Rajah & Tann sets sights on stronger presence in Asean
Discovery Reports
Independent law firm Rajah & Tann has set its sights on building presence in each of the economic capitals in Southeast Asia to provide seamless and comprehensive legal services to clients. As economic co-operation between Asian countries increases, collaborating with a legal counsel with a wide regional reach like Rajah & Tann can provide enhanced legal support and mitigate risks for entities operating in multiple territories.
Rajah & Tann embarked on a journey of tremendous growth in the early 1990s and became one of Singapore's leading law firms in less than two decades. The firm and its regional offices boast a team of more than 400 lawyers and extensive legal expertise in areas such as admiralty and shipping, banking and finance, mergers and acquisitions, and litigation and international arbitration.
Rajah & Tann has in recent years been aggressively taking steps to realise its vision of becoming the dominant law firm in Southeast Asia and one of Asia's first international law firms. Its regional network spans China, Thailand, Malaysia, Laos and Vietnam, and it has extended its footprint to Cambodia, Myanmar and Indonesia.
"We recognised that we can't grow further if we stayed as a Singapore local firm. We want to transform ourselves into a Southeast Asian law firm because we feel that we have a strong competitive edge in the region," says senior counsel and managing partner Lee Eng Beng.
"We have been able to attract excellent lawyers all over Southeast Asia to join us. We have also found that there's a certain familiarity and closeness between all of us and this makes it easier for us to work together and grow the firm," Lee says. "We don't think other firms have the same coverage, resources or width and depth of expertise that we have in this region."
"If clients have a transaction or a dispute here, we can give the best support, the best people and the best infrastructure," Lee says. "We have local connections, local knowledge and local law capability across Southeast Asia."