Allen & Gledhill has poached five arbitration partners from Big Four rival Rajah & Tann, including the head of the latter firm’s international arbitration group, and also hired the CEO of the SIAC in a move expected to seriously bulk up its disputes ambitions.

The Business Times reported that former Rajah & Tann equity partners Chong Yee Leong, Chong Boon Leong, Allen Choong, Chua Kee Loon and former foreign law partner Kamilah Kasim will join Allen & Gledhill's international arbitration and energy, infrastructure and construction practices as partners on May 1. Minn Naing Oo, former CEO and registrar of SIAC, will also join the firm as partner on June 1 as it looks to expand into Myanmar, the paper added.

"Allen & Gledhill was presented with an opportunity to take on board an experienced team of five partners who will be retiring from another large Singapore law firm," Lucien Wong, chairman and senior partner of Allen & Gledhill said to the paper yesterday. Meanwhile, Rajah & Tann Managing Partner Lee Eng Beng told the Business Times that departures would not greatly impact his firm’s international arbitration practice.

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