Rajah & Tann tops the ranks of S’pore’s 100 best law firms

The ST/Statista 100 Best Law Firms list, selected from around 1,000 firms operating here by clients and peers alike, mirrored the spectrum of law practices in Singapore. 

The firms listed as best in various fields ranged from heavyweight full-service outfits like Rajah & Tann to smaller boutique firms operating in niche areas like Adi Law, and even a one-man firm in Ramesh Tiwary, focused on criminal law practice. 

They operated different business models, but all underscored the common sauce contributing to success: client support and encouragement. The survey itself showed the number of client recommendations was 6.1 times more than the number of recommendations from other lawyers, their peers. 

Among the fields, arbitration and dispute resolution received the most number of recommendations, at 35 firms, followed by 30 for family law and 21 for criminal law.

While industry heavyweights dominated the overall rankings of the 100 best law firms, a mid-sized firm delivered a standout performance by topping the name lists in eight of the 22 law fields in the survey.

Adsan Law, a firm of 25 lawyers, topped insolvency and restructuring, conveyancing, capital markets, and technology, media and telecommunication (TMT), among others.

The home-grown general legal practice, founded in 1987, is today “a full-service law firm serving clients that range from multinational corporations and financial institutions to start-ups, SMEs and individuals in Singapore and abroad,” said chief executive officer Susan Peh. It said the outcome underlined its strategic focus on key practice areas.

The firm prides itself on its “people-focused culture”, which emphasises collaboration, innovation and integrity to clients, colleagues and the communities it serves, she said.

Adsan Law has a lawyer-to-support staff ratio of 1:4, which allows its lawyers to focus on substantive client work, while support staff provide operational support. In addition, its IT department has developed a proprietary case management system and a suite of other applications that enhance efficiency, said Ms Peh. 

“Technology and automation drive our processes, complemented by a team of loyal, long-serving colleagues, more than half of whom have been with us for between 10 and 38 years,” she added.

She said the firm shared the recognition with its clients, staff, associates and supporters, to whom it owed its success.

“The multiple recognitions inspire us to keep improving our various areas of practice, mentoring the next generation, embracing technology responsibly and, above all, remaining grounded in the humility that service to others is at the heart of the legal practice,” said Ms Peh.

Overall, Rajah & Tann (R&T) led the pack, appearing in the name lists for 19 of the 22 law fields surveyed. Demonstrating breadth and consistency, the firm’s performance cements its position as a dominant force in the local legal landscape. 

This is the fifth time R&T has been named in the most number of law fields in this annual survey. 

Fellow heavyweight Allen & Gledhill placed second overall, followed by WongPartnership, Dentons Rodyk, CNP Law and Drew & Napier.

R&T Singapore managing partner Ng Kim Beng said: “Winning this recognition five years straight tells us that we are on the right track, and energises us to continue raising the bar for legal services in Singapore and across the region.”

He added: “We are deeply grateful to our clients, peers and friends for their steadfast support, which has earned us this privileged distinction. As a firm, we strive to consistently exceed expectations, to deliver excellence with heart. Being a part of the most established network of South-east Asian law firms has also enabled us to effectively meet our clients’ needs in the region and beyond.”  

This sixth edition of the annual survey by The Straits Times and Munich-based international market researcher Statista identifies Singapore’s 100 best law firms in 22 areas of legal practice. 

Four new law fields were added this year: capital markets; competition and antitrust law; digital and data economy; and financial services regulatory.

The lists of firms were drawn up based on recommendations made by lawyers (peer-to-peer survey), in-house lawyers (corporate legal departments) and clients in the 22 different fields of law. In addition, participants could also recommend law firms in these two categories: advice to charities and not-for-profit organisations; and offering pro bono services. 

For the second year, the survey features a list of the most recommended lawyers. Statista reached out for responses via the open survey generated by the online invitation and the e-mail survey that reaches out to as many lawyers and others as possible, based on addresses updated annually.

