Asialaw Profiles
The Guide to the legal markets of the Asia-Pacific

ATMD Bird & Bird

While ATMD Bird & Bird is better known for its leading expertise in the IP space, the firm was mandated on several interesting transactions within the corporate/M&A sector this year.

These included advising the Dow Chemical on the Singapore aspects of a complex restructuring of a global joint venture, and Hong Kong listed Ming Hing Waterworks on its acquisition of a Mongolia based coal mining group consisting of seven companies incorporated in BVI, Singapore and Mongolia. The team is headed up by corporate specialist Susan de Silva.

ATMD Bird & Bird’s real estate and construction practice specialises in advising mulitnationals and foreign investors in specialist leases and commercial space and state land, with a particular emphasis on the cleantech, petrochemical, desalination and pharmaceutical sectors.

Consultant Naresh Mahtani and partner Sandra Seah have a good reputation in green developments.

In one notable deal this year, Seah advised Public Utilities Board on the leasing of land and foreshore from the state for the construction of the second and largest desalination plant in Singapore. When completed in 2013, the plant will add 318,500 cubic metres of desalinated seawater a day to the national water supply.

A team, also led by Seah, is advising Sportshub on all its leasing issues for commercial and ticketing space, for the development of the Singapore Sports Hub managed under a PPP model.

In the past year, the firm has also advised on the alienation of State Land under Singapore Economic Development Board’s request for interest for foreign system schools, and reviewed the state financing instruments for the first LNG terminal to be constructed in Singapore.

ATMD Bird & Bird

Handling a range of matters including employment law and cross border commercial disputes, ATMD Bird & Bird’s dispute resolution group has been involved on high profile civil litigation cases in the Supreme Court of Singapore.

One highlight in the arbitration space saw partner Boey Swee Siang and associate Venisha Lakshmi Nair assisting a major Asian telecommunications company in a series of international arbitrations involving Indonesian parties and multi-million US dollar claims.

Straits Law Practice

Led by medical negligence specialist, director Palaniappan Sundararaj, Straits Law Practice’s litligation group has had an active year in this space. In one highlight, Palaniappan successfully represented Sujana Metals Products in an arbitration proceeding brought by Schnitzer Steel Industries concerning a dispute over the purchase of steel scrap of different grades at composite prices. The case was resolved on the first day.

Best known for its market leading IP practice, ATMD Bird & Bird is fast building up a reputable practice in the energy and utilities sector.

With partner Sandra Seah at the helm, the group has been focusing on developing expertise in the waste and waste practices, energy policy and regulatory space this year and now counts Singapore’s energy regulator, the Energy Market Authority of Singapore (EMAS), and the National Environmental Agency among its clients.

In one noteworthy case, Seah led a team of advisers to the National Environmental Agency in the Consultancy Study for the Development of an Incineration Bottom Ash recycling plant based on the Design-Build-Own-Operate (DBOO) Scheme. In the past year, Seah has also advised the EMAS on state financing and leasing issues for the construction of Singapore first LNG terminal on Jurong Island.

As external corporate counsel to EMAS, the firm will also undertake prosecution cases for the regulator.

Partners S Sharma and consultant L Kuppanchetti are regular contributors in the group.

With one of the few wide ranging IP practices in Singapore as well as a team of specialist patent attorneys and dedicated IP litigators, ATMD Bird & Bird secures its tier one stance in the rankings.

Handling both contentious and non contentious work, the group maintained its strength in the anti-piracy and enforcement space this year, continuing to represent clients such as Microsoft, HP, Nokia, Chanel, Canon, Epson, Nintendo, Samsung and Abercrombie & Finch.

The firm also handled several high profile IP infringement cases this year. One highlight case saw the team led by partners Alban Kang and Koh Chia Ling successfully represent Singapore’s RecordTV against national broadcaster MediaCorp in the Court of Appeal.

It was a busy year for the firm’s trade mark registration practice too, with the team handling applications for a diverse group of companies including Shuffle Master, Singapore University of Technology Design, De Beers, Chanel and Natsteel.

In one noteworthy case, Kang and partner Joyce Ang assisted De Beers Group on the protection and enforcement of De Beers’ trade mark and designs rights against other local jewellers in Singapore, including commencing design cancellation action.

Peers rate the firm’s commercial IP practice highly. The group advises clients on licensing, collaboration and technology transfers. And clients speak highly of Sheena Jacob and Cyril Chua for their valuable contribution in this space.

ATMD Bird & Bird has established a reputable practice in the information technology sector, prompting a well deserved first mention in the rankings this year.

The practice counts Hewlett-Packard, StarHub, Yahoo! and Singapore Airlines (SIA) among its growing list of clients, and it has picked up a number of notable mandates in the past 12 months.

In one highlight, a firm team led by partners Alban Kang and Koh Chia Ling advised SIA’s IT procurement department on legal issues associated with SIA’s IT procurement business. It also conducted a departmental review of all of SIA’s IT procurement contracts with third party suppliers and vendors.

The practice also handles all regulatory issues in this area, such as e-commerce, data protection and privacy issues.