Singapore

One of the ‘Big Four’ law firms in Singapore, Allen & Gledhill has one of the largest teams with more than 130 lawyers including over 50 active partners and senior counsel. The firm is universally praised by peers and clients as having one of the strongest disputes teams in the market, with noted senior practitioners leading the group. It has a proven track record of representing sophisticated clients in bet-the-company litigation. This year, the firm ascends into the top tiers for construction and private clients, and also climbs up one for its family and matrimonial practice.

Allen & Gledhill’s specialisms include banking and commercial disputes, international arbitration, insolvency, intellectual property and white-collar crime. The firm also runs a comprehensive cross-border disputes service supported by its regional network.

The firm launched four specialist practices in 2021 with the goal of helping organisations navigate the increasingly complex and regulatory environment. These include newly set up practices for cybersecurity & data protection and private wealth, and the expansion of two existing practices to enhance the scope of service in the areas of employment, health & safety and ESG & public policy. As struggling businesses were forced into bankruptcy litigation, the Allen & Gledhill team starred in various disputes linked to the high-profile insolvencies of Hin Leong Trading and Agritrade Resources.

Key names in the team include Andrew Yeo for commercial disputes, Chien Mien Ho for construction, Edward Tiong for insolvency, Yee Leong Chong and Dinesh Dhillon for international arbitration, Yong Seng Tay on the employment side, Stanley Lai for commercial litigation and intellectual property, and Jason Chan for white-collar crime and investigations. William Ong co-heads the disputes department and he specialises in international arbitration and intellectual property.

The disputes team is defending the liquidators of Park Hotel in two separate cases against claims of breach of fiduciary duties, breach of trust, transactions defrauding creditors, clawback claims and breach of director’s duties in relation to the alleged restructuring of the Park Hotel Group. The firm also represented AllRightsReserved, a creative studio and art exhibitions organiser, in a dispute related to the organisation of the Kaws: Holiday Singapore exhibition. This was a complex matter and appears to be the first case where an injunction had been sought to halt a public art exhibition in Singapore and, accordingly, it became a test case as to how damages for such wrongful injunction would be assessed.

In a high-profile commercial litigation, the firm acted for BTHMB Holdings in a dispute involving the issuance of cryptocurrency and use of proceeds by leading cryptocurrency issuers. Singfor Insurance has instructed the firm to defend against EFG Bank in a suit involving pledge assets. The complex dispute involves legal issues over trusteeship, conflict of laws, the doctrine of ultra vires in company law, and the law on apparent authority and constructive notice.

In a seminal intellectual property matter, the IP litigation team defended several individuals against i-Admin’s claim for copyright infringement and breach of confidence. This was the first case which addressed copyright infringement in software programs and compilations. The novel issue that arose concerned whether a party is entitled to rely on the change in the law in bifurcated proceedings to expand its claims of damages. Following a change in the law, this is the first time that matters of issue estoppel, cause of action estoppel and abuse of process arguments are being considered in bifurcated proceedings, so there are no reported cases addressing such an issue. Ultimately, the parties reached a settlement on the assessment.

The contentious labour team triumphed for the plaintiffs, private equity property funds IP Investment Management and IP Real Estate Investments, in a landmark case relating to personal data litigation. They filed a suit against a former investment director of their group, who left to launch a rival fund. This was Singapore’s first civil court action for personal data breaches under the Personal Data Protection Act.

The white-collar crime team acted for Essilor International in one of the largest transnational fraud cases in Singapore’s legal history. It assisted the eyewear manufacturer in more than a dozen cases against different defendants in the local courts, including civil recovery claims and criminal disposal hearings.

Key clients include DBS Bank, Credit Suisse, Noble Group, Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation, Perennial Group, Sentosa Development Corporation, Singapore Tourism Board and SingHealth.

Client feedback

“Prompt, commercially minded advice.” – Commercial and transactions

“Very responsive. They are also very knowledgeable in their field and provide good commercial advice.” – Commercial and transactions

“The partner handling the matter was thorough, methodical and understood the issues very well. The support from his legal assistants was good. The firm presented our case to the arbitrator very precisely and concisely and the submissions were well prepared.” – Commercial and transactions

“A&G is extremely responsive and provides practical advice to resolve disputes.” – Commercial and transactions 

“Allen and Gledhill has tremendous depth and breadth across the entirety of the practice. It has excellent partners and rising star associates who are very well supervised, yielding a very good price-quality ratio for clients. Their teams are very responsive and client-supportive who are always delightful to deal with and very user-friendly with non-lawyer colleagues.” – Construction

“The message is always concise and clear. The firm provides a practical view taking into consideration cost and benefits, and it always has the client’s concerns at heart.” – Insolvency

“They successfully protected our software IP.” – Intellectual property

“Provides excellent support on matters relating to Singapore law and SIAC Rules. They have very accomplished and experienced lawyers who add a lot of value to overall preparations.” – International arbitration

