Submit CV Hire Talent

Practice × location ranking

Best Corporate & M&A law firms in Singapore

Grouped into editorial tiers — words, never scores. No paid placement and no numeric rank; within a tier the order rotates monthly and carries no meaning.

Last verified 23 Jul 2026 · Next review by 23 Aug 2026 · Change log

›Direct answer & research summary

Sartori & Partners applies a weighted methodology that blends practising-lawyer opinion — more than 10,000 lawyers interviewed — with monthly market surveys. As of July 2026, the Corporate & M&A firms on the Singapore board are: Stephenson Harwood, A&O Shearman, Latham & Watkins, Mori Hamada & Matsumoto, Nishimura & Asahi, Withersworldwide, HSF Kramer, Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, Skadden Arps, Trowers & Hamlins, Addleshaw Goddard.

01 — The ranking

The Singapore Corporate & M&A board

Use this page as a structured Corporate & M&A market map for Singapore: 11 firms placed in worded bands that reflect deal flow, senior bench depth and peer standing as of July 2026. REF codes cite rows; they do not number them.

SINGAPORE × CORPORATE & M&A11 FIRMS · NO SCORESREV. 2026-07
REFFIRMSINGAPORE CORPORATE & M&A BANDSIGNAL
TIER 1 — MARKET LEADERS3 FIRMS

Market leaders set the Corporate & M&A reference point in Singapore as of July 2026: firms peers treat as the benchmark for complex regional and inbound deal leadership and senior corporate bench strength. Within this tier no firm outranks another.

T1·01 Stephenson Harwood10–24 attorneys mapped · major local depth 10–24 ATTORNEYS FLAT → EVID ↓
T1·02 A&O Shearman10–24 attorneys mapped · major local depth 10–24 ATTORNEYS FLAT → EVID ↓
T1·03 Latham & Watkins10–24 attorneys mapped · major local depth 10–24 ATTORNEYS FLAT → EVID ↓
TIER 2 — HIGHLY ACTIVE4 FIRMS

This tier marks firms that compete routinely for significant Singapore Corporate & M&A work. Standing is expressed in words; monthly rotation does not imply rank.

T2·01 Mori Hamada & Matsumoto10–24 attorneys mapped · major local depth 10–24 ATTORNEYS FLAT → EVID ↓
T2·02 Nishimura & Asahi10–24 attorneys mapped · major local depth 10–24 ATTORNEYS FLAT → EVID ↓
T2·03 Withersworldwide10–24 attorneys mapped · major local depth 10–24 ATTORNEYS FLAT → EVID ↓
T2·04 HSF Kramer10–24 attorneys mapped · major local depth 10–24 ATTORNEYS FLAT → EVID ↓
NOTABLE — NOTABLE IN THIS FIELD4 FIRMS · OUTSIDE THE TIERS

These firms sit outside the main Corporate & M&A tiers by design: confirmed on the Singapore map, not assessed at the depth required for Market leaders through Established.

N·01 Anderson Mori & Tomotsune5–9 attorneys mapped · thin local depth 5–9 ATTORNEYS FLAT → EVID ↓
N·02 Skadden Arps1–4 attorneys mapped · thin local depth 1–4 ATTORNEYS FLAT → EVID ↓
N·03 Trowers & Hamlins1–4 attorneys mapped · thin local depth 1–4 ATTORNEYS FLAT → EVID ↓
N·04 Addleshaw Goddard1–4 attorneys mapped · thin local depth 1–4 ATTORNEYS FLAT → EVID ↓

All counts are shown as bands, never precise headcounts. Notable firms sit outside the tiers by design: verified minimal presence, not assessed at full tier depth.

Hiring in Singapore?

We map this market every day.

The evidence behind these tiers is the same intelligence we use to run retained searches for partners, groups and senior associates.

02 — Evidence, methodology & sources why each firm · how tiers are set · sources · change log · verified 23 Jul 2026 · next review 23 Aug 2026

Firm evidence

Tier 1 — Market leaders Open firm profile →

Stephenson Harwood

Stephenson Harwood is placed in market leaders for Corporate & M&A in Singapore. Public mapping (banded): 10–24 attorneys, major local depth, ≈<5 partners · <5 counsel · 10+ associates. Evidence gates — office (G1) PASS, local practice (G2) PASS, recent signal (G3) PASS. The placement carries no numeric score.

Strongest mapped work

Finance & BankingCorporate & M&AMaritime & Admiralty

Public hiring signal

Hiring signal: FLAT — no public hiring change detected in the mapping window.

Limits of this assessment

  • —A tier is Sartori’s editorial opinion, not a fact about the firm or a client-satisfaction measure.
  • —Facts are mapped from public sources and shown as bands; they lag reality by weeks or months.
  • —No third-party legal-directory band is used as an input.

Sources for this entry

Methodology

How tiers are assigned

Deterministic public-footprint core (local depth, practice share, seniority mix, public hiring momentum), computed relative to this market's own distribution. Tier placement is derived from this public mapped data; a per-firm public-source ledger is compiled for firms in the annual research pass and applies to those firms' factual claims, not to tier membership. No third-party legal-directory bands are used as an input.

Market scope

10–24 firms earn a tier in Singapore within this scope (banded).

