Steven has managed significant multi-jurisdictional due diligence investigations and other complex matters. Steven works with the world’s top law firms, executive leadership teams of public companies, and investment directors of the largest private equity firms. Earlier in his career, he advised US and foreign governments on post-crisis governance matters in Southwest and South Asia. Steven has spent almost his entire career in Asia and has been based in Singapore for the past decade.
Steven
Westervelt
Managing Director et Responsable du Bureau de Singapour
Asia-Pacific | Singapore office
As head of the firm’s Singapore office, Steven Westervelt’s background in investigations and advisory in the Asia Pacific region runs deep.
Expérience
- Working with external counsel, Steven led a dual investigation into an Indian industrial conglomerate and a third-party intermediary. Using his extensive network of contacts, Steven determined that the third party had a positive reputation, but the Indian conglomerate had faced accusations of making illicit payments to government officials. Digging further, the investigation determined that the payments were not sanctioned by the company’s management but were the result of individuals in regional offices.
- A US-headquartered automotive client wanted to understand why it could not find new business partners in Japan after determining that its current partner could no longer meet its commercial requirements. Steven led an investigation into the outgoing partner and assessed its connections with central government officials, regional authorities, and others. After months of discreet fact finding, Steven’s team uncovered links between the outgoing partner and an anti-social group operating in the same prefecture. The investigation allowed the client to exit the relationship safely, with its reputation intact, and ultimately find a new partner.
- Retained by a European automotive manufacturer that wanted to scale up its operations, Steven managed a complex investigation into three potential business partners in Vietnam, their political relationships, and the political risks that the manufacturer would face moving its headquarters from the south to the north of the country. Steven and his team assessed the strengths of the potential business partners’ relationships with Vietnamese officials and the reputational and corruption risks posed by those relationships. Concurrently, the investigation identified the political risks the client would face as it moved its operations across Vietnam. The insights gained allowed the client to build a successful commercial strategy for the country, ultimately expanding operations while mitigating operational and political risks.
Languages spoken
- English (Fluent)
- Dutch (Conversational)
- Chinese Mandarin (Basic)
Education
- MA, International Relations, Leiden University
Professional affiliations
- Royal Society for Asian Affairs
Recognition & awards
- Chambers and Partners 2026 Litigation Support Guide: Band 3
We leave no stone unturned. We find the details and work out what they mean.
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