“They provide practical, strategic and commercial advice. They understand our business and its drivers and work towards the best outcome sought by the business. The lawyers are very easy to work with, are responsive and always provide you with options and their recommendations.” – Labour and employment

“The lawyers give excellent strategic advice on how to approach disputes and drive to positive solutions. They clearly communicate advice and expectations, and are very timely. They understand the state of the law and practice to be able to give realistic advice.” – Labour and employment

“Allen & Gledhill has always provided top-level legal advice and has been 100% successful for my companies in litigation.” – Labour and employment

“Attentive and in-depth understanding of the industry.” – Labour and employment

“Excellent review and understanding of the positions.” – Real estate

“It had a strong team led by senior counsel Stanley Lai in the judicial management matter, winning favourable judgments in all our court applications. They helped us achieve full debt recovery within 18 months. The team was competent and efficient, executing a legal strategy that met our requirements.” – Shipping

“Prompt, practical and sound advice due to differences in jurisprudence as our counterparties are Indonesian.” – Shipping

“Well-managed team, extremely responsive lawyers of great calibre at each appropriate level, billing at fair and reasonable value. Each piece of advice is careful yet commercial. We feel safe in their hands!” – Shipping

“Fast in response, detailed work, strategy, reasonable charges.” – Shipping

“The team led by Kenny Yap is very knowledgeable and able to understand the operational and commercial aspects of the issues at hand. The advice provided is pragmatic and comprehensive. They are very attentive and responsive even on short notice, meeting after office hours over the weekends.” – Shipping 

Dinesh Dhillon

“He is an excellent, experienced and highly professional lawyer. He has a good grip on his team and manages cases proficiently. His strategic thinking, responsiveness and solution-solving approach is what sets him apart.”

Ankit Goyal

“Very accessible, receptive to feedback and has excellent client management skills.”

Chien Mien Ho

“Chien Mien is an outstanding lawyer and a master legal technician who never loses sight of his client's commercial objectives. He is pragmatic and responsive with a wealth of industry experience. Chien Mien is a seasoned advisor and litigator, and the safest pair of hands to whom a legal department can confidently entrust a wide range of matters.”

“His knowledge of construction laws and problem-solving abilities are excellent.”

Benjamin Koh

“Easy to work with, accessible, strategic, and able to see things from every angle.”

Stanley Lai

“Very sound technically. Well-regarded in the legal community and the judiciary.”

“His IP law knowledge won the case for us.”

Aaron Lee

“Excellent listener and a fast study on subject.”

Vincent Leow

“He provides clear, concise advice.”

“He could connect with staff as well as board members, which shows that he can reach out effectively to people in diverse groups who may have different objectives.”

“He is always pragmatic in his approach. Crystal clear on the objective and lists down all the options for clients to decide, while providing excellent recommendations.”

“Able to provide practical advice in layman's terms that business teams can understand.”

“Vincent Leow was the lead partner for our matter. In cases like these, there are often emotions involved. Vincent helped us to understand our rights as employees, helped separate out what is under the law, and what is not, and managed the negotiations with the other side's lawyer very well. He also had to help handle our board of directors, and I observed based on his interactions that he was very good at managing our board and group CEO and management as well.” 

Aik Hin Peh

“His familiarity with the courts and their processes is reassuringly accurate. His keen interest in our internal issues and understanding means his client care and empathy with the client's position allows him to give balanced advice.”

Sanjiv Rajan

“He is an excellent negotiator and outstanding communicator with impeccable written work product. He is highly competent in disputes and employment law, with vast business experience and practical perspective.”

Ramesh Selvaraj

“Ramesh is able to grasp the issues involved. He is prepared to listen to the client and would consider suggestions from the client. He makes it a point to explore with the client the options available and the pros/cons and risks of each option. His knowledge of law is good and his understanding of engineering issues is also good.”

Yong Seng Tay

“He is a superb lawyer. Meticulous and accurate preparation, and an encyclopaedic understanding of the law. He is Oxford-educated and has never lost a litigation which I have sent to him.”

“In-depth knowledge of the industry, always available and prompt to respond.”

Erik Widjaja

“Friendly, proactive, hardworking and gives practical advice and opinions.”

“Excellent strategic planning, understands clients’ needs very well, and able to deliver high-quality work and court documents.”

Yin Soon Yap

“He is very knowledgeable and provides very good advice with a great understanding of commercial considerations. He is also very responsive.”

Kenny Yap

“I’ve known Kenny for more than 20 years through work. He is very articulate and knowledgeable. He understands and is able to analyse what clients want. He has the ability to draw reasonable, logical conclusions or assumptions from limited information provided. The issues arising from our industry are complex and he has the evaluative skills to distil large quantities of information into something manageable and logical in resolving the issues.”

The dispute resolution offering at Aquinas Law Alliance covers the full spectrum of contentious commercial work such as contractual and commercial disputes, joint venture disputes, investment fraud, partnership and shareholder disputes, and personal and corporate insolvency. Its lawyers have acted at all levels of courts in Singapore and also in other jurisdictions, handling arbitrations around the globe in a variety of international forums. The team has seen its cross-border mandates increase over the past year. The firm is part of the Asean Legal Alliance and the Warwick Legal Network.

