Dechert > Singapore, Singapore > Firm Profile

Dechert Offices

Dechert
ONE GEORGE STREET
#16-03
SINGAPORE 049145
Singapore
Visit website 65 6730 6999 65 6730 6979

Dechert > The Legal 500 Rankings

Singapore > Investment funds: foreign firms Tier 1

Dechert is a global leader in investment funds and has a substantial team in Singapore led by the immensely experienced and highly-rated Dean Collins. The senior bench was further deepened by the promotion of Thomas Kim to the partnership in January 2023; Kim is now leading a high proportion of the office’s top engagements. The team is at the forefront of private funds, including private equity and private credit funds. The office also has a major presence in fund secondaries and continuation funds, and has a burgeoning record in ESG-related funds and sustainable strategies. The Singapore team is able to work alongside colleagues in virtually all international fund centres, particularly in relation to large global fund raisings and on global regulatory issues.

Practice head(s):

Dean Collins; Thomas Kim

Testimonials

‘A great team to work with. A very good balance between availability, response time, and technical knowledge. With extensive experience in the sector in which advice was provided (a start-up fund) the team was able to advise quickly and with authority on what was common practice and customary in the marketplace.’

‘We worked with Dean Collins and Thomas Kim. Thomas was stood out in terms of responsiveness and quality of advice – as senior associate and as partner.’

‘Experienced individuals who work well together as a team. Very responsive to client needs and flexible when working on first time or more innovative funds.’

‘We worked closely with both Dean Collins and Thomas Kim who were both excellent in understanding our needs and sharing their in depth experience and current market practice. They tailored their advice to the current market conditions for fund-raising and phased their work as we engaged more closely with prospective investors.’

‘Dean Collins and Thomas Kim are our trusted counsels on all things fund related, and they are responsive and attentive to details. We especially appreciate them checking in on us post-closing even though some time had passed, and so it definitely feels like a very collaborative working relationship with a team that has a deep understanding of our needs and concerns.’

‘Thomas Kim has been a great lawyer to have on your side. He pays attention to details and is able to provide useful insights to issues. He maintains his cool even under stressful situations, and is able to work well with his associates and clients alike. We never had any problems with deadlines when working with Thomas.’

‘Dean Collins is a pillar of knowledge in this industry. He can be relied on for quality advice and comes from having the best interests of his clients at heart.’

‘Thomas Kim is calm and composed, very well-versed with the intricacies of fund documentation, able to deliver within a compressed timeline, and an absolute pleasure to work with.’

Key clients

Capital Square Partners Management

Dymon Asia Private Equity (Singapore)

Bank of Singapore

Akaria Natural Capital

Clime Capital

Primavera Capital

Silkroad Property Partners

Openspace Ventures

Genesis Alternative Ventures

KV Asia Capital

The Sylvan Group

Panthera Growth Partners

Work highlights

  • Assisted Capital Square Partners Management on the formation of a circa $700m fund involving the acquisition of certain portfolio assets from certain earlier vintage funds managed by Capital Square Partners and Basil Technology Partners.
  • Advised Dymon Asia Private Equity (Singapore) on the final close of Dymon Asia Private Equity (SE Asia) Fund III.
  • Assisted Akaria Natural Capital, an impact-first fund management company, on the formation of a $250m carbon offset unit fund investing into natural climate solutions in Southeast Asia.

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

Praised for its ‘rich experience and attention to detail’, Dechert is well-placed to advise on cross-border transactions across the technology, energy and natural resources, financial services and infrastructure sectors. Maria Tan Pedersen has experience in M&A, joint ventures and financing transactions, while ‘creative, thoughtful, and meticulous’ Siew Kam Boon advises on private equity, emerging growth and venture capital mandates. Timothy Goh counts private equity and venture capital entities, start-ups, multinational companies and development finance institutions among his key roster of clients. All named partners collectively lead the team.

Practice head(s):

Siew Kam Boon; Maria Tan Pedersen; Timothy Goh

Testimonials

‘The Dechert team was able to hit the ground running, very quickly understood the deal and its complicated structure and provided quick and practical legal and structuring advice that enabled our company to expeditiously make an investment decision and close the deal.’

‘Maria Tan Pedersen led the Dechert team in providing us with very timely and practical advice. She was very accessible and is quick to provide solutions to issues we’ve faced.’

‘The team has rich experience and attention to detail.’

‘Very responsive and thoughtful.’

‘Siew Kam Boon is creative, thoughtful, and meticulous, not to mention incredibly approachable and easy to work with.’

‘The team is responsive to clients’ requests.’

Key clients

Capital Square Partners Management Pte Ltd

PT Dian Swastatika Sentosa Tbk

ABC Impact

TAG Holdings

Stockbit Pte. Ltd.

