About Our Singapore Office
Overview
Sidley has had a presence in Asia Pacific for over 40 years and is one of the few U.S. law firms to have maintained on-the-ground capabilities to serve clients in the region for more than four decades.
Established in 1982, our Singapore office was Sidley’s first office in the Asia Pacific region. In 2013, Sidley was one of only four firms to be awarded a license to practice Singapore law under Singapore’s Qualifying Foreign Law Practice (QFLP) scheme. Sidley’s QFLP license was renewed in 2020, and the firm continues to advise on the laws of Singapore, Hong Kong, England, and the U.S. from our Singapore office.
“The Sidley Austin Singapore team were instrumental in helping to distil complex regulatory issues into user-friendly, commercial and practical advice.”
– Chambers Asia Pacific 2025
Sidley’s lawyers in the Singapore office have been practicing in Southeast Asia, India, and the Greater China region for many years. The Singapore office serves as Sidley’s Southeast Asia regional hub, with a longstanding focus on jurisdictions such as Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
News & Insights
Recent recognition for our practices includes the following:
Capital Markets
“The team are very experienced in debt markets and commercially minded, and so can advise clients and not just take instructions.”
– Chambers Asia Pacific 2025, Singapore Capital Markets: International
“Sidley comes up with really innovative solutions which speak to their expertise and solutions. They are able to break down very complex issues into succinct messages that clients can actually understand.”
– Chambers Asia Pacific 2024, Singapore Capital Markets: International
“Sidley Austin LLP houses a seasoned international capital markets team in Singapore which is recognised for its strong credentials in all types of security work, including IPOs, convertible bonds and high-yield offerings. The team acts for an impressive roster of underwriters and issuers in transactions across an array of sectors, ranging from energy to real estate, tech, telecoms and healthcare, and jurisdictions such as India, Singapore and Indonesia, just to name a few.”
– The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2023, Singapore Capital Markets: Equity and Debt: Foreign Firms
“The team has always maintained a professional, efficient and reliable working attitude. The debt team has experienced staff and extensive project experience, and can advise us on all aspects and make constructive suggestions with reference to past experience.”
– Chambers Asia Pacific 2024, Capital Markets: Debt, Equity and High-Yield Products
“Sidley Austin has a superb Asia-wide high-yield practice which is especially commended for its work on complex issuances in Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia. It also works on a range of investment-grade debt and hybrid products across the region, including MTN programmes. The ECM practice continues to be active in Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore, and has been building strength in India. Sought out for advice on IPOs, rights issues and secondary offerings. The team is regularly instructed by a stellar line-up of international investment banks and regional financial institutions.”
– Chambers Asia Pacific 2023, Capital Markets: High-Yield Products
Corporate/M&A
“Sidley Austin has a can-do attitude. The team members are very responsive and willing to go the extra mile.”
– Chambers Asia Pacific 2025, Singapore Corporate/M&A: International: The Elite
“It is always comforting and satisfying working with the Sidley M&A team, knowing that your company’s interests are in very good hands.”
– The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2025, Singapore Corporate and M&A: Foreign Firms
“The M&A team has significant cross-border transactional expertise and is highly competent at coordinating with their colleagues in other offices and local counsels to provide clients with a seamless, one-stop shop service. They are pleasant to work with and highly responsive.”
– The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2025, Singapore Corporate and M&A: Foreign Firms
“They are commercial in nature, responsive, work hard and have a creative approach that I appreciate.”
– Chambers Asia Pacific 2024, Singapore Corporate/M&A: International: The Elite
“They are thorough in the due diligence process and responsive to the client’s requirements and feedback. The team are commercial in terms of terms negotiations and able to reference historic deals.”
– Chambers Asia Pacific 2024, Singapore Corporate/M&A: International: The Elite
“The team’s strength[s] include the broad range of expertise in M&A practices across various jurisdictions and familiarity with different concepts in different countries.”
– The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2023, Singapore Corporate and M&A: Foreign Firms
International Arbitration
“The Sidley team was responsive and gave great advice. The strategy behind every step was thought through thoroughly.”
– The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2025, Singapore International Arbitration
“They are not only experts in law but also have a deep understanding of the Asian market. They also respond quickly and act professionally.”
