Dentons Rodyk > The Legal 500 Rankings

Singapore > Projects and energy: local firms Tier 1

The team at Dentons Rodyk is noted particularly for its ability to assist global clients with their international needs, by leveraging its energy experience across many jurisdictions. Chinese state-owned enterprises form a core part of the firm’s client base; advising such clients on their investments into offshore renewable projects in Belt and Road Initiative countries continues to be an area of focus for the practice. UK and Singapore-qualified lawyer Joo Thye Tan  leads the group, and is equally well versed in handling the contractual, corporate and financing aspects of the work. The practice also fields fluent Mandarin speakers Jonathan Guwe and Loke Wanqing.

Singapore > Antitrust and competition: local firms Tier 2

Dentons Rodyk has an excellent record in domestic and cross-border competition issues with its further ability to leverage the expertise and resources of the global firm. The firm continues to impress in abuse of dominance cases, leniency applications, dawn raids and market studies. Gerald Singham is a seasoned competition specialist with an excellent record in abuse of dominance cases, dawn raids, market studies and general competition compliance. Ajinderpal Singh provides further expertise in price-fixing and cartel investigations. Mohamad Rizuan Bin Pathie is another key team member with extensive experience in CCCS investigations.

Singapore > Banking and finance: local firms Tier 2

The group at Dentons Rodyk is active in the energy, natural resources and real estate sectors, where it provides a full-service to borrowers and lenders in relation to financing. Areas of expertise include syndicated lending, asset, project, structured and leveraged finance, as well as Islamic financial structures and financial restructuring issues. The department is led by Doreen Sim, a banking and finance generalist. The Islamic finance offering is led by Zhul Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim, who has experience in Shariah-compliant restructurings. Wanqing Loke is an expert in project finance and often advises on cross-border deals.

Singapore > Construction: Local firms Tier 2

Dentons Rodyk has enhanced its regional presence with a notable increase in engagements from contractors on disputes in Indonesia and Malaysia. The firm also represents a number of developers in Singapore, thanks in part to the prominence of its highly-reputed real estate practice. Moreover, it is building its front-end work in Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos and other Southeast Asia jurisdictions. Kirindeep Singh  and Kia Jeng Koh  are dispute resolution partners with a significant focus on the construction industry. Paul Wong  is a seasoned practitioner with a strong track record in contentious and front-end construction matters in Singapore. Philip Jeyaretnam, SC  has become a judicial commissioner of the Supreme Court of Singapore.

Singapore > Dispute resolution: local firms Tier 2

Dentons Rodyk‘s practice uses its global reach to offer clients the best strategic solutions in a variety of high-profile disputes and complex litigations. Co-head Siang Pheng Lek is skilled in commercial litigation, shareholder disputes and international arbitration; especially in the medical sector where he is considered a go-to lawyer. Lawrence Teh is experienced as lead counsel in multi-jurisdictional dispute resolution cases before Singapore Courts in all areas of commercial law. Loh Jen Wei jointly spearheads the group’s shipping practice, handling all transport and trade-related disputes whilst Ajinderpal Singh’s team has particular expertise in shareholder disputes, insolvency and banking litigation.

Singapore > Insurance: local firms Tier 2

Dentons Rodyk has a broad insurance practice that spans claims involving professional malpractice, property, personal injury, directors and officers liability and aviation. In addition to the claims work, lawyers are also called upon for their regulatory expertise in insurance industry corporate transactions, including M&A and capital markets deals. Jointly leading the team are Edric Pan, a veteran of claims defence work for the firm’s high-profile insurer clients; Christopher Chong, who heads the personal injury practice; and Jacqueline Loke, a regulatory expert who supports insurance-industry transactions. Deputy managing partner of the firm Siang Pheng Lek, is a specialist in defending medical-related claims.

Singapore > Intellectual property: Local firms Tier 2

Dentons Rodyk has a strong emphasis on patents and trade marks, acting for commercial organisations as well as higher education institutions. Building on the firm’s wider international network, the local team has achieved growth in engagements from foreign entities filing for protection in Singapore. The group has a particular niche in patent drafting for the electromechanical sector. Pharmaceuticals, technology, banking and insurance are also fortes for the team. Gilbert Leong leads the IP and technology practices at the firm, which includes prominent partner Catherine Lee and senior consultant Ai Ming Lee, who continues to lead on many of the group’s major patent infringement cases.