The key partners helming the disputes team are partners Cephas Yee and Mark Cham Shan Jie. Yee specialises in joint venture and investment-related disputes. Arbitration specialist Steve Ngo is another name to note.

During the research period, the team represented the owner of a jet service company in relation to claims of a purported breach of a private aircraft lien. This novel case involved assertions of liens in relation to aircrafts, of which there is minimal case law. In another highlight, the firm is acting for a Chinese national against a Singapore company for claims of negligent and fraudulent misrepresentation and for damages arising from the acquisition of an Australian company through a scheme of arrangement.

Recent clients include Bluefire Consultancy, JE Synergy Engineering and Straits Partners Group. 

Client feedback

“The lawyers are extremely knowledgeable, give responses to the point, spot-on advice and are always friendly and approachable.” – Commercial and transactions 

Mark Cham Shan Jie

“Responsible and sharp.” 

Cephas Yee

“He is extremely knowledgeable and gives spot-on and very relevant advice. We felt confident whenever he represented us.”

Audent Chambers is led by the well-respected senior counsel Harpreet Singh, who set up the firm with disputes specialist Jordan Tan in 2020. It is an advocates-only firm that focuses on high-quality strategic advice and advocacy to clients, frequently working alongside solicitors from the top domestic and international firms in Singapore and abroad. The team is well versed in high stakes, complex disputes that span areas such as banking and finance, insolvency, corporate disputes, fraud and misrepresentation, employment, injunctions and asset preservation, domestic and international arbitration, public law, and criminal law and procedure. They regularly appear before all levels of the Singapore Supreme Court and before the various international arbitral tribunals.

Co-managing partners Singh and Tan are the main contacts. Both were with Clifford Chance prior to the establishment of Audent.

The team is acting as instructed counsel for BP Singapore in multiple multi-million dollar claims by various international banks against the client involving transactions with former oil trading giant, Hin Leong Trading. These suits involve important questions of law relating to the role of letters of credit in the sale and purchase of goods, and the potential claims available to the issuing banks against the beneficiaries of letters of credits.

Golden Hill Capital and two individuals enlisted Singh, Tan and counsel Victor Leong for two different sets of proceedings concerning a judicial management and a civil claim for misrepresentation, breach of duties and fraud. The proceedings relating to the judicial management involved a novel point of law regarding circumstances when a judicial manager can be said to have acted in an unfairly prejudicial manner against a shareholder.

Recent clients include Credit Suisse, Milaha Explorer and True Group Singapore.

Client feedback

“Timely and accurate advice.” – Labour and employment

Jordan Tan

“Quick and incisive.”

Bird & Bird ATMD is particularly renowned for its intellectual property, technology, and labour and employment disputes capability. The firm is also active in commercial litigation and international arbitration. Clients in the aviation, construction, energy, financial services, chemicals, hospitality, telecommunications and energy industries regularly seek the firm’s dispute resolution services. The team has seen significant growth with disputes and arbitration work relating to Korea, Indonesia and India. The firm made notable strides this year in its rankings, improving in the commercial and transactions, construction and international arbitration tables. This reflects the team’s stability and increasing volume of complex contentious mandates in areas distinct from its traditional strengths. In recent years, the team’s footprint in aviation, construction and projects sectors work has expanded.

Key partners of the firm include Jonathan Choo, who is skilled in commercial disputes and international arbitration, labour specialist Seow Hui Goh and Alban Kang, who is a leading IP specialist in the market. Contentious regulatory partner Lijun Chui, commercial litigator Shaun Lee, IP partners Anan Sivananthan and Pin-Ping Oh, and construction expert Akshay Kishore are other names to note.

In a complex cross-border commercial matter, the team is acting for a business consultant partnership in a suit against an individual to enforce a foreign judgment obtained in China. The claim involves complex issues of asset recovery against an individual who had changed citizenship and names. The proceedings involve complex issues regarding the characterisation of an action for the enforcement of a foreign judgment under Singapore law and the applicability of statutory time limitations on actions to enforce a foreign judgment in the Singapore courts. In addition, there are novel issues relating to the postponement of statutory limitations that have arisen in the factual matrix. In a technology industry battle, the firm is a representing the co-founder of a tech start-up against the present directors and shareholders of the company he helped set up.

On the IP side, the litigation team defended Novartis in an action for potential patent infringement brought by Millennium in relation to three patents. The team also acted in the client’s counterclaim against Millennium to invalidate one of the patents in-suit. The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) instructed the IP team in a judicial review proceeding in the Singapore High Court relating to a patent examiner’s decision to refuse an application to correct a patent application. The question of the proper party to the proceedings, whether it should be IPOS or the Registrar of Patents, was also raised and considered in the proceedings. The matter was very important to IPOS as the High Court’s decision could have a significant impact on its practice and procedures relating to the correction of patents and patent applications. Also, the decision on the issue of proper party will have implications on the party to be sued in future judicial review proceedings.

