Dentons Rodyk Dialogue 2026 – The Singapore story: Attracting global capital, preserving trusted growth

Dentons Rodyk, Singapore's global law firm, and Singapore Management University (SMU) jointly hosted the annual Dentons Rodyk Dialogue 2026 on 28 October, marking a decade of partnership as well as the firm's 165th anniversary. Organised under the auspices of the Centre for Commercial Law in Asia at the Yong Pung How School of Law, the event welcomed over 220 attendees in person. Bringing together diverse insights and perspectives from government, industry and academia, the Dialogue explored how Singapore can continue to attract capital, enable enterprise, and sustain trust in an increasingly competitive global landscape.

The milestone year provided a fitting backdrop for this year's theme, "The Singapore Story: Attracting Global Capital, Preserving Trusted Growth". Having grown alongside Singapore for more than 165 years, Dentons Rodyk has witnessed the nation's transformation into a leading international business and financial centre. The Dialogue pairs that practice perspective with the cutting-edge research of SMU's Yong Pung How School of Law, whose Centre for Commercial Law in Asia co-convenes the series and whose faculty work on the corporate, financial and regulatory questions shaping Asia's markets. Discussions examined the evolving concept of corporate national identity, the future competitiveness of Singapore's asset management industry, and the factors needed to anchor global capital while preserving trust and strong governance.

The Dialogue featured keynote, academic and industry presentations by:

• Mr Paul Yuen, General Counsel, Monetary Authority of Singapore
• Professor Dan W. Puchniak, Director, SMU Centre for Commercial Law in Asia and Yong Pung How Professor of Law
• Ms Gopi Mirchandani, Head of Client Group, Asia, Schroders

The panel discussion brought together:

• Ms Selena Ling, Chief Economist & Head, OCBC Group Research, OCBC
• Professor Dan W. Puchniak, Director, SMU Centre for Commercial Law in Asia and Yong Pung How Professor of Law
• Ms Gopi Mirchandani, Head of Client Group, Asia, Schroders
• Ms Ng Chun Ying, Senior Partner and Head of Tax Practice, Dentons Rodyk
• Ms Emily Low, Senior Partner and Co-Head of the Investment Funds and Family Office Practices, Dentons Rodyk

The discussion was moderated by Mr Mark Wong, Senior Partner, Dentons Rodyk.

Marking the 10th edition of the Dentons Rodyk Dialogue, SMU President Professor Lily Kong reflected on the principles that have shaped Singapore's global standing. "Capital moves towards places where it can rely on clear rules, fair treatment and institutions that work. Singapore has earned that confidence by holding two commitments together: openness to the world and exacting standards of market integrity, transparency, and supervision. That combination is the foundation of the Singapore story, and it must be renewed with each generation of investors, institutions, and advisers," she observed.

Reflecting on Dentons Rodyk's 165-year journey alongside Singapore's own growth story, Dentons' Global Vice-Chair and ASEAN CEO Gerald Singham highlighted the importance of Dialogue in navigating Singapore's next phase of growth. He added, "As we consider how Singapore can continue to attract global capital, enable enterprise and sustain trust, it is through open dialogue and a willingness to challenge conventional thinking that we can better understand the opportunities ahead and the challenges we must navigate."

In his keynote address, Mr Paul Yuen examined how Singapore can sustain its position as an attractive and open financial centre while managing the risks associated with greater global connectivity. He emphasised that strong institutions, effective regulation, and financial integrity underpin Singapore's competitiveness. He pointed out, "We should compete for capital on the strength of our institutions, not by compromising the standards that make those institutions credible."

In his academic presentation, drawing on his research on corporate identity co-authored with professors Curtis Milhaupt, Stanford Law School, and Mariana Pargendler, Harvard Law School, Professor Dan W. Puchniak examined how geopolitical tensions and new considerations such as data and government influence are challenging traditional legal tests of corporate nationality. He emphasised, "We are living in a new world where corporate lawyers must recognise the fact that where a corporation is incorporated, where its real seat is, or who its controlling shareholder is, is not enough. You need to think about geopolitics."

