Rajah & Tann Singapore unveils next crop of leaders

"BIG 4" law firm Rajah & Tann Singapore shook up its management by appointing 2 of its next generation of leaders as joint deputy managing partners on Friday (Apr 1).

They are Ng Kim Beng, a partner specialising in international arbitration, construction and projects, and Kelvin Poon, who heads the law firm's international arbitration practice and South Asia desk. Both are in their 40s.

They take over from Rebecca Chew, who is now chairperson of the Rajah & Tann Foundation, which oversees the firm's corporate social responsibility programme.

Announcing this on Friday, Rajah & Tann Singapore said the new appointments show a "concerted effort" by the firm to groom the next generation of leaders.

Apart from the two appointments, the law firm promoted 13 partners in its corporate department, and 12 partners from its dispute department to lead the firm's wide range of specialist practice areas as heads and deputy heads.

Adrian Wong succeeds Leong Kah Wah as head of disputes; Vikram Nair, who is also a Member of Parliament for Sembawang Group Representation Constituency, takes over from Wong as deputy head.

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Over at its corporate practice, department head Abdul Jabbar has a new No. 2, Sandy Foo, who joins Evelyn Wee as co-deputy head.

Four new partners join the firm's executive committee, helmed by managing partner Patrick Ang, who starts his second term as managing partner of the firm. They are Sim Kwan Kiat, Tracy Ang, Vikna Rajah and Shuhei Otsuka.

Commenting on the latest leadership changes, managing partner Patrick Ang said: "Rajah & Tann has a culture of embracing change and having each generation of partners investing in and building the firm for the next generation.

"The appointments today are the fruits of the labour put in by the firm's more experienced partners, who have selflessly nurtured their younger colleagues."