Chanel, DXC Technology Service, Fox Networks, Oracle, Riot Games and Zhongshan Shengwang Electrical Appliances are notable clients of the firm.

Client feedback

“The team is proficient with the court procedures. They are proactive, understand the client's challenges and are willing to cater to such needs.” – Commercial arbitration

“Bird & Bird provides a seamless service across jurisdictions on international matters. They do this with great commercial focus and at a price point which is comfortable for clients.” – International arbitration

“Great at providing expert legal advice on novel IP issues. They are also very responsive and are able to work with a lean and efficient team to manage costs.” – Intellectual property 

Jonathan Choo

“Jonathan was very proactive and commercially minded in the advice given.”

Alban Kang

“Alban has vast experience in the IP space and a wealth of knowledge and information.”

Akshay Kishore

“He is always available, adept to Indian working conditions and knows Indian clients well.”

Pin-Ping Oh

“Good knowledge and communicates well.”

Restructuring and insolvency boutique firm BlackOak is focused solely on distressed and special situations matters, acting exclusively for insolvency professionals, debtors, creditors and funds. It is widely respected in the market among peers and clients. Its independent status allows the firm to remain untethered to particular clients and the ‘big four’ full-service firms routinely refer work to it. The team is best known for its corporate restructuring and insolvency practice and has acted on some landmark cases. The firm is especially active in the financial services, energy and shipping areas, and is often instructed in cross-border restructurings. The team has a niche specialty in bond restructurings and it is a market pioneer on third-party litigation funding in insolvency situations. The firm recently expanded its capabilities in India, Indonesia and Hong Kong, and has an impressive roster of cross-border mandates under its belt. Demonstrating the firm’s penchant for shaping restructuring & insolvency law, BlackOak successfully established the untested position in Singapore that a director’s resignation can be withdrawn via conduct of the board and shareholders under Sections 399 and 409A of the Companies Act.

Directors Ashok Kumar and Darius Tay, along with associate director Derrick Teo, are key figures in the firm’s insolvency practice.

A group of senior creditors of China Fishery Group has instructed BlackOak for the company’s restructuring. The team is also assisting the informal steering committee of the syndicated bank lenders in the restructuring of PT Pan Brothers through a pre-packaged scheme of arrangement in Singapore. Another highlight has the team representing SPGK as non-party in relation to the Recognition Application in Singapore of Ascentra Holdings’ solvent members’ voluntary liquidation commenced in the Cayman Islands. A novel point of law was raised in this matter given that there has been no decided Singapore case on the definition of a “foreign proceeding” under Article 2(h) of the Singapore Model Law, and various jurisdictions had different interpretations. 

Client feedback

“Solid commercial legal advice which incorporates practical aspects.” – Insolvency

Ashok Kumar

“He is very experienced and provides pragmatic advice with valuable insights.”

Full-service firm BR Law Corporation has its roots in litigation, stretching back for over 30 years. The firm started out as Bernard and Rada Law Corporation and rebranded to its current iteration in 2018. Each litigation partner has at least 26 years’ experience across various commercial dispute planes and sectors. These include contract, corporate governance, property, defamation, employment and breach of trust disputes, among others. The firm’s contentious family and matrimonial practice has been very active in the past year. The team is well versed in domestic and international arbitration matters, advising clients on and crafting dispute resolution clauses, conducting proceedings before arbitral tribunals, and enforcing and collecting arbitral awards.

Managing director Bernard Doray and senior director Soon Yien Foo helm the disputes group at the firm.

In a shareholder dispute win, the firm defended an individual against a former business partner. The plaintiff sued the client for a declaration that he holds company shares on trust for the plaintiff. The matter was settled amicably via mediation with a seven-figure settlement sum in favour of the client.

Petrotech Marine Services has instructed the team against four defendants on charges of alleged breach of fiduciary duties, fraud, fraudulent misrepresentation and unjust enrichment. 

Client feedback

“Prompt follow-up and sound advice.” – Family and matrimonial

Soon Yien Foo

“Sound advice, detailed, and provides prompt follow-ups.”

Established in 1978, Characterist is a Singaporean law firm that is active in civil and commercial disputes. In addition to its expertise in commercial and construction disputes, the firm is also active in insolvency, criminal and insurance litigation. It has an active roster of arbitration matters with international and cross-border elements.

Managing partner Daniel Goh oversees the team with support from key lawyers Dominic Chan, Adrian Wee and Noel Oehlers, who actively represent clients in both commercial and criminal disputes.

In a groundbreaking highlight, the team represented the plaintiffs in a judicial review challenge of the Vaccine-Differentiated Safe Management Measures (VDS) and Workforce Vaccination Measures (WVM) that were introduced by the Singapore government. The applicants claimed that VDS and WVM had the effect of curtailing the constitutional rights of unvaccinated citizens and workers, and resulted in the unvaccinated being discriminated against. This case was novel and complex, involving ever-evolving issues of fact, policy, statutes and regulations, law, statistics and science pertaining to the Covid-19 pandemic and vaccine differentiation measures as well as the law on locus standi and the real controversy requirement. Ultimately, the review was withdrawn in October last year.

