Drew & Napier(德尊) law firm news

From a one-man show to one of the more reputable firms in Singapore; that’s the story of Tan Peng Chin LLC in a nutshell.

The head of Davis Polk & Wardwell’s Beijing office will be stepping down from the helm of the US firm this year to launch his political career with Singapore’s largest opposition party – the Worker’s Party – in the upcoming general elections to be held on 7 May 2011.

WongPartnership has acquired a three-partner boutique funds practice, and in a separate senior hire, appointed shipping veteran Ian Koh from local rival Drew & Napier to spearhead its new shipping & international trade practice.

The first appeals lodged to the Competition Appeal Board (CAB) in June 2010 marked a milestone in the competition legal framework in Singapore. This together with rapid developments on the competition front initiated by the regulating authorities, have resulted in growing demand for legal advice in this area.

The strong currency, an increasing amount of work coming in from countries around the region, and the growing international reputation of Singapore law firms is luring foreign lawyers away from top and mid-tier international firms and has created a steady stream of Singaporean lawyers practicing overseas going home to work for local firms.

Norton Rose dispute resolution partner Guy Spooner has been appointed to the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) board of directors, effective 1 October 2010.

Nishimura & Asahi, the largest of Japan’s “Big Four” law firms, has launched its first representative office in Southeast Asia. The new office in Ho Chi Minh will be the firm’s second overseas venture, after its first international office was launched in Beijing only three months ago.

Clifford Chance has poached Raymond Tong, the head of capital markets of its former joint-venture firm in Singapore WongPartnership, after working closely with Tong during its nine-year alliance.

In one of the most high-profile lateral moves in recent times, Manoj Sandrasegara has left Drew & Napier for rival firm WongPartnership. He will lead WongPartnership’s insolvency & restructuring practice group alongside current heads Chou Sean Yu and Mark Choy.

Leading international dispute resolution centre – the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) – has announced senior counsel Cavinder Bull will be the new deputy chairman of the SIAC board of directors, effective from 1 October 2010.

Singapore is fast becoming a centre of choice for international arbitrators seeking neutral ground, as the significant increase in international cases involving non-Singaporean companies being heard in the Lion City shows.

Allen & Gledhill, Drew & Napier, Rajah & Tann, and WongPartnership have scooped the most nominations as finalists in the ten Firms of the Year categories in this year’s ALB SE Asia Law Awards.

WongPartnership and Herbert Smith have been voted the best domestic and international law firms to work for in Singapore, according to ALB’s Employer of Choice 2010 survey.

David Williamson has been appointed chief legal counsel of BHP Billiton

Asia’s law firms are increasingly offering flexible working arrangements such as adjustable working hours and options to work from home – even allowances to go to the gym

Whether they are cash-strapped or expanding, Asia’s aviation industry has proven to be a big source of work for the region’s law firms recently.

The commencement of a new legal year has brought about the appointment of four new senior counsels in Singapore.

Overseas Union Enterprise has sold its interest in the residential condominium at 21 Angullia Park, also known as the ‘Parisian’, to focus its finances on the development of its other residential property development project, the ‘Grangeford’.

Freshfields and Clifford Chance together with Singapore firms Drew & Napier and Stamford Law have all advised on the latest deal by Dutch financial services giant ING to shed its wealth management assets.

Australian law firm Blake Dawson and two of Singapore's largest firms, Allen & Gledhill and Drew & Napier, have landed roles on ANZ's acquisition of some of the Royal Bank of Scotland's (RBS) assets across Asia.