Withers KhattarWong Appoints New Joint Managing Partners

April 10, 2024
Withers KhattarWong, the Singapore office of Withersworldwide, announced that Deborah Barker, SC, will be stepping down as the firm’s Managing Partner. Shashi Nathan, Partner and Head of the Singapore White Collar Defence and Investigations Practice, and Daniel Yong, Partner and Head of the Singapore Funds Practice, will take over as Joint Managing Partners effective March 31, 2024. The appointment of Nathan and Yong coincides with the firm’s 50th anniversary celebration, marked by several initiatives to give back to the community. Their appointments also underscore Withers KhattarWong’s success in integrating into Withers’ international legal network, while still maintaining its strong Singapore branding and leadership in local law. Reflecting this are the two Managing Partners’ solid credentials in their respective Singapore and international practices. Nathan is one of Singapore’s leading white-collar and serious crime lawyers, with over 30 years of experience. He regularly advises clients on issues ranging from fraud and corruption to insider trading and market manipulation. Yong’s expertise in investment funds, cross-border private equity and M&A transactions has earned him recognition. Throughout his practice years across various international firms, he has managed complex fund formation and cross-border investment mandates in the region, including Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Vietnam, India and China. Barker, SC, became one of the first female Managing Partners of a major law firm in Singapore when she took over leadership of KhattarWong in 2014. In the same year, she led discussions for a formal alliance with Withers, which led to the formation of Withers KhattarWong. A pioneer in the legal world, Barker, SC, was one of the first few women to be appointed SC in 2001....

Europe-Asia Great Divide in Regulating the Digital Economy

July 26, 2023
FRENY PATEL The proliferation of the Internet and the critical role of technology players in our daily lives have regulators grappling with how best the digital economy should be regulated against the anti-competitive behaviour of large online platforms. Europe has taken the lead towards ex-ante regulations with the Digital Markets Act (“DMA”), which came into effect a little over a month ago on 2 May 2023. The DMA sets the ground rules on what is acceptable behaviour. The DMA is aimed at reining in ‘Big Tech’ and their alleged abuse of power, but is still a work in progress. Digital platforms, often identified as gatekeepers, have the tendency to adopt a winnertakes-all approach and monetize market data. The idea behind ex-ante regulations is to truncate the time period and intervene before the market is entrenched with one or two players. However, a Singapore-based policy director with a leading multinational digital platform recently voiced concerns and cautioned enforcers in the Asia Pacific region to tailor digital regulations according to local economies, given the far-reaching implementation costs of ex-ante rules and the overarching implications. Unlike the European Commission, most Asian enforcers are still sitting on the fence, deliberating on how digital economies should be regulated and whether ex-ante rules are the solution or even warranted. There is clearly a Europe-Asia great divide on how the digital economy should be regulated. Each inquiry requires more time and by the time authorities complete the investigations, reach a finding, and issue directives, the markets may irreversibly tip in favour of the leaders The debate on the need to relook at antitrust enforcement tools has...

Charles Russell Speechlys Opens Singapore Office

July 4, 2023
  Charles Russell Speechlys further expands into Southeast Asia by opening an office in Singapore today. International partner Jeffrey Lee in the Firm’s Hong Kong office will lead the Singapore office. Hailing from Singapore, Jeff moved to Hong Kong in March 2019 after spending several years practising in London. He advises on complex international structuring for international clients, including their establishment for estate and succession planning, asset protection and personal tax mitigation.  Jeff also specialises in tax planning, advising non-UK domiciled persons moving to the UK. Simon Green, the Firm’s Head of Asia, will be supporting Jeff. Simon’s main areas of expertise are large-scale mixed-use development and redevelopment projects, commercial and residential property investment, real estate management, as well as real estate finance (both Islamic and conventional). Simon also has a significant hotel and hospitality practice. Together, they will continue to grow their respective teams, the majority of whom are based in Hong Kong.  As the Firm establishes its presence in the Singaporean market, it will add further fee earners and service lines to the offering.  The Firm’s Singapore office is located at Charles Russell Speechlys LLP, Suite 8, Marina Bay Financial Centre Tower 2, 10 Marine Boulevard, Singapore 018983. “Internationally, Singapore continues to rapidly climb the rankings as a hub for global business, and there is so much going on in the country for businesses across all sectors,” Lee said. “We have a number of long-standing friends and contacts in the region; indeed, many of our existing clients have had a presence in Singapore for years, so it is tremendously exciting to now be establishing a physical presence there,...

