The new venture, to be called RPC Premier Law, is slated to go live on 1 May. Premier Law is an established player in the Asian legal market, having been named one of the top 10 firms to watch in 2015 by Asian Legal Business. Its team of 14 lawyers advise on a broad range of litigation, arbitration and transactional work for clients in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong and China. The new team will be composed of 27 lawyers, including four partners, and will focus heavily on banking and financial disputes, as Premier Law is understood to be one of the only Singaporean firms able to litigate against major banks due to its low level of conflicting cases.

The 'final piece'

After setting up shop in Singapore in 2012, RPC managing partner Jonathan Watmough commented that the tie-up is the crucial next step in RPC's evolving presence in the region. 'This is not a case of us planting a flag in the ground. We've spent several years looking for the final piece in an evolving puzzle,' he said. RPC Premier Law will also advise on matters relating to insurance and maritime law in Singapore, a 'critical development for clients' as the significance of the Singapore jurisdiction continues to grow for both sectors. Sources: RPC; The Lawyer