Investments, Banking & Finance

We work with clients, including banks, financial institutions, lenders, borrowers, and guarantors, on secured and unsecured financing transactions involving local and cross-border aspects. We advise regularly on financial regulations, and licensing and compliance requirements. We also act for clients on banking and financial disputes. We can also advise on investments, including venture capital, private equity, structuring investment funds, establishment and licensing of fund management companies and fund regulatory matters, offers of investments, and establishment of family offices.

Employment

We advise on and assist clients of all types in preparing employment contracts, agreements, handbooks and policies, and remuneration and compensation plans such as Employee Share Option Plans (ESOP) and restricted share vesting arrangements. We advise Human Resources departments on legal issues relating to employment, corporations, industrial relations, collective agreements, immigration, severance, retrenchment, termination, consultancies, freelancers and independent contractors, and confidentiality.

Our experience includes:

• Advised on structuring, drafting and implementation of Employee Share Option Plans.

• Advised multi-national companies on employment law and practice, and potential trade dispute with a trade union.

• Advised an international financial institution on employment issues involving termination, bonuses and drafting of relevant documents.

• Advised a multi-national financial consultancy firm on employment, shareholder, directorship and intellectual property issues regarding the removal of a local managing director.

Mergers & Acquisitions

As a full-service law firm, we handle merger and acquisition (M&A) matters with deep knowledge of applicable laws and regulations together with expertise in the areas of shareholding, tax, employment, data protection, intellectual property, real estate, and antitrust, among others.

We can advise SMEs and MNCs alike on M&A matters, joint ventures, share and business acquisitions and sales, corporate reorganisations, schemes of arrangement, capital restructuring, and private equity investments.

Our experience includes:

• Advised a large Philippines-based conglomerate on the potential share acquisition of a Singapore additives manufacturer and conduct of legal due diligence.

• Advised on the sale and purchase of shares and private acquisition of businesses.

Regulatory & Compliance

Businesses today may face a myriad of complex regulations imposed across multiple jurisdictions. We advise on the necessary steps to take to avoid civil, criminal and regulatory liabilities, and help guide you through investigations to ensure that you make the most commercially-viable decisions.

We have worked with financial institutions, FinTech companies, and regulated or licensed entities, on a wide range of regulatory and compliance issues, including advising on legislation, licensing requirements, strategy and exemptions, Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) guidance and notices, fit and proper criteria for key personnel, Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Countering Financing of Terrorism (CFT) policies and procedures, risk assessments and policies, licence applications, anti-bribery and corruption, compliance manuals. We can also provide training, work with organisations on culture change, advise on environmental, social and governance considerations in business strategy, prepare submissions or feedback to authorities’ consultations on proposed legislative or regulatory amendments, and conduct internal audits. Our deep knowledge of various interdisciplinary subjects such as technology and finance enables us to give clients practical and commercially contextualised advice.

We also advise companies and their boards on legal issues affecting day-to-day operations, their duties and obligations, governance and compliance processes, management of conflicts of interests, board, committee, and shareholders proceedings, and regulatory reporting and disclosures.

Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG)

As legal and risk management professionals, we can provide consultancy, advice and assistance to clients in the development and implementation of ESG-related strategies with a multi-disciplinary approach. These include:

• advice on corporate governance and regulatory compliance

• advice on ESG-related disclosures

• assisting in public policy advocacy and consultations

• conducting ESG-related due diligence

• assisting with reputation risk management and advisory

• reviewing or drafting contracts to ensure ESG standards compliance.

Charities & Non-Profit

We champion loving our neighbour and giving back to our community; this includes serving charities and non-profit organisations (NPOs). We advise on and assist with the registration or establishment of entities, including charities and NPOs, registration of charity status or Institution of Public Character (IPC) status, and provide a suite of administration and corporate services. We also guide our clients on the structuring of their organisation, good governance, and navigating complex legal and regulatory issues.