Battles, bots and breakthroughs: Inside the ST/Statista 2027 list of Singapore’s 100 best law firms

There was a dramatic showdown between two industry heavyweights at the top of The Straits Times/Statista Singapore’s Best Law Firms 2027 list. 

Both Rajah & Tann and Dentons Rodyk & Davidson secured awards in 19 out of 23 fields of law in the survey. However, Rajah & Tann clinched top spot overall through a superior count of first-place finishes and five-star ratings, which are awarded to firms receiving an exceptional volume of peer and client recommendations. 

This is Rajah & Tann’s sixth successive podium first, made all the more significant as it comes on its 50th anniversary.

From a two-man firm in 1976, Rajah & Tann now has more than 1,000 lawyers across 10 countries. Managing partner Ng Kim Beng credited its success to the deep relationships based on trust and confidence that it has built, and a culture steeped in excellence, integrity and a resolute commitment to putting clients’ interests first. 

“We take none of this for granted. Every matter, every client relationship and every interaction is an opportunity to earn trust anew. The legal profession is constantly evolving, clients continue to expect more, and the competitive landscape becomes more dynamic every year,” said Ng.

The firm marked its milestone anniversary with several major community initiatives. These included a $500,000 scholarship endowment split equally between the National University of Singapore and Singapore Management University; a $150,000 commitment to Fei Yue Community Services’ Early Intervention Programme for children with developmental needs; and a two-year commitment to provide pro bono legal workshops and guidance to charities and non-profit organisations. 

Celebrating 165 years of practice is Singapore’s oldest law firm, Dentons Rodyk & Davidson, which rose from fourth to second place overall in the latest ranking. 

Managing partner Gerald Singham said: “Remaining relevant for 165 years requires more than longevity. For Dentons Rodyk, it has meant evolving with Singapore through generations of change while staying grounded in the relationships and values that have endured throughout our history. We have our clients to thank for our strong showing in the latest Singapore’s Best Law Firms survey.”

The joint top ranking in terms of the number of law fields reflects the immense trust clients and peers have placed in the firm, he said, and it comes at a defining moment in its history, as it prepares for its next chapter of leadership. 

From Jan 1, 2027, Singham will hand over the reins to Edric Pan.

The ST/Statista 2027 ranking, based on one of the most comprehensive surveys of Singapore’s legal industry, was conducted between May and July and drew some 6,000 respondents who submitted over 12,000 recommendations. The returns were processed and the numbers analysed by Hamburg-based Statista. The data platform then determined the best 100 law firms, out of over 1,270 here.

All of the previous year’s top 10 retained top-tier standing, though internal rankings between them shifted – except for Rajah & Tann’s hold on the top spot – and 13 firms made it onto the list for the first time. 

Also making it to the latest ranking are two international firms which hold the Qualifying Foreign Law Practice licence from the Ministry of Law. This licence allows foreign law firms to practise in prescribed areas of Singapore law.

Clifford Chance was recognised for its work in the capital markets and financial services regulatory (FSR) fields, while Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, appearing on the Best 100 list for the first time, was similarly recognised in the FSR field. 

As Singapore’s legal landscape is evolving, the survey expanded its coverage by introducing two new stand-alone law fields: aviation, aerospace and space; and healthcare and life sciences.

Drew & Napier took first place in healthcare and life sciences. Practice head Benjamin Gaw highlighted growing demand driven by biotech innovation, digital health, ageing populations and complex regulatory landscapes.  

The firm’s work in this sector draws on multidisciplinary capabilities. It acts for both local and international companies, providing sound and practical advice to support clients in their various stages of development, from starting up and product launches to day-to-day running, expansion and restructuring, Gaw said. “One of the main niches and strengths of our practice group is our ability to advise on areas that affect both the healthcare industry and the product companies,” he added.

Drew & Napier attributes its success in this and other fields to its strategy of drawing exceptional legal talent and maintaining a focused commitment to client advocacy. 

The firm’s chief executive, Senior Counsel Cavinder Bull, said: “Drew is driven by two things: a deep well of talent and a profound desire to do well for our clients. We are perhaps the most storied firm in Singapore because we collect incredibly gifted lawyers and teach them to be dedicated to solving clients’ problems – it becomes a shared burden.”

Placing a similar focus on continuous client support was Allen & Gledhill’s managing partner, Jerry Koh. He said of the firm’s clients: “Their trust and support are the real reason behind our sustained high placement in The Straits Times’ Singapore’s Best Law Firms. Our desire to do better for them drives us to constantly seek excellence in all we do.” 

CNPLaw, which had a top-five finish in the overall placings, also scored the highest number of five-star ratings overall, together with Adsan Law. CNPLaw’s managing partner Lisa Theng said that the firm’s philosophy is to always serve clients with excellence and integrity. “When we get these fundamentals right, the results will follow. But we do not stand still. We continually adapt, innovate and develop our capabilities to meet the evolving needs of our clients and the business environment.”

She added that the “CNP culture” is founded on the simple principle that people matter. “Our people and our clients are important to us, and we place great emphasis on building relationships founded on trust, collaboration and the sharing of knowledge. Our sense of shared purpose within the ‘CNP family’ helps us attract and develop good people, deliver better outcomes for clients and build a firm that can thrive over the long term.”

Another of Singapore’s top-notch full-service law firms is WongPartnership. “Our strength lies in our specialist expertise and a deep understanding of our clients’ commercial objectives to deliver practical, integrated advice,” said managing partner Chou Sean Yu. 

