Virtus Law LLP (Stephenson Harwood (Singapore) Alliance)

The corporate team at Stephenson Harwood (Singapore) Alliance recently hosted a seminar – 'Navigating Asia-Pacific M&A tax, legal & financial insights' – in collaboration with Forvis Mazars in Singapore. The seminar featured panellists from across Asia-Pacific and provided a comprehensive update on the financial landscape, key tax law concerns and legal issues related to M&A transactions within the region.   The legal panel, moderated by partner Jay Tai, featured insights from partner Sheetal Sandhu, Jamie W. of Aon Asia, and Kennard Setiadikurnia of Jast Group Indonesia. They discussed strategies for successful M&A, including deal structuring, financing, legal due diligence trends, the growing importance of W&I insurance, and how to navigate current challenges in Asia.   Click below to access the seminar summary report and catch up on the latest M&A landscape in APAC.   #MergersAndAcquisitions #corporate #strategy

Stephenson Harwood (Singapore) Alliance hosted the latest instalment in the firm's global series of The Shipping News – Singapore Edition. The seminars provide insights on legal and market developments in shipping. Highlights of this session include: 1. Oil spills! (partners Daryll Ng and Kaili Ang) Oil pollution, whether from carriage or bunkering activities, is an unavoidable risk in shipping which can happen in any part of the world. Fortunately, the legal framework governing liability arising from oil pollution under Singapore law is simple and straightforward once you know how to navigate the relevant framework.   2. Force majeure – A creature of contract (partner Michelle Yong) Michelle discussed the case of RTI Ltd v MUR Shipping BV [2024] UKSC 18. She also underlined a surprising fact often missed is that Force majeure does not actually have a fixed definition and it varies between contracts. In order for an event to be covered under the force majeure provisions, it needs to be clearly stated.   3. Geopolitics and shipping (partner Jeffrey Tanner and guest speaker Rahul Kapoor, VP, Global Head of Shipping Analytics & Research at S&P Global) Rahul shared S&P's data and insights, illustrating global oil trade flow dynamics and shipping and trade trends; from the role of significant debt in the US, economic headwinds, massive disruption in global trade linked to war and pandemics, to the weaponisation of trade routes such as the Red Sea, China, Straits of Hormuz, Taiwan Straits and beyond – the pair discussed recent developments and longer-term predictions.   4. Breaching US sanctions – What to do next (partner Jonathan Goacher) With reference to recent examples of penalties in shipping, Jonathan discussed the potential liabilities when inadvertent breaches of US sanctions happen, including the broad range of factors that affects how penalties are calculated. He also explained appropriate responses to breaches, including self-disclosure to the authorities.   If you would like to know more about any of the above topics, please contact the team.   #TransportationAndTrade #Sanctions #Maritime

Stephenson Harwood LLP's alliance firm in Singapore, Virtus Law LLP, has strengthened its corporate practice with the arrival of partner Eunice Yao. "Eunice brings an impressive combination of skills," said Lauren Tang, managing partner, Virtus Law. "We're particularly excited to draw on her notable FinTech experience. In line with the wider Stephenson Harwood strategy, we see real opportunity in the technology space, and are actively looking to bolster our expertise in this area. Her ability to support clients on inbound and outbound investment between China and Singapore – enhanced by her fluency in Mandarin – further supports our ambition to expand our client offering."

Stephenson Harwood (Singapore) Alliance has advised Seraya Partners on a co-investment into Cyan Renewables Pte. Ltd, one of the largest co-investment deals in Asia to date, which also features Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo) and other global LP investors. Singapore-based Seraya Partners is a leading independent private equity fund manager investing in next generation infrastructure including green data centres, offshore wind vessels and renewable energy. Partner Jay Tai led the team, supported by Lijuan Hou, Ming Hui Gan and Harry Wilson. Further Singapore law advice was provided by Virtus Law partner Sheetal Sandhu and foreign registered lawyer Vanessa Ho. #PrivateCapitalandFunds #PrivateEquity

Stephenson Harwood (Singapore) Alliance has co-advised Cyan Renewables on its AU$1.1 billion take-private acquisition of MMA Offshore Limited, a Perth-based ASX-listed offshore vessel support company.    The team was led by shipping and offshore finance partner Jeffrey Tanner and corporate partners Tom Platts and Jay Tai, and they were supported by Helen Rhind-Hufnagel, Christopher Madden, Joel Tan and Anita Gill (黄伟伶). Further Singapore law advice was provided by Virtus Law partner Jason Yang, who was supported by Angeline Yap and Thiyana Ilangchizian.   #TransportationandTrade #Shipping #Acquisition

The Stephenson Harwood (Singapore) Alliance welcomed 70 students as part of the National University of Singapore Law Freshman Orientation 2024. The visit gave students the opportunity to gain insights into what private practice at a law firm is like. Lawyers at the firm shared their experiences and passion for the legal profession. #legalcareer #shapethefuture

Stephenson Harwood (Singapore) Alliance partners Justin Gan and Kaili Ang have been recognised in Asian Legal Business’ Rising Stars Singapore 2024 list. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/e4jfQ4th #DisputeResolution #Maritime

The Singapore Exchange Regulation recently proposed amendments to the Listing Rules and has launched a public consultation seeking comments on the proposed rules. In this article, Virtus Law LLP (Stephenson Harwood (Singapore) Alliance) partner Sheetal Sandhu explores the rationale for the proposed rule, the avenues for the requisitioning of general meetings under the Singapore Companies Act, the current challenges faced by requisitioning shareholders and the proposed rule change. #shareholders #sgx

A team of the firm's shipbuilding specialists recently hosted the second in a series of market-leading shipbuilding symposiums in Singapore, following on from a previous event in London.    The symposium focussed on some of the key issues facing the industry in this era of decarbonisation including greener fuel solutions, design risks, latent defects, and intellectual property concerns, and featured refresher talks on the fundamentals and key pitfalls of shipbuilding contracts, refund guarantees and financing.      The Singapore team - Daryll Ng, Kaili Ang, Michelle Yong, Justin Gan, Jeffrey Tanner and Kristine Koh - were joined by key members of the London shipbuilding team - Max Lemanski, Kirsty MacHardy and Joshua Cunnington - demonstrating the firm's strength across these important maritime jurisdictions. The team found it was particularly valuable to have clients and members of the Singapore shipbuilding community attend to share ideas and network. #shipbuilding #maritime #TransportationandTrade