Singapore, 18 July 2024 –Rajah & Tann Singapore (R&T) has received approval from China’s State Council for its second office in the country, to be based in the southern economic and tech hub of Shenzhen.
R&T’s Shenzhen office will be led by Hew Kian Heong, who has more than 30 years of international experience, particularly in representing major Chinese and international firms in arbitration, litigation and mediation. Mr Hew is recognised as a leading lawyer in international construction and infrastructure disputes.
Mr Hew and Linda Qiao, who heads the Shanghai office, will co-lead R&T’s practice in China, which was established 21 years ago.
The new office will be officially launched in the fourth quarter of the year and will work closely with lawyers across the Rajah & Tann Asia network, including those in the Singapore-based Greater China practice. They include construction and projects partner Loh Yong Hui and dispute resolution partner David Isidore Tan. Mr Loh will also serve as the Chief Representative of the Shenzhen Representative Office.
The expansion comes at a time of rapid integration of cities in China’s Greater Bay Area, boosted by the recent opening of the mega Shenzhen-Zhongshan bridge, and the surge in Chinese investments in Southeast Asia. R&T said these developments are expected to fuel economic growth and drive demand for cross-border legal services in the Pearl River delta in the coming years.
The newly-licensed office will be located in Qianhai, a dynamic and modern business district in Shenzhen that has emerged as China’s financial and technological hub. It offers a prime location just an hour’s drive from Hong Kong.
Lured by favourable tax policies, excellent infrastructure, IP and trademark protection, among others, banks, IT and logistic companies and professional services firms, have in recent years been setting up in Qianhai.
Patrick Ang, Managing Partner of R&T, said: “The rise in trade and investments between China and Southeast Asia has seen clients looking to regional firms with cross-jurisdictional capabilities like Rajah & Tann. Our new office in Shenzhen is in response to their needs, and will complement and support the work we are already doing in Shanghai and Singapore.
“Kian Heong is an experienced China hand who has advised major Chinese and international clients in construction and infrastructure projects in China and across various jurisdictions. We are confident that with his experience and expertise, Rajah & Tann will be well placed to provide premier services to our clients in southern China.”
Mr Ang added that R&T’s strengths in alternative dispute resolution fit well in Qianhai, which aims to become an international arbitration centre.
Mr Hew is supported by three international counsel in its China practice, namely Ma Tianyu, Andrew Lin, and Xing Chengdong, who bring a wealth of experience in international construction and managing complex and high-stakes arbitrations across various sectors and jurisdictions.
Separately, R&T has also added Huang Shilin, a seasoned Taiwanese lawyer in dispute resolution, who brings over 30 years of experience and a deep understanding of Taiwan’s legal landscape, to support Chinese mainland and Taiwan-based firms looking to expand into Southeast Asia.
R&T’s Singapore office will also play a pivotal role in supporting the Shanghai and Shenzhen offices, particularly in the areas of construction projects and technology.
About Rajah & Tann Asia – https://www.rajahtannasia.com/
Rajah & Tann Asia brings together leading law firms in Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam, with each offering the highest standards of service to locally-based clients while collectively having the capability to handle the most complex regional and cross-border transactions and to provide excellent legal counsel seamlessly across the region. The network’s geographical reach also includes Singapore-based regional desks focusing on Brunei, Japan and South Asia. With over 1000 fee earners, all working together towards one shared goal, we are lawyers who know Asia and who give our clients home advantage.