The team continues to act for one defendant against a claim over fees for work allegedly completed during a 16-year period for “law-related business consultancy” services, and which related largely to various proceedings in Singapore, Australia and the British Virgin Islands. This is currently the leading case in Singapore on what constitutes the provision of legal services and acting as “an advocate and solicitor” under the Legal Profession Act for the purposes of establishing a complete statutory defence against an unauthorised person claiming for fees in respect of legal services provided when that person did not have a valid practising certificate. 

Client feedback

“The lawyers provided an independent, unbiased, and holistic breakdown of my rights. Characterist does not say things that clients like to hear, they say things that clients have to hear. It weighs the success of your case in a realistic manner.” – Commercial and transactions

“The team was prompt, professional, and demonstrated genuine care and being available.” – Family and matrimonial

“Sensible and practical advice in review to protect my interests. There is prompt feedback and review of the work.” – Labour and employment 

Dominic Chan

“He is understanding, very professional and willing to work hard to gather information and facts necessary for the legal case. He possesses a strong sense of justice and has beyond excellent communication and analytical skills.”

Johnston Lee

“He is patient, professional and efficient in his work.”

Daniel Ng

“He articulates ideas very clearly and substantiates the things he says with very good analogies. He listens well even when I’m flustered and probably incoherent. He stays very close or ahead of deadline and is very committed. I remember Daniel answering my call when he was on ICT reservist duties. He understands commercial and private contracts very well! I learnt a great deal from Daniel.”

Francis Wong

“He can grasp construction concepts fast and give advice from a legal standpoint.”

“He listened, and he offered excellent advice on steps forward to avoid litigation and to try to get a settlement before initiating legal proceedings.”

“Sensible and practical advice in the review of the draft agreements to protect my interests. He helped explain my options and the implications of amendments being sought to the draft.”

Clyd & Co Clasis is best known for its strengths in shipping, projects and construction, and in arbitration, with standalone specialist teams in these areas. It moves up a notch in all the rankings this year, notably into the upper echelons for construction and international arbitrational shipping, based on market feedback and a demonstration of high-end cross-border cases. The group is seasoned at handling disputes across multiple sectors, such as renewables, oil and gas, power, and transport. It is particularly experienced working with South Korean contractors on their international ventures and related claims and disputes. The joint law venture secures the support of Clyde & Co’s global network of over 150 specialist construction lawyers from across 50 offices.

The firm has been active on a steady flow of high-value, cross-border arbitrations since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Notably in the past year it has counselled clients on inbound and outbound South Asian disputes. The lawyers work with clients at every stage of the arbitration process and are adept at conducting large arbitrations in various international forums.

Managing director Prakash Pillai focuses on international arbitration and insolvency, and he leads a well-regarded team that includes construction experts Eugene Tan, Jon Howes and Sean Hardy. Marine sector specialists Ik Wei Chong and Leon Alexander round out the leadership.

The firm continues to act for Korean and Japanese contractors in a Vietnam International Arbitration Center case regarding an urban rail infrastructure project in Vietnam. In another highlight, the team represented a regional construction company in a $110 million ICC arbitration relating to a petrochemical complex in Malaysia. The firm is also acting for the employer of a cement plant in Mongolia in an ICC arbitration against its Chinese contractor in respect of defects in the plant.

The shipping team successfully defended its client, Glencore, against claims before the Singapore High Court made by UniCredit Bank (UCB). The plaintiff alleged Glencore committed fraud together with Hin Leong in connection with a sale and purchase of fuel oil and a letter of credit issued by UCB in respect of the same. This is the first case where the court held that a simultaneous sale and buyback arrangement entered into between two parties is legitimate.

Partner Weiyi Tan and legal director Qiao Kang joined the team from Harry Elias Partnership and Eversheds Sutherland, respectively. Shipping specialist Andrew Bicknell recently relocated to the Singapore office from London.

CNPLaw’s dispute resolution team of nine partners has extensive experience in all aspects of civil litigation and alternative dispute resolution, including arbitration and mediation. The team focuses on corporate and commercial litigation, construction, employment and family-related disputes. It has a solid track record of handling matters in various industry sectors, including consumer product manufacturing, financial services, real estate, construction and professional regulatory bodies. This year the firm climbs up a notch in the rankings in the commercial and transactions, family and matrimonial and private client tables.

Key partners for commercial disputes include Lisa Theng, Soo Ling See Tow, Ravindran Ramasamy, Subramanian Pillai, Jimmy Yap, Venetia Tan and Edwin Chia. They are all active in a broad range of matters including shareholder disputes, defamation, international trade, business finance and contractual claims, as well as wills and probate. For family and private wealth matters, partners Huimin Hu and Daniel Koh are the main contacts.

