Sidley Austin LLP > Singapore, Singapore > Firm Profile

Sidley Austin LLP > The Legal 500 Rankings

Singapore > Capital markets: equity and debt: foreign firms Tier 2

With demonstrable experience across the energy, consumer goods, real estate, healthcare, technology, and telecommunication sectors, Sidley Austin LLP acts for issuers and underwriters across all types of security mandates, including IPOs, convertible bonds, investment grade debt, high-yield bonds and distressed debt restructurings. Matthew Sheridan, who is an esteemed figure in the Asian high-yield debt capital markets arena, jointly leads the team alongside Manoj Bhargava, whose practice covers a range of international capital markets matters, with a particular focus on Southeast Asia and India-related transactions. Other key contacts in the group include Alexius Chong and counsel Shashwat Tewary.

Singapore > Investment funds: foreign firms Tier 2

Sidley Austin LLP has a leading presence in hedge fund and regulatory work. The firm is also building its standing in private equity and continues to attract new asset management and institutional investor clients. It has an exceptional record in representing Asia-based fund managers.  Effie Vasilopoulos leads the APAC investment funds team, splitting her time between Hong Kong and Singapore. Counsel Josephine Law is another key figure in Singapore. Han Ming Ho  departed in November 2023.

Singapore > White-collar crime - Foreign firms Tier 2

Sidley Austin LLP’s dedicated practice handles corporate investigations for high-profile multinational clients across the life sciences, technology, and manufacturing sectors. In addition to cross-border compliance, antitrust, corruption, and misconduct investigations, the team often advises clients on cyber, data privacy and sanctions work. According to clients, ‘pragmatic, relevant and concise advice is the hallmark of the team’. ‘Powerhouse’ and practice leader Yuet Ming Tham advises on matters concerning the FCPA, corporate compliance, investigations, sanctions, money-laundering regulations, data privacy, employment and antitrust. Shu Min Ho, who handles investigations and compliance projects in the life sciences, technology, biotech and biopharma industries, is another key contact in the group.

Singapore > Corporate and M&A: foreign firms Tier 3

Praised for its ‘extensive experience and business perspective’, Sidley Austin LLP is well-placed to leverage the firm’s full-service capability and international footprint to advise on M&A and private equity transactions. With demonstrable expertise in the digital infrastructure, insurance and the real estate sectors, Charlie Wilson leads the practice and is noted for his experience in advising private equity funds and corporates on their investments and disposals across Asia. Parthiv Rishi, who acts for private equity firms and their portfolio companies on M&A, leveraged buyouts and capital investments in Southeast and India, is another key contact in the group.

Singapore > Banking and finance: foreign firms Tier 4

Sidley Austin LLP has built its standing in leveraged finance and general lending, following the arrival of Daniel Lindsey from Goodwin‘s Hong Kong office in July 2022. Lindsey has a background in representing private equity sponsors and private credit funds in leveraged and acquisition finance, growth capital financings, structured lending, fund-level financings and margin loans. His core team is now spread across the Hong Kong and Singapore offices. Former counsel Jeremy Chase moved to an in-house position in August 2022.

Singapore > International arbitration Tier 4

The practice at Sidley Austin LLP has ‘great experience in investment arbitrations‘, acting on high-value, cross-border mandates. Blue-chip clients, governments, and multinational corporations all rely on the expertise of the team in many industries, including life sciences, energy, technology, and shipping. The ‘extremely talented, charismatic, and brilliant‘ New York-qualified Tai-Heng Cheng leads the team, and is a ‘very effective advocate who reads the tribunal well‘. Jennifer Lim  and Meera Rajah  are other key names in the team.

Singapore > Start-up and venture capital – Foreign firms Tier 4

Representing start-ups, emerging growth companies and major investors in Singapore, Sidley Austin LLP advises on all aspects of the tech investment cycle encompassing seed rounds, venture, capital growth investments, pre-IPO investments and exits. Led by Parthiv Rishi, the team works in close coordination with the firm’s private equity, regulatory and capital markets offerings in Shanghai, Hong Kong, London and the US.

