Abdul Jabbar.JPEG

Abdul Jabbar Bin Karam Din

Executive Committee Partner
Head, Corporate and Transactional Group

Practice Area:

Banking & Finance
Corporate Commercial
Employment & Benefits
Mergers & Acquisitions
Private Client

LLB (Hons) (Second Upper), National University of Singapore
Diploma in Islamic Banking & Finance, International Islamic University Malaysia
Advocate & Solicitor, Singapore

T +65 6232 0465
E abdul.jabbar@rajahtann.com

Abdul Jabbar Bin Karam Din heads the Corporate and Transactional Group of Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP.

Jabbar has more than 25 years of extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, banking and finance, general commercial and private client work, both local and international. He has acted for both purchasers and sellers in a wide range of cross-border and local merger and acquisition transactions.

He also advises regularly on transfer of businesses and undertakings, statutory amalgamations, joint ventures, partnership agreements, group reorganisations and company disposals. 

He regularly acts for both lenders and borrowers in a wide range of cross-border and local financing transactions, including both conventional and Islamic financing transactions and debt capital market transactions such as bond issuances and securitisation transactions.

He also advises companies on corporate governance, compliance and regulatory matters. He serves on the board as company secretary to numerous private and public listed and unlisted companies as well as several registered foreign companies with Singapore branches.

Jabbar has been listed as a leading practitioner in Who's Who Legal – Corporate Governance from 2017 to 2022, as well as in Who’s Who Legal – Labour & Employment from 2011 to 2022. He has also been recommended in The Legal 500 (Corporate and M&A) and cited as providing his clients with 'consistently sound’ and ‘high quality commercial’ advice. He is also recognised as a leading practitioner in Legal Week’s Private Client Global Elite 2017.

Notable Cases & Transactions
Mergers & Acquisitions 
  • Acted for Heinemann Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. in relation to the joint venture and acquisition of a 25% shareholding in DFZ Capital Berhad (a subsidiary of Duty Free International Limited, which is listed on the Singapore Exchange), the largest multi-channel duty free and duty paid retailing group in Malaysia.
  • Acted as Singapore counsel to Long Haul Holdings Ltd. and PT Bakrie & Brothers Tbk (Bakrie Group) on the acquisition of a 29.2% interest in PT Bumi Resources Tbk (Bumi Resources) from Asia Resource Minerals plc (ARMS) for $501 million.
  • Acted as lead counsel to GMG Global Ltd (which was then listed on the Singapore Exchange and a subsidiary of Sinochem International Corporation) in its acquisition of approximately 35% of the shares in the capital of Siat SA (which holds investments in various entities incorporated in Africa namely Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria and Gabon) for S$350 million.
  • Acted as Singapore counsel to Julius Baer in its global acquisition of the wealth management business of Merrill Lynch.
Banking & Finance
  • Acted as Singapore counsel to TML Holdings Pte. Ltd. (a wholly owned subsidiary of India's largest automobile manufacturer, Tata Motors Limited) on a US$500 million loan facility.
  • Acted as Singapore counsel to the FCI SA group of companies in relation to the grant of US$280 million loan facilities from a syndicate of lenders.
  • Acted as Singapore counsel to a syndicate of lenders in relation to financing a take-over offer by Fincantieri Oil & Gas S.p.A for shares in STX OSV Holdings Limited, which was then listed on the Singapore Exchange.
  • Acted as Singapore legal counsel to Tata Motors Limited on a S$350 million bonds offering listed on the Singapore Exchange.
  • Acted as Singapore legal counsel to the joint lead managers, DBS Bank Ltd. and Standard Chartered Bank, on an automobile loan and finance lease receivables securitisation transaction originated by BMW Financial Services Korea Co. Ltd. 
Employment and General Corporate Advisory
  • Advising on corporate governance, employment and immigration matters which includes (i) drafting and reviewing employment contracts, employment handbooks, and compliance handbooks for local companies and multi-national corporations; (ii) advising on termination of employees, wrongful or unfair dismissal, restraint of trade, non-competition and non-solicitation clauses, retrenchment benefits, negotiations with trade unions, s18A transfers under the Employment Act, and transfers of employees between legal entities in connection with divestments of businesses; and (iii) advising on employment passes and permanent residency status.
  • Advising on general corporate matters such as capital reductions, amalgamations and financial assistance under the Singapore Companies Act.
  • Advising on the establishment of business entities in Singapore and the conversion of partnerships and companies into limited liability partnerships and drafting of corporate secretarial documentation.
  • Reviewing of a wide variety of general corporate agreements such as distribution agreements, collaboration agreements, supply agreements, tenancy agreements and license agreements.
Memberships/Directorships
  • Director, R&T Corporate Services Pte Ltd
  • Director, RTA Collab Capital Pte Ltd
  • Director, Ray of Hope
  • Director, ISCA (Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants) Cares Ltd
  • Lead Independent Director, Chairman of Remuneration Committee and Member of the Audit & Risk Committee, as well as the
  • Investment Committee, Chip Eng Seng Corporation Ltd
  • Independent Director, Chairman of the Nomination and Governance Committee, and Member of the Remuneration
  • Committee, Global Investments Limited
  • Fellow, Singapore Institute of Directors
  • Member, Regulatory Affairs Committee, Singapore Institute of Directors
  • Member, Corporate Practice Committee, The Law Society of Singapore
  • Member, Corporate Law Advisory Panel, Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA)
  • Member, Legal Services Committee, Singapore International Chamber of Commerce
  • Member, Ethics Committee, Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants
  • Member, Corporate Governance Working Group, Chartered Secretaries Institute of Singapore (CSIS)
  • Member, Consultant Editorial Board for Lexis Practical Guidance, LexisNexis
Publications
  • A Practical Guide to Company Secretary Obligations in Singapore (Wolters Kluwer)
  • Singapore Chapter, The Foreign Investment Regulation Review, 4th Edition
  • Establishing a Business in Singapore (Practical Law Multi-Jurisdictional Guide)
  • Pass It On: Succession Planning and Preparing for Contingencies (The Business Times Legal Advisor)