Statista analyst Nane Fritz said that the open survey generates more returns than the e-mail survey, generally.

“As the open survey is mainly answered by clients, this results in a higher amount of recommendations being received from clients. This year, the number of recommendations made by clients was 6.1 times more than the recommendations made by peers,” she added.

Senior lawyers underscored the importance of clients, pointing out recognition in the lists affirmed clients’ trust and confidence, and enduring relationships.

Allen & Gledhill’s managing partner Jerry Koh said: “At A&G, our clients are central to everything we do, and we are grateful to have had the opportunity to support them in achieving their business goals.

“We are honoured to be recognised in The Straits Times’ Best Law Firms series for the sixth consecutive year. This recognition reflects not only the work of our firm, but more importantly, the trust and confidence that our clients have placed in us, as well as the strong relationships we have built with them over time.”

WongPartnership’s managing partner Chou Sean Yu said: “We believe that our clients reach out to us as we have excellent lawyers who leverage their technical and specialised expertise to find commercial and strategic solutions for our clients.”

The firm, one of the largest in Singapore whose expertise spans the full suite of legal services, was placed third overall in the 100 Best Law Firms 2026 list, behind R&T and Allen & Gledhill. 

Saying the firm was honoured to be recognised in the awards, Mr Chou added: “Our firm’s unique strength lies in our expertise across both corporate and transactional, as well as disputes work. We advise on significant and high-profile matters for a client base which includes multinational corporations, financial institutions, government-linked companies and leading tech companies.”

Mr Chou singled out the firm’s success in antitrust and competition, capital markets and the digital economy.

Key highlights of WongPartnership’s work in capital markets and the digital economy include advising DBS on the update of its existing US$26 billion (S$33.7 billion) structured note programme to facilitate the issuance of tokenised structured notes – an important innovation in the structured products market. 

The firm also advised OCBC on strategic data protection across its fintech, digitalisation, and technology initiatives.

Managing partner Lisa Theng of CNPLaw, another overall winner in the Best Law Firms list, said: “We keep our finger on the pulse of new developments and invest time in understanding our clients’ business models and the challenges they face, both legally and commercially. 

“We believe that this enables us to better protect our clients’ interests more effectively, especially in rapidly developing areas such as data and digital economy businesses, and in the more mature yet continually developing areas like financial services regulatory and competition and antitrust.”

She said the recognition would spur the firm to move more boldly into new and emerging areas of practice. 

Sixth overall was Drew & Napier, whose chief executive officer, Senior Counsel Cavinder Bull, said: “This recognition affirms the growth strategy that we have been on for the past few years. We have grown substantially in size, capability and geographical reach, whilst maintaining our core value of collective excellence. We value talent above all else so that we can do our very best for every single client.”

In this sixth edition of the annual series, 13 new law firms appeared on the list for the first time, up from 10 firms last year.

Centurion Law director Favian Kang, whose firm was a new entrant, said: “Over the years, I have had the opportunity to represent defendants and the privilege of assisting in the administration of justice in cases of significant interest.”

These include Singapore’s biggest money laundering case of $3 billion, leading to multiple arrests in 2023, and a 2013 case involving rioting in Little India. 

He said: “Regardless of the nature of the case or the personalities involved, my approach is always the same – to work hard, respect the process, and provide effective representation.”

Mr Kang, who has represented Singapore in competitive sports, said his background in martial arts instilled in him the “qualities of discipline, dedication and respect, which I channel into every case I handle. I am very grateful for the trust, support and recognition. I am happy to do my job and give my best every day”.

Another new entrant, Justin Chan Chambers, is a boutique law firm specialising in family law and civil litigation. It has also represented members of the expatriate community in Singapore.

Mr Justin Chan, the managing partner, said: “Along with being committed to presenting your case at its highest, I also strive to establish long-standing and mutually rewarding relationships with my clients. Most have become friends. ​

“As a relatively young firm of just two years and six lawyers, we are deeply honoured to be recognised alongside so many established names in the profession. We take great pride in our work across both family law and civil litigation. Advances in work management software and AI allow us to do law differently, relying less on manpower, and being more focused on deliverables and client engagement.”

