Krishna Ramachandra

is Managing Director of Duane Morris & Selvam LLP and Chairman and Managing Director of Selvam LLC. He is also a Director of Duane Morris & Selvam (Myanmar) Limited. He is head of the Corporate and TMT Practice Groups and serves as a team lead for the Fintech industry group . His practice includes M&A and capital markets, investments funds, private equity, financial technology, sports, and telecommunications, media and technology. Krishna also has significant experience in Myanmar, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and Korea.

Krishna advises issuers, fund managers, investment banks, venture capitalists, listed and private companies, start-ups and high net worth individuals in Asia, Europe and the U.S. on a wide range of equity and debt securities issuances, compliance and regulatory matters. His extensive experience in Mergers and Acquisitions and take-overs, private equity participation and exit strategies has led to his being regularly cited by the reputable directories as a leading lawyer.

Listed as one of Singapore's top 100 lawyers by the 2019 Asia Business Law Journal edition, Krishna has the unique and remarkable record of being recognized as having a Leading Lawyer status in multiple jurisdictions and practice areas. His grasp of commercial issues in the corporate arena is a testament to this.

AsiaLaw Profiles 2020 recently named Krishna as a Distinguished Practitioner in the Corporate and M&A Practice Area. Client feedback in AsiaLaw Profiles 2019 described him as Perfect. Outstanding in all areas. IFLR1000 2019 client feedback stated: Krishna Ramachandra, the director of Duane Morris & Selvam has been the major force behind the firm and his in-depth knowledge and fair advice has been outstanding. He is regarded as one of the most highly recommended lawyers in the practice area of Capital Markets (Foreign Firms), Corporate and M&A (Local and Foreign Firms) and TMT (Local Firms) in Singapore by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific and Chambers Asia Pacific, which regularly refer to his creative yet practical and client-focused approach and his decisiveness and commerciality.

Krishna is also recognized as a Leading Individual for Corporate/M&A (Domestic) in Singapore by Chambers Global 2018 and 2019. In Myanmar, he is regarded as a Leading Lawyer in Corporate and M&A since 2016, and a Recommended Lawyer in Projects (including Energy) by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific. IFLR1000 2019 and 2020 also named Krishna as a Highly Regarded Lawyer in Singapore Capital Markets. Who’s Who Legal in it Sports and Entertainment and M&A and Governance 2019 guides named Krishna as a Recommended Lawyer who provides clients with substantial expertise in sports media rights matters, having represented clients in relation to numerous Olympic Games and FIFA World Cups and uses his extensive experience in telecoms and media rights to great effect for entertainment clients, with particular expertise in sports. Most recently, Krishna was appointed as the Senior Strategic Adviser to Dentsu Sports Asia Pte Ltd.

Krishna is a corporate lawyer with a very commercial approach. His practice develops according to the needs of his clients and currently due to Singapore's emergence as one of the world's leading FinTech hubs, he has more of a focus on the legal and regulatory advice relating to new financial technology business models, including crowdfunding, peer-to-peer lending platforms, blockchain technology, virtual and digital currencies such as BitCoin and Ethereum, e-wallet and trading platforms. As his clients' trusted adviser, Krishna has established himself as one of Singapore's go-to lawyers for FinTech, having previously achieved a solid reputation in the TMT space, particularly in relation to telecommunications.

Krishna regularly provides institutions and regulatory bodies with his insights and is particularly experienced in the fields of Capital Markets and Private Equity, where securitized token offerings are being designed with his input. Krishna is the Senior Advisor to the Global Blockchain Foundation.

Krishna’s intellectual stamina and acute appreciation of commercial realities make him a formidable adviser - his ability to come up with creative, workable solution is second-to-none. -The Legal 500.

Krishna graduated from Christ's College, Cambridge with an LL.M. in Corporate Finance on a Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer ( Freshfields ) scholarship. He articled and qualified with Freshfields in London prior to relocating to Singapore with Clifford Chance. He subsequently joined Selvam LLC and is now Managing Director of Duane Morris & Selvam LLP.

