S'pore firm WongPartnership in top 30 ranking for arbitration

Singapore law firm WongPartnership has been named one of the world's top 30 international arbitration practices - the only Asian company to make it to the list this year.

It was placed 29th by London-based magazine Global Arbitration Review (GAR), a leading news provider of international arbitration practices.

This is the first time that WongPartnership, one of the four largest Singaporean law firms, has been included in the top 30 ranking.

Last year, the Republic's biggest legal practice, Rajah & Tann LLP, was 29th. It was the first Singapore firm to make it to the list in 2009 and stayed there for four straight years.

The magazine revealed the rankings on Thursday in Bogota, Colombia. Its top 30 list is one of the most respected by the international legal fraternity, partly because of the rigorous process used to collate information. The ranking is based on criteria including the number of cases handled and the size of the claims.

WongPartnership's ongoing cases include the dispute between the Astro and Lippo groups over a joint venture for satellite pay television services in Indonesia. While Astro has been awarded more than $300 million, Lippo is appealing the decision.

Last month, the firm completed its handling of a $370 million legal tussle between Ernst & Young LLP and Jurong Shipyard over disputed foreign exchange transactions.

Senior Counsel Alvin Yeo, the head of WongPartnership's International Arbitration Practice, said Singapore was becoming "a venue of choice for businesses seeking to arbitrate their disputes". He added: "The recognition by Global Arbitration Review is a testament to the impressive credentials of the firm's litigation and dispute resolution team."

Other Singaporean firms that made it onto the magazine's top 100 list this year include Allen & Gledhill, Drew & Napier, and Rodyk & Davidson.

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