RHTLaw Taylor Wessing is pleased to announce the addition of Mr Arvin Lee as a Partner and Head (China-Related Disputes) in our Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice with effect from 27 June 2014. Arvin’s international dispute resolution experience was given a strong institutional foundation through earlier roles as Deputy Head (China) and Counsel at the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (the “SIAC”), and consultant Manager for Law and Policy at the Dubai International Financial Centre (“DIFC”) Courts. Arvin has acted in international commercial arbitrations under ICC, CIETAC and SIAC Rules. He is also regularly invited by arbitral centres, General Counsel forums, and commercial dispute resolution publications to chair, present and publish on strategic and tactical aspects of arbitration procedural rules involving Chinese parties.  Arvin also has Chinese deals experience that gives his dispute resolution work commercial sensitivity. Recent experience includes advising on Singapore law aspects of suite of definitive agreements in a USD 50 million Chinese private equity investment in Indonesia’s largest ferro-nickel project to date, which he was instructed on.

Leading Singapore law firm RHTLaw Taylor Wessing LLP was ranked as a 2014 Employer of Choice in Singapore by the Asian Legal Business (ALB). The ALB Employer of Choice Rankings were compiled taking into account responses from thousands of law firm employees across Asia, ranging from managing partners to support staff. The report highlights RHTLaw Taylor Wessing’s “excellent working conditions surrounded by great people who are willing to teach and impart their expertise”.  The report adds that the firm also promotes a work-life balance. Tan Chong Huat, Managing Partner, RHTLaw Taylor Wessing comments, “We are delighted with this recognition. As a people centric firm, we put a lot of emphasis on our people’s professional and personal development. We go beyond just an ‘open-door’ policy but are constantly pushing towards a culture of open-mindedness. Our partners know that they have responsibility to guide, nurture and impart their expertise.  More importantly, we also listen and pay close attention to what our staff tell us. This recognition is for everyone associated with the firm.”

Singapore, 24 June 2014 – Leading Singapore law firm, RHTLaw Taylor Wessing, today announced that the Taylor Wessing network will open two representative offices in the USA. The offices, in Palo Alto and New York, will both open in September this year. Taylor Wessing is a leader for M&A and inward investment from the US into Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Combined with a market-leading reputation in IP and technology, Taylor Wessing represents many prominent US companies, ranging from early stage business to some of the largest corporations and brands in the world, in particular in the tech, media and communications, life sciences, healthcare and energy sectors. Taylor Wessing has dedicated US client teams in the world's major investor capitals and many of our lawyers spend all of their time serving the needs of US businesses looking to expand, organically or through acquisition, into those economies.  Taylor Wessing will not be practicing US law, but rather using its locations in Palo Alto and New York to support US clients' international growth. The lawyers in the Palo Alto office will be Mark Barron, corporate technology,  currently based in London, Dr. Kai Westerwelle, technology and data protection, currently based in Frankfurt, and Dennis Tan, corporate technology, currently based in Singapore. They will provide on-the-ground access to the firm's teams of highly experienced lawyers in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Mike Turner, a corporate technology partner, will be heading the New York office (splitting his time between New York and London) and will be supported by a team of lawyers from Taylor Wessing's international network. Mark Barron comments: "European expansion has long been a part of the growth strategy for successful US businesses, and now we are seeing a growing triangulation between the US, Europe - notably London, Berlin and Paris - and Singapore for tech innovation and investment in particular, with Singapore attracting an increasing level of US investment, especially from businesses on the West Coast. In addition, US businesses have undertaken considerable investment into the CEE region. As such, our US offices, combined with our long-standing presence in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, mean we are now perfectly placed to advise US businesses on the best way to approach their international expansion, help them navigate all the practical challenges that presents, and provide the full range of services to enable them to continue to grow once they're there." Dr. Kai Westerwelle comments: “With the opening of our new representative offices in Palo Alto and New York we fulfil the increasing need of US companies for competent on-site advice with respect to their target markets in Europe, CEE, and Asia. Furthermore, we support international clients in realising their US strategies. Thus, after the successful expansions in Europe and Asia, this step into the USA is another milestone in the internationalisation of Taylor Wessing.” Tan Chong Huat, Managing Partner, RHTLaw Taylor Wessing comments: “We consider Singapore to be the gateway to Southeast Asia and our ASEAN+ footprint will provide US clients with efficient access to these markets. With this exciting development, we look forward to assisting US companies with a full range of services in Singapore and access to the wider ASEAN+ region.  We are on the cusp of exciting times for tech start-ups and companies and with our legal expertise and international reach, we also hope to contribute to Singapore’s efforts to build a regional start-up and technology hub.”

Beijing Arbitration Commission (BJAC) held their second Annual Summit on Commercial Dispute Resolution in China on 6 June 2014 in London. The Right Honourable Lord Carnwath of Notting Hill, CVO, Justice of the UK Supreme Court and Madame Wang Hongsong, Vice-Chair of the BJAC (among others) gave Opening Remarks.  The Honourable Mr Justice Vivian Ramsey and senior lawyers from international law firms spoke on various panels dealing with recent dispute resolution developments in various substantive areas of Chinese law such as international trade and investment, construction and real estate, finance, and energy. Mr Arvin Lee, RHTLaw Taylor Wessing’s Head for China-Related Disputes was invited by the BJAC to chair the finance panel.  Mr Laurence Lieberman, Partner of Taylor Wessing UK gave the Closing Speech with the Honourable Mr Justice William Blair of the UK High Court (Commercial Court). Arvin raised questions and made comments on substantive issues such as a recent Supreme People’s Court of China judgment pertaining to value-adjustment mechanisms in private equity deals; Guiding Opinions of the Supreme People’s Court on financial issues; and the new Shanghai Free Trade Zone and arbitrability of disputes both by the Shanghai arbitration bodies and the BJAC.  Laurence emphasised the increasingly pro-arbitration stance in China, particularly in recent pronouncements from the Supreme People's Court, and the encouraging statistics evidencing a relatively low level of successful challenges in the Chinese courts to the setting aside of foreign arbitration awards.  Laurence also highlighted the efforts made by the BJAC and other regional arbitral bodies to adapt and evolve their rules to meet accepted international practice particularly around joinder and consolidation, as well as highlighting the importance of arbitration as a means of resolving Chinese financial services disputes.