Singapore, 1 April 2026 – Rajah & Tann Singapore (R&T) has embarked on a far-reaching reorganisation of its Disputes practice as clients increasingly seek specialised expertise for high stakes, complex litigation.
Deputy Managing Partner Kelvin Poon, SC, will assume the role of Regional Head of Dispute Resolution, setting the strategic direction for the practice across the region and guiding its growth. Avinash Pradhan will take over the role of Head of International Arbitration, reinforcing the firm’s strength in cross-border dispute resolution.
The firm said today that its Disputes team of more than 200 lawyers, the largest in Singapore, will be further organised into four focus areas, namely Banking & Financial, Commercial & Corporate, Employment, and Private Client. Disputes lawyers or litigators help clients prevent, manage and resolve legal conflicts, both before and during court or arbitration proceedings.
The move followed a carve-out of a dedicated Fraud, Asset Recovery & Investigations team more than a year ago to meet a burgeoning caseload of white collar crimes and other corporate malfeasance.
Explaining the reorganisation in the Singapore office, Adrian Wong, Head, Dispute Resolution Group, said: “The latest move is in response to changing market needs. Clients are expecting us to offer deeper sector expertise as disputes become more complex involving more parties, more data, more overlapping laws and jurisdictions than ever before.
“We believe the more focused approach will help lawyers develop subject mastery, identify emerging trends and patterns, and keep pace with today’s dynamic and volatile environment.”
The reorganisation comes at a time when litigation has grown not just in complexity but also in volume. For example, in the private wealth space, Mr Wong expects to secure more client mandates as the rapid accumulation of wealth in Asia continues to lead to more disputes created by problems such as family conflicts, poor succession planning, and fragmented ownership.
Additionally, fast-moving modern technologies such as crypto and AI are requiring the disputes team to build technical and in-depth sector expertise to deal with new but often unclear legal rules, multi-jurisdictional and practical enforcement challenges, among others.
Heading the new specialist Disputes practice groups are:
- Banking & Financial: Disa Sim (Head), Luo Qinghui (Deputy)
- Commercial & Corporate: Vikram Nair (Head), Ang Leong Hao (Deputy)
- Employment: Jonathan Yuen (Head), Ang Tze Phern (Deputy)
- Private Client: Mark Cheng (Head)
Ng Kim Beng, R&T Managing Partner, said: “It is in Rajah & Tann’s DNA to be very responsive to changing market demands and build specialised practice groups to serve clients more effectively. Years ago, we did the same when we sensed economic dynamism leading to more corporate restructuring and insolvencies. We are, today, still the only firm with a dedicated Restructuring and Insolvency practice, which has enabled us to handle some of the largest, most complex multi-jurisdictional bankruptcies.
“In addition, our internationally recognised Arbitration practice further strengthens our ability to support clients in cross-border disputes, offering expert guidance and representation in major arbitration centres worldwide. This global reach ensures that, alongside our specialist and generalist teams, Rajah & Tann is equipped to deliver comprehensive solutions for clients facing complex, multi-jurisdictional challenges.
“While we build a team of specialist lawyers with deep expertise to support growth in volume and complexity, we also recognise that our generalist lawyers remain valuable to clients who need broad-based, coordinated counsel across different disciplines.”
R&T has seven Senior Counsel in its Disputes practice, the largest of any law firm in Singapore. They are Andre Yeap, SC, Francis Xavier, SC, Gregory Vijayendran, SC, Kelvin Poon, SC, Lee Eng Beng, SC, Tan Chuan Thye, SC, and Toh Kian Sing, SC.
R&T is part of Rajah & Tann Asia, the largest legal network in Southeast Asia and China, offering seamless support across jurisdictions, giving clients a powerful advantage in multi-jurisdictional disputes and a true “home advantage” in navigating local legal landscapes.
About Rajah & Tann Asia – https://www.rajahtannasia.com/
Rajah & Tann Asia brings together leading law firms in Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam, with each offering the highest standards of service to locally based clients while collectively having the capability to handle the most complex regional and cross-border transactions and to provide excellent legal counsel seamlessly across the region. The network’s geographical reach also includes Singapore-based regional desks focusing on Brunei, Japan, and South Asia. With over 1,000 fee earners, all working together towards one shared goal, we are lawyers who know Asia and who give our clients home advantage.
