The firm was founded in 2012 as a corporate and commercial law firm by Singapore practitioner Ban Leong Oo, who has over two decades of cross-border experience, acting for local and multinational corporations as well as governments and related institutions. Since then, Prolegis has grown from strength to strength and added teams specialising in commercial disputes, restructuring and insolvency, project finance, employment and business crime defence. Herbert Smith Freehills Prolegis Head of Litigation Daniel Chia has taken over from Ban Leong Oo as Managing Director.
Prolegis and leading international law firm Herbert Smith Freehills have been registered as a Formal Law Alliance in Singapore since 2015, formalising a longstanding and close working relationship between the two firms.
The alliance creates a “one-stop shop” for clients to access the legal services of each firm – the Singapore law expertise of Prolegis and the international skills of Herbert Smith Freehills’ global network spanning Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and North America.
Prolegis represents a diverse range of clients, including some of the most prestigious local and multi-national enterprises in Singapore and across the region, as well as private capital clients and state-linked organisations. The firm advises on a broad range of corporate, projects and infrastructure, commercial and financial transactions, including expertise in financial services regulations, employment, regulatory enforcement, corporate governance and other advisory matters. It works closely with Herbert Smith Freehills’ market leading and global network in providing first-rate solutions to clients.
It is regularly tapped for its expertise in contentious disputes matters in all levels of the Singapore courts, including the Singapore International Commercial Court and the Court of Appeal – in particular for matters relating to commercial and cross-border litigation, arbitration-related litigation and asset enforcement. It is one of the go-to firms for complex and contentious cross-border insolvency and restructurings.
Together with Herbert Smith Freehills, the Corporate Transactions team presents a seamless and market-leading offering for mergers & acquisitions, investments, joint ventures, and complex commercial transactions. It is particularly sought after for cross-border transactions, and for transactions in, or involving the technology, media and telecoms (TMT) and energy sectors. The team is also very active in the venture and growth capital space, servicing investor clients ranging from conventional venture and growth capital funds to cross-over investors such as sovereign wealth funds, private equity funds, corporate venture, and family offices. It also supports a growing portfolio of founders, startups and emerging companies for equity fundraising, business expansion, regulatory compliance, and general advisory matters.
The Projects team is well equipped to provide advice throughout the entire life cycle of large-scale infrastructure and energy projects. This includes the oil & gas, power, utilities, digital infrastructure or transport sectors with a strong focus on developments in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Vietnam and the Philippines. The team is also highly experienced and has acted for clients across the entire value chain including governmental instrumentalities, MNCs and various key project parties such as contractors, suppliers, offtakers and O&M service providers. Recognising the complex cross-border investment landscape, the team is able to advise confidently on all matters of Singapore law whilst concurrently tapping on a wide international network of expertise available in its formal law alliance partner Herbert Smith Freehills to provide clients with tailored commercial solutions.
A significant proportion of its directors have practised at global elite international law firms. The firm’s range and depth of regional experience in corporate matters, allows it to add value and assist in applying international standards in complex local regulatory and legal environments.
Our team is known for its practical and commercial approach to helping clients achieve their business goals and this is recognised by international legal directory commendations of our lawyers. We place a particular emphasis on sensitivity to cultural nuances in the region and this, combined with our understanding of the complex legal and regulatory challenges faced by clients in Asia, means that we understand the growing and ever-changing demands of doing business in the region.