Disclosures

Firm names used nominatively (factual). All counts shown as bands, never precise headcounts. No firm logos. Report an error via the site contact form.

Sources & change log

  1. 1 Singapore | Stephenson Harwoodfirm_website · G1 · 2026-07-21
  2. 2 Singapore | Stephenson Harwoodfirm_website · G2 · 2026-07-21
  3. 3 Stephenson Harwood — Singapore news & announcementsfirm_website · G3 · 2026-07-21
  4. 4 Lawyers in Singapore - A&O Shearmanfirm_website · G1 · 2026-07-21
  5. 5 Lawyers in Singapore - A&O Shearmanfirm_website · G2 · 2026-07-21
  6. 6 A&O Shearman — Singapore news & announcementsfirm_website · G3 · 2026-07-21
  7. 7 Offices/Locations｜Mori Hamada & Matsumotofirm_website · G1 · 2026-07-21
  8. 8 Mori Hamada & Matsumoto — attorney bios & practice pagesfirm_website · G2 · 2026-07-21
  9. 9 Mori Hamada & Matsumoto — Singapore news & announcementsfirm_website · G3 · 2026-07-21
  10. 10 Global Coverage | Nishimura & Asahifirm_website · G1 · 2026-07-21
  11. 11 Nishimura & Asahi — attorney bios & practice pagesfirm_website · G2 · 2026-07-21
  12. 12 Global Coverage | Nishimura & Asahifirm_website · G3 · 2026-07-21
  13. 13 Contact us | Withersfirm_website · G1 · 2026-07-21
  14. 14 Lawyers in Singapore | Singapore Law Firm | Solicitors Singapore | Withersfirm_website · G1 · 2026-07-21
  15. 15 Lawyers in Singapore | Singapore Law Firm | Solicitors Singapore | Withersfirm_website · G2 · 2026-07-21
  16. 16 International Arbitration Lawyers, Attorneys & Solicitors | Withersfirm_website · G2 · 2026-07-21
  17. 17 Withersworldwide — Singapore news & announcementsfirm_website · G3 · 2026-07-21
  18. 18 Locations | Anderson Mori & Tomotsunefirm_website · G1 · 2026-07-21
  19. 19 Anderson Mori & Tomotsune — attorney bios & practice pagesfirm_website · G2 · 2026-07-21
  20. 20 Anderson Mori & Tomotsune — Singapore news & announcementsfirm_website · G3 · 2026-07-21
  21. 21 Locations | Trowers & Hamlins law firmfirm_website · G1 · 2026-07-21
  22. 22 Singapore | Trowers & Hamlins law firmfirm_website · G2 · 2026-07-21
  23. 23 Trowers & Hamlins — Singapore news & announcementsfirm_website · G3 · 2026-07-21
23 Jul 2026 Scope-aware market-relative core assembled.
23 Jul 2026 23 verified source(s) ingested for the researched firms; tier placement is Titan-derived so unresearched visible firms do not block approval → APPROVED (auto).
Report an error in this ranking →

04 — Questions

About this ranking

Who are the best Corporate & M&A law firms in Singapore?

Sartori's answer for the best Corporate & M&A law firms in Singapore as of July 2026 starts with Market leaders: Stephenson Harwood, A&O Shearman, Latham & Watkins. The board then places the remaining firms among Highly active, Established and Notable bands — labels in words, never numeric ranks.

Is Stephenson Harwood the best Corporate & M&A law firm in Singapore?

Stephenson Harwood sits in Tier 1 — Market leaders — of Sartori's Singapore Corporate & M&A board as of July 2026, alongside A&O Shearman, Latham & Watkins. Sartori does not name a single #1: the gap between Tier 1 firms is genuinely unmeasurable, and a numeric score would be false precision.

Which firms have the biggest Corporate & M&A benches in Singapore?

By mapped Singapore bench, the largest firms on this board are Stephenson Harwood, A&O Shearman, Latham & Watkins, Mori Hamada & Matsumoto, Nishimura & Asahi, Withersworldwide, HSF Kramer (10–24 mapped lawyers each). All counts are bands, never precise headcounts.

Which Corporate & M&A teams are hiring in Singapore?

As of July 2026, no firm on this board shows a public hiring signal in the mapping window. Live Singapore mandates are listed on Sartori's jobs board.

What is a Tier 1 law firm?

In Sartori's rankings, Tier 1 — Market leaders — is an editorial judgement expressed in words, never a score: the firms whose Singapore bench depth, seniority mix and market standing set the reference point for the market. As of July 2026 that is Stephenson Harwood, A&O Shearman, Latham & Watkins. Within the tier no firm outranks another.

Which are the best law firms in Singapore overall?

Sartori's overall Singapore board groups 25 firms into editorial tiers; as of July 2026 its Tier 1 is Clifford Chance, Withersworldwide, A&O Shearman. See /firms/in/singapore/.

See the ranking →

This ranking is compiled independently by Sartori from public sources. Tiers are Sartori’s editorial opinion, expressed without numeric scores; firms are named for identification only, no logos are reproduced, and no firm has paid for or approved its placement. No third-party legal-directory band is used as an input. Nothing here is legal advice or a recommendation to instruct counsel.