Shook Lin & Bok Expands Corporate Real Estate Practice with Team from WKW

Shook Lin & Bok Expands Corporate Real Estate Practice with Team from WKW

Shook Lin & Bok, a leading Singaporean law firm, has bolstered its corporate real estate practice through the strategic acquisition of a team of lawyers from Withers Khattar Wong (WKW).

The team is headed by partners Kenneth Szeto and John Tan, who previously led the real estate and finance practice at WKW and served as senior associate, respectively. Notably, both partners joined WKW from another prominent Singapore firm, Colin Ng & Partners, in 2017.

Szeto possesses extensive experience in the real estate alternatives sector, including co-working spaces, co-living spaces, and self-storage facility assets. He also holds a specialisation in secured real estate financing, acting on behalf of both lenders and borrowers. Furthermore, he provides customised advice to private clients regarding their real estate investment portfolios and long-term asset-holding strategies.

With over a decade of experience, Tan has a proven track record in real estate transactions, financing arrangements, and private client work. He possesses particular expertise in industrial and heritage properties, along with niche sub-sectors such as co-living, co-working, high-tech agriculture, hospitality, manufacturing, medical, aviation, and self-storage assets.

“The strategic hire of this team is one of the few major real estate practice team moves in recent years in the Singapore market and signals SLB’s ambition to grow its market-leading corporate real estate practice while expanding its private client practice capabilities,” Shook Lin & Bok said in a statement.

The arrival of two prominent partners, Kenneth Szeto and John Tan, has strengthened Shook Lin & Bok's partnership to 63 members.