IFLR 1000 (2018)
The newly ranked lawyers will be marked with asterisk.
R&T Sok & Heng - Cambodia
Financial and Corporate – Tier 1
Project development – Tier 2
Leading Lawyer:
Chhay Heng (Highly Regarded) - Banking, Energy and infrastructure, M&A and Project finance
Sok Khavan (Highly Regarded) - Banking, Energy and infrastructure, M&A and Project finance
Tiv Sophonnora* (Notable Practitioner) - Banking and finance
R&T Sok & Heng Law Office is a member of Rajah & Tann Asia network. It is one of the first few firms authorised by the securities regulator to practice securities law in Cambodia.
Interesting mandates during the research period saw the firm acting for Phnom Penh SEZ on its IPO on the Cambodia Securities Exchange; assisting CVC Asia Pacific and its consortium on its proposed acquisition of a majority stake in a leading MFI in Cambodia; and acting for Donaco International in respect of a refinancing of its $20 million working capital facility.
The firm hired banking and finance partner Sieng Deline from ANZ Royal during the research period.
Key clients include AIA, Cambodian Commercial Bank, Credit Suisse, DKSH and Sunrise Healthcare Service.
Client feedback
“Attention to detail in a timely manner.” – Banking and finance
Tiv Sophonnora
“Attention to detail with broad commercial understanding together with the regulator's point of view.”
Hout Sotheary
“Hout has a strong understanding of the country’s legal developments. With her experience, she is able to give more accurate advice.”
Assegaf Hamzah & Partners - Indonesia
Banking – Tier 1
Capital markets – Tier 1
Project development – Tier 3
Mergers and acquisitions – Tier 1
Project finance – Tier 2
Restructuring and insolvency – Tier 3
Leading Lawyers:
Bono Daru Adji (Highly regarded) - Capital Markets, Energy and Infrastructure, Banking and M&A
Eri Hertiawan (Highly regarded) - Energy and infrastructure: Disputes
Fikri Assegaf (Market leader) - Capital Markets, Energy and Infrastructure, Banking, Project Finance and M&A
Ibrahim Sjarief Assegaf (Highly regarded) - Banking and M&A
Kanya Satwika* (Notable practitioner)
Tunngol Utomo* (Notable practitioner)
Yanu Wiriasmoko (Rising Star) - Restructuring & Insolvency and Banking
Assegaf Hamzah & Partners acts on work across the financial and corporate spectrum. Since May 2013 the firm has enjoyed a strategic alliance with the Southeast Asia network of Singaporean law firm Rajah & Tann.
In banking, the firm advised Barito Pacific on a $250 million financing and is providing advice to Indonesia Infrastructure Finance on a $200 million two-step loan with a complicated structure involving the Government of Indonesia.
In the capital markets, the firm primarily advises Indonesian companies but also does some work for international financial institutions. Most of its work is related to bond issues with some relating to equity transactions. Japfa Comfeed Indonesia was a repeat client.
In M&A the firm advised Provident Agro on its sales of stakes in four plantation companies, Global Kalimantan Makmur, Semai Lestari, Nusaraya Permai and Saban Sawit Subur. The firm also advised a consortium of investors on the acquisition of Chevron’s Indonesian and Phillipino geothermal business.
The projects work disclosed to us related primarily but not exclusively to the financing of energy generation and infrastructure projects.
The firm’s restructuring and insolvency work includes debt recovery, liquidation proceedings and the restructuring of loans. Examples include advising Raiffeisen Bank International on bringing bankruptcy proceedings against a debtor in default.
The firm has grown domestically in recent years. In early 2016 the firm opened a second office in Surabaya, the capital of East Java.
Client feedback
“Assegaf Hamzah & Partners consistently assigned right team members for supporting our company projects. They maintain very good and transparent communications as well as providing prudent legal advice and support to our company meeting the project objective and deadlines, at the same time they continuously maintain their professional independency as a reputable law firm.” – Banking and finance and M&A
“AHP is one of the top 10 law firms in Indonesia and our experience with them certainly proved that they deserved the recognition given to them. The team is very responsive, helpful and very competent in the capital markets sector. We are satisfied with the services given by the firm.” – Capital markets
Fikri Assegaf
“Prudent, knowledgeable in energy and financing projects and consistently exceeds client's expectations for the project assigned.”
Putu Suryastuti
“Very helpful and very hard working. Always accessible 24/7 and closely monitors the engagement. Always gives us a heads up related to the requirements needed.”
Rajah & Tann (Laos) Co., Ltd. - Lao PDR
Project development (Formerly known as Energy and infrastructure) – Tier 3
Rajah & Tann’s Laos team has been active on banking matters during the research period. The firm with its Singapore team on the acquisition of a Laos state-owned telecommunication business by Comba Telecom Systems.
Key clients include Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, the Export-Import Bank of China, Nam Mang 1 Power Company, Thai Samsung Electronics and Comba Telecom Systems.
Christopher & Lee Ong - Malaysia
Banking and finance – Tier 3
Capital markets – Tier 3
Energy – Tier 1
Infrastructure – Tier 1
Mergers and acquisitions – Tier 3
Oil and Gas – Tier 1
Leading Lawyers
Christopher Lee (Market leader) - Energy and Infrastructure, Banking, Project Finance, M&A
Shemane Chan (Highly regarded) - Energy and Infrastructure, Project development
Chor Jack* (Rising star) - Banking
Eileen Yeoh* (Rising star) - Project development
Lee Hock Chye* (Notable practitioner)
Christopher & Lee Ong is a member of the Rajah & Tann Asia Network. The firm is a well-known energy and infrastructure power house, positioning itself as a one-stop shop for the project developers and funders, which are the energy team’s main clients.
