Singapore law firm Rajah & Tann appoints new managing partner amid China expansion efforts
Ng Kim Beng, deputy managing partner who has been with the firm for 24 years, will take over from Patrick Ang from April 1
One of Singapore’s Big Four law firms, Rajah & Tann, will appoint a new managing partner as it seeks to expand into the Chinese market as part of an ambitious regionalisation drive.
Ng Kim Beng will take over from Patrick Ang from April 1, marking the end of Ang’s second term as managing partner during which the firm opened its second China office in Shenzhen last November.
Ang, 61, has been managing partner since March 31, 2019, and will remain the vice-chairman of Rajah and Tann Asia, the largest legal network in Southeast Asia. His predecessor Lee Eng Beng would continue as chairman, the firm announced on Thursday.
Ng, 53, who has been deputy managing partner since 2022, has been with the firm for 24 years.
“If I were to talk about an ambition that we have, that we dare to dream about, it’s probably [ …] an Asian firm on the international stage,” Ng told reporters on Thursday.
The firm’s leaders stressed their commitment to regionalisation to gain an edge amid geopolitical tensions between China and the United States. Rajah & Tann currently has a legal network across 10 countries, including in Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.