SE Asia

Freehills delivers innovative, tailored commercial legal advice and strategic solutions to clients across South-East Asia using our established and expanding presence in Singapore as a hub and by combining this with the know-how of more than 1000 lawyers including around 200 partners in Australia. This means clients have someone on the ground who understands the issues and who can call on significant support services if required.

We act as a source of business and transaction advice for international corporations doing business in the region. We provide:

• seamless legal services, bringing resources together regardless of national or international boundaries
• project management expertise, including the delivery of multi-jurisdictional legal services
• comprehensive knowledge of, and sensitivity to, local cultures and business practices across the region
• broad corporate experience, judgment and local knowledge within the Asian region, together with first class legal structuring, negotiating, drafting and advisory skills
• lawyers who have extensive experience in undertaking major projects and transactions in the region, and
• dedicated project leaders and support teams who have extensive experience in undertaking major projects and transactions across South Asia.

Our ability to provide clients with legal, commercial and strategic solutions is built on experience and the desire to understand the commercial context in which your business operates.

Our experience in dedicating the necessary skills from our vast pool of talent is a significant contributor to our clients’ success. International Managing Partner John Curtis says it’s a natural evolution for international companies to expand their business interests into the market economies of Asia. ‘The region offers outstanding opportunities to grow business and seize emerging opportunities. This makes Freehills the partner of choice for companies wanting to make their mark in the Asia-Pacific’.

We are skilled in working on major projects across the region in a range of industries including energy & resources, real estate, banking & finance, infrastructure, property/funds management, workplace relations, international disputes, corporate and commercial law.

Our experience extends across many areas of practice including:

• financial and project management advice on large public and private projects
• corporate and regulatory advice to clients investing in Australia and Asia
• combined regional knowledge led by senior lawyers with broad international corporate experience and an understanding of local sensitivities, and
• the provision of seamless legal services regardless of location, and project management expertise including multi jurisdictional legal services.

Singapore – plant establishment

We acted for an Australian-listed company on the establishment of a plant in Singapore through its Singapore subsidiary. This involved working with Singapore counsel on issues of Singapore law, particularly relating to land lease issues.

We assisted the client in negotiating its design and procurement contract with the Malaysian subsidiary of a large European company, as well as the civil works and erection contracts in Singapore. Other contractual arrangements included long-term storage, raw material supply, off-take arrangements and provision of utilities including construction of a small power plant.

During the process, the company listed in Australia and Freehills acted on the float with the Singapore team providing input on the Singapore arrangements, including financing.

Our Singapore team continues to work with domestic counsel to provide support for the company as it completes construction and moves to the operational phase.

Indian Business Law Journal, Finance Deal of the Year – TATA Power Company Limited, 2007

Asian Legal Business, South-East Asian Deal of the Year, 2006

Asian Legal Business, South-East Asian M&A Deal of the Year – Adaro Indonesia, 2006

Asian Legal Business, Singapore Deal of the Year – Colony Capital, 2006