Firms Of The Year Results 2022 Singapore

April 19, 2023
In-House Community Firms of the Year 2022 – Top Law Firms in Singapore Winners in ⭐bold Honourable mentions in italics Alternative Investment Funds (Including Private Equity)   ⭐ Rajah & Tann ⭐ Shookin & Bok ⭐ Allen & Gledhill Dentons Rodyk WongPartnership Corporate And M&A   ⭐ Shook Lin & Bok ⭐ Rajah & Tann ⭐ Ashurst ⭐ Allen & Gledhill WongPartnership Dentons Rodyk Insurance ⭐ Clyde & Co ⭐ Kennedys ⭐ Rajah & Tann Norton Rose Fulbright Dentons Rodyk Antitrust/ Competition   ⭐ Rajah & Tann ⭐ Allen & Gledhill ⭐ Allen & Overy WongPartnership Employment   ⭐ Bird & Bird ATMD ⭐ Baker McKenzie ⭐ Harry Elias ⭐ Rajah & Tann ⭐ Allen & Gledhill Drew Napier DOP Law International Arbitration   ⭐ Drew & Napier ⭐ Rajah & Tann ⭐ WongPartnership Clifford Chance King & Spalding Banking And Finance   ⭐ Allen & Gledhill ⭐ Clifford Chance ⭐ Shook Lin & Bok Baker McKenzie Drew & Napier Energy & Natural Resources   ⭐ Baker McKenzie ⭐ K&L Gates ⭐ Allen & Gledhill ⭐ Duane Morris & Selvam Clifford Chance Dentons Rodyk Litigation And Dispute Resolution   ⭐ Rajah & Tann ⭐ Davinder Singh Chambers ⭐ Drew & Napier ⭐ WongPartnership Helmsman Allen & Gledhill Capital Markets   ⭐ Allen & Gledhill ⭐ Lathm & Watkins ⭐ Clifford Chance Rajah & Tann Allen & Overy Intellectual Property   ⭐ Amica Law ⭐ Rajah & Tann ⭐ Bird & Bird ATMD WongPartnership Projects And Project Financing   ⭐ Shook Lin & Bok ⭐ Dentons Rodyk ⭐ WongPartnership Clifford Chance   Real Estate/ Construction   ⭐ Allen & Gledhill ⭐ Baker McKenzie ⭐ Shook Lin & Bok Rajah & Tann Shipping & Maritime   ⭐ Clyde & Co ⭐ Helmsman ⭐ Joseph Tan Jude Benny HFW Stephenson Harwood Most Responsive International Law Firm – Singapore   ⭐ K&L Gates ⭐ Baker McKenzie ⭐ Clyde & Co Most Responsive Domestic Law...

Rajah & Tann Singapore Lawyers Launch Setia Law

April 17, 2023
Danny Ong and Yam Wern-Jhien, two lawyers from Rajah & Tann, have launched Setia Law, a new boutique law firm based in Singapore. The firm specializes in dispute resolution, fraud and financial crimes, and debt restructuring and insolvency, and has experienced lawyers who can handle complex cross-border cases involving intricate financial disputes, commercial fraud, international enforcement, and corporate distress situations. Setia Law is one of the few firms in Singapore that has expertise in handling complex cryptocurrency disputes. The name “Setia” pays tribute to Southeast Asia’s heritage. It is derived from Sanskrit language to represent faithfulness to the law, loyalty to its people, and commitment to those who give their trust. “Having established a leading disputes and crisis management practice in one of the major law firms in Asia, the time was right to drive this focus further by establishing Setia Law. We want to be a firm that stays true to providing dedicated service to our clients and to remain agile in being innovative and solutions-driven, to drive the best outcomes for our clients. We will do this by continuing to approach our mandates with creativity and commitment, whilst mentoring and developing some of the most talented legal minds in the industry,” said Danny Ong, Managing Director of Setia Law. “In what’s expected to be another geopolitically and economically challenging year, we’ve observed a desire in clients for localised legal knowledge and technical specialty that’s applicable across multiple jurisdictions. We hope to be able to leverage our unique mix of specialism and our close relationships with leading professional services firms across the globe, to develop winning strategies for...