Our clients include multinational companies, financial institutions and government agencies from the Asia-Pacific, the Americas and Europe, who undertake significant and often groundbreaking transactions and investment projects throughout the region. Additionally, we have earned the reputation for leading the market in the fast-growing Public Private Partnership sector.

Our significant experience and expertise across various industry sectors includes a particular focus on and capability in the infrastructure, corporate real estate, energy (oil & gas) and resources sectors. Our scope of work has widened to include corporate real estate, property funds capability, employee relations law covering all of Asia and international dispute resolution.

Managing Partner, Singapore John Dick says the Singapore hub is pivotal to our clients’ success across  Asia and we are renowned for providing exceptional legal and project management solutions for cross-border transactions.
‘We offer a truly international service from Singapore, whether for example advising a client on energy and resources in Indonesia or providing workplace relations advice in India’.

As a one-stop-shop for clients requiring legal and project management expertise in Asia, our team provides legal and project management advice across five core areas of practice:

• Projects – infrastructure, mining, oil & gas
• Corporate – mergers & acquisition and Greenfield development
• Banking & Finance
• Employee Relations, and
• Dispute Resolution.

We utilise established networks of contacts with government, corporate and key industry figures to meet client needs. Additionally, we partner with domestic law firms and have an ‘on-the ground’ presence with associated offices in Indonesia and Vietnam. We act as international counsel for these firms and draw upon local knowledge and understanding of cultural sensitivities to provide tailor-made advice to clients.

In addition, we draw on the Australian-based resources of over 1000 lawyers including around 200 partners, which allows us to build cross-functional teams with skills and experience that are tailored to our clients’ unique requirements. This additional support is charged at Australian market rates, which results in significant cost savings to clients, when compared to our United States and European colleagues.

A selection of our most recent experience across the region.

Resources

Indian multinational corporation – US$1.2 billion acquisition of an interest in certain coal assets in Indonesia. Freehills’ offices in Australia and Singapore and its correspondent office in Jakarta combined to meet the client’s needs in India, Indonesia and Singapore. The work included due diligence of complex structures and international financing issues.

Energy

Malaysian multinational corporation – acting to acquire an interest in certain electricity assets in India. This involved a team of around 40 Freehills lawyers working closely with local Indian counsel to deliver the Indian project to the Malaysian client.

Public Private Partnerships (PPPs)

Secured a lead advisory role in each of Singapore’s PPPs to date, including projects in the water, defence, waste management, education and sports infrastructure sectors. Recent examples include the Changi NEWater Project, Ulu Padan NEWater Project and the Singapore Sports Hub

Corporate Real Estate Funds

Foreign funds – acting to establish and market property funds in Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam, including a recent scoping study for a prospective Real Estate Investment Trusts (REIT) in Singapore.

Oil & Gas

Multinational corporation – advising on the establishment of a joint venture with Petro Vietnam.

Multinational corporation – advising an oil & gas major on its proposed PSC with Petro Vietnam.

Banking & Finance

Australian bank – acting for the Singapore branch of a major Australian bank as arranger of an A$77 million syndicated loan facility.

Singapore bank – advised a syndicate led by a Singapore bank on its US$153 million financing of equipment purchase by an Indonesian coal mining services company.

Dispute Resolution

Major international company – advised on significant environmental dispute in Indonesia.
European client – advised on a shareholder dispute in Singapore and Thailand.

Employee Relations

Multinational corporation – provided numerous multi-jurisdictional employment contracts and policy reviews for multi national corporations, covering Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong SAR, the PRC, Japan and India.

Multinational bank – acted for a major multinational banking corporation’s BPO and IT operations in India in relation to a comprehensive audit of its workplace relations practices.