In one highlight during the research period, the team was successful for CJA as the appellant in an appeal against a High Court decision that set aside parts of a final award under the SIAC. This case centred on important legal questions involving arbitration law, such as ascertaining what the sources are that determine the tribunal’s jurisdiction; and when a tribunal’s decision can be said to be in excess of such jurisdiction and liable to be set aside under the International Arbitration Act.

The construction team defended a homeowner against a construction adjudication application lodged against him by his contractor. It also acted for a subcontractor claiming against the main contractor for progress payment for work done by way of adjudication application.

As a dispute resolution boutique established by the market’s most respected litigator, Davinder Singh Chambers is one of the fastest-growing firms in Singapore. The firm remains a fixture in the top tier for general commercial litigation and international arbitration on the back of plaudits from peers and clients.

With a well-known team of practitioners, the firm regularly features in complex and high-profile cases before all levels of courts and international tribunals. It covers all aspects of contentious matters including administrative law, insolvency, commercial litigation, employment, private client and white-collar crime. In the firm’s second year of practice, 2020, the cumulative value of disputes it handled exceeded $14 billion.

Led by litigation star Davinder Singh, the team comprises CEO Jaikanth Shankar and directors Sngeeta Rai, Timothy Lin, Navin Thevar, Ruo Yu Tan, John Lo and Bryan Wong.

In a high-profile matter, the team is representing businessman and owner of the Hin Leong group of companies, Lim Oon Kuin, in a variety of civil suits. An application for a Mareva injunction has been filed against the client and he has been charged with having allegedly abetted the forgery of documents for the purpose of cheating. This case is running against the backdrop of the spectacular insolvency of Hin Leong Trading and has been widely publicised in local and international media.

The beneficiaries of the estate of a high net-worth individual have instructed the team in two related actions connected to the Mustafa estate. This case involves the family members of the late founder of the well-known Mustafa Centre in Singapore and the value of the assets at stake is substantial.

Director Pardeep Singh Khosa left the firm for Morgan Lewis Stamford last autumn.

Previous clients of the firm include Bayan International, Boustead Projects, Bright Assets Enterprises, EQ Capital Investments and Rex International Holding.

Client feedback

“Solid performance.” – Commercial and transactions

“Well-studied, astute arguments, great communication, and unmatched excellence in hearings.” – Commercial and transactions

“Very effective legal representation.” – International arbitration

“The advice given to us was sound, clear and practical. The legal team had analysed the issues on hand carefully, advised us on the actions that we could take, with detailed analysis of the implications and possible outcome of each option. The legal team was resourceful and was able to link us up with lawyers from Belize, UK, Bahamas etc. within a short span of time.” – International arbitration 

David Fong

“David was articulate and extremely clear in his communications with us, both written and verbal. He was able to explain all the issues on hand and address any doubts that we had. David would also avail himself for a call whenever we had any questions and needed to speak to him on an urgent basis, be it in the evening, late at night or over the weekend. He would listen attentively and get back to us as soon as possible. All in all, David is a very effective and excellent lawyer and we highly recommend him.”

“He is smart, responsive and highly approachable.”

Jaikanth Shankar

“Always well prepared with excellent strategic thinking.”

“Jaikanth is clearly a master at advising on the strategy to approach a legal case. He possesses clarity of thought that identifies the key issues very quickly and is able to articulate it very clearly to non-legal practitioners without any technical jargon. His leadership skills are also excellent, providing direction and focus on the cross-border team. He also has excellent client management skills, in being able to put forward his frank advice without offence, which ultimately benefits the client in putting the best case forward.”

“Jaikanth Shankar cuts to the crux of the issues quickly and articulates the optimal course of legal action and the relevant legal arguments in the client’s interest. He was also able to provide advice clearly by distilling the key considerations into central advantages and disadvantages that are easily understood by non-legal practitioners. His advice was also carefully considered taking into account cross-border implications, as well as the tactical and procedural issues, so as to advance the client’s interest.” 

Davinder Singh

“Very astute and very effective.”

With respected litigators and senior counsels such as Jimmy Yim, Cavinder Bull, Randolph Khoo and Siraj Omar in its ranks, Drew & Napier is easily one of Singapore’s premier litigation practices and takes a significant share of arbitration-related litigation work in the city state. It is highly experienced in billion-dollar, complex international commercial arbitrations and landmark investor-state and investment treaty disputes. Fortune 500 companies, financial institutions, foreign governments, multinational corporations and state-owned entities frequently instruct the team. The firm’s specialist dispute resolution lawyers are well versed in a diverse range of sectors such as construction and infrastructure, finance, energy and utilities, finance, commodities and technology. In the past 12 months, the cumulative value of the firm’s litigation and arbitration matters exceeded $22 billion.

In 2020, Drew & Napier formed an alliance with two other top domestic firms in the region – Shearn Delamore & Co in Malaysia and Makarim & Taira S in Indonesia – to establish the legal network Drew Network Asia. This partnership will enable clients to obtain integrated, collaborative and seamless legal services across the region.

