Rajah & Tann, one of Singapore's Big Four law firms, will appoint a new managing partner as part of its ambitious regional expansion into the Chinese market.
Ng Kim Beng will succeed Patrick Ang, who is stepping down after completing his second term as managing partner. Ng will take over on April 1, following Ang's leadership, which saw the firm open its second China office in Shenzhen last November.
Ang, 61, has been managing partner since March 31, 2019, and will remain the vice-chairman of Rajah and Tann Asia, the largest legal network in Southeast Asia. His predecessor Lee Eng Beng would continue as chairman, the firm announced. Ng, 53, who has been deputy managing partner since 2022, has been with the firm for 24 years.
“If I were to talk about an ambition that we have, that we dare to dream about, it’s probably an Asian firm on the international stage”, Ng told reporters on Thursday.
The firm’s leaders stressed their commitment to regionalisation to gain an edge amid geopolitical tensions between China and the United States. Rajah & Tann currently has a legal network across 10 countries, including in Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.
Ng noted clients had “found it beneficial that they can talk to a firm in Singapore that is able to address granular, live, current issues in the region”.
Ang said US-China tensions presented a “huge opportunity for Asian lawyers and Asian law firms”, adding that countries were increasingly looking to invest in the region.
“Singapore has positioned itself very well as the hub for services and legal services; one of the key ones", he added.
Several Singapore law firms have expanded their regional reach in recent years. Allen & Gledhill entered China with an office in Shanghai in January last year, to help Chinese companies “navigate the challenging and evolving business and legal landscape across Southeast Asia”, Bloomberg reported.
Allen & Gledhill also has a presence in Myanmar, Vietnam and Malaysia and last May established a new alliance in Indonesia.
Meanwhile, Drew & Napier’s regional law network added Thailand’s largest law firm Tilleke & Gibbins as a member in 2023, expanding the network’s reach to nine countries including Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam.
Rajah & Tann’s office in China last year in Qianhai, Shenzhen, had led to an increase in Chinese clientele including state-owned enterprises and large companies and conglomerates, Ng said without elaborating on exact figures.
Ang noted that the relationship between clients and the firm had become friendlier in light of the office opening.
Pointing to tech giant Huawei Technologies, he said direct access to the Chinese market had led to a “sense of a closer relationship” with their client. “That’s really taken off and we think that will lead to better work and better business as a result”, he said.
Regarding the firm's potential expansion, Ng mentioned that they were looking into opportunities in East Asia and the Middle East.
“The idea is not to plant the flag for the sake of planting the flag, it’s got to be adding strategically to the growth of the firm. We believe that there are opportunities to continue doing that, so we are studying intently”.