Stephenson Harwood tightens alliance with Singapore firm
Stephenson Harwood has received approval to establish a Formal Law Alliance (FLA) with its Singapore partner Virtus Law, giving it a stronger foothold in the local market. The top 30 firm, which first opened its Singapore office in 1996, will now be able to offer a full service, integrated legal practice in the city state, with co-branding, joint billing and the sharing of offices premises.
March 18, 2014 at 06:03 AM
2 minute read
Stephenson Harwood has received approval to establish a Formal Law Alliance (FLA) with its Singapore partner Virtus Law, giving it a stronger foothold in the local market.
The top 30 firm, which first opened its Singapore office in 1996, will now be able to offer a full service, integrated legal practice in the city state, with co-branding, joint billing and the sharing of offices premises.
However, according to Singapore regulations, each firm has to remain a separate legal entity, while ring-fenced domestic Singapore law work such as litigation can only be handled by the Singapore partnership.
The arrangement is the same as that formed between magic circle firm Clifford Chance and local outfit Cavenagh law in December 2012, which allowed the two firms together to provide a one-stop-shop to clients.
Stephenson Harwood first expressed an interest to practice local Singapore law in 2012 when the Ministry of Law (MinLaw) invited a second round of firms to apply for Qualifying Foreign Law Practice (QFLP) or local licences.
It was among 23 international firms which applied for a QFLP in September of that year, of which only four (Linklaters, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, Jones Day and Sidley Austin) were awarded licences.
Stephenson Harwood subsequently entered into an association with Virtus, a successor firm to Arthur Loke established in 1981, staffed with senior partner Arthur Loke, managing partner Daryll Ng and three registered foreign lawyers.
The arrangement allowed the firms to work loosely together on corporate deals and asset finance transactions, but was less formal arrangement than an FLA or joint law venture (JLA).
Currently in Singapore there are seven firms operating as JLVs, six working as FLAs and nine with QFLP licences.
A number of those that do not have the local piece are understood to be mulling tie ups with Singapore firms. These include Herbert Smith Freehills, which was one of the six outfits originally awarded a QFLP licence but the only one not to have its permit renewed last month.
Related: HSF misses out on Singapore local licence, W&C gets conditional permit
This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.
To view this content, please continue to their sites.
Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
NOT FOR REPRINT
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
You Might Like
View All
Big Law Sidelined as Asian IPOs in New York Dominated by Small Cap Listings
Long Hours, Lack Of Boundaries: Associates In India Are Leaving Their Firms
Singapore Leaders Stress the Importance of the Rule of Law Amid Geopolitical Tensions
Can Law Firms Avoid Landing on the 'Enemy' List During the Trump Administration?
5 minute readTrending Stories
Who Got The Work
J. Brugh Lower of Gibbons has entered an appearance for industrial equipment supplier Devco Corporation in a pending trademark infringement lawsuit. The suit, accusing the defendant of selling knock-off Graco products, was filed Dec. 18 in New Jersey District Court by Rivkin Radler on behalf of Graco Inc. and Graco Minnesota. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi, is 3:24-cv-11294, Graco Inc. et al v. Devco Corporation.
Who Got The Work
Rebecca Maller-Stein and Kent A. Yalowitz of Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer have entered their appearances for Hanaco Venture Capital and its executives, Lior Prosor and David Frankel, in a pending securities lawsuit. The action, filed on Dec. 24 in New York Southern District Court by Zell, Aron & Co. on behalf of Goldeneye Advisors, accuses the defendants of negligently and fraudulently managing the plaintiff's $1 million investment. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick, is 1:24-cv-09918, Goldeneye Advisors, LLC v. Hanaco Venture Capital, Ltd. et al.
Who Got The Work
Attorneys from A&O Shearman has stepped in as defense counsel for Toronto-Dominion Bank and other defendants in a pending securities class action. The suit, filed Dec. 11 in New York Southern District Court by Bleichmar Fonti & Auld, accuses the defendants of concealing the bank's 'pervasive' deficiencies in regards to its compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act and the quality of its anti-money laundering controls. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, is 1:24-cv-09445, Gonzalez v. The Toronto-Dominion Bank et al.
Who Got The Work
Crown Castle International, a Pennsylvania company providing shared communications infrastructure, has turned to Luke D. Wolf of Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani to fend off a pending breach-of-contract lawsuit. The court action, filed Nov. 25 in Michigan Eastern District Court by Hooper Hathaway PC on behalf of The Town Residences LLC, accuses Crown Castle of failing to transfer approximately $30,000 in utility payments from T-Mobile in breach of a roof-top lease and assignment agreement. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Susan K. Declercq, is 2:24-cv-13131, The Town Residences LLC v. T-Mobile US, Inc. et al.
Who Got The Work
Wilfred P. Coronato and Daniel M. Schwartz of McCarter & English have stepped in as defense counsel to Electrolux Home Products Inc. in a pending product liability lawsuit. The court action, filed Nov. 26 in New York Eastern District Court by Poulos Lopiccolo PC and Nagel Rice LLP on behalf of David Stern, alleges that the defendant's refrigerators’ drawers and shelving repeatedly break and fall apart within months after purchase. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Joan M. Azrack, is 2:24-cv-08204, Stern v. Electrolux Home Products, Inc.
Featured Firms
Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C.
(470) 294-1674
Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone
(857) 444-6468
Smith & Hassler
(713) 739-1250
