Rajah & Tann tops the ranks of Singapore's 100 best law firms

Mid-sized firm Adsan Law punches above its weight in annual survey

- K.C. Vijayan

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 homegrown general legal practice, founded in 1987, is today "a full-service law firm serving clients that range from multinational corporations and financial institutions to startups, 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.