Other key litigators and disputes practitioners include family law veteran Randolph Khoo, IP head Tony Yeo and eminent insolvency lawyers Sushil Nair and Blossom Hing. White-collar focused Wendell Wong and construction specialist Christopher Chong are also among the prominent lawyers. Partners Benedict Teo, Mahesh Rai, Shu Mei Hoon, Kelvin Tan and Meryl Koh are rising stars in their respective fields.

The high-profile demise of Hin Leong Trading features the Drew & Napier team as its judicial managers in the largest reported fraudulent trading case in the history of Singapore. The firm also successfully represented Bidzina Ivanishvili, the former prime minister of Georgia, and his family in the Court of Appeal in respect of a claim they brought against the trustee of a $1.1 billion trust.

The IP team defended lab-grown diamond manufacturer, Ila Technologies in a patent infringement suit commenced by Element Six Technologies. The case is one of the most complex patent infringement cases that the Singapore courts have heard and is now being decided at the Court of Appeal. The issues in the suit involve extremely technical and contentious and highly complex patent invalidation and infringement matters.

In a high stakes arbitration, the team represented Daelim Industrial Company in this dispute, which concerns an aborted L+EPC contract for the construction of the largest petrochemical plant in Asia. The client was awarded the tender for the contract by the claimant, ONGC Petro Additions, a state-linked Indian petrochemicals company. After a quantum tranche was heard, the three-arbitrator tribunal dismissed the bulk of ONGC’s claims.

In another case highlight during the research period, the firm advised on a matter that concerns the first-known investor-state arbitration ever initiated against the Lao government. It involves a long-running and high-profile dispute between the Lao government and two investors in its gaming and casino industry, which has so far led to at least eight sets of arbitration proceedings and court actions between the parties.

The firm also assisted the Government of India in an arbitration-related court application which raises novel issues of Singapore’s public policy on the confidentiality of investor-state arbitrations under the lex arbitri. The underlying dispute involves challenges to tax assessment orders on $3.8 billion capital gains from a complex restructuring exercise involving Indian oil and gas assets. The Government of Laos has also instructed the team concerning an application under the International Arbitration Act. This matter raises novel issues concerning the Singapore courts’ enforcement of declaratory awards under the UNCITRAL Model Law. The underlying dispute involves claims of more than $400 million.

Key active clients include Amara Hotels, Asia Networks, AstraZeneca, Creative Technology, Hai Di Lao Holdings, ING Bank, Keppel Smit Towage, Navayo International and Raiffeisen Bank International.

Client feedback

“Excellent attention to detail, presentation and reasonable costs.” – Aviation

“Good in banking, tax and litigation.” – Commercial and transactions

“What don't they do well?” – Commercial and transactions

“Firm excels at complex litigation with difficult issues.” – Commercial and transactions

“They provide exceptional legal and commercial advice. They are able to provide us with the best solutions in the context of our commercial constraints.” – Commercial and transactions

“Its lawyers' relationships with clients, legal and commercial knowledge, and litigation experience is among the best in Singapore.” – Commercial and transactions

“Thorough legal analysis and great advice on options available.” – Commercial and transactions

“Litigation is handled very well by them.” – Commercial and transactions

“They are tactical and focus on the main point.” – Commercial and transactions

“Top-tier litigators for complex disputes.” – Construction

“Mahesh Rai, Jonathan Yong and the team were brilliant. They came up to speed very quickly, getting on top of voluminous detailed material in a very short time and then applied excellent strategic and technical skill to get the case into shape for the filing of the client's evidence and its presentation at trial. Their responsiveness is excellent, as is client commitment, the team worked day and night to provide service of a very high calibre.” – Intellectual property

“They gave polite explanations about Singapore laws and the legal system. They gave us suitable advice and actions at each critical step of the litigation.” – Intellectual property

“They analysed the litigation strategy and gave recommendations based on our company's objectives.” – Intellectual property

“Strategic advice is excellent and their quality of work is also outstanding.” – Intellectual property

“Drew & Napier masters the detail of complex projects and the impact of change and performance on the progress and completion of the works, whilst clearly distilling and presenting compelling arguments in support of the developed case theory.” – International arbitration

“Perfect knowledge, experience and advocacy.” – International arbitration

“Excellent litigation and arbitration firm.” – International arbitration

“The lawyers provide excellent legal advice and understand the key issues quickly. Their team is very attentive and responsive.” – International arbitration

“Siraj Omar SC assisted us in the setting aside of an arbitral award, at the Singapore High Court and Court of Appeal. We are very happy with the outcome, professionalism and level of service. They provided timely, commercially useful and clear advice. They are also very user-friendly, and are proactive in proposing solutions that are creative and strategic in nature. They know arbitration and court work well. They are also very professional, polished, and give a very high quality of service.” – International arbitration

“Drew & Napier is meticulous and has strong domain experience in the blockchain and broader fintech industries. They were able to win decisively the arbitration on all points, including costs, due to a combination of domain knowledge in securities, domain knowledge in blockchain, and strong litigation tactics and presence. They are also extremely responsive, even late at night.” – Technology

Chloe Ajit

“Communicative and patient.”

