05 Jun 2017

Rajah & Tann Picked By Financial Times As Amongst Top 25 Innovative Asia Pacific Headquartered Law Firms

For the third consecutive year, Rajah & Tann Singapore has been named an “FT 25” Asia Pacific Headquartered Firm at the 2017 FT Asia Pacific Innovative Lawyers Awards.

This year, the FT 25 list comprises leading Asian firms from eight jurisdictions; seven each from Australia and India, three from South Korea, two each from China, Japan and Singapore and one each from Cambodia and Malaysia.

Managing Partner Lee Eng Beng, SC, said: “We are honoured to be recognised by the Financial Times. I would like to express my gratitude to my colleagues and our clients who have contributed to the growth of the firm. Rajah & Tann now competes with the best in Asia.

“Innovation is key to our success and this is especially so at a time of disruption brought about by technological advances. The legal industry is not spared and we believe that building an innovation culture will help us stay on top of the game in a dynamic, changing business environment.”

Rajah & Tann was recognised in two specific areas. In “Business of Law”, the firm was recognised for its “first of its kind” initiatives in launching a “Data Breach Readiness and Response Service” with both legal and technical capability to prevent, combat and respond to data breaches for businesses as well as a “Data Protection Officer Service” for clients to tap on in the mandatory appointment of data protection officers under the Singapore Personal Data Protection Act. Both client focused initiatives are timely in the wake of cyber security attacks and breaches to personal data protection.

In “Legal Expertise”, the firm was noted for its work in Marvellous Glory Holdings Ltd’s takeover of China Minzhong Food Corporation Limited (listed on SGX) valued at approximately S$786 million. The public M&A team was recognised for providing a new approach for an acquirer that wanted to privatise the target and meet the 90% share threshold required by Singapore regulations. This was in a situation where a selling major shareholder had desired to retain a 29% stake in the target. The cross-border deal highlighted the expertise of the firm's transactional practice in presenting sound, commercial and creative solutions in M&A transactions.

According to its website, FT received 502 submissions and nominations from 71 law firms and 90 in-house legal teams. After extensive research, 50 of the most innovative law firms to submit entries were ranked, along with 18 company legal teams (Rajah & Tann Singapore was the only Singapore firm to make the list).

Now in its fourth year, the Awards by the UK-based Financial Times recognises law firms behind the most transformational transactions in the region, the in-house legal teams that are adding the most value to business, and the most innovative individuals in the industry. The award was announced yesterday evening at a ceremony held at the Asia Society Hong Kong Centre.

The countries that are covered in this year’s FT Asia Pacific Innovative Lawyers Awards are Australia, China and Hong Kong, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and the members of ASEAN: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. FT’s research partner, RSG Consulting, conducted hundreds of client, expert, and lawyer interviews to assess and rank the submissions.

Rajah & Tann Singapore was named 2016 FT Most Innovative Law Firm in ASEAN. It also recently won the Corporate Citizenship Law Firm of the Year at the ALB South East Asia Law Awards 2017, Singapore’s National Law Firm of the Year award 2017 at the Chambers Asia-Pacific Awards, as well as the Singapore Tax Disputes & Litigation Firm of the Year 2017 award by the International Tax Review.

Rajah & Tann Singapore is one of the largest full-service law firms in Singapore and South East Asia, with market leading practices in M&A, dispute resolution, international arbitration, shipping, insolvency, restructuring, capital markets, competition law, corporate & commercial, among others. Through Rajah & Tann Asia, it is a member of one of the largest legal networks in ASEAN with some 650 fee earners.

About Rajah & Tann Asia – www.rajahtannasia.com

Rajah & Tann Asia brings together leading law firms and lawyers in Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, with each offering the highest standards of service to locally-based clients while collectively having the capacity to handle the most complex regional and cross-border transactions and to provide excellent legal counsel seamlessly across the region. With around 650 fee earners, all working towards one shared goal, we are lawyers who know Asia and who give our clients home advantage.