Offering an industry perspective, Ms Gopi Mirchandani explored how Singapore's asset management industry can build on its existing strengths by developing deeper capabilities, embracing innovation, and ensuring that capital delivers meaningful outcomes. "Singapore has built a world-class asset management hub. The opportunity now is not simply to become bigger, but to become better. From improving retirement outcomes and broadening access to investment opportunities to financing businesses and infrastructure, success will be about putting capital to work where it can make the greatest difference for investors, businesses, and the wider economy," she said.

During the panel discussion, "Anchoring Global Capital in Singapore: What Does It Take? Opportunities, Challenges and the Road Ahead", Ms Selena Ling, Professor Dan W. Puchniak, Ms Gopi Mirchandani, Ms Ng Chun Ying and Ms Emily Low brought together perspectives spanning economics, law, asset management, tax and private wealth to examine what it takes for Singapore to attract and retain global capital. Moderated by Mr Mark Wong, the discussion explored the opportunities and challenges facing Singapore as it seeks to remain competitive while sustaining the trust and strong governance that underpin its standing as a global business and financial hub.

From an economic perspective, Ms Selena Ling highlighted how heightened geopolitical uncertainty is shaping investment decisions and Singapore's continued appeal to businesses and investors. She observed, "Particularly when uncertainty is high, our stability has always been our strength. When things are changing so fast, people look for certainty, and Singapore comes up as a safe haven."

Sharing a tax perspective, Ms Ng Chun Ying highlighted how businesses' priorities have evolved beyond simply seeking the lowest tax rates, with greater emphasis now placed on certainty and transparency. "The focus has shifted to achieving tax certainty, minimising tax disputes, and minimising double tax risk. Businesses want to select a location that is not necessarily where they will pay the lowest tax but a jurisdiction that has transparent tax rules, has tax certainty, and is also proactive in resolving double tax disputes," she shared.

Drawing on her experience in investment funds and family offices, Ms Emily Low discussed the growing importance of strong governance as Singapore's fund ecosystem matures. She explained, "As Singapore becomes a more mature fund domicile, governance will become increasingly important. One way Singapore can differentiate itself is by continuing to strengthen governance standards for Variable Capital Companies (VCCs)."

Reflecting the diverse perspectives brought together at this year's Dialogue, the discussion highlighted the economic, legal, regulatory and investment considerations that will shape Singapore's ability to attract and anchor global capital. From corporate national identity and asset management to economic stability, tax certainty and fund governance, the panellists examined the opportunities and challenges facing Singapore as it seeks to remain competitive while preserving the trust and integrity that distinguish it as a global business and financial centre.

Dentons Rodyk's 165th anniversary coincides with the Dialogue's tenth year, a decade in which the series has become the platform through which SMU's Yong Pung How School of Law and the firm bring research, practice and policy into one conversation. The Dentons Rodyk Dialogue 2026 underscored the importance of building on these strengths as Singapore enters its next chapter of growth, continuing to attract global capital, enable enterprise and sustain trust in an increasingly complex global landscape.

Find out more about the Dentons Rodyk Dialogue 2026.

About Dentons Rodyk

Dentons Rodyk is Singapore's global law firm and part of the world's largest, with a team of around 200 lawyers offering clients a full suite of legal services necessary to do business locally and globally.

With over 160 years of establishment and consistently ranked highly in leading publications, Dentons Rodyk delivers top-tier legal advice while maintaining strong working relationships with key public sector agencies and prominent private sector organisations.

Its combination with global law firm Dentons makes it part of the world's largest law firm, with more than 12,500 professionals across over 170 locations in more than 85 countries. Dentons Rodyk is also part of Dentons ASEAN, the first global pan-ASEAN law firm, with a longstanding presence in Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam and Singapore.