Clifford Chance > Singapore, Singapore > Firm Profile

Clifford Chance > The Legal 500 Rankings

Singapore > Capital markets: structured finance, derivatives and securitisation: Foreign firms Tier 1

Singapore > Corporate and M&A: foreign firms Tier 1

Noted for its capability to advise on Singapore, English and New York law, the ‘all-star team’ at Clifford Chance covers the full spectrum of mandates, from M&A, joint ventures and divestments to general corporate advisory work across the energy and infrastructure, financial services, consumer goods and retail, healthcare and life sciences, TMT and private equity sectors. Praised as ‘one of the best M&A lawyers in Singapore’, managing partner Valerie Kong has built a strong portfolio of clients, including sovereign wealth funds, Singapore and Malaysia government-linked entities, multinational banks and corporates, with demonstrable experience in cross-border M&A, particularly in the Southeast Asia region. Kong jointly leads the team alongside Melissa Ng, who is commended for her ‘keen intellect, commerciality and extensive experience’ in M&A, divestments and joint ventures, and Tom Lin, who focuses on private equity transactions. Senior associate Ivan Chan is another key contact in the group.

Singapore > Fintech and financial services regulatory: foreign firms Tier 1

Clifford Chance‘s offering is underpinned by its expertise in banking and finance, incorporating experience in banking, payments and export finance transactions as well as non-contentious and contentious regulatory issues across the financial sector, including derivatives, automated trading systems and payments. The team also leverages its ‘expertise across multiple jurisdictions’ to handle regulatory investigations, a key area of work for expert litigators Kabir Singh and Janice Goh. Lena Ng heads up the team. Her broad practice runs the gamut of financial regulatory work, with licensing, exemptions, and innovative new financial products all areas of expertise. Counsel Mae Yen Teoh is at the forefront of transactional derivatives work.

Singapore > International arbitration Tier 1

Clifford Chance boasts ‘one of the best teams in the region‘ in the international arbitration space, advising on a range of Singaporean and international law issues across sectors. The alliance of the firm with local firm Cavenagh Law LLP gives the unique access to Singapore courts, allowing the firm to act on more complex mandates. Multi-jurisdictional expertise is a strength of the team, and its insight into the Indian market ‘makes it seamless for them to understand the issues being faced by a company on the ground’. Nish Shetty, who is qualified both in Singapore and as a solicitor in England and Wales, acts as the head of the practice alongside Paul Sandosham, who has vast expertise across the energy sector as an experienced construction lawyer. ‘Master tactician’ Kabir Singh is integral to the team, acting for large multinational corporations, international banks, and financial institutions.

Singapore > Investment funds: foreign firms Tier 1

Clifford Chance has devoted considerable resources and senior expertise to its thriving investment funds practice. It represents a long list of regional and international fund managers, along with a number of sovereign wealth funds and other institutional investors. It has a primary focus on private funds, with additional expertise in retail funds and regulatory matters. US qualified Kai-Niklas Schneider, ‘the most genius lawyer in the universe’, is a long-serving partner in Singapore, who has built a fine reputation in private equity, real estate, infrastructure funds and credit funds. Daryl Liu is Singapore qualified and another pivotal member of the team. Lena Ng leads the financial regulatory practice in Singapore, while Luke Chen and Chloe Cheng are key figures at counsel level.

Singapore > Labour and employment: foreign firms Tier 1

Clifford Chance draws on the expertise and experience of partners and associates in the corporate and dispute resolution departments. Much of the practice centres on representing financial institutions and asset managers, notably in relation to investigations into wrongful dismissal claims, sexual harassment, misuse of funds, and market manipulation. The Singapore office is also experienced in developing incentive structures for private equity houses and other financial investors. Kabir Singh is a key partner for investigations involving employee claims and allegations, along with Janice Goh, a partner in formal law alliance firm Cavenagh Law LLP. Valerie Kong leads in non-contentious matters, including incentives.

Singapore > Projects: foreign firms Tier 1

With over four decades of experience in the Singaporean market, the worldwide projects group at Clifford Chance is very well known for acting for sponsors and borrowers, especially the former, in large-scale energy and natural resources, transportation, and infrastructure projects across the region. The team is active in the financing and acquisition of oil and gas, renewable energy, and transport infrastructure projects. The practice is led by the triumvirate of Nicholas Wong, Matthew Buchanan and Ross Howard, who fields expertise in project development and finance matters.

Singapore > Restructuring and insolvency: foreign firms Tier 1

With demonstrable experience across the aviation, oil and gas, telecoms, construction and transport, maritime and shipping sectors, the team at Clifford Chance is well-placed to handle high-profile transactional and contentious mandates in the restructuring and insolvency arena, and is further supported by the firm’s robust banking and finance practice. Key clients include creditors, lenders, coordinating committees, private equity sponsors, insolvency practitioners and debtors. Shaun Langhorne, who boasts a strong track record in cross-border restructuring matters in the Asia Pacific region, jointly leads the team alongside insolvency expert Nish Shetty. Elan Krishna, a partner at Cavenagh Law LLP, the firm’s Formal Law Alliance partner, is another key contact in the group.

