP’s 25-lawyer restructuring group, led by Chou Sean Yu and Mark Choy, recruited restructuring expert Manoj Sandrasegara from Drew & Napier LLC. Signficant mandates included acting for TT International in its consensual restructuring, and advising M+W Singapore Pte on the assets of the Jurong Data Centre Development Pte in receivership. Sandrasegara acted for Korea Line Corporation to prevent the arrest and seizure of the company’s 186 vessels.

Within Local firms, WongPartnership LLP is a second tier firm,

At WongPartnership LLP, clients describe Lam Chung Nian as ‘best in class’ with ‘an impressive knowledge of Singapore’s media sector’. The team advised Expedia on its joint venture with Air Asia, and acted for Western Digital Corporation on the intellectual property aspects of its acqusitions of Hoya Magnetics Singapore and Hitachi Global Storage Technologies. Jeffrey Lim joined the team from Motorola.

Within Local firms, WongPartnership LLP is a first tier firm,

WongPartnership LLP advises on the tax aspects of cross-border and domestic corporate finance and capital markets deals. Practice head Tan Kay Kheng is representing UOL Residential Development Pte and UOL Property Investments Pte in the S$313m acquisition of the Lion City Hotel and the former Hollywood Theatre site in Singapore. Leung Yew Kwong represented the taxpayer in a landmark case, overturning the practice adopted by the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) for many years in relation to payments under financial derivatives contracts