Krishna is an Advocate & Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore and a Solicitor of England and Wales. He previously sat on The Singapore Law Society's Corporate Practice Committee for Mergers & Acquisitions and Insolvency, Corporate Commercial Matters, and Listing Matters. He speaks regularly on a wide range of topics relating to M&A, corporate governance, listings, fund raising and establishment of an Asian presence at venues around the world. Born in Sri Lanka, Krishna speaks English and Mandarin.

To the extent that the representative matters listed above fall outside the context of “permitted areas of legal practice” within the meaning of Section 36A of the Legal Profession Act (Chap. 161), they have been conducted by the above named lawyer in his/her capacity as an Advocate & Solicitor of Selvam LLC, a Singapore law practice of the Joint Law Venture.

Resume

Honors and Awards

•Listed by IFLR1000 2020 as Highly Regarded Lawyer for Capital Markets
•Distinguished Practitioner for Corporate and M&A - AsiaLaw Profiles 2020

•Named one of Singapore's top 100 lawyers by Asia Business Law Journal, 2019

•Recognized in Capital Markets Law by The Best Lawyers in Singapore, 2020; Recognized by The Best Lawyers in Singapore since 2013

•Recognized in Private Equity Law by The Best Lawyers in Singapore since 2014; recognized by The Best Lawyers in Singapore since 2013

•Recognized in Mergers and Acquisitions Law by The Best Lawyers in Singapore since 2013; recognized by The Best Lawyers in Singapore since 2013

•Recognized in Who's Who Legal: M&A and Governance 2019

•Leading Individual for Corporate/M&A: Domestic-Singapore - Chambers Global 2019

•Leading Individual for Corporate/M&A: Domestic-Singapore - Chambers Asia-Pacific 2019

•Listed as a Recommended Lawyer in The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2019 for Projects and Energy - Local Firms, Corporate and M&A - Foreign Firms, Corporate and M&A - Local Firms and TMT - Local Firms, Singapore

•Leading Individualfor Corporate M&A and Recommended Lawyer for Projects (including Energy), Myanmar - The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2019

•Listed by IFLR1000 2019 as Highly Regarded Lawyer for Capital Markets

•Recommended inWho's Who Legal: Sports and Entertainment, 2019

•Recommended in Who's Who Legal: M&A and Governance, 2019

•Named one of Singapore's top 100 lawyers by Asia Business Law Journal, 2018

•Leading Individual for Corporate/M&A: Domestic-Singapore - Chambers Global 2018

•Leading Individual for Corporate M&A and Recommended Lawyer for, Projects (including Energy), Myanmar - The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2018

•Listed by IFLR1000 2018 as Highly Regarded Lawyer for Capital Markets

•Listed as a Recommended Lawyer in The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2018 for Capital Markets - Foreign Firms, Corporate and M&A - Foreign Firms, Corporate and M&A - Local Firms and TMT - Local Firms, Singapore

•Leading Individual in Chambers Asia Pacific 2017 and Chambers Global 2017 for Corporate/M&A - Local Firms

•Market-leading lawyer (Capital Markets, Corporate/M&A) - Asialaw Profiles 2017
•Global Law Expert (Corporate Law, Singapore; Corporate Finance, M&A Law and Corporate Law, Myanmar) - Global Law Experts Guide

Experience

•Duane Morris & Selvam LLP/ Selvam LLC
•Clifford Chance LLP
•Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP

