Employment

We know that human capital is a top priority of any successful organisation. In today’s world, attracting and managing talent is more important than it has ever been.

Drew & Napier’s Employment Practice is consistently recognised as a leader in the field. We represent clients in every aspect of employment practice, including employment, benefits, ethics and governance issues; and in transactional, advisory and contentious work.

Clients seek our help to develop broad, strategic employment advice, and assist with specific issues. We recognise that your organisation’s method of recruiting and retaining the right people is constantly changing. We provide creative, realistic and commercial solutions tailored to suit your needs.

In contentious situations, our long-standing reputation for excellence in disputes work means that we always stand ready to advance our clients’ best cases in every forum, while acting for some of the biggest and most well-known employers means that we are always conscious of practical, reputational considerations.

Practice Areas

We provide transactional, advisory and dispute resolution assistance in all aspects of employment law.

Transactional and advisory

• Employment contracts and policies; employment handbooks and statutory employee benefits, including employee intellectual property and confidentiality agreements
• Employee stock option and pension schemes
• Compliance with workplace health and safety and employee insurance legislation, such as the Workplace Health & Safety Act and the Work Injury Compensation Act
• Restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, transfers of employment in acquisition and takeover of businesses and undertakings
• Employer and employee data protection
• Advice on termination, redundancy and severance
• Collective agreements
• Cross-border transfers and secondment, immigration, expatriate tax issues

Contentious

• Breaches of employer and/or employee duties
• Termination and redundancy
• Enforcement of restrictive covenants and other post-termination obligations
• Investigations into compliance with corporate governance, regulatory, anti-corruption rules
• Disputes arising out of company restructuring, or secondment or relocation arrangements
• Breaches of confidentiality and data protection issues

Accolades

The Legal 500 Asia Pacific
Employment 2024 – Tier 1 for 9 consecutive years

Kelvin Tan – Recommended Lawyer for 9 consecutive years
Benjamin Gaw – Recommended Lawyer for 9 consecutive years
Lim Chong Kin – Recommended Lawyer for 4 consecutive years; Leading Individual for 4 consecutive years (2016-2019)
Rakesh Kirpalani – Recommended Lawyer for 3 consecutive years
Ang Wei Shuen – Recommended Lawyer

"Kelvin Tan has deep expertise and is very responsive and professional and this can be seen in his team as well. He provides practical guidance and recognises that the ideal legal position or taking a conservative position is not always feasible from the client’s perspective."

"Good service and personalised attention."

"Their team is very flexible and client oriented. They will not push their legal point of view and respect our business perspective and risk appetite."

"Rakesh Kirpalani and Ang Wei Shuen are dedicated to their professional work."

"Kelvin Tan’s team is client-centric. They know what the client needs, and deliver top-notch advice each time."

"Kelvin Tan offers practical and helpful strategic advice, which enables businesses to navigate murky waters with confidence."

"Good expertise and responsiveness."

“Excellent legal skills combined with practical and business friendly advice.”

“High level of responsiveness and availability for urgent discussions. Understands business and the company’s perspectives well to find a balanced solution to mitigate risks.”

“Benjamin Gaw – he is always available and understands the issues well.”

“Partners and associates have good subject matter expertise, and provide prompt service.”

“Prompt response. Willing to explain, clear advice given. Have comfort that full attention is given to us.”

Sources say Drew & Napier LLC “’distinguishes itself with its extensive knowledge of employment matters and the quality of its advice' and it 'provides sound business advice that can be swiftly implemented.’”

“Drew & Napier LLC’s ‘responsive and incredibly thorough’ team regularly handles the employment aspects of cross-border corporate transactions and mergers between multinational companies as well as investigations and raids by the regulator... Lim Chong Kin and Elizabeth Tong are also recommended.” 

“Kelvin Tan is a valuable resource for contentious matters.”

“[Kelvin Tan] is always attuned to clients’ needs and available to discuss their concerns.”

“Benjamin Gaw is highly rated as a non-contentious employment specialist.”

“’True subject matter expert’ Benjamin Gaw is ‘practical and efficient, able to deliver timely and accurately pitched advice’"

“Benjamin Gaw handles non-contentious work such as data protection, immigration and post-acquisition matters. He is praised for his ‘quick turnaround time’.”

“Rakesh Kirpalani listens well then offers clear and lucid advice.”

“Rakesh Kirpalani provides expertise in technology-related employment disputes.”

