Singapore law firm Oon & Bazul has added three partners to its litigation and dispute resolution practice as the city-state increasingly becomes a centre for arbitration. 

White collar crime and investigations specialist Benedict Eoon joined the firm in September followed by Jerald Foo and Priscilla Lua this month, with all three joining as partners.

Eoon brings with him almost a decade of experience as associate director at Singapore Big Four law firm Drew & Napier, while Foo, a commercial disputes specialist, joins after four years as a senior associate for local dispute resolution boutique Cavenagh Law. Prior to that he was an associate at Clifford Chance Asia, an alliance between the Magic Circle firm and Cavenagh Law.

Lua, meanwhile, specialises in international arbitration and commercial litigation, and like Foo joins from a role as senior associate at Cavenagh Law. Earlier in her career she spent 18 months in Clifford Chance's London office and also served as a senior associate at Drew & Napier.   

The hires, which bring Oon & Bazul’s partner headcount to 19 and its lawyer headcount to 60, come amid a marked uptick in litigation, arbitration and dispute resolution work in Singapore. The city-state was ranked jointly with London as the world’s favourite arbitration centre in a survey of more than 1,200 in-house lawyers, arbitrators and practitioners earlier this year.

“We’re pleased to be deepening the strength of our firm’s largest practice group with hires that reflect our ambition to attract the best talent,” said Bazul Ashhab, Oon & Bazul managing partner and head of the firm’s dispute resolution practic. He added “Having former Magic Circle lawyers and Big Four lawyers joining us in quick succession reflects how the firm has grown over the years to become a leading commercial practice.”

The new additions follow hot on the heels of restructuring and insolvency partner Keith Han joining Oon & Bazul from Clifford Chance Asia and corporate partner Ng Yi Wayn coming over from fellow Big Four firm RHTLaw Asia, as the firm gears up for an expected uptick M&A activity as a result of the pandemic.

Am Law 100 firm McDermott Will and Emery also announced at the beginning of September that it had an on the-ground presence in Asia once again after setting up shop in Singapore, with the multi-practice offering to include government investigations and arbitration.