Withers KhattarWong, the Singapore arm of international law firm Withers, has bolstered its corporate practice with the appointment of former Linklaters counsel Gary Beh as a partner.
Beh, who began his career at Allen & Gledhill before spending seven years at Linklaters, brings extensive expertise in regional fundraising, mergers and acquisitions, and private equity transactions, particularly in the technology, financial services, energy, and infrastructure sectors. He also provides regular advice on corporate regulatory and compliance matters in Singapore.
“Private capital plays an increasingly important role in the investment world, including in Southeast Asia, and the Withers platform is well-positioned to capitalise on those opportunities with its deep bench strength and global footprint,” Beh said in a statement.
Withers’ addition of Beh follows the departure of a four-lawyer corporate team led by Chuo Ming Leong to Han Kun Law Offices in Singapore last August. The firm also added a two-lawyer real estate team in Singapore from Shook Lin & Bok, led by partner Chau Hwei Lee, in July.
“Gary's addition comes at a pivotal time as Southeast Asia's M&A landscape continues to see strong deal activity, with increasing cross-border transactions and a shift towards high-value sectors like technology and infrastructure”, said Daniel Yong, joint managing partner of the firm’s Singapore office.
After a sluggish year, Southeast Asian market experts are hopeful for increased M&A activity in 2025, driven by lower inflation and declining interest rates. The energy and technology sectors are particularly notable, as the region’s push for energy transition and digital transformation is outpacing global growth trends.