Singapore > TMT: foreign firms Tier 1

Clifford Chance handles a broad range of matters concerning technology and digitalisation, including artificial intelligence, digital assets, green technologies, data protection, and cybersecurity, in addition to big-ticket technology-related transactions. The practice recently bolstered its capabilities with the arrival of practice leader Stella Cramer and ‘standout’ counsel David Olds from Norton Rose Fulbright in April 2023. Cramer boasts an impressive track record advising on digital and transformational technology transactions, as well as data protection, cybersecurity, and fintech matters, while Olds focuses on telecommunications regulation, IT contracting, and outsourcing mandates. Paul Landless is another key contact in the group.

Singapore > Asset finance: foreign firms Tier 2

Clifford Chance is a regional ‘go-to’ for aviation matters across the Asia Pacific. Recent mandates include financings, restructurings, sales and leasebacks, JOLCO structured leasing transactions and sustainability-linked financings. It has garnered an impressive client list featuring major financial institutions, banks, and other investment groups. Practice head Fergus Evans ‘takes a commercial and problem-solving approach to transactions‘, specialising in finance and leasing matters including tax-driven structures and export credit-backed transactions. Nattawat Vilasdechanon counts a number of Korean institutional investors as his clients and handles a steady flow of structured finance and aircraft leasing transactions.

Singapore > Banking and finance: foreign firms Tier 2

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

Housing a team of ‘highly knowledgeable, commercial and practical problem solvers’, Clifford Chance advises on all aspects of Singapore, US, English and Hong Kong law across a broad range of capital markets instruments, and counts international investment banks, Asian corporates and state-owned entities among its key roster of clients. Key areas of expertise include high-end domestic IPOs and bond issues, in addition to Reg S/144A bond transactions, liability management exercises (tender offers) and other US securities mandates. Gareth Deiner, who is praised as ‘one of the best on the street in debt capital markets’, jointly leads the practice alongside Jean Thio, who divides her time between Singapore and Shanghai, working closely with Asian companies looking to access the Chinese capital markets. Johannes Juette relocated to London.

Singapore > Energy: foreign firms Tier 2

Clifford Chance‘s substantial Singapore office has a major focus on energy projects and transactions. The firm is widely rated for its expertise in M&A and fund investments in the energy sector. Singapore partner Nicholas Wong was previously co-head of the firm’s global energy and infrastructure group, and leads the team jointly with corporate partner Melissa Ng, who has made a particular impression energy M&A across Asia Pacific, historically with an especially strong record in Indonesia. The firm has an impressive client list of project sponsors and developers, funds and investors, and lenders. It is further distinguished by having a dedicated construction team led by Matthew Buchanan, that has played a pivotal role in large-scale offshore wind projects, amongst many other engagements. The Singapore team frequently works alongside colleagues across Asia Pacific, including those in Perth and Sydney. Ross Howard is another key project finance partner with particular experience in Vietnam and Japan.

Singapore > White-collar crime - Foreign firms Tier 2

Clifford Chance’s acts for financial institutions, multinational corporations and banks on a broad range of matters, covering investigations, regulatory compliance, fraud and corruption mandates, key areas of expertise enhanced by the firm’s financial regulatory, sanctions, and anti-corruption practices. In Singapore, the firm further benefits from a formal law alliance with boutique firm Cavenagh Law LLP, and is well-placed to advise on cross-border matters across the region, drawing on its wider network. Kabir Singh co-leads the team and handles cross-border disputes and regulatory issues, notably in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, while co-head Vasu Muthyala, a former US DOJ prosecutor and SEC enforcement lawyer, has far-reaching experience advising on cross-border investigations and regulatory mandates.

Indonesia > Foreign firms Tier 1

Clifford Chance is renowned as a top-rate firm for its activity in Indonesia and Southeast Asia as a whole. The firm offers services across a wide array of practice areas within the jurisdiction, including capital markets, bank financing, M&A, construction, restructurings and dispute resolution. With a large pool of practitioners capable of operating on Indonesian matters, the practice regularly acts for clients in complex, cross-border issues that are often high-profile or high-value. Melissa Ng leads the firm’s Indonesia Group and handles M&A work for her longstanding clients. Thomas England specialises in leverage and acquisition finance, restructuring and insolvency, while Shaun Langhorne focuses his practice on complex, multi-stakeholder and cross-border restructuring matters across the region. In addition, Gareth Deiner is practiced in the debt capital markets sector and Matthew Buchanan is expert in construction matters concerning infrastructure.

