Gerald Singham, newly appointed ASEAN CEO of Dentons Rodyk & Davidson shares his first message with the firm.

Happy 2021 and a very warm welcome back to the office! 

2020 In Review

Many of us will be relieved to put 2020 firmly behind us – it was a year where we were forced to challenge ourselves and rise to the occasion in turbulent times. I am so proud and moved by the quiet indomitable spirit displayed by all - Team Dentons Rodyk. 

The events of 2020 shaped our way forward, eg, transformation continues at an accelerated pace as we rely on technology even more today. In addition, we have also accelerated our plans in Workplace Transformation, where many of you had shared your feedback on what you hope to see in our future workplace. 

Through the concerted efforts of our Business Continuity Committee, we ensured our firm operated as usual, by observing safe distancing guidelines while focusing on meeting and exceeding our clients’ expectations.

While it was a challenging year, our firm has weathered this storm, emerged stronger and is energised with hope of the many new exciting opportunities ahead of us.

160 Years Strong

As we start 2021, we are reminded that Dentons Rodyk celebrates its 160th anniversary as the first and oldest law firm in Singapore. Dentons Rodyk stands on a strong foundation forged over decades by strong values and having triumphed through momentous historical events.

To celebrate the occasion of 160 Years Strong, we encourage you to join us for a virtual run that will happen 1 – 31 March 2021. Apart from commemorating our 160th anniversary, we are also taking the opportunity to raise funds for the Singapore Academy of Women Lawyers (SAWL) Scholarship Fund, which aims to further educational interest amongst those in need – both physical and mental disabilities. It will be a meaningful run as we will be doing our part to help those in need. 

The Dentons Family

In April 2021, we will celebrate 5 years of being part of Dentons, the world’s largest and leading law firm. 

Our goal has always been forward-looking with a global outlook and the desire to provide a comprehensive suite of legal services to clients with cross-border business needs. Due to Dentons’ extensive global footprint, our lawyers have had the opportunity to work on more cross border matters, interact with colleagues from other parts of the world and being able to connect our clients with other Dentons offices wherever their business takes them.

Being part of Dentons has also opened up secondment opportunities for our lawyers in London, Frankfurt, New York, Istanbul, Yangon.

Dentons continues to evolve and we are excited by new initiatives coming our way. The new global Clients & Markets strategy is planned to launch this year emphasises deeper collaboration between practices to better address clients’ needs. This means gaining a deeper understanding of our clients’ businesses so that we can be relevant to them.

Looking Forward To 2021

According to the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Singapore’s economy is forecast to grow 4 – 6 % in 2021, helped by continued expansion of trade and manufacturing and a gradual recovery in construction and aviation- and tourism-related sectors. Growth in the information and communications, and finance and insurance sectors is expected to remain healthy.

However, there is still some uncertainty over how the COVID-19 situation will evolve globally as this will depend in part on the progress in vaccine development, production and distribution.

We are cautiously optimistic for 2021. Last year in particular has taught us that in the face of disruption, we must be nimble and agile to grasp new opportunities. I am excited that our firm will be developing and deepening capabilities in Cybersecurity, Family Office / Variable Capital Company, Global Private Services, Investigations & White Collar Crime, Start-ups and Venture Capital, Tax and Trusts, Estates & Wealth Preservation. We are also planning for a new innovative practice group in the area of environment and sustainability.

Let’s Push On!

With each of your continued engagement and support, we look forward to 2021 in the New Dynamic Decade with momentum and confidence.

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About Dentons Rodyk

Dentons Rodyk is one of Singapore's biggest law firms and part of the world’s largest, with a team of around 200 lawyers offering clients a full suite of legal services necessary to do business locally and globally. With over 160 years of establishment, consistently ranked highly in leading publications, we pride ourselves on providing the highest quality advice to our clients while maintaining strong working relationships with key public sector agencies and leading organisations in the private sector. Our combination with global law firm Dentons, makes us part of the world’s largest law firm with more than 12,500 professionals in over 160 locations in more than 80 countries.

Designed to be different, Dentons Rodyk can help you grow, protect, operate and finance your business. Our polycentric and purpose-driven approach, together with our commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity and ESG, ensures we challenge the status quo to stay focused on what matters most to you.

The first global pan-ASEAN law firm, Dentons ASEAN has an established history in Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Vietnam and Singapore and will continue to grow our presence through combinations with exceptional local firms across the ASEAN region and help clients navigate change wherever they are located.

In the new dynamic decade, clients continue to be confronted with complex scenarios and want to work with a purpose-driven law firm that has the experience and confidence to help them thrive at wherever they are located. Through our combinations with firms that are leaders in their respective communities and local markets, along with the partner firms in Dentons’ Nextlaw Referral Network, Dentons is ideally positioned to support our clients everywhere in ASEAN and around the globe.