Hmlet

Reefknot Investments Pte. Ltd.

Graas

Work highlights

  • Assisted Capital Square Partners on the formation of a c. US$700m fund involving the acquisition of certain portfolio assets from certain earlier vintage funds managed by CSP and Basil Technology Partners.
  • Advising TAG Holdings Limited and its subsidiaries, on its business combination with AGBA Acquisition Limited, a special purpose acquisition company.
  • Assisting ACEN Renewables International Pte. Ltd., on the Monsoon onshore wind project in Lao PDR, which when completed will be the largest wind power project in Southeast Asia.

Singapore > International arbitration Tier 3

In addition to a ‘global reach and talent pool’, Dechert has a ‘very local office with local expertise in Singapore’ which extends to the international arbitration capabilities of the team. Commercial arbitration, investment treaty disputes and sports arbitration are all at the forefront of the team’s expertise. Maria Tan Pedersen is ‘very engaged, motivating, and a key player’. Since publication, former practice head Mark Mangan departed in February 2024.

Other key lawyers:

Maria Tan Pedersen; Daniel Gaw

Testimonials

‘They have a global reach and talent pool, but also a very local office with local expertise in Singapore. ’

‘The team is very clever and looks to find the best answer for their clients.’

‘Maria Tan Pedersen is a superstar. Very engaged, motivating, a key player!’

Key clients

ExxonMobil

Eye Company Limited

Rizzani de Eccher S.p.A.

Singapore > Start-up and venture capital – Foreign firms Tier 3

Dechert is a major player in the Singapore venture capital market, offering a wealth of experience representing venture capital funds, growth companies, start-ups and entrepreneurs, as well as institutional and corporate investors at all phases of the investment life-cycle. The practice has a particular focus on the technology sector, with co-heads Siew Kam Boon and ‘exceptional negotiator‘ Timothy Goh’s expertise particularly driving the firm’s growth in this area. The pair regularly handle an abundance of transactions involving start-ups and emerging companies in Singapore and the wider Asia Pacific region, including Indonesia, Malaysia, India and the Philippines.

Practice head(s):

Siew Kam Boon; Timothy Goh

Testimonials

‘Siew Kam Boon is one of the best partners I have worked with in Singapore; truly a thought partner and very good at both the big picture and the minutiae of a case.’

‘Dechert provides exceptional client service, have positive word-of-mouth, embrace technology, have great marketing, and have a team with expertise that is consistent with the firm’s mission.’

‘Timothy Goh is always available, a problem solver, informative, and an exceptional negotiator. We, as their client, always feel safe if our transaction is being handled by him.’

‘They are able to understand client needs, negotiate and close deals with high sophistication.’

Key clients

PT Dian Swastatika Sentosa Tbk

ABC Impact

Carsome Sdn Bhd

Stockbit Pte. Ltd.

Hmlet

Reefknot Investments

Square Peg Capital

CSS Corp

Graas

Evermos

Dechert > Firm Profile

Dechert is a global law firm that advises asset managers, financial institutions and corporations on issues critical to managing their business and their capital – from high-stakes litigation to complex transactions and regulatory matters. We answer questions that seem unsolvable, develop deal structures that are new to the market and protect clients’ rights in extreme situations. Our 1,000+ lawyers across 21 offices globally focus on the financial services, private equity, private credit, real estate, life sciences and technology sectors.

Deeply committed to the Asia region, Dechert opened in Singapore, one of the world’s major financial hubs, in 2014.

Our Singapore lawyers focus on private equity, financial services and international dispute resolution throughout Asia, with a particular emphasis on South and Southeast Asia.

Working closely with our other offices in Asia and around the world, we advise investment funds, their managers and other industry participants across the entire investment management spectrum, particularly on the structuring and establishment of private equity investment funds and other private equity-related transactions. Our experience includes secondary transactions, carried interest and co-investment plans, team spin-outs, co-investments as well as the establishment of registered funds, hedge funds and products focused on other alternative asset classes (such as real estate, infrastructure and venture capital).

Our Singapore team also represents clients in complex cross-border disputes, including international arbitrations. We advise on drafting effective dispute resolution provisions in contracts and structuring investments to attain investment treaty protection in order to mitigate sovereign risk. In addition, Dechert has extensive experience in the enforcement of judgments and arbitration awards in Asia (including China) and throughout the world.

Main Contacts

Department Name Email Telephone
Managing Partner, Singapore Office Dean Collins dean.collins@dechert.com +65 6730 6988

Staff Figures

Number of lawyers : approximately 1000 lawyers worldwide

Languages

Bahasa Indonesia
Bangla
Cantonese
English
French
German
Hindi
Italian
Mandarin
Malay
Spanish

Client testimonials


CLIENT:
COMPANY/FIRM: Citigroup
TESTIMONIAL: “Dechert consistently provides differentiating legal advice, particularly on large, complex transactions.”

