Premier Law is led by four disputes partners who share decades of local litigation experience. The firm is best known for complex commercial and civil disputes, banking and finance disputes, contentious IP matters, professional defence and dispute resolution in regulatory matters. Its contentious industry expertise covers fintech, technology, media, insurance, energy and transportation. The firm has adopted a strategy to not represent large banks or other financial institutions, making it a popular choice for referrals from other full-service firms. The firm has handled disputes under a variety of arbitral rules in forums around the world and nearly all its domestic court matters are at the High Court level or above. The firm operates as a joint law venture between Premier Law and UK-headquartered Reynolds Porter Chamberlain, allowing it to leverage international expertise while maintaining local insight.
The firm’s strength lies in its experienced team of lawyers, who bring a wealth of knowledge across various industries. Key individuals include Swee Siang Boey, Navin Joseph Lobo, and Yuankai Lin, all of whom have significant expertise in commercial disputes and international arbitration. Nicholas Lauw contributes specialized knowledge in contentious intellectual property matters, while the addition of senior lawyer Doris Chia in late 2024 further strengthened the team’s handling of civil disputes.
The firm scored recent successes in several high-profile cases. In the area of commercial disputes, the firm represented an Indonesian company, its director and a Singapore investment company in their claim against another Indonesian player in relation to a dispute relating to the master JV agreement on the development and operation of an oil palm plantation. The team also went to bat for a Chinese businessman in a multi-party dispute, defending him against conspiracy and breach of trust claims before the Singapore High Court that involved several botched investments in China. Additionally, the lawyers defended Siemens in a licensing and compliance program across multiple countries.
Underscoring the team’s market-leading regulatory prosecution portfolio for various government agencies, the Energy Market Authority (EMA) of Singapore has entrusted the team as its prosecuting counsel in multiple active files. Lobo has acted as prosecuting counsel for the EMA for nearly 20 years, having handled more than 100 prosecutions for the regulator.
In a recent first case of damage caused to a low voltage electricity cable under the new Electricity Act regime, the firm prosecuted Kian Hiap Construction and successfully obtained a record-high fine. The Premier team is also proud of its role as prosecuting counsel for over a decade to the Council for Estate Agencies in disciplinary proceedings against errant salespersons and estate agents for misconduct.
The IP litigation and dispute resolution practice is robust and active in disputes relating to IP infringement, IP licensing and IP ownership. Clients in this space range from online retail, to video games and ESG technology. The team’s involvement commences with the client at the pre-action stage, ensuring sophisticated litigation strategy, and continues until the court and arbitration proceedings. Although patent litigation is rare in Singapore, the Premier team boasts individuals who have prior experience in these disputes before the local courts. In one example, the firm is acting for Salutica in a patent infringement suit against Apple. The case is significant as it involves advanced Bluetooth technology and has gained widespread media attention.
Client feedback
"The team is very hands-on, demonstrating a clear legal strategy and executing with high quality." – Commercial and transactions
"Navin and his team provide good advice and quality service. They are prompt and responsive, and Navin is particularly good with complex matters and trials. He is sharp and insightful. " – Government and regulatory
"They offer clear and concise advice with a commercial focus." – Labor and employment
"The advice is concise and practical, tailored to our specific needs and circumstances." – Labor and employment
Kenneth Leong
"He provides practical and comprehensive advice that is friendly and accessible."
Navin Lobo
"Navin Lobo is responsive, pleasant, and effective."
"He is sharp and insightful, very pleasant to work with, and excels at problem-solving."
"He demonstrates a very strong work ethic and is hands-on in finding solutions."