He added that the firm will build on this by “investing in our people, deepening our regional presence and adopting technology in a considered and responsible way”.

ESG and pro bono leadership

Beyond commercial practice, law firms were also evaluated on their social impact and commitment to sustainability. 

Rajah & Tann, Adsan Law and Allen & Gledhill led the rankings for providing legal advice to charities and non-profit organisations, as well as for offering pro bono services. 

Central to Rajah & Tann’s outreach is its foundation’s commitment to “excellence with heart”, expanding access to justice through community legal clinics with Pro Bono SG – the Law Society of Singapore’s charity arm – and a memorandum of understanding with the Legal Aid Bureau to handle civil legal aid cases. 

Allen & Gledhill led the environmental, social and governance (ESG) practice rankings by prioritising strong internal accountability. Among other things, the firm’s efforts were driven by three key milestones: becoming South-east Asia’s first law-firm signatory to the UN Global Compact, a policy initiative for businesses; appointing partner Elsa Chen as chief sustainability officer in 2025; and instituting a mandatory 24-hour annual pro bono commitment for all its lawyers through its “A&G in the Community” initiative.

Boutique versus corporate 

In the current ranking, medium-sized firms, with six to 30 lawyers, and large ones, with more than 30 lawyers, dominated categories like arbitration and dispute resolution, accounting for 28 of 32 firms recognised.

However, boutique practices showed that deep focus can triumph over scale in specialised fields.

Adi Law, for example, topped the investment funds law field for the third consecutive year, edging out eight major full-service firms on the list, among others. 

Managing director Amit Dhume said: “To be recognised as the top firm for investment funds for a third consecutive year is something we do not take for granted. It reflects the trust our clients have placed in a focused, specialist practice.”

A first-time entrant in the rankings, hslegal, shot to the top of the intellectual property (IP) law field. Managing partner Murgiana Haq said: “We are truly honoured by this recognition in our inaugural ranking. As a boutique IP practice, this recognition from our clients and peers is especially meaningful. Clients are at the heart of our work, and we are grateful for the trust they place in us.” 

She added that strong relationships with clients, team members and the broader legal community are essential to a successful IP law practice. Haq stressed that in-person meetings, event networking and participation in local and international IP associations build trust, credibility and collaboration. 

Separately, for the third year running, the ST/Statista survey also identified the 20 top-rated lawyers, based on the number of recommendations received. 

They ranged from Lighthouse Law’s Adrian Wee to CNPLaw’s See Tow Soo Ling and included industry veterans like Senior Counsel Davinder Singh and Peter Low. 

Said Akesh Abhilash, who is appearing for the first time on the list: “Disputes and arbitration work means standing beside people when their business, and often their peace of mind, is on the line. To be recommended by those who let me do that for them means more than I can easily say.”

The AI divide: Efficiency verus human judgment

Artificial Intelligence emerged as a major and somewhat divisive theme in the questionnaire for lawyers that accompanied the survey. Reflecting the extreme positions on the subject, one lawyer said that “AI camouflages substandard work”, while another said that because of AI, “you can no longer survive as a mediocre lawyer”.

Overall, more than half of the 300 respondents identified the top risks as the erosion of critical thinking skills, over-reliance on automated tools and accuracy issues.

When contacted separately about the use of AI, law firms said they are taking a strategic, measured approach to integrating generative AI (Gen AI) and seek to balance active technological investment with an emphasis on preserving human judgment, institutional knowledge and client trust.

Some, like Allen & Gledhill, are moving beyond generic tools to build proprietary capabilities and adopt leading platforms. 

With a grant from the Infocomm Media Development Authority, the firm launched its custom Gen AI platform, A&GEL, embedding AI directly in the firm’s workflows and document management across six jurisdictions.

Similarly, WongPartnership is focusing on embedding its own institutional knowledge in AI workflows, while Dentons Rodyk has built an internal AI knowledge agent, enabling lawyers to streamline the research workflow, among other things.

WongPartnership’s Chou said that as Gen AI becomes widely accessible, leveraging proprietary expertise within AI tools will be the key differentiator, enabling lawyers to spend more time on strategy and client relationships while delivering sharper advice.

Across all the top law firms, the emphasis was the same – AI should augment, rather than replace, human expertise. 

Rajah & Tann’s Ng and Dentons Rodyk’s Singham both noted that while AI handles data-heavy repetitive tasks, core legal value relies on human qualities that technology cannot replicate: trust, empathy, strategic discernment and tailored advice. 

Sharing similar sentiments, CNPLaw’s Theng said: “Ultimately, we see AI as a means of strengthening our ability to serve our clients rather than a substitute for the expertise, judgment and relationships that lie at the heart of good legal advice.”

The same holds true for boutique firm Delta Law Corporation, which was set up in June 2025. Partner Sean Lee said the firm was still working out how best to build AI into its established workflows, and it would rather do that properly than quickly. 

He said: “Everything that goes to a client or to a court is checked by the lawyer whose name is on it, and we treat client confidentiality as the constraint that determines what we will and will not put through any external system. Neither of those positions is likely to change.”

Drew & Napier’s Bull said: “The modern lawyer has to master two things: how to use AI and when not to use AI. Law firms need to develop a culture where judgment and critical thinking are considered too precious to be abdicated to AI.”