CLIENT:
COMPANY/FIRM: Sun Capital
TESTIMONIAL: “The firm did a great job throughout the entire process. They have been proactive and delivered quality advice. As always, a pleasure working with such a great team.”

CLIENT:
COMPANY/FIRM: Credit Suisse
TESTIMONIAL: “We continually have the highest degree of confidence in the work product and coverage of the Dechert team, and they are always a pleasure to work with.”

CLIENT:
COMPANY/FIRM: Saint-Gobain
TESTIMONIAL: “Saint-Gobain frequently turns to Dechert to defend the company in its most consequential, high-stakes litigation in the United States. Their sophistication, depth of experience, and legal creativity – especially in the area of complex mass tort litigation, is simply unrivalled. When the case is unprecedented and alleged to be perilous, there is no better partner to have in the trenches than Dechert.”

Client Testimonials


COMPANY/FIRM: Citigroup

TESTIMONIAL: “Dechert consistently provides differentiating legal advice, particularly on large, complex transactions.”

COMPANY/FIRM: Sun Capital

TESTIMONIAL: “The firm did a great job throughout the entire process. They have been proactive and delivered quality advice. As always, a pleasure working with such a great team.”

COMPANY/FIRM: Credit Suisse

TESTIMONIAL: “We continually have the highest degree of confidence in the work product and coverage of the Dechert team, and they are always a pleasure to work with.”

COMPANY/FIRM: Saint-Gobain

TESTIMONIAL: “Saint-Gobain frequently turns to Dechert to defend the company in its most consequential, high-stakes litigation in the United States. Their sophistication, depth of experience, and legal creativity – especially in the area of complex mass tort litigation, is simply unrivalled. When the case is unprecedented and alleged to be perilous, there is no better partner to have in the trenches than Dechert.”

Diversity


Leading from the Front

“Actionable allyship moves beyond passive solidarity and requires speaking up or intervening during acts of marginalization, even at the risk of backlash or negative consequences. As catalysts for change, Dechert remains committed to doing our part in fighting systemic racism, social injustice and inequity.”

– Satra Sampson-Arokium, Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer

  • Using his voice to take a powerful stand, our Chief Executive Officer, Henry Nassau, published a Leaders at the Front Pledge. His pledge is a bold action plan to create meaningful and measurable changes at Dechert and within the legal industry. Read his pledge here on the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity’s website.
  • In 2021, Dechert became one of the first firms to pilot the Mansfield Rule in the UK. The Mansfield Rule, overseen by Diversity Lab, has become the standard by which U.S. law firms track and measure their diversity.
  • Dechert was the first law firm to sign the Business Statement Opposing Anti-LGBTQ State Legislation, taking a stance against discrimination of LGBTQ people in proposed U.S. legislation.

By the Numbers

  • 43% of the Policy Committee [senior leadership team] are women or diverse partners.
  • 52% of the lawyers most recently promoted to partner [effective January 1, 2022] are women.
  • 44% of our global offices are managed by women or diverse partners.
  • 25% of partners globally are women.
  • 74% of our most recent Fall 2021 class of new associates in the U.S. are women or diverse.

Key Initiatives

Aspiring Solicitors

Dechert is an Affiliate Partner of Aspiring Solicitors (AS). 2021 marks the fifth successful year of Dechert’s sponsorship of the organization’s national Commercial Awareness Competition, with the winners offered a vacation scheme and opportunity to interview for a training contract at Dechert.

Diversity and Inclusion Week

During the firm’s second annual DEI Week, Dechert hosted a conversation with Dr. Makaziwe Mandela, the eldest daughter of President Mandela, who shared insights on her family’s work to bring greater unity to the world. Our community also joined in to connect across differences and inspired each other to take a break by sharing their favorite vacation or staycation photo, making a difference with acts of kindness, and some other lighthearted and fun moments.

Sponsorship and Sustained Support (SASS) Program

Through our Global Women’s Initiative, we continued to identify and implement initiatives that promote opportunities for women to advance and lead throughout the firm. We continued to organize our SASS women into several cohorts led by partner faculty. SASS cohorts are designed to provide support and actionable skills as women continue learning and networking together to navigate the path to partnership.

Inclusive Leadership

Commitment to diversity and inclusion stems from the top. Our partners have been participating in interactive sessions on inclusive leadership since 2018. In 2021, the training expanded to the entire Dechert community. We covered such issues as affinity bias, attribution bias, covering, in and out groups, actionable allyship, unconscious bias, and inclusive leadership in times of crisis. Individuals participate in interactive sessions that center around dramatizations that prompt conversations, challenge stereotypes, and inspire change.


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