Malaysia > Foreign firms Tier 1

Managing partner Valerie Kong solely leads the team at Clifford Chance’s Singapore office following the relocation of former co-lead Johannes Juette to the firm’s London office; Juette remains an active member of the group. Kong frequently advises on cross-border M&A, with a focus on Southeast Asia, while Thomas England acts for banks and borrowers on new money and restructuring transactions. Nicholas Wong advises sponsors, investors, banks and export credit agencies on the structuring, development and financing of energy, oil and gas, infrastructure and mining development projects, and Gareth Deiner specialises in debt capital markets products. Daryl Liu is a member of the firm's funds and investment management group. Key clients span the food and beverage, energy and resources, consumer goods, private equity and healthcare sectors, among others.

Philippines > Foreign firms Tier 1

Clifford Chance has extensive experience in advising national and multinational clients on various complex transactions in the Philippines and covers a wide array of matters from banking, finance, and corporate to restructuring and project financing. Other core areas of expertise span capital markets work and dispute resolution, while the firm also has a large arbitration practice. Paul Landless, who is based at the Singapore office, specialises in structured finance, derivatives and other financial markets products; he leads the team jointly with Hong-Kong-based Cameron Hassall, who has considerable expertise in Asia related to international arbitration and litigation. Melissa Ng is also recommended.

Vietnam > Foreign desks Tier 1

Clifford Chance’s Vietnam focus group, operating principally from the firm’s Singapore office, offers considerable combined experience in structuring and implementing transactions in the country. The practice has a well-established relationship with leading local law firm, VILAF, as well as with Vietnamese local authorities, including MOF and MOJ. The group is jointly led by finance partner Fergus Evans, specialising in banking, asset finance, and leasing matters, and projects practice co-head Ross Howard, with expertise advising sponsors and lenders in relation to the financing of large-scale energy and infrastructure projects. Tokyo-based projects lawyer Hans Menski works closely with practitioners at VILAF to advise clients on their Vietnamese investments. Valerie Kong, managing partners of the firm’s Singapore office and member of the Asia Pacific Leadership Group, regularly handles high-profile M&A deals involving companies based in Vietnam.

India > Foreign firms Tier 2

The India team at Clifford Chance ‘goes above and beyond‘ to advise Indian and foreign companies on the full range of transactional work and multi-jurisdictional disputes. Contentious work is a notable area of strength for the team, which is led by seasoned litigators Nish Shetty and Kabir Singh, both in Singapore. ‘Exceptional advocate‘ Shetty is highly recommended, as is the ‘top-class’ Singh; both are key players in the Indian international arbitration space. Another key name in the Singapore office is litigator Elan Krishna, as well as former US Department of Justice prosecutor Vasu Muthyala, who joined the team in August 2022.

Asia Pacific: Regional International Arbitration > Leading firms

Clifford Chance has vast reach across the region, with offices across China, Hong Kong, Australia and Singapore, advising on complex international law issues across all sectors. The firm has a range of experienced practitioners across all offices in the region. Nish Shetty is dual-qualified in England and Singapore, and leads the Singapore practice alongside Paul Sandosham, who brings vast energy expertise to the wider team. In greater China, the firm has one of the pre-eminent international arbitration offerings, conducting arbitrations in both Mandarin Chinese and English. Hong-Kong based Thomas Walsh leads the practice in that region – with experience of sitting as an arbitrator under all major rules, including the HKIAC, ICC, and SIAC – alongside Shanghai-based Lei Shi, who frequently represents mainland Chinese financial instutions. In Australia, the firm has practitioners working out of Perth, Sydney, and Melbourne, frequently conducting arbitrations in English, French, Spanish, and Chinese. Sam Lutrell and Cameron Hassall are key names in the Perth and Sydney offices, with Spencer Flay in the former bringing extensive strength regarding construction work.

Hong Kong > TMT

Clifford Chance is well-placed to advise on transformational technology projects, platform collaborations and TMT transactions, in addition to regulatory issues relating to the implementation of technologies such as blockchain and AI. The team is co-headed by the Singapore-based Stella Cramer, who joined in April 2023 from Norton Rose Fulbright, and Ling Ho, whose contentious and non-contentious practice extends to technology-related IP litigation and licensing issues. Fang Liu specialises in TMT work with a capital markets dimension and counsel Clarice Yue joined from Bird & Bird in December 2022, and advises on cross-border data transfer issues in the context of the rolling out of digital platforms.

South Korea > International arbitration

Continuing to advise from its Hong Kong office, the team at Clifford Chance handles a wide range of multi-jurisdictional arbitrations relating to Korea, particularly in the oil and gas, and construction industries. Thomas Walsh in Singapore leads the Korean disputes practice, with expertise in post M&A, private equity and tech-related disputes. Paul Sandosham - managing partner of the firm's Singapore venture Cavenagh Law - specialises in energy, infrastructure and resources disputes for South East Asia, and Sachin Trikha, advising from the London office, is also recommended.