Firm Profile

Withers LLP

Asia-Pacific Guide 2025

Ranked departments
Ranked lawyers
Asia-Pacific

Contact number

+44 20 7597 6364

Share profile

About

Provided by Withers LLP
Asia-Pacific

Chairman: Justine Markovitz

Chief Executive Officer: Margaret Robertson

Managing Partner (Hong Kong office): Jocelyn Tsao

Managing Partner (Singapore office): Deborah Barker

Managing Partner (Tokyo office): Eric Roose

Number of Partners (Firmwide): 220+

Number of Lawyers (Firmwide): 650+

Languages: Albanian, Arabic, Azerbaijani, Bengali, Bulgarian, Burmese, Cantonese, Croatian, Dutch, Easter Min, English, French, German, Greek, Gujarati, Hindi, Hokkien, Hungarian, Hunnanese, Ilocano, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Khasi, Kiswahili, Konkani, Korean, Lithuanian, Malay, Malayalam, Mandarin, Marathi, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Romanian, Russian, Shona, Sinhalese, Somali, Spanish, Swedish, Tagalog, Tamil, Teochew, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, and Welsh.

FIRM OVERVIEW 

Withers is one of the world’s first international law firms dedicated to the business, personal and philanthropic interests of successful people, their businesses, families and advisers. With over 220 partners and more than 1,500 employees in 17 offices across Europe, US, Asia Pacific and the Caribbean, Withers has unparalleled expertise in helping businesses and individuals across all major financial centres around the world. Its clients’ interests span 100 countries and the firm has acted for 74% of the top 100 UK ‘Sunday Times Rich List’, 25% of the 'Forbes 400 List of the Wealthiest Americans', 35% of 'Hong Kong Forbes Rich List' and 35% of 'The Sunday Times Top Philanthropists'.

MAIN AREAS OF PRACTICE 

Corporate & Commercial 

Our corporate and commercial team has the depth and diversity of knowledge to advise on issues that arise over the entire life cycle of a company, from securing investment, to structuring executive pay, to completing mergers and acquisitions.The team is very experienced in all corporate-related matters, including M&A, capital markets, private equity, corporate finance, banking & finance, corporate tax, real estate and investment funds. Mergers and acquisitions is an area where our firm employs skill and sophistication to structure and negotiate complex corporate transactions in both domestic and international capacities. We provide a senior-level service which is responsive to the needs of each of our clients.We represent buyers, sellers, investors, private equity firms, executives and lenders in all types of acquisitions, complex joint ventures, disposals and corporate restructurings involving both publicly traded and privately held companies.

Real Estate  

The real estate team has deep experience advising clients on their domestic and international real estate matters across the full range of property types, from residential, commercial, to industrial properties. The team acts for matters across the entire real estate investment life-cycle, ranging from mergers and acquisitions, property joint ventures, disposals and tenancy matters, retail leasing, development and redevelopment, and conveyancing, however complex they may be.

Litigation and Arbitration  

Withers' litigation and arbitration team assists clients with their local as well as international corporate commercial disputes. The team has supported the firm’s global clients, whether they are investing into or out of Asia, in navigating through regulatory, and various other legal risks which our clients may face. The team is experienced in almost all areas of litigation, including commercial litigation, fraud and asset recovery, investigations, professional negligence, contract and company disputes, restructuring and insolvency.

Withers' international arbitration practitioners specialise in both investment and commercial arbitrations, are well-versed under the leading arbitral rules and have a wide range of experience in various sectors.

Family 

Withers is widely regarded as one of the largest family and matrimonial law firms in Asia and has dealt with numerous high profile and landmark cases. The firm's clients receive specialist advice on all aspects of family law, from divorce and finances, pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements, family wealth protection, mental health proceedings and elder law, to children custody, international child abduction, maintenance and child support, tax and immigration advice post-divorce. The team forms part of the firm's leading global divorce and family practice and is well-equipped with the right set of skills to handle clients' cases in the most effective and efficient way possible and to secure the best outcome.

