Withers KhattarWong (WKW), the Singapore arm of international firm Withers, has a broad dispute resolution practice known for its cross-border focus. The firm handles high-value commercial litigation, international arbitration, restructuring and insolvency disputes, white-collar defense and employment cases. Its client base ranges from corporations and financial institutions to high-net-worth individuals and executives, often dealing with multi-jurisdictional issues. The practice is led by veteran litigator Pardeep Khosa and prominent criminal lawyer Shashi Nathan, alongside senior counsel and managing partner Deborah Barker, and employment disputes co-head Amarjit Kaur. International arbitration matters are steered by Chenthil Kumarasingam, while Justin Yip leads on insolvency and restructuring engagements.
Over the past year, the firm has represented clients in a number of significant, often cross-border, commercial disputes. For instance, the firm defended a Singapore director in a complex fiduciary-duty claim arising from digital token trading losses. The case involves a worldwide freezing injunction of around US$68 million on the client’s assets, raising novel legal questions about cryptocurrency assets in litigation and proceeding through the Singapore courts as a test of cross-border enforcement. In another high-stakes matter, the team acted for a businessman to successfully discharge parallel asset-freeze orders that had been obtained against him in both the British Virgin Islands and Singapore. That case, stemming from a long-running shareholder dispute, underscored the firm’s strength in coordinating multi-jurisdictional strategy to protect client assets.
The firm’s international arbitration practice also saw positive outcomes. A notable example was its representation of a Singapore gas supplier in a SIAC arbitration against a Korean buyer over a “take-or-pay” contract. The dispute involved voluminous evidence and arguments on whether the contract’s penalty clause was enforceable. The WKW team prevailed, securing a favourable award for the client in March 2025.
In the restructuring and insolvency arena, the group has been at the forefront of major proceedings. The firm continues to act for KPMG, the appointed liquidators of ZenRock Commodities Trading, in the aftermath of one of Singapore’s highest-profile corporate collapses. This engagement involves chasing asset recoveries and unraveling fraudulent transactions across a web of jurisdictions, including Malaysia, China, South Korea, Switzerland and the British Virgin Islands. The team has dealt with complex issues such as parallel government investigations and contentious litigation by creditors. Notably, their work on ZenRock produced significant court rulings in 2023 and 2024 clarifying points of trade finance law and the enforceability of letters of indemnity in an insolvency context. The firm also advised in the restructuring of the Xihe Holdings shipping group, where it represented liquidators of six special-purpose companies owning 15 vessels. That matter saw the team navigate novel legal issues at the intersection of maritime law and insolvency, including obtaining a groundbreaking court order to sell arrested vessels and hold the proceeds pending resolution of competing creditor claims.
On the white-collar crime and investigations front, WKW has been involved in some of Singapore’s most high-profile cases of late. The firm is advising multiple individuals connected to the ongoing anti-corruption probe involving former Cabinet minister S. Iswaran and hotel tycoon Ong Beng Seng. In this case, which has dominated local headlines, a government minister was charged and recently sentenced to prison for accepting bribes, and investigations into other figures are continuing. By representing directors and officers linked to the matter, the firm has been at the centre of this closely watched proceeding and is helping clients navigate intense regulatory scrutiny. The team is also defending a former chief executive of an SGX-listed company, KTL Global, who faces prosecution for alleged market manipulation and cheating offenses.
In the field of labour and employment disputes, the team is distinguished for its representation of senior executives and contentious employment matters. Barker and Kaur co-lead this practice, which has seen a notable ongoing case in a multi-jurisdictional claim by a C-suite client. The firm represents the former Global President of Sales of outsourcing giant Teleperformance in a lawsuit seeking millions in unpaid bonuses. The dispute, which spans Singapore, the United States and France, involves unique contractual issues and jurisdictional challenges, including proceedings against a US affiliate of the employer and questions of Singapore court jurisdiction. The seasoned team guided the client through complex discovery and successfully resisted attempts by the defendants to strike out parts of the case, keeping the claim on track in the Singapore High Court. Beyond high-level contract disputes, the firm is also known for advising individuals in sensitive matters. A recent example had the team act for a whistleblower, whose revelations helped expose the global Wirecard fraud scandal.
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