Soemadipradja & Taher

Soemadipradja & Taher’s banking and finance team continues to have strong networks with large law firms. Instructed by Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, a global firm, leading lawyer Emalia Achmadi worked with Mashreqbank, as arranger and agent, on a $40 million term and revolving facilities agreement. Japanese law firm Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu referred work to Rahmat Soemadipradja, an energy and natural resources leading lawyer, to advise Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ on a global credit facility agreement.

Referred by global law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Soemadipradja & Taher’s Emalia Achmadi, a leading lawyer, assisted Saka Energi Indonesia on a $625 million bond issue listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange, one of the largest maiden issues by an Indonesian firm during the past 12 months.

Soemadipradja & Taher’s Mochamad Kasmali is advising Daiwa House, a Japanese homebuilder, on land due diligence on a 5,000-unit mixed-use Southeast capital development. Daiwa is expected to invest ¥4 billion ($36.9 million) in the project on Jakarta’s outskirts. The team is also facilitating communication among government officials overseeing the important project.

Soemadipradja & Taher’s practice has an admirable record of advising Japanese clients, specifically in M&A transactions in the finance sector. Referred by Japanese law firm Nagashima Ohno Tsunematsu, for instance, Rahmat Soemadipradja and Retno Muljosantoso, a leading lawyer, conducted due diligence for Autobacs Seven, a Japanese automotive parts and accessories retailer, on its planned acquisition of ITC Auto Multi Finance.

Soemadipradja & Taher’s market leading lawyer Hafzan Taher doubles as managing partner and head of the practice. Nira Nazarudin is defending Total E&P Indonesie, a liquefied natural gas (LNG) explorer and producer, against a land ownership claim by an individual. The plaintiff alleges ownership of an 18,000-hectare (ha) parcel of land granted by the sultanate of Kutai, 457ha of which Total operates in. The plaintiff has filed similar lawsuits against other oil and gas companies exploring in Sanipah. Consequently, the case, which is on appeal, is important to the industry.

Soemadipradja & Taher excels across oil and gas’s streams – from exploration to distribution and marketing – and metals and mining. Instructed by global law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Mochamad Kasmali is working with Rosneft Oil on many matters to do with the $13.8bn joint venture between Rosneft and Pertamina, the Indonesian state-owned oil and gas company. The partnership is building a 300,000 bpd oil refinery in Tuban. Issues have included securing land ownership and forming the joint venture.

Soemadipradja & Taher’s Retno Muljosantoso assisted Rockwell Automation Southeast Asia on employee terminations. Notification letters and termination settlement agreements were drafted and finalised. The team also advised Rockwell on improving operational efficiencies including better management of human resources. Instructed by GR Engineering Services, Muljosantoso also managed an employee dispute between its Indonesian subsidiary and an expatriate as a seconded employee. The case about whether regulations governing expatriate employment agreements are the same as fixed term employment agreements with Indonesian employees went to the Supreme Court, where the client won.

Ardian Sidharta and Mochamad Kasmali of Soemadipradja & Taher advised Brazilian miner Vale on the transfer of management and operations of Inco Sorowako Hospital to Yayasan Mokora Husada. The team prepared the hospital management agreement, and interacted with many government officials to gain approval. The mandate also included employment and labour issues.