As one of Singapore’s ‘Big Four’ law firms, Drew & Napier possesses a diverse roster of lawyers offering an extensive range of legal services in Singapore and across the region. The firm remains a dispute resolution powerhouse with a deep bench of top advocates including Jimmy Yim and Cavinder Bull. Disputes and insolvency lawyer Siraj Omar, construction specialist Christopher Chong and elite tax practitioner Ong Sim Ho further reinforce the team. Other key names to note include Pauline Chong for finance, Chong Kin Lim for competition and technology, Steven Lo for corporate and M&A, Tony Yeo for IP, and Sushil Nair and Blossom Hing for restructuring and insolvency. Consultant Gary Pryke is another well-known practitioner in the corporate and finance space. The firm welcomed banking specialist May Ng from Rajah & Tann recently.
Client feedback
“Highly professional, responsive and approachable.” – Banking and finance
“They understand the concerns, are responsive and provide solutions.” – Banking and finance
“Always focused on protecting its client's interests.” – Banking and finance
“I appreciate their knowledge of the matter and prompt actions.” – Capital markets
“DN has strong, in-depth knowledge of competition law and is able to provide practical advice in a timely manner.” – Competition/antitrust
“Profound expertise, swift responses, and regularly updates clients through newsletters.” – Competition/antitrust
“Responsive and business-pragmatic. Makes effort to understand the client's requirements. Reasonable fees charged for work.” – Construction
“Knowledgeable, professional and supportive of small businesses.” – Corporate and M&A
“The team is capable of looking beyond the legal aspects and putting into the perspectives of the different stakeholders. They provided value-added service and are indeed great partners for business owners.” – Corporate and M&A
“Responsive, quick and commercially minded.” – Corporate and M&A
“I liked their flexibility while providing good coverage on the necessary work for this deal.” – Corporate and M&A
“Communication and ability to distil facts into easy to understand terms. They are also very good at highlighting the possible issues with the transaction.” – Corporate and M&A
“Sound in legal knowledge and able to provide alternative solutions.” – Corporate and M&A
“Very detailed analysis of the law. Very prompt advice.” – Dispute resolution
“Deep legal expertise coupled with pragmatism.” – Dispute resolution
“Took the additional effort to understand the case, including the case notes, did a walkthrough of the cause of the matter, looked out for the true cause of the matter before forming their own conclusions prior to advising on the appropriate steps to take.” – Dispute resolution
“First and foremost, they advise you if it makes sense to fight or not to fight. As per Sun Tzu, that's the most important and fundamental question. Drew doesn't shy away from a fight to maximise value for the client but they are also very mindful if it makes sense to fight to begin with! They then ask you what you want to achieve and give you good counsel in a clear and transparent way. As a busy CEO, this is exactly what I need, and Drew does this very well.” – Dispute resolution
“Very collaborative. Sharp thinkers who understand the issues, even when they are new areas.” – Dispute resolution
“Quick to respond, thoughtful legal work and diligent” – Dispute resolution
“They have sound industry knowledge and expertise in handling arbitration under SIAC rules. They can provide quick and practical solutions for commercial disputes. Two lawyers, Mahesh Rai and Don Loo exhibit excellent legal acumen.” – Dispute resolution
“They have a completely hands-on approach to matters.” – Dispute resolution
“They’re all excellent, promptly engaging legal advice at all times. They are all brilliant lawyers.” – Dispute resolution
“Without doubt, the best litigation outfit in Singapore. Timely, reasoned, commercial and effective.” – Dispute resolution
“Drew & Napier were very proactive and responsive. They were able to foresee the plaintiff's arguments and prevent them.” – Dispute resolution
“They make robust argument and provide effective litigation strategies.” – Dispute resolution
“Drew & Napier has come up with a very creative solution in respect of entering documents into evidence, by knowing well the procedure of the proceeding.” – Dispute resolution
“It is commercially savvy and understanding of client needs.” – Dispute resolution
“Practical and concise legal advice was rendered.” – Dispute resolution
“I like all these: responsiveness, access to partners and commerciality of the advice.” – Dispute resolution
“They are very focused and committed. From day one they created a clear strategy which led us to win our case against the claimants. The team members involved have taken accountability. The deliverables during ongoing arbitration were outstanding.” – Dispute resolution
