Government

Drew & Napier is regularly instructed on matters that entail considerable involvement, negotiation, and collaboration with governments or public sector bodies. We act both for and against government bodies.

Our lawyers offer not just legal but strategic advice. Clients particularly appreciate our knowledge of the players in multiple sectors and our understanding of government, business, and political and policy considerations that affect how decisions are made and how deals are done.

We are experienced in handling a wide range of contentious and non-contentious matters that are affected by government and public policy considerations, including:

  • Foreign investment transactions
  • Investment treaty arbitrations
  • Publicly sensitive mergers and acquisitions
  • Procurement, concessions, and government contracting matters
  • Public-Private Partnerships
  • Advice on feasibility, structuring, and development of legislation and policies including competition/anti-trust and telecommunications matters
  • Representations at inquiry proceedings and other government review mechanisms
  • Publicly sensitive transactions in the defence, energy, and utility sectors

What we can do for you   

Our advice is integrated with that of our other practices, particularly dispute resolution, and corporate & finance to advise or act on strategic deals and matters where public sector interests and concerns are a key element.

Here are some recent matters we have done: 

  1. Advised Temasek Holdings in respect of allegations of anti-trust violations in the telecommunications industry made by Indonesia’s Business Competition Supervisory Commission against our client and its subsidiaries, Singapore Technologies Telemedia and Singtel.
     
  2. Acted for PetroChina, one of China’s state-owned petroleum companies in its S$3.2 billion takeover of Singapore’s national petroleum company, Singapore Petroleum Company Limited.
     
  3. Advised the Singapore Ministry for Trade and Industry in relation to an appeal by the three largest electricity generation companies from the Energy Market Authority’s decision to implement the Vesting Relief Scheme. This Scheme sought to promote efficiency and competition in the electricity market by mitigating the exercise of the generation companies’ market power.
     
  4. Acted for the Director of Forests, the Minister for Resource Planning and the Government of the State of Sarawak in an appeal to the Court of Appeal in Malaysia arising from a claim for damages (involving novel and complex issues relating to the tort of misfeasance in public office and conspiracy).
     
  5. Advised a government on procurement of military equipment.

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