A highlight deal saw the firm advise Janakuasa Vietnam, the project company, on the entire transaction up to financial close of the development of a coal power plant in Vietnam.
Key clients include Pengerang Power, China Development Bank, Nordea Bank (Singapore), and Société Générale.
Rajah & Tann Myanmar Company Limited - Myanmar
Financial and corporate – Tier 2
Project development – Tier 3
Leading Lawyer:
Chester Toh (Highly regarded) - Banking
This Yangon office of Rajah & Tann Singapore offers Myanmar and international legal advice and have represented local Myanmar companies such as Max Energy.
Key deals include acting for OCBC and UOB on their $40 million financing of the first commercial component of the Junction City development. The firm worked on a number of cross-border joint venture transactions.
Other key clients include OCBC Bank, Deloitte & Touche and PwC.
Client feedback
“Rajah & Tann has provided a very professional legal service for our needs.” – Project finance
Alroy Chan
“Great in all aspects.”
Gatmaytan Yap Patacsil Gutierrez & Protacio (C&G Law) - Philippines
Banking and finance – Other notable
M&A – Tier 3
Project development – Tier 2
Leading Lawyer:
Jaime Renato Gatmaytan (Highly regarded) - Project finance and M&A
Rajah & Tann Singapore - Singapore
Banking and finance – Tier 1
Capital markets – Tier 2
Project development – Tier 2
M&A – Tier 2
Restructuring and insolvency – Tier 1
Leading Lawyers:
Angela Lim (Highly regarded) - Energy and infrastructure, Banking and Project finance
Chia Kim Huat (Highly regarded) - Capital Markets
Chua Beng Chye* (Rising star) - Restructuring and insolvency
Danny Lim* (Notable practitioner)
Danny Ong (Highly regarded) - Restructuring and insolvency
Evelyn Wee (Highly regarded) - Capital markets and M&A
Lawrence Tan* (Notable practitioner)
Lee Eng Beng, SC (Highly regarded) - Restructuring and insolvency
Lim Wee Hann (Highly regarded) - M&A
Mark Cheng* (Rising star) - Restructuring and insolvency
Ng Kim Beng (Highly regarded) - Project development
Ng Sey Ming* (Highly regarded) - Banking and Capital markets: Debt
Patrick Ang (Market leader) - Restructuring and insolvency
Sandy Foo* (Highly regarded) - Energy and infrastructure, Project development, Banking, Project finance and M&A
Sim Chee Siong (Highly regarded) - Project development
Sim Kwan Kiat (Highly regarded) - Restructuring and insolvency
Soh Lip San (Highly regarded) - Project development
Tan Chuan Thye, SC (Highly regarded) - Restructuring and insolvency
Rajah & Tann has been expanding its footprint in the South-East Asia region aggressively with the most recent tie up being with C&G Law, a local Philippines law firm, in January 2017. The restructuring and insolvency department has a dedicated shipping team which adds capacity in relation to oil and gas restructuring and insolvency matters. The firm also has a dedicated team focused on the fintech sector in ASEAN.
In the capital markets, the firm acted for Top Glove Corporation on the company’s $1.38 billion secondary listing on the SGX.
In M&A, the firm advised OSIM International on its privatisation exercise which was one of the largest by a SGX-ST listed company.
In the restructuring and insolvency space, the firm advised the Port of Singapore Authority on the $5.37 billion debt default by Hanjin Shipping, the South Korean shipping container giant.
The firm made a number of significant staffing changes during the research period. Most significant is the appointment of the reputable capital markets and M&A specialist Sandy Foo from Drew & Napier. Additionally, the firm scooped up another capital markets partner Favian Tan from WongPartnership as well as a team of five real estate partners from Dentons Rodyk & Davidson, namely Norman Ho, Ching Chou, Cindy Quek, Shijie Tan, and Gazalle Mok. The firm also lost Kian Hwee Goh and Serene Yeo in 2017.
Key clients include DBS Bank, BNP Paribas, Sinochem International, Citibank, GIC, Deloitte, KPMG and PwC.
Client feedback
“Excellent professional staff quality and services, strong track record and highly experienced, well resourced. Strong Indonesian practice. Could strengthen its international affiliation for cross border transactions.” – M&A
“Excellent quality of professional staff and service. Strong track record, experience and local network. Good breadth of legal disciplines and services. Well-resourced with capacity to handle the work load. The firm has a strong Indonesian practice.” – Capital markets
“Rajah & Tann’s local restructuring and insolvency practice is on top of everyone else…Excellent law firm with a good depth of lawyers to assist on restructuring.” – Restructuring and insolvency
Cheng Yoke Ping
“Yoke Ping is extremely sharp and possesses a keen sense of analysis. She has great commercial acumen.”
Lawrence Tan
“He is highly meticulous and thorough in his work.”
“Excellent technical knowledge, quality of work, diligence and personality.”
“Highly competent and thorough in his work as well as reliable.”
R&T Asia (Thailand) Limited
Banking and finance – other notable firm
Rajah & Tann LCT Lawyers - Vietnam
Banking and finance – Tier 3
Project development – Tier 3
Mergers and acquisitions – Tier 3
Leading Lawyers:
Brian Ng (Highly regarded) - Banking and M&A
Huy Quang Chau (Highly regarded) - Energy and infrastructure: Disputes
Vu Thi Que (Highly regarded) - Energy and infrastructure, Project development and M&A
Rajah & Tann LCT Lawyers focuses on corporate and M&A and has offices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. It is part of the Rajah & Tann Asia legal network.
In M&A, the firm has acted on a number of real estate transactions including advising Nam Long on its joint venture with Nishi Nippon Railroad and Hankyu Realty to develop the Kikyo Residence villa and apartment complex.
The firm’s other clients include CapitaLand, Keppel Land and Mapletree.