“We had a complex and difficult claim that required attention to detail and clever advocacy. Blossom's team was able to combine the disparate facts into a coherent claim that allowed us to achieve our aims against the defendant.” – Dispute resolution
“Excellence in advocacy, excellence in knowledge of law, practical advice, timeliness, responsiveness, commercial sensitivity. Most impressive aspect is their ability to work around our confidentiality and commercial concerns.” – Dispute resolution
“They are responsive and their advice is well thought out, succinct and clearly backed by years of experience in litigation. They are also happy to accept feedback and consider the legal opinions of their clients' in-house teams.” – Dispute resolution
“Experienced, strategic and responsive” – Dispute resolution
“Their experience, customer service and legal expertise are exceptional. They have the ability to lead with the local lawyers and the clients. The legal advice they have provided is practical and tailored for the specific legal disputes. They work tirelessly for any urgent matters without hesitating a bit, even if it takes the entire night. Despite the differences between the two jurisdictions, their cooperation on the matters has been top-notch. We have learnt so much from them in terms of their knowledge, practice, attitude, management, leadership, professionalism and customer service skills.” – Dispute resolution
“Strategic in solving the key issues and meticulous on detail.” – Dispute resolution
“The partner and team are very knowledgeable, working in a very detailed and precise manner. They have a strong understanding of the law and how to apply it. Great team.” – Dispute resolution
“Drew & Napier is very meticulous, and even minor emails are professionally written, well structured, and well thought out. They also learn fast, and quickly accumulated domain knowledge regarding the blockchain industry where we operate, and adjacent fields of law such as US securities law as applied to blockchain disputes. They are also extremely responsive, replying on urgent messages even at 11pm.” – Dispute resolution
“We appreciate its commerciality and technical analysis.” – Dispute resolution
“Professional and timely advice.” – Dispute resolution
“Wide areas of expertise and prompt advice.” – Energy
“Great detailed analysis and recommendation on appropriate and specific course of action.” – Insurance
“They are good with technical advice.” – Insurance
“They do a good job at looking at things from the client's perspective, and are able to find commercial solutions for risks they identify.” – Insurance
“Siau Wen Lim and Xuan Lang Teo from Drew & Napier represented us and have acted professionally to assist to resolve trademark issues with Starbucks. Their expertise in IP field is highly commendable and eventually the issue has been resolved with a positive outcome.” – Intellectual property
“They take the time to understand the business challenges and try to work on practical solutions.” – Intellectual property
“Very prompt.” – Intellectual property
“Advice is technically sound and well-considered.” – Intellectual property
“Lawyers have a good knowledge of Singapore law and are responsive.” – Investment funds
“Prompt, thorough and responsive.” – Labour and employment
“Their IT legal team has deep knowledge and rich experience. Very responsive even on the weekend when our business is running. Very client-oriented.” – Privacy and data protection
“Superior staff who provide considered advice and diligent execution.” – Private client
“The firm was able to comprehend the complexity of a first-of-its-kind strategy from a fund manager's perspective and comes up with an innovative solution.” – Private equity
“Good at the completion of transactions despite the tight timeline.” – Real estate
“They are easily approachable. They explain matters easily and guide us. They are not typically commercial, they fully understand client issues and look at everything holistically before coming out with any suggestions.” – Regulatory
“Drew partners are highly competent, responsive and provide commercially sensible advice.” – Restructuring and insolvency
“Deep experience.” – Tax
“Experienced lawyers who know the ITBR requirement and advise clients on the appeal strategy and provide practical advice on the approach to the appeal. Legal submissions are well prepared and clear and concise. They value the relationship with clients.” – Tax
“Drew & Napier's team, and Chong Kin Lim in particular, are deep experts in the tech and telecom space. They provide crisp guidance that we can share rapidly with our internal business clients. They also proactively monitor the horizon, and they let us know in advance about legal/regulatory developments that may impact us. Finally, they are fantastically responsive and literally never late in getting us the information we request.” – Technology and telecommunications
David Alfred
“He is very knowledgeable, prompt, able to offer solutions, understands business concerns, practical, and has a good network with regulators.”