Asia Pacific: Regional International Arbitration > Leading firms Tier 3

Sidley Austin has impressive capabilities across the region, with practitioners working in offices in Hong Kong and Singapore on high-value, cross-border mandates. The firm is particularly skilled at bringing in colleagues from other industry groups, including life sciences, restructuring and finance to act on complex multi-disciplinary arbitrations. Splitting his time between Singapore and New York, Tai-Heng Cheng is the co-head of the international arbitration and trade practice, frequently advising companies, boards, and governments on business-related disputes. Friven Yeoh leads the international arbitration practice in Asia, working out of the firm’s Hong Kong and Singapore offices, advising clients on high-value investment disputes. Also in Hong Kong, Desmond Ang and Yan Zhang are key names, with Jennifer Lim playing a key role in the Singapore team.

Indonesia > Foreign firms Tier 3

Sidley Austin LLP provides a diverse array of advice to its clients on Indonesian matters ranging from digital infrastructure and financial services to mining, energy, and real estate. The firm’s clientele includes multinational and domestic conglomerates, investment funds, government bodies and state-owned enterprises. Led by Matthew Sheridan and Charlie Wilson, who frequently assist on complex cross-border and multi-practice matters, the practice is widely experienced in Indonesia with notable members including Parthiv Rishi and Alexius Chong.

Hong Kong > Capital markets (debt)

Sidley Austin's involvement for Chinese real estate issuers in many of the highest-profile offshore high-yield offerings in recent years has subsequently led to a considerable amount of restructuring and liability management exercises as that sector has been impacted by a raft of economic headwinds. The ‘phenomenal’ Renee Xiong has been at the heart of much of this work, including acting alongside the firm’s acclaimed London restructuring team on a number of distressed situations. As well as also being involved in a number of real estate-related restructuring/liability management scenarios, Carrie Li has also handled new bond issuances in other sectors, including her work for the lead managers in relation to China Cinda Asset Management’s issuance of FTZ bonds. Singapore based Matthew Sheridan heads up the overarching Asia capital markets offering.

Hong Kong > Regulatory: anti-corruption and compliance

Sidley Austin provides ‘practical, commercial and pragmatic advice’ to clients from a wide range of industry sectors, including asset management, financial services, life sciences, and technology, across a broad array of anti corruption-related matters. Leveraging the firm’s strong presence in other critical offices in the region, the team is best known for its ability to provide a unified, Asia-wide offering to clients engaged in regulatory investigations and enforcements, as well as compliance counselling on inter alia sanctions and AML, and FCPA matters associated with transactional work handled by the firm. In addition, the team is noted for its aptitude at handling mandates which also touch upon UK and US regulatory concerns. Although now both based in Singapore, following their return to the firm after a brief stint at McDermott Will & Emery Singapore LLP, ‘highly intellectual and pragmatic’ co-heads Yuet Ming Tham and Shu Min Ho are both well-versed in anti-corruption matters with a nexus to Hong Kong, having spent many years practising in the country. Stephanie Chan, who joined in February 2023 from Reed Smith Richards Butler LLP, adds firepower to the firm’s offering on the ground in Hong Kong, particularly as it relates to regulatory investigations conducted by regulatory and enforcement authorities, including the HKSE, SFC, and HKMA.

India > Foreign firms

Manoj Bhargava leads Sidley Austin LLP’s India group, which draws on the firm’s broader resources and international reach to provide a full-service offering with a notable emphasis on capital markets, banking and finance, and private equity. Bhargava, in Singapore, leads the capital markets practice and advises on high-value IPOs as well as equity and debt capital markets offerings. Also in the core Singapore team is Parthiv Rishi, who is recommended for his private equity expertise, while Palo Alto’s Andrew Harper has a broad corporate practice with a focus on advising US firms operating in the Indian market.

Latin America: International firms > International arbitration

Sidley Austin LLP remains active in both investor-state and commercial arbitrations, most notably in the energy, construction, financial services, mining and real estate sectors. In state representation, the firm has acted for the Republic of Peru in a series of cases, and also has successfully defended the Republic of Colombia. New York and Singapore-based partner Tai-Heng Cheng has represented a number of Asian clients in cases against Latin American states, while New York partner Simon Navarro handles a mix of commercial and investor-state work, particularly in representing Spanish and European clients in energy disputes against Latin American entities. Former (international arbitration) senior managing associate María Carolina Durán and counsel Courtney Hikawa left the firm in August and October 2023, respectively.