He added: “In today’s borderless world, where people from all over live, work and play in Singapore, we are increasingly called upon to serve members of Singapore’s expatriate community. Our approach is to tailor each case with a nuanced understanding of cultural context and individual circumstance, ensuring that every client receives representation that is both strategic and cognisant of its international nature.”

New practice areas

Four new practice areas were added to this year’s survey: capital markets; competition and antitrust law; data and digital economy (D2E); and financial services regulatory (FSR). 

CNPLaw, which snagged the top place in the D2E law field, has long provided legal services in this evolving space, which now spans data protection, cybersecurity, TMT, digital assets, fintech, digital business, and emerging technologies like AI.

“The phased roll-out of the Financial Services and Markets Act since 2022 has increased demand for legal guidance on licensing and regulatory compliance, especially for fintech and digital asset ventures – creating overlap with financial services regulation,” said CNPLaw’s Ms Theng.

She said that this year, the firm expanded its D2E capabilities, advising entrepreneurs in Web3 – the next generation of the internet – as well as founders of decentralised autonomous organisations, which run on blockchain, and platform service providers.

“Notably, we supported a healthcare client launching a digital e-wallet tied to a new healthcare plan. We’ve also seen rising interest in digital token offerings in Singapore, and assisted clients with white paper reviews, regulatory assessments, and strategic structuring aligned with MAS guidelines. This reflects renewed momentum in digital asset services locally and regionally,” she added. 

CNPLaw also made the list for FSR in the survey. In this area, it advises fund managers and financial services firms on regulatory impacts affecting their operations and transactions.

“Recently, we assisted a UK-based data analytics company in setting up its Singapore subsidiary and assessing regulatory implications of its commodity price data platform,” said Ms Theng. 

The case involved regulations and licensing requirements on platforms under different jurisdictions.

“This matter highlighted our ability to analyse complex digital platforms and cross-border business models for regulatory compliance,” she noted.

“We’re also seeing renewed interest in listing foreign debt securities – particularly green notes and infrastructure-linked issuances from Latin America – on SGX-ST. Such engagements reflect our strength in guiding clients through the intersection of technology and financial regulation in Singapore.” 

In the capital markets law field, major player Allen & Gledhill advises on a full range of equity and debt transactions across domestic and global markets.

Its team in this field includes Mr Koh, managing partner and head of Reits practice; Mr Tan Tze Gay, partner and head of equity capital markets, and Ms Margaret Chin, partner and head of debt capital markets.

The firm said its expertise spans initial public offerings, listings on the SGX and international exchanges, rights issues, private placements, and corporate and sovereign debt instruments including medium-term notes, convertibles, covered bonds and asset-backed securities.

It said: “We’ve led numerous market-firsts in Singapore and the region, such as Asia-Pacific’s first US dollar green subordinated perpetual securities, Singapore’s first listed notes backed by private equity cash flows, and the first tri-exchange listing across the US, Hong Kong and Singapore.”  

In competition and antitrust law, Rajah & Tann Singapore leads a full-service practice, covering the South-east Asian region with nearly 60 lawyers and economists.

“Operating as one integrated team, we deliver commercially focused, globally aligned advice with deep local insight. Our strong regulatory ties and international experience make us a one-stop shop for investigations, merger controls and trade matters,” said Ms Kala Anandarajah, head of the firm’s law practice in this area.

“We advise multinational clients across Asean, China, Japan, South Korea, India, the EU and the US, ensuring seamless service – even in jurisdictions where we work through trusted partners,” she added. 

Among other things, the firm advised on all major merger filings in Singapore in 2024 and several in 2025, engaged in key investigations, including into global cartels and cases of abuse of dominance, and handled multi-jurisdictional merger clearances, she said.

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