Cavinder Bull
“An outstanding lawyer; thorough understanding of client's needs.”
Ron Cheng
“Knowledgeable and able to understand and meet the client's needs.”
“Ron has been extremely meticulous when it comes to his work. He ensures that he covers all angles and risks that the fund may encounter locally or abroad. Ron is able to understand complex problems and comes up with innovative solutions and structure.”
Corinne Chew
“Corinne is always willing to help and provides thoughtful advice in a timely manner.”
“Profound legal knowledge with excellent communication skills”
Voon Jiet Chia
“Voon Jiet is highly competent, responsive and offers commercially sensible and practical advice and solutions.”
Desmond Chng
“He is very responsive, and good at giving a quick (often immediate) indication of what the solution to a problem might be, and whether or not it actually warrants detailed research or formal legal advice. This is very much appreciated from a client's point of view.”
Andrew Chua
“He is attentive and responsive, able to relate to the case and provide insights and share best practices, and at the same time highlight potential issues or ideas from past cases and experiences.”
Benjamin Gaw
“Knowledgeable, professional, available, has a positive attitude and is attentive to client's needs.”
Blossom Hing
“She has a good team and allows her team to take the lead with client communication at the right time while also stepping in when necessary. She asks the right questions to elicit the necessary information from the client.”
“Blossom is an outstanding litigation and arbitration partner. Blossom is creative and very strategic in her thinking and tactics - based on her vast experience of litigation and arbitration. Blossom has done a great job in building a team to support her.”
“My ’go to’ contact is Blossom Hing, who is one of the most experienced and accomplished litigation and arbitration partners in Singapore. Blossom heads a great team that is growing in experience and competence.”
Soo Lih Ho
“Approachable.”
Seraphina Ho
“Efficient.”
Rakesh Kirpalani
“Rakesh is clear in his counsel and incredibly responsive.”
“He helps our company to handle our legal issues and we are satisfied with his work.”
“He possesses a strong spirit to win for the client. He has a client-centric approach and is an expert at IT and data security.”
Meryl Koh
“Highly responsive and takes a keen interest to know the client's business and challenges faced. She has a can-do attitude and willing to go the extra mile for the client. Does not discriminate client based on fee earned.”
“Thorough, empathetic and forward-looking.”
Samuel Koh
“Very responsive. A critical thinker who challenges outcomes to ensure they are robust.”
Man Er Kong
“Kong is qualified and brilliant at what she does. Very reliable and flexible. In terms of advocacy skills, Kong is astonishing. Kong is very patient towards the clients and has the deep understanding of the law. Further, Kong respects the time and is responsive. Case management is top-notch as well. We have obtained grand knowledge when we discuss the interpretation and the conflicts of law.”
“Intelligent, sharp, efficient and effective.”
Julian Kwek
“Problem solver and provides practical solutions.”
Keith Lam
“Keith is professional and responsive.”
Sok Hiang Lau
“She is proactive and provides solutions to difficult issues.”
“Lau Sok Hiang is a very careful and meticulous lawyer. She very much stressed getting the documents right, in the sense that it will not invite queries or challenges.”
Chong Kin Lim
“Prompt, knowledgeable and responsive.”
“He has incredible relationships in his peer network. Deep expertise and incredibly responsive.”
Shumin Lin
“Very knowledgeable in the areas that she practises and provides very clear and detailed analysis of the law.”
“Has a quick grasp of issues. Keen attention to detail without losing sight of the broad strategy.”
