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Singapore In Brief
Singapore In Brief
Despite being the smallest state in South-East Asia, Singapore is economically one of the ‘Four Asian Tigers’, alongside Taiwan, Hong Kong and South Korea. The economy has seen five consecutive years of expansion, and is particularly strong in manufacturing, especially electronics.Singapore is also enjoying high levels of activity in the construction and financial sectors; it is the largest real estate investment trust market in Asia outside Japan, with eight new REITs listed on the Singapore Exchange in 2006, while in February 2007 the first infrastructure finance trust was also floated. The city-state is also a major foreign exchange centre, the fourth-largest in the world, according to the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
In addition, Singapore is the busiest port in the world in terms of shipping tonnage, and it is also a world-leading hub for container trans-shipment. Overall, Singapore was the fifth most economically competitive country in the world in 2006, according to Forbes, and was the most business-friendly economy in the world in 2005–2006, according to a report by the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation.
This dynamic economy leads to high levels of work for the leading law firms. Lawyers from both local and international firms are featured in the following pages, and we have identified 281 eminent professionals in specific fields. They have been recommended by clients and peers, both for their local work and in some cases for work throughout the region. We have classified these experts in 22 practice areas. The following firms stood out for the depth and breadth of the expertise they command, and should be regarded as the leaders in Singapore.
Editorial
Editorial: Singapore
Editorial: Franchise in Singapore
Singapore boasts a thriving franchise community, with over 170 foreign franchises in sectors such as education and training, restaurants and fast food. The Franchising and Licensing Association (Singapore) (FLA) began as Singapore’s national franchise body in 1993 and was formerly known as the Singapore International Franchise Association. Through the efforts of this association – and a number of others – Singapore is fast becoming a franchise hub, and consequently there is an increased need for legal support. This chapter identifies seven practitioners that we recognise as the leading lights of Singapore’s franchise bar and they spend a proportion of their time representing franchisors, franchisees and companies of all sizes, in diverse industries.
Editorial: Insolvency & Restructuring in Singapore
While Singapore’s economy continues to flourish, there nonetheless remains an ongoing level of demand for insolvency and restructuring expertise in the local legal market. This chapter identifies 15 outstanding lawyers from seven firms who are considered leaders in this field for creditors, debtors and the full range of other related work.
Editorial: Insurance & Reinsurance in Singapore
The insurance and reinsurance industry in Singapore is inextricably tied to the shipping sector, a fact highlighted by the presence of several lawyers in both chapters. The eight we feature in this chapter are considered to be leading lights when it comes to advising local and international clients on the wide array of issues insurance law touches on. While a number advise both insurers and reinsurers on the drafting of new policies, others work on matters concerning insurance claims and recoveries. This chapter also identifies lawyers with experience representing underwriters, reinsurers, intermediaries and corporate insureds on regulatory and corporate matters.
Editorial: Management Labour & Employment in Singapore
This chapter identifies private practice lawyers with a proven track record representing and advising management on all aspects of labour, employment and industrial relations law. A number also have experience in litigation matters involving employment discrimination laws, sexual harassment, employee loyalty, wrongful discharge and individual employment contracts. We identify a select group of five lawyers.
Editorial: Mergers & Acquisitions in Singapore
As previous chapters have mentioned, Singapore is an important regional hub in many fields. The situation is no different in the oil and gas sector – several of the lawyers we identify here are active in nearby countries, including Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines,Thailand, and Vietnam. Our research also indicates that the large international players dominate the market, with practitioners from UK, US and Australian firms all appearing in this chapter.
Profiled Firms
Firm Profiles: Singapore
Alban Tay Mahtani & de Silva
Alban Tay Mahtani & de Silva celebrated its 13th anniversary in September 2007, and is now firmly established as one of Singapore’s premier firms. It is listed nine times in the following pages, in seven practice areas. Uniquely all of its four partners that we identify appear in more than one chapter.
Allen & Overy Shook Lin & Bok
Allen & Overy’s Singapore office was established in 1992 and the thriving joint law venture with Shook Lin & Bok LLP came into force in September 2000. Four lawyers feature in five chapters, highlighting the firm’s strength in the financial sector – with Allen & Overy Shook Lin & Bok lawyers found in the banking, capital markets and project finance chapters.
Allen Gledhill LLP
Rowland Allen and Joseph Gledhill founded Allen & Gledhill LLP in 1902 and since then the firm has grown to be the largest in Singapore, with over 250 lawyers. The firm boasts an extensive and diverse clientele and offers services including corporate and commercial, financial services, corporate real estate, intellectual property and litigation and dispute resolution.
Baker & McKenzie.Wong & Leow
Baker & McKenzie has been assisting clients in the Asia-Pacific region for more than 40 years. The firm has had a presence in Singapore since 1981 and the formation of a joint law venture with local firm Wong & Leow in 2001 strengthened its presence in the region. The JLV is now home to lawyers well versed in both local and international law, six of them feature in the following publication.
Clifford Chance Wong Pte Ltd
Clifford Chance is one of the world’s leading international law firms, and its joint venture with WongPartnership - Clifford Chance Wong - enables it to advise on local law and combine local experience with its worldwide expertise. The Singapore office is home to approximately 30 international lawyers, and the firm is widely recognised for its work in South-East Asia, as well as on the Indian subcontinent and in Indo-China.
Focus On Corporate Counsel
Corporate Counsel Q&A: Singapore
Singapore Corporate Counsel: Sharon Craggs
Head, Group Legal and Compliance DBS Bank
DBS Bank was established in 1968 as a development financing institution and is now a full-service bank with the largest network of branches in Singapore and further branch networks in Hong Kong, Indonesia, China and India. It is a specialist in banking in Asia, and is active in the corporate, retail and investment fields. It is also one of Singapore’s main sources of medium and long-term financing. DBS also has international branches or representative offices in countries such as Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, UK, the US and the Middle East. DBS Bank is held by DBS Group Holdings Ltd, one of the largest companies in terms of market capitalisation on the Singapore Exchange.