Accolades, Publications and Speaking Engagements

Accolades

• An intelligent strategist that you simply need in your corner when negotiating a difficult deal. The Legal 500, 2016
• Krishna's intellectual stamina and acute appreciation of commercial realities make him a formidable adviser - his ability to come up with creative, workable solutions is second-to-none. The Legal 500, 2015
• He is very insightful and knows how to identify our concerns and those of the other parties so that he can reconcile things. Chambers Asia Pacific, 2014
• ... a sharp, polished lawyer who offers clever solutions to our problems. Chambers Asia Pacific 2011, A Client's Guide
• ... wonderful interpersonal skills, and ability to see things from the client's perspective. Chambers & Partners, Client Guide 2008
• ... clients recommend 'creative and meticulous' capital markets expert Krishna Ramachandra The Legal 500 - Asia Pacific 2009/2010
• ... clients have highlighted the 'detailed and creative' approach of Krishna Ramachandra on M&A transactions The Legal 500 - Asia Pacific 2009/2010

Selected Publications

•Co-author, Myanmar, The Energy Regulation and Markets Review, 2019

•Quoted in How Gatecoin's Party Got Gatecrashed, CDO Trends, March 18, 2019

•Co-author, Myanmar, The Energy Regulation and Markets Review, 2018

•Co-author, Implications of Delay in Commencement of New Myanmar Companies Law 2017, Duane Morris Alert, January 9, 2018

•Featured in the Myanmar Section of Annual Review, Mergers & Acquisition, Financier Worldwide, August 2017

•Featured in video series Doing Business in Myanmar, Conventus Law, June 26, 2017

•Quoted in Even without TPP, Trump presidency promises increased activity for lawyers, Asialaw, December 1, 2016

•Co-author, Chapter 48: Myanmar, Mergers and Acquisitions Review, 2016
•Author, Htin Kyaw - What Now? Acquisition International Magazine, April 1, 2016
•Quoted in All-Round Calibre Is Key for New Awards, The Straits Times, March 27, 2016
•Co-author, Chapter 46: Myanmar, Mergers and Acquisitions Review, 2015
•Co-author, Myanmar Insider, Storm, February 17, 2015

•Featured in Potential and Risks of Investing in Myanmar, Conventus Law, May 19, 2014

• Investing in ASEAN: What Foreign Investors Need to Know, Investing in ASEAN, 2011

Selected Speaking Engagements

•Presenter, Fireside Chat on Blockchain, Tokenization and Digitalization of Business, Spectrum Club, Singapore, May 16, 2019
•Panelist, “The Future of World AI” speaking on AI Legality, NTU, Singapore, 13 September 2019

•Speaker and Moderator, World eSports & Blockchain Summit MARVELS Singapore 2019, 16 July 2019

•Speaker, Real Estate Tokenization and Panelist on Unlocking the True Potential of STOs, Insiders' Insights: Security Token Offerings, BitTemple, Singapore, 14 December 2018

•Speaker, Legal Perspective of Blockchain: The Future and Regulations, World Knowledge Forum, Seoul, Korea, 12 October 2018

•Speaker, Buyer Beware: Blockchain and the Legal Landscape, The Law Society of Singapore, Singapore, 6 September 2018

•Speaker and Moderator, Global Blockchain Foundation Summit: ASEAN Decentralized 2.0, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 3-4 September 2018

•Speaker, Global Blockchain Foundation Summit, Seoul, Korea, 12 July 2018

•Panel moderator, Innovative City: The Singapore Story, World Cities Summit, Singapore, 10 July 2018

• Singapore Firm Becomes Active in Advising Clients on Initial Coin Offerings, Interview on Primetime Asia, Channel News Asia, May 23, 2018

• A Rising Asia: Developments and Opportunities from 'on the ground' in Singapore, San Francisco, March 2011
• Disclosure Requirements for Listed Companies, Company and Securities Law 2009 Conference, Singapore, August 17-18, 2009
• Due Diligence 'How Tos' for Young Corporate/Commercial Practitioners, September 9, 2008
• Setting Up New Ventures in India: India Business Insights and Economic Outlook, Singapore, April 15, 2008
• M&A and REITS, Asia Business Forum's REIT Conference, February 27-28, 2008
• Listing on AIM: Undertaking AIM Listings, June 29, 2007
•Private Equity / Investment - The 2012 Sweet Spot for Global Investment: Seizing Opportunity and Mitigating Risk in Southeast Asian Markets