Adam Maniam
“Adam's approach is extremely customer-oriented, he takes the initiative to take a crash-course on the customer's industry in order to come up with creative solutions. He's sharp and straightforward.”
“He is D&N personified. Altogether exceptional in terms of service, advocacy, attention to client's concerns and knowledge of the law. He’s a brilliant lawyer. In my opinion better than some senior counsel.”
“My opinion of the firm has been formed by Adam and his mentor.”
“Appreciate his knowledge, adherence to timelines, and that he understands the sensitivity of the matter.”
Pei Tong Ng
“Ability to share a holistic view on the situation and advise accordingly and to the needs of the client.”
Sim Ho Ong
“Very familiar with IRAS.”
Mahesh Rai
“Mahesh possesses excellent legal acumen. This coupled with his sound industry knowledge helps him deliver quick and practical legal advice. Mahesh communicates well and is friendly in nature.”
“He has a complete knowledge of the field and goes all out to understand the nuances of the business.”
“Both from a personal and professional point of view, I found Mahesh to be someone impressive and genuine. He has great analytical skills, is able to listen well, and is very good in communication, as I often saw him carrying himself so well in the court or in any kind of joint discussions. He provides me as a client with great consideration, tending to the needs of my case in the best way. Mahesh also always comes up with great strategy, showing his creativity as a veteran lawyer.”
“Mahesh is a very hands-on partner, has a close grasp of all the strategic issues and drills down into factual issues. He has a very commercial, practical mindset and is always ready to offer a recommendation and not just a set of options, and a practical recommendation that addresses both legal and broader strategic concerns. He is also clearly a strong mentor because we have been impressed even by the juniors on his team, when Mahesh is not present.”
Teng Sen Tan
“Teng Sen is a seasoned corporate lawyer and provides value-added services to the business owner. He's adept at corporate financing works and compliance matters and is a great partner for us.”
“Very experienced corporate partner who is commercially minded. He gives practical advice.”
“Excellent legal knowledge and communications.”
Allister Tan
“Brilliant lawyer and eager to help always.”
“Very knowledgeable, communicates well to ensure client understands the specifics of the issues. Guides client to the most rationale decision.”
“Fast and sound technical advice.”
“Commercial nous.”
Evelyn Tan
“Well-versed with contract law and court processes, meticulous and pays attention to detail.”
Benedict Teo
“Commercially savvy and he puts clients’ interests first.”
“Ben is extremely responsive and very experienced. I have appreciated his sound legal advice, and sharp legal acumen in handling the cases on our behalf. I also appreciate that he makes himself available to speak to the business representatives when needed.”
“Benedict is experienced and provides good strategic advice. His team provides good, detailed work and manages timelines well. Much to recommend, not much to criticise.”
“Responsive, and willing to go the extra mile to ensure client's requirements are met fully.”
“He is a very experienced trusted adviser and sounding board. He is commercial, responsive, insightful, and he really knows the market and knows his stuff.”
Xuan Lang Teo
“Xuan Lang has been efficient in handling our case and always provides valuable alternative options for our consideration. This is helpful as it leaves no stone unturned, which may increase the probability to succeed in the proceedings.”
“Xuan Lang is extremely sharp and thorough. He is able to distil the key issues in a dispute to achieve the most efficient and favourable outcomes for us. He has deep foresight while bearing in mind commercial realities and practical considerations. All advice from him is extremely well-thought-out and backed up by firm legal foundations. An expert in IP law, he is able to explain and argue complicated legal concepts with clarity and punch.”
Shi Yong Yang
“Provides timely responses and to-the-point advice.”
“He listens to the client and approaches the solution holistically.”
Jonathan Yap
“Jonathan is a hard-working attorney focused on delivering quality work and superior results. He has great communication skills and ensures that his clients remain happy with his services.”
Tony Yeo
“Very prompt and understanding.”
