Brunei

Established in 1986, Abrahams Davidson & Co still stands as one of the leading law firms in Brunei. The firm’s core practice areas are corporate, commercial, banking and finance, and property development. The managing partner Bernard Tan frequently leads the firm’s key cases and deals, and Suan Chin Tan is a key partner in banking and finance.

General business law

Work highlights

Advised Australia and New Zealand Banking Group on issues related to its derivatives trading with entities incorporated and registered in Brunei.

Advised ThyssenKrupp Singapore on the Brunei laws and regulations in relation to its proposed construction and operational activities of its fertiliser project in Brunei.

Advised DotC Holding on its acquisition of a company incorporated in the Cayman Islands with a Brunei subsidiary. The firm conducted due diligence on the company.

Advised State Street Trust (SG) on the duties and obligations of a trustee in the marketing of its unit trusts to the public according to the applicable Brunei laws and regulations.

Key clients

Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Avolon Aerospace Leasing, European Investment Fund, Lufthansa Technik, Prudential Assurance Company Singapore, Solar Turbine, State Street Globallink Asia

The firm has a strong reputation for dispute resolution, particularly in the area of construction.  

General Business Law  

Work highlights 
Acted for the plaintiff, a domestic machineries company, in a case that involved complex and detailed calculations by experts where the client claimed hiring charges of machinery for a construction project.  
Advise a Korean contractor against the owners and the demise charterers of three barges for negligent management after the barges had multiple collisions with the under-construction bridge.  
Acted for the plaintiff in a case regarding the privity of contract, where the defendant was the main contractor for a major development project for the Brunei government. The firm’s client was the defendant’s electrical subcontractor for the project pursuant to a signed subcontract agreement.  
Instructed the plaintiffs that claimed another party was passing off and infringing on their intellectual property rights. The firm’s clients are also seeking for injunctive relief against the defendant.  

CCW Partnership is ranked ‘Outstanding’ in General business law with expertise in corporate and M&A, regulatory, banking and dispute resolution. The firm’s dispute resolution practice is led by the managing partner Linda Lee Lian Khing. Tang Weng Leong and On Hung Zheng are the frequent lead partners in disputes. Harold Ng Hann Jaun is the key partner in corporate and banking.

General business law

Work highlights

Advising local and international corporations in their sale and acquisition of assets.

Acted for Daniel Leong Nyuk Ming, a supervising officer of the Brunei international airport construction project and the Brunei Economic Development Board, in disputes over the project’s contract against the contractors.

Represented a partner of an established family business in a dispute against her sibling, in which the sibling obtained the Mareva injunction and disclosure order against the client, freezing her personal and corporate accounts in Brunei, and also filed legal proceedings against her in Singapore. The firm applied to have the order set aside and the dispute was eventually settled amicably through mediation. 

General Business Law  

Work highlights 

Provided advice to Brunei investors in connection to a private placement of limited partner interests in a real estate fund.  

Advised Ocra Brunei on the closure of its international business activities in the country and on the legal migration of the companies offshore.  

Ranked ‘Highly recommended’ in General business law, Dr Colin Ong Legal Services operates across six countries outside Brunei. The firm’s practice areas cover corporate, finance, intellectual property and dispute resolution in different sectors. Senior partner Colin Ong usually leads the key deals.

General business law

Work highlights

Advising international energy corporations on various energy development projects.

Eversheds HEP Brunei has expertise in corporate and commercial laws, intellectual property and dispute resolution. The firm enters the following ranking categories for the first time: General business law, Banking and financial services and Infrastructure. The corporate partner Neilia Tan is a lead partner in the firm’s key deals. Rokiah Swed, a dispute resolution specialist, joined the firm in 2018.

General business law  

Work highlights

Assisting the local branch of an international bank in updating their in-house security documentation and other collateral documents for securing banking facilities.

Assisting a local financial institution in the conversion of their limited companies into private limited companies.

Represented Le Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne, a trade association that represents the interests of champagne producers in opposing a trademark application made by Becca for the word mark ‘Champagne Pop’ in class 3 in relation to cosmetics.

Reviewing the terms and conditions of its products and services for a leading telecommunications and information technology company. The firm is also providing legal solutions to enhance their overall strength. 

Advising a local private company on the available options regarding their buildings and facilities’ encroachment onto neighbouring private land since 1995, which the client only discovered in 2016.

Key clients

JLWH, Japan External Trade Organisation, Kumon Asia & Oceania

Client feedback

“A team of expert advisers with individually different legal backgrounds who are able to provide different scopes of advice in a very wide range of possibility.” – Corporate and M&A