Kennedys adds experienced corporate specialist as Singapore expansion continues

We are excited to announce the appointment of a senior corporate and capital markets specialist with close to 30 years’ experience to our growing team in Singapore.

Robson Lee joins as a Director of Legal Solutions (Kennedys Singapore joint law venture partner) from Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP, where he was a global equity partner for the last seven years, and prior to that was a senior partner at Shook Lin & Bok.

He specialises in mergers and acquisitions and capital markets, regularly advising companies on issues such as licencing, securities, banking, insurance, compliance, and on listing with the Singapore Exchange. He acts for clients in other jurisdictions including cross-border M&A and joint ventures, fund raising and market flotations.

He also has extensive experience in regulatory work and of the frameworks and guidance put in place by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) for financial institutions.

Kennedys Singapore – known as Kennedys Legal Solutions since 2015 when it embarked on a joint venture with local firm Legal Solutions – is headed up by joint managing partners Julian Wallace and Kevin Kwek.

Kevin says: “We are thrilled to welcome someone of such high standing in the business and legal communities of Singapore.”

“Clients speak extremely highly of Robson, as do his peers,” Julian says. “I know his knowledge and experience will be invaluable as we continue to expand our services, including our regulatory practice, and further enhance our client offering across Asia."

In addition, Robson, who is qualified as a solicitor in Singapore and England and Wales, is an active member of several professional bodies. He sits on the MAS’ Appeal Advisory Panels, is Assistant Secretary and Head of Legal Affairs at the Securities Investors Association (Singapore), and Chairman of the Audit Committee of the Law Society of Singapore.

A National University of Singapore graduate, he is also a distinguished alumni of the prestigious Hwa Chong Institution where, in 2019, as the Group Board Chairman of Hwa Chong, he spearheaded the organisation of the school’s centennial anniversary dinner celebrations attended by more than 12,000 guests including Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Robson has been recommended by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific in the categories of Singapore: Capital Markets and Corporate and M&A, and has been named a leading lawyer in M&A by Best Lawyers Singapore.

Robson adds: “I have worked in the local and global legal industry for a long time and watched with interest to see how Kennedys has grown and developed, particularly the holistic service that its global network is able to offer to clients wherever they are and whatever their needs.

“I’m really excited to be a part of a firm with such ambition and innovation at its heart and can’t wait to see what 2023 brings.”

Robson will be based in Raffles Place, working alongside the rest of our Singapore team including Anita Quy, the new Head of Aviation for Asia Pacific, and aviation partner Tristan Thompson who joined the firm late last year.