Singapore > Labour and employment: local firms Tier 2

Dentons Rodyk‘s extensive presence in Singapore encompasses a high degree of specialisation in employment matters, both contentious and non-contentious. The Singapore team represents a range of local, regional and international businesses on retrenchment exercises, Singapore’s Fair Consideration Framework and various disputes with existing and former employees. Edric Pan and Mark Seah have extensive records in employment disputes, while I-An Lim brings his versatile expertise to non-contentious matters.

Singapore > Private wealth and family law – local firms Tier 2

Dentons Rodyk has experienced a further influx of private wealth engagements in Singapore, in line with the additional flow of capital coming into the jurisdiction, including from China, Hong Kong and the rest of North Asia. The Singapore team has extensive experience in tax structuring for high net-worth individuals, along with trusts and family holding company structuring. Edmund Leow SC is an experienced figure in tax and estate planning for high net-worth individuals. Kia Meng Loh is a key name for contentious matters, including trusts and probate disputes.

Singapore > Real estate: local firms Tier 2

Dentons Rodyk has one of the largest real estate teams in the Singapore market, embedded in a strong international network. It continues to represent some of the leading Singapore developers, REITs and investors.  It consistently advises on headline deals in the market, including the headline sale of Keppel Bay Tower. Liat Yeang Lee is co-head of the team, noted for real estate acquisitions and disposals, collective purchases and developments. Maureen Ann leads the land rights and leasing practice, and Melanie Lim and Pat Lynn Leong are co-heads of the corporate real estate team.

Singapore > Restructuring and insolvency: local firms Tier 2

Dentons Rodyk has worked hard to develop its regional and international credentials from Singapore, where it has a particularly strong record in insolvency proceedings and an impressive client portfolio of receivers, liquidators, debtors and creditors. The firm is also noted for debt and bond restructurings, acting for a range of debtors/issuers and creditors; this includes acting for Perpetual (Asia) Ltd, the trustee for the holders of the perpetual securities in the restructuring of Hyflux. Ajinderpal Singh and Kia Jeng Koh are co-heads of the restructuring, insolvency and bankruptcy practice, which also includes senior names Siang Pheng Lek and Herman Jeremiah.

Singapore > Shipping: local firms Tier 2

Dentons Rodyk has a long history in the shipping, trade and commodities field. It continues to stand out for its abilities in contentious matters, including litigation and arbitration, thanks in part to the pre-eminence of Lawrence Teh. He and the wider team have landed a series of major maritime and commodities arbitration engagements, including offshore construction disputes and maritime joint-venture cases. Restructuring and insolvency matters are also key for the practice; Loh Jen Wei is noted for shipping sector restructuring and insolvency disputes while Janice Ngeow provides further expertise in restructuring and distressed situations.

Singapore > Tax: local firms Tier 2

Dentons Rodyk has a burgeoning tax practice, mixing international tax planning for multinationals, with a growing pipeline of engagements from UHNW individuals that are moving wealth and assets to Singapore, often from Hong Kong and other parts of North Asia. In this regard, the Singapore team benefits from the firm’s extensive office network across Asia Pacific. The Singapore team is also at the forefront of tax disputes thanks to the presence of department head Edmund Leow SC, who frequently represents multinationals in disputes with IRAS and other dealings with the Singapore tax authorities. Seow Jia Xian provides further senior-level support in both transactional and advisory matters.

Singapore > TMT: local firms Tier 2

Biotechnology, media and telecoms are areas of particular expertise for the team at Dentons Rodyk. On the customer side, the group regularly assists healthcare and financial institutions, while multi-national IT service providers form a key source of instructions on the vendor side. As well as advising on M&A, data privacy and disputes work with a nexus to TMT, the department is well versed in the negotiation of procurement and services contracts, including those relating to systems and software acquisition, hosting services and data centres. The practice is under the joint leadership of Gilbert Leong and Elaine Lew, while Maw Jiun Foo oversees the dedicated data privacy and cybersecurity offering. Commercial expert Catherine Lee is also recommended.

