SINGAPORE - Senior Counsel Edwin Tong will be stepping down from his post at law firm Allen & Gledhill following his appointment as Senior Minister of State for Law and Health with effect from July 1, 2018.

Mr Tong is currently co-head of litigation and dispute resolution and head of restructuring and insolvency practices at Allen & Gledhill.

It has not been determined when he will step down from the law firm. But it has been agreed that Mr Tong will remain with the firm to manage the transition before taking up his new appointment, an Allen & Gledhill spokesman said.

Mr Andrew Yeo will continue to head the law firm's litigation and dispute resolution department, a position he has held since 2008. The restructuring and insolvency practice will be led by Mr Yeo, Mr Andrew Chan and Mr Edward Tiong.

Mr Tong joined Allen & Gledhill in 1995, made partner in 2000 and was appointed SC in 2015. His core practice areas are in corporate and commercial disputes, restructuring and insolvency matters, and international arbitration.

Ms Christina Ong, co-chairman and senior partner of the firm, said: "We warmly congratulate Edwin, who with his appointment joins a distinguished list of Allen & Gledhill alumni who have taken on public office in Singapore. We wish him all the best and every success in his career of public service."

Ms Penny Goh, co-chairman and senior partner, said: "We will miss Edwin and his extraordinary energy, and take this opportunity to thank him for his numerous contributions over the years. Indeed, we are immensely grateful to him for leaving his mark on our firm's strong litigation team and its deep bench of talent."

The law firm's litigation and dispute resolution team achieved Tier 1 ranking for dispute resolution in The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific 2018. In 2017, the team garnered the National Law Firm of the Year at the Asialaw Asia-Pacific Dispute Resolution Awards.