Singapore

Duane Morris' office in Singapore provides clients with access to legal services in markets throughout the Asia Pacific region and the rest of the world. In 2011, Duane Morris and Singapore-based Selvam LLC entered into the first U.S.-Singapore joint venture to be approved by Singapore as part of the enhanced liberalization of its legal services market to form Duane Morris & Selvam LLP. This strategic joint venture leverages Selvam LLC's top-ranked corporate practice to strengthen Duane Morris' capabilities, access and presence in Asia.

Selvam LLC is regularly ranked among Singapore's top corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions law practices by Legal 500 Asia Pacific, Chambers and Partners, Leading Lawyers and the International Financial Law Review 1000. In addition, Asian Legal Business has repeatedly named Duane Morris & Selvam an Employer of Choice in Singapore.

Operating from one of the continent's financial and high-tech hubs, the firm's attorneys in Singapore represent businesses, ranging from small entrepreneurial enterprises to multinational corporations with operations in Asia, as well as businesses seeking to establish investments in Asia. Duane Morris also can leverage its global platform to facilitate Singapore-based companies' entry into markets in the United States, Latin America, the United Kingdom and beyond. The firm's attorneys have strong relationships with the business community in Singapore, including one attorney who previously served as a high-ranking diplomat to this truly global island nation inhabited by many large domestic companies and thousands of multinational businesses.

Range of Services

Corporate, Securities, Mergers and Acquisitions

Duane Morris & Selvam's corporate law attorneys advise early-stage and mature companies on a wide variety of corporate and commercial matters. Members of our Corporate Practice Group are experienced with mergers and acquisitions, including negotiated acquisitions and divestitures, hostile acquisitions and defense against takeover attempts. Our lawyers regularly represent multinational businesses in transnational transactions. They are experienced with venture capital and private equity transactions and work with our entrepreneurial clients in developing and implementing creative strategies to accomplish their corporate finance and acquisition objectives. We regularly assist private companies with strategic planning, equity incentives and succession planning. We represent companies in public offerings and advise them on securities law compliance, ongoing reporting obligations and corporate governance issues.

Complex Financial Transactions

Our attorneys represent clients in numerous types of transactions covering nearly every aspect of project and structured finance transactions. The firm's lawyers have extensive experience with financings involving corporations and financial institutions on a regional, national and international level. Our project and structured finance attorneys represent clients in acquisition financings, securitized and syndicated loans, and other complex finance transactions. Our attorneys counsel clients engaged in a wide range of industrial and infrastructure projects, including power generation, waste management, water and mineral resources, air and surface transportation facilities, and other infrastructure projects, as well as telecommunications, healthcare and divergent industrial and manufacturing facilities worldwide. In addition, the firm's lawyers are experienced in structuring and effectuating complex transactions from a tax perspective.

Dispute Resolution

Selvam LLC's Dispute Resolution practice conducts a wide array of contentious and non-contentious work. Its reach includes: admiralty and maritime; banking, finance, securities and brokerage disputes; contractual disputes; disputes arising out of partnership agreements, shareholder agreements, acquisitions, mergers and joint ventures; employment matters; intellectual property, technology, media and entertainment; insurance; property and construction disputes; and white-collar crime. The practice engages in both domestic and international arbitration matters.

Note: All services provided that are classified as "restricted matters" under Singapore law are conducted by Selvam LLC, a constituent law firm of Duane Morris & Selvam LLP.

Anticorruption Compliance and Investigations

Duane Morris & Selvam advises corporations, partnerships and sole proprietorships on developing internal anticorruption programs to educate officers, owners and employees in all aspects of compliance. We also counsel our clients on conducting internal investigations and defend companies in government investigations, criminal prosecutions and civil enforcement actions.

Most countries in Asia have strict anticorruption legislation with heavy penalties for companies who are involved in bribery. The US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and UK Anti-Bribery Act apply to US/UK and non-US/UK companies doing business internationally. Other countries' laws may also apply. Our services include preparing anticorruption policies and procedures; pre and post acquisition due diligence; due diligence on agents and third party service providers; internal investigations; and criminal defense.  

Energy, Environment and Resources

Duane Morris & Selvam attorneys, as both advisor and advocate, guide clients through the complex legal, financial and political issues that pervade the energy industry. For both producers and policy-makers, as well as industry participants and consumers, our attorneys help manage the dynamic challenges of the energy market. Our attorneys counsel our clients on regulations, transactions, litigation, project development, facility construction, financing, government relations and policy matters concerning energy. Our attorneys draw upon legal and industry experience with fossil fuels, nuclear power and renewable sources to find creative solutions to meet our clients' needs.

Information Technology and Telecommunications

We have assembled a dedicated group of attorneys possessing specific industry knowledge and interdisciplinary skills to address the transactional, finance, regulatory and dispute resolution aspects of structuring and implementing a wide range of information technologies and telecommunications projects.

Shipping

Our shipping practice team is fully equipped to advise on all legal aspects relating to the shipping industry. We draw upon experience and in-depth industry knowledge in order to support clients and their needs. Areas of focus include: arrest of vessels; collisions and marine casualties; charterparty disputes; cargo claims; commodity trading and trade finance; mortgage enforcement and ship finance disputes; marine insurance; oil trading and transportation; shipbuilding, repairs and conversion; and ship finance and ship sale and purchase.

Tax

The tax practice is an integral part of our transactional practice, working closely with our corporate lawyers to structure and effectuate complex transactions from a tax perspective to better fit our clients' business objectives. For M&A transactions, we also assist in tax due diligence. Our tax advisory services cover all areas of Singapore tax (including income tax, withholding tax, goods and services tax ("GST"), stamp duty, property tax and tax treaty analysis). We also assist clients in making submissions to the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore, the Monetary Authority of Singapore and the Ministry of Finance, and represent our clients in applications for advance tax and GST rulings. Apart from institutional and corporate clients, we also advise on the tax aspects of charities, institutions of public character and other not-for-profit organizations.

Corporate Secretarial Services

Selvam LLC created a company, DMS Corporate Services Pte. Ltd., dedicated to corporate secretarial functions to provide a resource to clients that can assist with activities essential for reporting, disclosure and compliance with local requirements and statutory obligations.

For More Information

For more information, please contact Leon Yee or any of the lawyers referenced in the Attorney Listing.

Duane Morris LLP is a law firm based in the United States founded in 1904. We use "Duane Morris" to refer to Duane Morris LLP, a Delaware limited liability partnership, and affiliated entities that practice under the name Duane Morris or a similar name. Reference to a "partner" means a person who is a partner, or person with the equivalent standing and qualifications thereto, in the Duane Morris entities.

In Singapore, Duane Morris Singapore LLP and Selvam LLC operate a Joint Law Venture serving clients throughout Asia, Duane Morris & Selvam LLP, pursuant to Licence 2/2010 granted by the Attorney General of Singapore. Selvam LLC lawyers may provide services to clients of Duane Morris & Selvam under secondment from Selvam LLC pursuant to Licence 2/2010.

To the extent that the representative matters listed above fall outside the context of “permitted areas of legal practice” within the meaning of Section 36A of the Legal Profession Act (Chap. 161), they have been conducted by the abovenamed lawyer in his/her capacity as an Advocate & Solicitor of Selvam LLC, a Singapore law practice of the Joint Law Venture.