Commercial Litigation
Senior Partner Mark Seah, mark.seah@dentons.com
Senior Partner Paul Wong, paul.wong@dentons.com
Construction
Senior Partner Kirindeep Singh, kirindeep.singh@dentons.com
Senior Partner Kia Jeng Koh, kiajeng.koh@dentons.com
Family and Matrimonial
Partner Suchitra Ragupathy, suchitra.ragupathy@dentons.com
Senior Partner Zhulkarnain Rahim, zhulkarnain.rahim@dentons.com
Insurance
Joint Deputy Managing Partner Edric Pan, edric.pan@dentons.com
Senior Partner Christopher Chong, christopher.chong@dentons.com
Intellectual Property
Senior Partner Chai Chong Low, chaichong.low@dentons.com
International Arbitration
Senior Partner Lawrence Teh, lawrence.teh@dentons.com
Senior Partner Herman Jeremiah, herman.jeremiah@dentons.com
International Trade
Senior Partner Rodney Keong, rodney.keong@dentons.com
Senior Partner Kirindeep Singh, kirindeep.singh@dentons.com
Partner Melissa Thng, melissa.thng@dentons.com
Labour and Employment
Joint Deputy Managing Partner Edric Pan, edric.pan@dentons.com
Senior Partner Mark Seah, mark.seah@dentons.com
Private Client / Trusts, Estates & Wealth Preservation
Chief Operating Officer and Senior Partner Kia Meng Loh, kiameng.loh@dentons.com
Senior Partner Tien Wah Ling, tienwah.ling@dentons.com
Professional Liability / Healthcare
Senior Partner Christopher Chong, christopher.chong@dentons.com
Senior Partner Vanessa Lim, vanessa.lim@dentons.com
Real Estate Disputes
Senior Partner Tien Wah Ling, tienwah.ling@dentons.com
Senior Partner Hui Min Ng, huimin.ng@dentons.com
Restructuring, Insolvency & Bankruptcy
Senior Partner Ajinderpal Singh, ajinderpal.singh@dentons.com
Senior Partner Kia Jeng Koh, kiajeng.koh@dentons.com
Partner Debby Lim, debby.lim@dentons.com
Shipping
Senior Partner Lawrence Teh, lawrence.teh@dentons.com
Senior Partner Jen Wei Loh, jenwei.loh@dentons.com
White Collar Crime / Investigations
Senior Partner Ajinderpal Singh, ajinderpal.singh@dentons.com
Chief Operating Officer and Senior Partner Kia Meng Loh, kiameng.loh@dentons.com
Partner Navin Naidu, navindraram.naidu@dentons.com
Recent case highlights:
1. PNG Sustainable Development Program Limited (“PNGSDP”)
Dentons Rodyk successfully resisted the appeal before the Court of Appeal against the High Court (General Division)’s decision to strike out the Plaintiffs’ US$1.65 billion claim against PNGSDP. The Court of Appeal decision was reported as Ok Tedi Fly River Development Foundation Ltd and others v PNG Sustainable Development Program Ltd [2022] SGCA 76. The High Court case was reported Ok Tedi Fly River Development Foundation v Ok Tedi Mining Limited and others [2021] SGHC 205.
The win before both the Court of Appeal and High Court represented a resounding victory for the client given the notoriously high threshold to strike out claims, let alone a matter of this magnitude.
The litigation not only involved complex issues of equity and restitution, it also emerged against the backdrop of ESG/environmental degradation and the suite of contracts that the client had entered into with the various stakeholders when it was first incorporated. The case therefore has huge implications for the PNG public, particularly the affected communities, from the environmental standpoint.
Apart from its significant development to jurisprudence, the litigation thus has a tremendous impact given the role that PNGSDP plays in steering PNG’s journey toward sustainability. The far reaching impact of Dentons Rodyk’s success in this case therefore reverberates through PNG, benefitting the lives and livelihoods of millions, for generations to come.
2. UniCredit
We act for UniCredit Bank AG, Singapore branch, who extended a USD 85miliion secured lending trade finance facility to Hin Leong Trading (Pte) Ltd Singapore (“HLT”). HLT is now in liquidation and there are serious allegations of fraud and wrongdoings by the Lim family. The amounts said to be owed by HLT to several trade finance banks amount to some US$3.5 billion.
Given the scale of the losses, and web of dealings between HLT and its associated companies, this insolvency required deep expertise in several areas of law, including admiralty and maritime law, banking and security, documentary credits, and liquidation and restructuring. With a deep bench strength in all of these areas within the firm, we were able to call on our strong technical capabilities for this complex insolvency. Indeed, HLT’s insolvency has presented an opportunity to challenge what appears to be well-established legal principles, and for a relook and possible further refinement. This would possibly lead to innovation in the law.
The size of the matter mean that all hands were on deck, and this went beyond reliance on the lead partners. Also, given the cross border nature of our globalised world, and where evidence and expertise is located, we worked with our foreign offices, as well as other law firms, in a seamless and effective manner.
3. Jurong Primewide Pte Ltd, a Temasek-linked company
Successfully defended Jurong Primewide Pte Ltd (“JPW”), a Temasek-linked company, on several contractual issues and successfully reducing the period of culpable delay alleged by the employer. On appeal, JPW substantially succeeded before the Singapore Court of Appeal. Dentons Rodyk defended JPW on issues pertaining to quantum matters in the second tranche at both before the General Division of the High Court and the appeal to the Appellate Division, and successfully reduced the claim against JPW for loss of rental revenue from S$35m to S$4.1m.
4. Enemalta P.L.C.
Dentons Rodyk advised and represented Enemalta P.L.C., a very prestigious client because of its ultimate ownership by the state of Malta and its position as the leading energy provider and developer of the national electricity network in Malta. Enemalta owned a submarine cable by which electricity was supplied from Italy to Malta. The submarine cable is the longest high-voltage alternating current cable in the world. It was damaged by the vessel “Di Matteo” resulting in a nation-wide power outage in Malta.
This case was high-profile and high-value (for maritime claims). It was extremely complex and required very strong technical ability and innovation. It showcases the in-depth capability of the partners involved and how the application of deep strategy across three jurisdictions and novel steps taken in litigation resulted in success which would not otherwise have been available to the client.
5. Confidential client
Acting in the defence of the individual client who faces 105 charges for cheating, money laundering and fraudulent trading involving more than SGD1 billion. The case has been reported in the local and foreign media to be the biggest “alleged ponzi scheme” in Singapore’s history and many of the alleged victims are persons of standing, including well-known senior lawyers.
6. Confidential client
Acting in the defence of the client who is charged for corruption and money laundering in connection with the “Shell Bukom heist”. The case concerns big entities in the bunkering industry - Shell and Sentek Marine and Trading. The case has been reported in the local and foreign media as a “Shell Bukom heist” and has attracted media attention as bunkering is a strategic industry in Singapore. The value of the total amount of stolen gas oil was S$128 million. Charges allege that some of the total gas oil stolen from Shell was transferred to Sentek Marine and Trading, with several individuals from Sentek involved in these operations.