Singapore > Capital markets: equity and debt: local firms Tier 3

Lawyers at Dentons Rodyk advise the spectrum of market participants on domestic and cross-border public offerings of equity. The group has particular experience assisting clients with operations in China, India, Indonesia and Taiwan. On the debt side, the group has experience in convertible, exchangeable and asset-backed debt securities, as well as standalone debt issues. Nicholas Chong  focuses on real estate investment trusts and debt capital markets transactions and jointly leads the group with Valerie Ong , an expert in bond issuances. Li Chuan Hsu, bilingual in English and Chinese, is a co-leader of the China desk, advising numerous Chinese companies on their capital markets transactions.

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

Dentons Rodyk operates in close tangent with the firm’s Indonesia, Malaysia and Myanmar offices and also its wider network, located across 81 countries worldwide. The team often serves as a hub for outward-looking Singaporean companies and is particularly knowledgeable of the healthcare, technology, financial institution, corporate real estate and consumer products sectors. Eng Leng Ng, Marian Ho  and Sivi Sivanesan jointly head the practice and are respectively proficient in regional and cross-border takeovers, privitisations, joint ventures, private equity, venture capital and reorganisation matters.

Singapore > Energy: foreign firms Tier 3

Dentons Rodyk is an established player in the Asia Pacific LNG sector. It is also developing its profile in energy transition and renewables matters, along with oil and gas trading. Kunal Kapoor has extensive experience in LNG projects, including bunkering, liquefaction and regasification matters, along with broader expertise in oil and gas asset transactions in Southeast Asia. Tan Joo Thye and Jonathan Guwe provide additional Singapore law expertise on Southeast Asia power and renewables projects.

Singapore > International arbitration Tier 3

Dentons Rodyk‘s international arbitration is particularly popular with Chinese state-owned corporations and Indonesian clients and counts energy and natural resources, construction, shipping and international trade, and banking and finance among its sector specialisms. Herman Jeremiah and Lawrence Teh lead the practice following Philip Jeyaretnam SC’s appointment as a judicial commissioner of the Singapore Supreme Court. Ajinderpal Singh is another key contact.

Singapore > Investment funds: local firms Tier 3

Dentons Rodyk is another firm with extensive experience in VCC structures for private equity, venture capital and investment portfolios. The team is principally focused on Singapore fund managers and family offices. Cryptocurrency and blockchain-related matters are also fortes for the members, along with passporting of funds into Singapore and other licensing and regulatory issues. I-An Lim co-heads the team and has a high degree of focus on investment funds, with fellow co-head S Sivanesan having an excellent reputation in the venture capital sphere.

Singapore > Projects: foreign firms Tier 3

With a particular focus on the energy sector, including LNG and renewables, Dentons Rodyk‘s team has extensive experience assisting lenders, sponsors, developers, institutional investors, contractors and operators with major domestic and cross-border project development and financing. Clients from across Southern and Eastern Asia, especially China, regularly instruct the firm. Joo Thye Tan leads the group, with support from Kunal Kapoor, who is noted as a go-to advisor for complicated liquefaction and regasification projects. Fluent Mandarin and English speakers Jonathan Guwe and Loke Wanqing are other key contacts.

Singapore > Corporate and M&A: foreign firms Tier 4

Dentons Rodyk operates closely with the firm’s Indonesia, Malaysia and Myanmar offices and also its wider network, located across 81 countries worldwide. The team often serves as a hub for outward-looking Singaporean companies and is particularly knowledgeable of the healthcare, technology, financial institution, corporate real estate and consumer products sectors. Eng Leng Ng, Marian Ho  and Sivi Sivanesan jointly head the practice and are respectively proficient in regional and cross-border takeovers, privatisations, joint ventures, private equity, venture capital and reorganisation matters.

Myanmar > Foreign desks Tier 3

Dentons Rodyk advises clients across a variety of sectors including on capital markets regulations as governed by Myanmar law, compliance matters, and commercial property matters. Managed by Ling Yi Quek, who is based between Myanmar and Singapore, the group also advises on market entry into Myanmar.