– Chambers Asia Pacific 2025, Arbitration (International)
“Sidley Austin is a blue chip dispute resolution and international arbitration practice and is led by the extremely talented, charismatic, and brilliant Tai-Heng Cheng.”
– The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2024, Singapore International Arbitration
“They are able to pull together different team members with different expertise to handle complicated matters.”
– Chambers Asia Pacific 2024, Arbitration (International)
“The firm obviously has a very experienced arbitration team that knows the landscape very well and is very diligent.”
– Chambers Asia Pacific 2023, Arbitration (International)
Investment Funds
“Sidley Austin is very quick to spot issues and respond with practical solutions to complex matters.”
– Chambers Asia Pacific 2025, Singapore Investment Funds: International
“Sidley provides full coverage and has extensive experience in funds globally. Apart from fund-raising related work, they have also helped us with regulatory advice, and M&A in the asset manager. We have found the team very capable and knowledgeable.”
– The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2024, Singapore Investment Funds: Foreign Firms
“The Sidley team held my hand every step of the way and that's something I really appreciate. They are definitely plugged into the market and are aware of trends too. Their network is also good.”
– Chambers Asia Pacific 2024, Singapore Investment Funds: International
“It is a very experienced team that is able to provide thoughtful advice on complex regulatory issues. They are well connected with the Monetary Authority of Singapore and key stakeholders in Singapore.”
– Chambers Asia Pacific 2024, Singapore Investment Funds: International
“Sidley Austin LLP’s Singapore funds team is part of a well-developed Asia Pacific and international practice. The group works especially closely with Hong Kong colleagues, and has an established record in private equity and hedge funds alongside extensive experience with Singapore’s VCC regime.”
– The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2023, Singapore Investment Funds: Foreign Firms
“Sidley Austin are able to work to very compressed timelines and there is a very good coordination between the Singapore team and the U.S. team to provide seamless service.”
– Chambers Asia Pacific 2023, Singapore Investment Funds: International
Start-ups, Emerging Companies, Venture and Growth Capital
“The team advises us on market practice and takes calls on what is absolutely necessary as opposed to what is merely good to have. I value their commercial acumen as it smoothens deal execution.”
– Chambers Asia Pacific 2025, Singapore Startups & Emerging Companies
“Sidley’s practice in Singapore is unique because it is one of the few international firms that offers a venture capital practice that truly spans incorporation to exit, with capabilities to advise equally on Asia-based and US-based transactions.”
– The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2025, Singapore Start-Up and Venture Capital: Foreign Firms
“The Sidley team is able to staff matters efficiently and is willing to be flexible with billing arrangements. They are gradually building a reputation of being trusted advisers on both the company-side and the investor-side, and are highly proficient at shepherding deals to completion.”
– The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2025, Singapore Start-Up and Venture Capital: Foreign Firms
“Sidley Austin are able to demonstrate a broad and in-depth knowledge of private equity and venture capital transactions that helps us fully consider the pros and cons of all the commercial terms that we negotiate.”
– Chambers Asia Pacific 2024, Singapore Startups & Emerging Companies
“Sidley is well-resourced, highly responsive, and the team is excellent and able to handle both Singapore and US style deals and everything from Series A through to late stage deals.”
– The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2024, Singapore Start-Up and Venture Capital: Foreign Firms
White Collar Defense & Investigations
“Yuet Ming Tham’s incisive market insights and her pragmatic yet creative problem-solving approach, definitely make her a rare lawyer. Together with her team’s deep experiences of handling the most complex regulatory issues, all these make Sidley’s white collar team stand out as one of the best teams in APAC.”
– The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2025, Singapore White-Collar Crime: Foreign Firms
“They have a good understanding of the dynamics of different stakeholders at a company and also the business model of the industry.”
– The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2025, Singapore White-Collar Crime: Foreign Firms
“Pragmatic, relevant and concise advice is the hallmark of the white-collar crime team at Sidley. The partnership approach with client service and taking deep interest in the business and processes sets this firm apart.”
– The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2024, Singapore White-Collar Crime: Foreign Firms
“Sidley Austin Singapore and its partners are very responsive, comprehensive and provide strong strategic response to issues.”
– Benchmark Litigation 2023, Singapore White-Collar Crime
“Everything is excellent! It’s why they have almost all of my business in the region, and have for so long. The team… is best in class.”
– Benchmark Litigation 2023, Singapore White-Collar Crime