Chambers Asia-Pacific
Employment 2024 – Band 2 for 11 consecutive years

Leading Individual:
Kelvin Tan – Band 3 for 4 consecutive years; Recognised practitioner for 3 consecutive years (2018-2020)
Benjamin Gaw – Band 3 for 4 consecutive years; Recognised practitioner in 2020

"Drew & Napier are very knowledgeable for Singapore-specific legal matters and processes."

"The team provides prompt responses and practical advice that is fit for purpose."

"Their advice is always led by strong sense of commercial issues. This is definitely one of their greatest strengths. They do not advise in a vacuum - they are quick to pick up on commercial direction."

"Drew & Napier provides relevant advice which is fit for purpose. They are able to respond on an urgent basis."

Drew & Napier's team consists of "very efficient and smart litigators who are able to bring their skills to bear in any employment dispute."

"They can always be trusted to provide pragmatic advice."

One client describes their working relationship with the team as "positive, because they know our business inside out. Their key strengths include great depth of knowledge on the law, as well as going beyond this and taking on challenges."

"Adept at bringing calm to the storm and guiding us through contentious employment matters that can get stressful in nature."

A client notes that "Drew & Napier is our go-to law firm because of their impeccable and commercially sound advice."

"The arguments they put forth are logical and I find that they are protecting our interest."

“Excellent client services,” adding that it is “always prompt and responsive.”

"They are very responsive and always answer the question. They don't just state the law like some law firms do. Instead they give you something you can actually use."

"Extremely professional, sound advice and very prompt in serving their clients."

"I am continually impressed by their thoroughness."

"They have a proactive approach, they respond quickly and are willing to work on international projects."

One client praises Kelvin for his "knowledge of employment legislation, referencing case laws around the world and applying it to our matters."

"Benjamin understands the issues we're trying to deal with and offers succinct advice, giving the key points." 

Benjamin is described as "very helpful and extremely responsive".

Who's Who Legal 
Global Guide: Labour & Employment 2023
Kelvin Tan – Leading Lawyer for 2 consecutive years
Benjamin Gaw – Leading Lawyer for 11 consecutive years

National Guide: Southeast Asia – Labour, Employment & Employment 2023
Kelvin Tan – Leading Lawyer for 2 consecutive years
Benjamin Gaw – Leading Lawyer for 3 consecutive years

“Kelvin Tan is highly esteemed for his outstanding track-record resolving complex employment disputes in both arbitration and litigation proceedings.”

“Benjamin Gaw applies his vast experience to complex employment disputes and advisory work spanning across multiple sectors.”

Asialaw Profiles
Labour & Employment 2023/24 – Highly Recommended practice for 9 consecutive years 

“Prompt, thorough and responsive.”

Client feedback: The “very responsive and thorough” team at Drew & Napier handles challenging assignments in employment and labour.

“Quality and practical advice understanding the business and commercial perspectives with prompt services and reasonable fees.”

Asialaw Leading Lawyers
Labour and Employment 2023/24
Kelvin Tan – Distinguished Practitioner for 5 consecutive years
Benjamin Gaw – Notable Practitioner

Benjamin is “Knowledgeable, professional, available, has a positive attitude and is attentive to client’s needs.”

“Kelvin takes responsibility for his lawyers and their work. He is pleasant and effective in court trials as a senior litigation lawyer, and he and his team are not only legally competent, but practical and helpful in meeting our needs in their advice and solutions offered.”

Kelvin is praised for being “client-focused, knowledgeable with practical solutions, accessible and responsive, understands the client's needs and expectations. His team also has the same attributes.”

“Kelvin has the qualities that in-house legal teams look for in external counsel: technical proficiency, thoroughness and a keen appreciation of commercial sensitivities. He delivers sound and carefully considered advice, which demonstrates a deft balance of legal technicalities and commercial strategy.”

Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific
Labor and Employment 2023 – Tier 2 for 3 consecutive years

Kelvin Tan – Litigation Star for 2 consecutive years

“Rakesh Kirpalani communicates well both in English and Chinese and always provides feedback promptly. He is familiar with our industry and is quick to get the points and concerns from us.”

The Straits Times - Singapore’s Best Law Firms 2024
Rated full marks (5 stars) for Employment Law in the Singapore’s Best Law Firms 2024 survey, for the third consecutive year, by Singapore’s largest circulating broadsheet, The Straits Times, and international research company, Statista; 4 stars in 2021

Practical Law Company Which Lawyer? Yearbook
Labour & Employee Benefits 2009

Leading Individual:
Kelvin Tan

“Experienced in both contentious and non-contentious employment matters with some focus on corporate labour policies and breaches of contract.”