What Shook Lin & Bok does

Shook Lin & Bok LLP is a Singapore-based limited liability partnership law firm founded in 1918, operating as a full-service legal practice with 150+ fee earners across 21 practice areas organised into four service solution groups: Asset & Wealth Management and Banking & Finance; Corporate Finance (Capital Markets, Corporate Commercial, Corporate Governance, Corporate Real Estate, M&A, Private Equity & Venture Capital); Disputes, Enforcement & Risk Management (Competition & Antitrust, Construction & Projects, International Arbitration, International Trade, Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Restructuring & Insolvency); and Digital, People & Sustainability (Data Protection & Privacy, Employment, ESG, Financial Services Regulatory, Intellectual Property, Shipping & Commodities). The firm serves four primary client verticals: Financial Institutions (banks, capital markets intermediaries), Multinational Corporations, Private Equity and Investment Funds, and Ultra-High Net Worth Individuals and Families. It is headquartered at 1 Robinson Road #18-00 AIA Tower in Singapore's central business district and operates without disclosed parent-company, private equity, or external institutional ownership, co-led by Managing Partners David Chong and David Chan.

The firm delivers professional legal services across banking and finance, corporate and M&A, capital markets, dispute resolution, restructuring and insolvency, investment funds, private wealth, intellectual property, employment, ESG, and shipping and commodities. Notable quantified track record includes leading IPOs of approximately 30 REITs (including 4 CapitaLand and 4 Mapletree REITs), advising on more than 200 Variable Capital Company (VCC) fund establishments, and Tier 1 ranking in Banking & Finance by Legal 500 Asia Pacific across multiple consecutive years. The firm has adopted Harvey AI as a third-party tool for legal research and document review, with all AI-generated work product subject to lawyer review and supervision.

Revenue is generated through hourly professional fees on legal services per engagement letters, with urgent work billed at 1.5x standard rates and disbursements (court fees, travel, administrative costs) billed separately. Billing is conducted monthly in Singapore Dollars or other currencies as appropriate, payment is due within 21 days, and 6% interest accrues on overdue amounts exceeding 30 days. The go-to-market motion relies on partner-led direct engagement with enterprise and institutional clients rather than transactional or volume sales channels, supported by legal directory rankings, thought-leadership publications, professional conferences, and the firm's website.

Name

Shook Lin & Bok

Legal name

Shook Lin & Bok LLP

Website

https://shooklin.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1918

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Shook Lin & Bok LLP is a Singapore law firm founded in 1918 with 150+ fee earners across 21 practice areas serving financial institutions, multinational corporations, investment funds, and ultra-high net worth families through partner-led engagement.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Legal Services (5411), Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) & Securities Law (BPAHAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

M&A Advisory (Buy-Side & Sell-Side) (BPAHAOAA), Sell-Side M&A Advisory (FSAEAGAA)

Keywords

• Commercial legal services
• Banking and finance law
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Investment funds law
• Dispute resolution

Headquarters

HQ city

Singapore

HQ country

Singapore

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Professional Fees: The firm charges professional fees based on hourly billing rates for lawyers, paralegals, and practice trainees as set out in their Letter of Engagement. Urgent work is billed at 1.5 times the respective hourly rate. Additional charges include disbursements such as court fees, postage, telephone, photocopying, and travel expenses. The firm also handles billing in Singapore Dollars or other currencies as deemed appropriate.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Shook Lin & Bok LLP is a leading Singapore-based law firm providing full-service legal advisory across 21 practice areas including banking & finance, corporate and M&A, capital markets, investment funds, dispute resolution, restructuring & insolvency, intellectual property, and private wealth. The firm serves financial institutions, multinational corporations, private equity investors, and ultra-high net worth families on domestic and cross-border matters. Services are delivered through partner-led engagements billed on an hourly basis, supported by AI-assisted legal research and document review tools.