Jimmy Yim
“He is efficient, eloquent and communicates well. He is also knowledgeable and responsive.”
“Jimmy Yim is well known in Singapore and an excellent lawyer with a strong personality. He was able to turn around a case we had lost and win the case for our company.”
“Jimmy Yim was efficient, eloquent and understood the issues well. Very good courtroom manner and pleasant to deal with.”
Work highlights
Acted for Square Peg Capital and SEEK Growth Nominees in their investments as lead investors in Singapore-based edtech firm Cialfo’s Series B funding round.
Work highlights
Representing IIa Technologies, an industry leader and manufacturer of lab-grown diamonds with the largest diamond-growing facility in the world, in a patent infringement suit commenced by Element Six Technologies, a subsidiary of the De Beers Group. The issues in the suit involve extremely technical and contentious and highly complex patent invalidation and infringement matters. This is one of the most complex patent infringement cases by far that the Singapore High Court has heard.
Key clients
Apple, Audi, Exxon Mobile, Facebook, Instagram, Mediacorp, Novartis, PepsiCo Group, Pfizer, Qualcomm, Target Brands, Toyota.
Represented Navayo International successfully in an arbitration against the Ministry of Defence of Indonesia (MoD) for unpaid invoices and wasted expenditure relating to work and products delivered to it arising out of the MoD’s suspension of its satellite programme.
Key clients
Altair Capital, CNPC, Dragages, Goldbell Engineering, Hin Leong Trading, Indorama, OCBC, Visa.
Work highlights
Advising the informal steering committee of lenders to Hin Leong Trading on the potential debt restructuring of the troubled company.
Key clients
Antanium Resources, Brightoil Petroleum, CapitaLand, FJ Benjamin Holdings, FTI Consulting, Pacific Andes Resources Development, Oceanus Group, PWC, Taipei Fubon Commercial Bank.
Work highlights
Acted for SK ecoplant on its acquisition of 100% of the issued share capital of TES-Envirocorp at an enterprise value of $1 billion.
Key clients
Banpu, EQT Infrastructure, Kaizen PE, Manhattan Resources, Metro Holdings, Penguin International, Sumitomo Mitsui Construction, Temasek, Tricor Services, Tuan Sing Holdings.
Work highlights
Acted for Trendlines Group on its proposed issuance and allotment of an aggregate of new ordinary shares.
Acted for Tuan Sing in relation to its tender offer exercise for outstanding Series 004 Notes issued under its S$900 million ($663 million) multi-currency medium term note programme.
Work highlights
Assisted the Hanwha Group on its notification to the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore of its controlling stake acquisition of 49.3% in Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering at a takeover price of $1.5 billion.
Key clients
ADB BVBA, Chevron, Deliveroo, Heliconia Capital Management, Info Communications, Temasek.
Work highlights
Advising Heliconia Capital Management on the restructuring of an investment into Pacific International Lines.
Key clients
Bank of China, Citibank, DBS Bank, Far East Organization Centre, Guthrie GTS, ICBC, Overseas Union Enterprises, Standard Chartered Bank, UBS, Woori Bank.
Work highlights
Represented respondent DL E&C, one of Korea’s leading chaebols, in a dispute concerning an aborted L+EPC contract for the construction of the largest petrochemical plant in India and in Asia.
Key clients
Alcon Group, Amara Hotel Properties, Banpu, China Machine New Energy Corporation, CosmoSteel Holdings, Dragages Singapore, Essar Group, Navayo International, Novartis, SK Engineering & Construction, Thermo Fisher Scientific.
Work highlights
Assisted the Independent Motor Dealers Association in a comprehensive review of the Telecom Competition Code and Media Market Conduct Code, and to draft and implement a harmonised competition code for the telecommunications and media industries.
Engaged by the Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam to assist with the development and implementation of Brunei’s personal data protection law and regulatory framework for the private sector.
Key clients
Alibaba Group, AT&T, Cisco Systems, Google, Sprint, Tencent Holdings.
