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

Rodyk & Davidson

Headed up by partners Doreen Sim and Tan Joo Thye, Rodyk & Davidson keeps a respectable practice in the banking and finance space.

In a highlight deal on the banking side this year, corporate partner Valerie Ong and real estate lawyer Lee Ho Wah advised Overseas Union Enterprise in respect of a S$750 million transferable term loan facility with an embedded debt security conversion option.

RHT Law

RHT Law is a new firm founded this year by former KhattarWong managing partner Tan Chong Huat and senior partners Rajah Menon and Hee Theng Fong. Amita Dutt, the head of KhattarWong’s finance and real estate practice, is one of 24 KhattarWong partners who have joined RHT Law. Seven equity partners have also left for RHT Law, decimating KhattarWong’s respected capital markets practice and introducing a new player in the competitive Singapore market.

Straits Law Practice

Straits Law Practice has extensive experience in project financing for power plant, mining and other major infrastructural projects. The firm regularly acts for lenders, borrowers and project sponsors, advising on every aspect involved in securing and managing a project finance transaction.

Clients benefit from the group’s ability to identify and resolve issues that could potentially delay or break deals. M Rajaram is a key contact.

TSMP Law Corporation

TSMP Law Corporation’s banking and finance team had a very active year, with the strongest activity in real estate and asset financing.

In one highlight, the firm, led by director Jennifer Chia, advised Singapore listed Low Keng Huat (Singapore) in its purchase of land from the Housing & Development Board under HDB’s Design, Build & Sell Scheme (DBSS) for public sector housing. As part of the S$155 million purchase, the firm also assisted the LKHS group in its financing for the project with a major local bank.

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.