Private Client & Tax 

Withers is one of the largest private client and tax team on the ground in Asia. It has a wide range of clients, including but not limited to family offices, charities, families, financial institutions, high net worth individuals, and trustees. Withers typically acts for the creators of wealth and their families, and focuses on developing long term relationships with those clients across its international offices. We also work with their businesses, establishing ourselves as the top law firm focusing on private capital.

Withers' multi-disciplinary capabilities cover issues on immigration, philanthropy, matrimonial, cross-border investments, litigation, real estate and pre-IPO planning, providing clients with a fully integrated, one-stop service that other law firms cannot match.

Ranked Offices

Provided by Withers LLP

UK - Head office
Japan
  • Tokyo
    21F JA Building, 1-3-1 Otemachi, Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan, 100-6821
    View ranked office
Singapore
  • Singapore
    18 Cross Street, #14-01, , Singapore, Singapore Island, Singapore, 048423
    View ranked office

Contributions

Latest contributions provided by Withers LLP

Global Practice Guide
Jocelyn Tsao
Philippa Hewitt
Authored by
Jocelyn Tsao, Philippa Hewitt
Article • Sep 2024
Global Practice Guide
Kohei Kobayashi
Eric Roose
Erin Gutierrez
Authored by
Kohei Kobayashi, Eric Roose, Erin Gutierrez
Article • Jul 2024
Global Practice Guide
Paul P. Jebely
Authored by
Paul P. Jebely
Article • Jul 2024

Withers LLP rankings

Asia-Pacific Guide 2025
Filter by
Band
Indonesia
Corporate & Finance (International Firms)
1 Department
Department
4
Corporate & Finance (International Firms)
4
Band 4
Corporate/M&A (International Firms)
1 Ranked Lawyer
Lawyers
Joel Shen
Joel Shen
Singapore expertise based abroad
Japan
Investment Funds
1 Department
Department
2
Investment Funds
2
Band 2
Investment Funds: Bengoshi
1 Ranked Lawyer
Lawyers
Yoshiyuki Omori
2
Yoshiyuki Omori
2
Band 2
Investment Funds: Registered Foreign Lawyers
1 Ranked Lawyer
Lawyers
Koji Yamamoto
1
Koji Yamamoto
1
Band 1
Real Estate
1 Department
Department
2
Real Estate
2
Band 2
Real Estate: Bengoshi
2 Ranked Lawyers
Lawyers
Toshihiko Tsuchiya
2
Toshihiko Tsuchiya
2
Band 2
Naoki Ueyama
4
Naoki Ueyama
4
Band 4
Real Estate: Registered Foreign Lawyers
1 Ranked Lawyer
Lawyers
Gerald Fujii
1
Gerald Fujii
1
Band 1
Tax
1 Department
Department
3
Tax
3
Band 3
Tax: Registered Foreign Lawyers
1 Ranked Lawyer
Lawyers
Eric Roose
1
Eric Roose
1
Band 1
Singapore
Banking & Finance: Domestic
1 Department
Department
4
Banking & Finance: Domestic
4
Band 4
Banking & Finance: International
1 Ranked Lawyer
Lawyers
Guan Feng Chen
4
Guan Feng Chen
4
Band 4
Corporate Investigations/Anti-Corruption: Domestic
1 Department
1 Ranked Lawyer
Department
3
Corporate Investigations/Anti-Corruption: Domestic
3
Band 3
Lawyers
3
Shashi Nathan
3
Band 3
Employment: Domestic
1 Department
2 Ranked Lawyers
Department
2
Employment: Domestic
2
Band 2
Lawyers
Deborah Barker SC
S
Deborah Barker SC
S
Senior Statespeople
Amarjit Kaur
3
Amarjit Kaur
3
Band 3
Intellectual Property: Domestic
1 Department
Department
4
Intellectual Property: Domestic
4
Band 4
Investment Funds: Domestic
1 Department
1 Ranked Lawyer
Department
2
Investment Funds: Domestic
2
Band 2
20 of 28 results