Product overview

Shook Lin & Bok LLP is a leading full-service Singapore law firm offering legal services across 21 practice areas organised into four main service solution groups: (1) Asset & Wealth Management and Banking & Finance, (2) Corporate Finance (covering Capital Markets, Corporate Commercial, Corporate Governance, Corporate Real Estate, Mergers & Acquisitions, and Private Equity & Venture Capital), (3) Disputes, Enforcement & Risk Management (covering Competition & Antitrust, Construction & Projects, International Arbitration, International Trade, Litigation & Dispute Resolution, and Restructuring & Insolvency), and (4) Digital, People & Sustainability (covering Data Protection & Privacy, Employment, Environmental Social and Governance, Financial Services Regulatory, Intellectual Property, and Shipping & Commodities). The firm serves sectors including Commodities, Cybersecurity, Education, Energy & Natural Resources, Financial Institutions, Fintech, Funds & Investment Management, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Hospitality & Leisure, Media & Entertainment, Real Estate, Shipping, and Technology, Media & Telecommunications. The firm emphasises tech-driven tailored legal solutions delivered by a team of 150+ fee earners with 107 years of history since 1918.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Banking & Finance Legal services covering syndicated lending, structured finance, leveraged buy-outs, acquisition finance, trade finance, project finance, and REIT financing for banks, financial institutions, and corporate borrowers. Includes securitisation, debt restructuring, and advising on sanctions risks and letter of credit mitigation.
• Asset & Wealth Management Legal services for the investment funds industry, supporting retail and restricted schemes across the full spectrum of fund types, assets, and strategies. Includes fund formation, VCC (Variable Capital Company) establishment, family office advisory, and REIT transactions.
• Capital Markets Legal services covering equity and debt capital markets transactions across Singapore and Asia-Pacific, including IPOs, REIT listings, and advice on the Global Listing Board and Securities and Futures Act amendments.
• Corporate Commercial Comprehensive end-to-end corporate and advisory services for global businesses entering and expanding in Singapore, including commercial contracts, joint ventures, and corporate governance matters.
• Mergers & Acquisitions M&A advisory including cross-border transactions, tender offers, schemes of arrangement, reverse takeovers, privatisations, joint ventures, management buy-outs, and antitrust/competition filings.
• Private Equity & Venture Capital Legal advisory for PE and VC investors, fund managers, and family offices on fund structuring, structuring under Singapore Sections 13O and 13U, CMS licensing, and tax incentive programs.
• Corporate Governance Legal services on corporate governance matters for clients in Singapore, including board advisory, compliance, and shareholder matters.
• Corporate Real Estate Legal services for corporate real estate transactions including acquisitions, disposals, leasing, and real estate financing. Advised on cross-border deals such as the CapitaLand Ascendas REIT Brisbane logistics acquisition for A$70.3 million.
• Litigation & Dispute Resolution Litigation and dispute resolution services covering commercial and transactions disputes, construction disputes, family and matrimonial, insolvency, labour and employment, real estate and tenancy disputes, and commodities trade disputes. Includes cross-border insolvency and banking disputes.
• Restructuring & Insolvency Cross-border restructuring and insolvency advisory for creditors, debtors, and stakeholders. Recognized by Hall of Fame rankings and GRR100 Guide 2023 for cross-border restructurings and insolvencies.
• International Arbitration International arbitration services covering commercial, construction, and trade-related disputes across multiple jurisdictions.
• International Trade Legal services on international trade matters including trade finance disputes, sanctions risks, and commodity trade disputes for commodity traders and trading houses.
• Competition & Antitrust Legal services on competition and antitrust matters, including merger control filings and antitrust compliance for cross-border transactions.
• Construction & Projects Legal services for construction projects and related disputes, supporting contractors, developers, and project owners in Singapore and across the region.
• Intellectual Property Full-service IP legal services including patent and trade mark disputes, copyright matters, trade mark prosecution, and IP transactions. Heads include Jevon Louis, ranked as a Patent Star in 2026.
• Data Protection & Privacy Legal services on data protection and privacy matters, advising clients on Singapore PDPA and cross-border privacy compliance.
• Financial Services Regulatory Legal advisory on Singapore financial services regulatory frameworks, including advice on licensing, regulatory compliance, and amendments to the Securities and Futures Act.
• Employment Legal services on employment matters including employment disputes, labour relations, and advisory work for employers and senior executives.
• Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Legal advisory on ESG matters including sustainability governance, social value reporting, and compliance with evolving ESG frameworks for corporates and investors.
• Shipping & Commodities Legal services covering shipping, commodities trading, and trade-related disputes for shipping companies and commodity traders.
• Private Wealth Legal services for ultra-high net worth individuals and families on wealth preservation, family governance, succession planning, and trust establishment across generations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Tier 1 ranking in Banking & Finance by Legal 500 Asia Pacific for multiple consecutive years
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Harvey AI (Harvey AI Corporation)supportingTechnology or IntegrationThe firm engages Harvey AI as an AI Provider for artificial intelligence tools and products in the course of providing legal services. Harvey AI is used for legal research, document review, and other AI-assisted legal tasks. All AI-generated work product is reviewed and supervised by the firm's lawyers. Personal data may be transmitted to Harvey AI's systems for processing.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Baker McKenzie: Global firm with one of the largest Singapore presences, competing across Banking, M&A, and International Trade practices. Represents the broad-based international competition for institutional clients in Singapore.
• Clifford Chance: Global Magic Circle firm with a significant Singapore office competing for the same cross-border Banking & Finance, M&A, and Capital Markets mandates. Larger global network means it often leads transactions where Shook Lin & Bok serves as Singapore local counsel.
• Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer: Global elite firm with Singapore office active in M&A, Antitrust, and Capital Markets. Competes for premium cross-border mandates and represents the international incumbent pressure on Singapore firms.
• Linklaters: Global Magic Circle firm with Singapore presence, competing for high-end Banking & Finance, Capital Markets, and M&A deals. Represents the international competition Shook Lin & Bok faces for cross-border mandates involving Singapore.
• Herbert Smith Freehills: Global firm with established Singapore office competing in Dispute Resolution, Energy, and Banking matters. Represents the international Magic Circle and Silver Circle competition for premium mandates in Singapore.
• Norton Rose Fulbright: Global firm with strong Singapore and broader Asia-Pacific Banking & Finance and Project Finance practices. Directly competes for financial institution mandates and cross-border financings where Shook Lin & Bok is active.

Direct peers

• Drew & Napier LLC: Singapore full-service firm with strong Intellectual Property, Dispute Resolution, and Corporate practices. Competes for the same institutional and enterprise clients in Singapore, with similar century-old heritage and full-service model.
• Allen & Gledhill: Singapore's largest full-service law firm with leading Banking & Finance, Corporate M&A, and Capital Markets practices. Closest comparable peer given overlapping Tier 1 rankings, partner-led model, and deep Singapore institutional client base that directly competes for the same mandates.
• Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP: Singapore-headquartered full-service firm with extensive Banking, Corporate, and Dispute Resolution capabilities. Direct competitor for large Singapore mandates with similar institutional client base and similar partner-led structure.
• WongPartnership LLP: Singapore-headquartered full-service firm with strong Banking & Finance, Dispute Resolution, and Corporate practices. Directly competes for institutional clients and ranked alongside Shook Lin & Bok in major legal directories across overlapping practice areas.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shook Lin & Bok