Withers leads way in major tie-up as Singapore rush continues

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HSF, KWM and DLA Piper invest in key South-East Asia hub

Highlighting continued law firm interest in the Singaporean economy and its potential as a hub for South-East Asia, were the announcements in February by a host of Legal Business 100 firms of plans to enhance their presence. Most notably, Withers established a formal law alliance (FLA) with Singapore law firm KhattarWong while Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) also teamed up with a local outfit, King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) confirmed plans to open an office, while DLA Piper secured a coup with the hire of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s Singapore partner John Viverito to lead its offering in the city state.

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‘Highest concentration of millionaire households in the world’: Withers launches alliance with Singapore’s KhattarWong

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Just weeks after confirming its expansion plans in Australia, Withers has today (4 February) announced it has established a formal law alliance (FLA) with Singapore law firm KhattarWong.

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The Movie Business

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 MARKET VIEW – ARBITRATION 

Freshfields’ head of international arbitration, Lucy Reed, talks to Singapore International Arbitration Centre chief executive, Lim Seok Hui, about the institution’s recent rise to prominence

Lucy Reed, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer: Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC)’s reputation in the market has skyrocketed in the last five years. What are some of the factors which have led to that growth?

Lim Seok Hui, SIAC: It was certainly no coincidence that the spike in new case numbers we have seen since 2008 corresponded with the entry onto the world stage of the Chinese, Indian, Indonesian, Japanese and Korean economies. That is of course a key factor in the growth of the institution. Underpinning and assisting that development is the fact that the government of Singapore was very quick to lay the infrastructure needed for the advancement of international commercial arbitration in our jurisdiction, and to adopt the necessary legislation to allow us to keep up to speed with global best practices. We also have a very supportive judiciary which built upon Singapore’s reputation for neutrality, integrity and quality more generally as regards our legal sector.

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‘We can minimise the gap between business advisers and legal counsel’: EY admits Singapore boutique into network

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As Big Four accountancy giant EY continues to grow its legal services offering, it has today (2 October) announced it has brought Singaporean boutique firm PK Wong & Associates into its global network as an independent member.

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Singapore: QFLP renewals, hires for Milbank and a new office for Harneys

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Singapore has over the past month dominated much of the legal agenda in Asia, starting with the renewal process early in March of its sought-after qualifying foreign legal practice (QFLP) licences.

Of the original six firms that were awarded a QFLP in 2008 and which came up for five-year renewal, Allen & Overy (A&O), Clifford Chance, Latham & Watkins and Norton Rose Fulbright had their licences renewed for another five years.

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Magrath launches in Singapore

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November saw London-based Magrath become the first corporate immigration specialist to open a standalone presence in Singapore; Ben Sheldrick and Mark Chowdhry will spearhead the firm’s practice in the city state.

The launch of Magrath Global reflects the eastwards shift of several of the firm’s multinational clients, eager to capitalise on more buoyant markets. ‘Clients have been proactive in asking for this expansion,’ explained Sheldrick. ‘It has been driven by their growing focus on the region.’

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