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
Senior 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
1. PNG Sustainable Development Program Limited ("PNGSDP")
Dentons Rodyk's successful representation of PNGSDP continues with the judgment of the Appellate Division of the Singapore High Court released on 4 July 2023 and reported at [2023] 2 SLR 170. In that appeal, the Appellate Division upheld the first-instance decision ([2022] SGHC 188) of the Honourable Justice Vinodh Coomaraswamy to dismiss an application brought to set aside a judgment that PNGSDP had obtained against several individuals and related entities in Singapore and overseas for breach of fiduciary duties and dishonest assistance amounting to about AUD 7 million (the "Judgment").
The appeal involved a careful examination of the integrated balance between procedural justice and substantive justice that lies at the heart of all litigation, including how and when the Court may exercise its residual discretion, flowing from its inherent power, to set aside judgments or orders to prevent injustice. Ultimately, the Appellate Division agreed with PNGSDP's submissions that the application to set aside the Judgment was no more than a back-door appeal, which could not be condoned.
With the resounding success in Singapore, the battleground has shifted elsewhere to Australia and Papua New Guinea where various challenges have been being brought to resist the enforcement of the Judgment. Dentons Rodyk is spearheading and co-ordinating PNGSDP’s strategy from Singapore.
Overall, apart from its significant contributions to the development of local jurisprudence (see also the decisions reported at [2023] 1 SLR 166, [2023] 3 SLR 652 and [2020] 2 SLR 200), the vindication of PNGSDP's rights in the Singapore courts also have a tremendous social and economic impact given the role that PNGSDP plays in steering Papua New Guinea's journey toward sustainability. The far reaching impact of Dentons Rodyk's success in representing PNGSDP, therefore, reverberates through Papua New Guinea, 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 defending 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. Dentons Rodyk was successful in withering CBPL's claim for loss of rental revenue from the initial claim of S$35m to S$4.1m.
4. 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.
5. 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."
