Oon & Bazul names Partner Keith Han Co-Head of its Restructuring & Insolvency Practice

Oon & Bazul LLP (“Oon & Bazul”), one of Singapore’s largest conflict-free law firms and leading commercial legal practices, is pleased to announce the promotion of Keith Han, current Partner of the firm’s Restructuring and Insolvency Practice, to Co-head.

In his newly-augmented role, Keith will oversee a team of lawyers tasked with crafting practical, commercial and cost-effective solutions for clients in disputes arising from restructuring and insolvency situations. Says Managing Partner and Head of Dispute Resolution, Bazul Ashhab: “It gives me great pleasure to announce that Partner Keith Han will be elevated to the position of Co-Head of our Restructuring and Insolvency Practice. Keith joined us from Clifford Chance in July 2020 and within the year, he has assimilated with Oon & Bazul and has added significant value to the Restructuring & Insolvency practice and the firm. This promotion is consistent with the firm’s ethos in trusting and investing in our younger partners. I am confident that allowing deserving younger partners a seat at the decision-making table will help the firm in reaching its full potential. Please join me in congratulating Keith and I look forward to his continued contribution to the firm.”

Meiyen Tan, Partner and Co-head, Restructuring and Insolvency, Oon & Bazul, chimes in on Keith’s new role: “I am very excited to welcome Keith to co-lead the Restructuring and Insolvency Practice with me. Working closely with him in the last one year, I have seen Keith expand rapidly on his current skillsets as Partner. With the Practice increasingly securing more work and clinching top league rankings internationally, I welcome the additional support in running this practice that has built an excellent reputation for top quality legal service.”

States Keith Han: “I am deeply honoured, and humbled, at being appointed Restructuring and Insolvency Co- head. I will continue working closely with Partner and Co-head Meiyen Tan, as we embark on a growth trajectory of new client acquisitions, as well as ensuring the team remains deeply proficient in providing first- class legal advice and representation to our clients. I am thankful to the firm for the immense faith it has placed in me, and Meiyen for her unstinting support this past year. I look forward to bringing Oon & Bazul’s Restructuring and Insolvency practice to greater heights.”

A graduate of the National University of Singapore with First Class Honours and a former Justices’ Law Clerk, Keith has appeared as lead counsel at all levels in the Singapore Courts, including in the Court of Appeal, and his legal submissions have been recognised by the Singapore High Court in one reported case as being “succinct, thorough and well researched”, and from which the Court derived “considerable assistance”. His work has also been recognised by leading legal publications: the International Financial Law Review cites Keith as a “Rising Star” for Restructuring and Insolvency in Singapore, while Legal 500 Asia Pacific has recognised him in the local litigation category as a “Next Generation Lawyer” and a rising star as a practitioner “who is praised for his advocacy and very strategic advice”.

Keith is presently a founding executive committee member of the Young Insolvency Practitioners’ Committee of the Insolvency Practitioners Association of Singapore (IPAS), and a founding committee member of FIRE Starters, a global community of practitioners in the fraud, insolvency, recovery and enforcement sphere. Keith strongly believes in giving back to the legal and wider community: he frequently takes on pro bono cases, including under the Law Society’s Criminal Legal Aid Scheme.

Notable Restructuring & Insolvency cases undertaken by Keith include advising and acting for the insolvency administrators of Wirecard Acquiring & Issuing Gmbh, and Wirecard AG in winding up proceedings commenced against oCap Management, advising and acting or various entities and shareholders within the Xihe Group as part of the restructuring and insolvency proceedings involving Hin Leong Trading Pte Ltd, Ocean Tankers (Pte) Ltd and Xihe Holdings Pte Ltd, advising and acting for PT MNC in the first known application by an Indonesian company for a scheme moratorium and in its successful implementation of a pre-packaged scheme in Singapore , and advising and acting for the Liquidators of OW Bunker Far East (KPMG) in a long- running, complex, multi-jurisdictional insolvency following the collapse of the OW Bunker Group, one of the biggest players in the global bunker trading industry.