Partner Azman Jaafar authored an article entitled “Embracing Diversity in the ASEAN Economic Community” for the July edition of the Asian Legal Business (ALB). Azman shared how the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) has too often been the subject of unfair comparison to the European Union (EU). He highlighted that the motives of the AEC are different from the EU and at the time of the AEC’s inception, the leadership valued the diversity and inequality that already existed within ASEAN. He added that the establishment of the AEC reflected the importance placed on ASEAN’s continued relevance in the global economy. With the AEC, ASEAN will become an important marketplace for Singapore SMEs. To stay competitive in the larger global economy, Singapore SMEs must move their businesses up the value chain and with the attraction of new foreign investments into the AEC market, there will also be opportunities for Singapore SMEs to plug themselves into a more integrated global marketplace. The full article can be found in the July 2015 edition of ALB.

RHTLaw Taylor Wessing is pleased to announce the addition of Mr Chong Eng Wee as a Partner in our Capital Markets and Corporate Practice with effect from 1 July 2015. Eng Wee is a corporate practitioner whose areas of practice include corporate and securities laws, capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, corporate restructuring, joint ventures, corporate and commercial contracts, regulatory compliance, corporate governance advisory and corporate secretarial work. Prior to joining RHTLaw Taylor Wessing, Eng Wee practised at a leading joint law venture firm and a leading local law firm in Singapore and worked as in-house legal counsel at several major companies listed on the main board of Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited. Eng Wee was also the Representative for the Shanghai Representative Office of the joint law venture and possesses a good working knowledge of foreign investment laws in China. Eng Wee was also the joint Company Secretary for 3 main board listed companies.

RHTLaw Taylor Wessing is pleased to announce the promotion of Ms Suleen Ding as a Partner in our Corporate Practice with effect from 1 April 2015.   Suleen specialises in cross-border mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and foreign direct investments across the ASEAN region. She has assisted clients in putting together various legal documentation such as investment agreements, subscription agreements, shareholders’ agreements, joint venture agreements and sale and purchase agreements. Suleen has also led legal due diligence teams and coordinated cross-border transactions with professional advisors located in other jurisdictions.

Lawyer Awards for its work in securing planning permission for Brentford FC's new stadium. Taylor Wessing has worked with Brentford FC to secure planning permission on a new 20,000 seater stadium for the club, the first new stadium to be built in London for ten years. This was the first time that the Social Value Act had been used in a planning context, demonstrating the contribution that the stadium would bring to the local community. The Lawyer Awards, hosted by the publication of the same name, celebrate excellence across the legal industry. Now in their 21st year, the awards are judged by an expert panel which looks to reward firms and companies which have demonstrated excellence and set themselves apart from the rest of the legal industry. To read the full article, please click here.