UK law firm RPC has agreed a tie-up with Singapore firm Premier Law as it seeks out claims against the major banks. The joint venture is to go live on 1 May this year.
The new venture, called RPC Premier Law, will handle banking and financial dispute resolution, M&A, insurance, marine and restructuring work in Singapore. The joint venture, which allows RPC to practise Singapore law for the first time, takes the firm up to 17 lawyers in the city-state.
RPC had a two-partner outpost in Singapore before the tie-up, after launching an office in early 2012. It will combine with Premier Law, which launched in 2007, and also has two partners.
Premier Law is run by corporate disputes partner Siraj Omar, who started his career at well-regarded Singapore firm Drew & Napier, and corporate restructuring lawyer Tandip Singh. The pair were working together at DLA Piper before launching Premier Law.
RPC managing partner Jonathan Watmough said: ‘We have spent several years looking for the final piece in an evolving puzzle. In Premier Law we have found the right strategic partner to allow us to offer the full suite of dispute resolution, transactional and insurance services across three of the leading financial centres in the world – London, Singapore and Hong Kong.
‘Our disputes practices are very closely aligned both in Asia and further afield – particularly when it comes to acting adverse to the major banks – and the combination of Premier’s corporate and commercial capability with our existing presence in Hong Kong will give us the critical mass to take on new and larger deals. The combination will also allow our insurance and marine practices to advise on Singapore law – a critical development for clients as the importance of Singapore continues to grow in these sectors.’
tom.moore@legalease.co.uk