Manoj Belani

“Hard-working, very knowledgeable in commercial law, timely responses, and has a very nice and pleasant disposition to work with.”

Cavinder Bull

“Great mind.”

Pauline Chong

“Responsive to the client's needs.”

Christopher Chong

“Brilliant counsel in construction disputes.”

Yuet Min Foo

“Very good cross-examination skills, understands and can critique the key arguments advanced by the opposing party, and provides excellent responses.”

Blossom Hing

“Blossom is completely devoted to her clients and works tirelessly to protect and advance their interests. She completely ‘owns’ her clients’ problems and puts her heart and soul into finding solutions for them.”

Shu Mei Hoon

“She Knows her law, is passionate about advancing her client's interests, but is also open to alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and resolving matters amicably without compromising her client's positions or concerns.”

Meryl Koh

“Meryl is an excellent strategist and goes to court prepared. She does extensive research on cases which she may use in her favour and delivers her arguments clearly and confidently in court.”

Samuel Koh

“Samuel was on top of all the details and had a clear vision of how to progress the matters at the heart of the case.”

Adam Maniam

“Very smart guy, able to give commercially sound legal advice.”

Mahesh Rai

“He has a very balanced approach towards issues.”

“Mahesh is a standout amongst disputes lawyers in Singapore. He is very professional and always available and responsive to client needs. He is particularly adept at understanding the core theory of a case, as well as its detail, and presenting it efficiently and effectively to the judge.”

“Mahesh is very practical and to-the-point in all communication and recommendations. He does not shy away from recommending a course of action. He learns quickly about a new industry and has strong attention to detail. He has a fierce courtroom presence and can dominate a room easily. He is also a strong, big-picture strategist and can use specialised legal doctrine and small details to maximum effect.”

Benedict Teo

“Responsive and knowledgeable.”

Shu Yan Woo

“She is an expert litigator.”

Javier Yeo

“He is quick to understand the key points of the patents and background of the industry.”

“Meticulous, super-hardworking, extremely perseverant, and excellent in simplifying complex matters.”

Tony Yeo

“He is a very experienced IP litigator. He has excellent litigation skills, is very meticulous and also strategic.”

Jimmy Yim

“Excellent written work and oral advocacy.”

“He is creative and a hell of a streetfighter. Above all, a litigator's litigator.”

“Jimmy’s in-depth knowledge and experience of commercial reality, litigation and the law, as well as his ability to build and maintain a relationship with the client, puts him in the upper echelons of legal practice in Singapore.”

Ella Cheong is an IP specialist firm with offices in Singapore and Hong Kong. Its services include IP litigation and enforcement of trademarks, patents, domain names and registered designs. A well-established name in the IP field, the firm was founded 30 years ago and works with clients across a myriad of sectors, including aviation, manufacturing, luxury, FMCG, cleantech, pharmaceutical, education, and food and beverages.

The key contacts are managing director Kar Liang Soh and director Kevin Wong. 

Disputes-focused firm Eugene Thuraisingam handles both domestic and international litigation and arbitration involving industries such as shipping, oil and gas, and construction. Peers have credited the firm for its forte in constitutional and criminal litigation matters. The team is regularly engaged for regulatory investigations, white-collar crime investigations and by those being investigated or disciplined by various professional authorities in Singapore. Familiar with the major arbitral institutions, the firm is adept at handling matters from pre-arbitration negotiations to post-award proceedings. Its lawyers are especially skilled in trial advocacy and in the art of cross-examination. The group recently opened an office in Bangkok to grow its commercial arbitration practice regionally.

The criminal defence litigation practice deserves special mention, with the team celebrating numerous achievements in tough cases before the state. It has obtained landmark judgments, including the Court of Appeal’s decision – for the first time in Singapore’s legal history – to review its own concluded judgment convicting an accused person, and eventually reversing its original decision. The firm has secured numerous acquittals in trial at both the High Court and the state courts, including for persons charged with capital offences. In other cases, it has successfully persuaded the prosecution to amicably resolve matters.

The team is led by noted litigator Eugene Thuraisingam and includes partners Suang Wijaya, Jing Yen Chooi, Johannes Hadi and Hamza Malik. The rest of the group includes one counsel and five associates.

The firm is acting for a former employee of the Envy companies as a defendant against allegations of fraud. It is also assisting a liquidator in a $215 million claim by a foreign government-owned entity established to collect bad debts. In another highlight, the team is representing a global commodities trader in resisting a claim brought by a Hong Kong fund in a multi-jurisdictional dispute that involves complex questions of commercial law.

One landmark case that featured Thuraisingam and Wijaya was a constitutional challenge that was mounted against a colonial-era penal law that criminalised consensual sexual activity between adult males. The law was challenged on a few grounds, including the ground that it breaches the provisions relating to equality in the constitution. In a seminal judgment, the Court of Appeal in Singapore held that the law was unenforceable in its entirety as things stand presently. This was the first time when the Court of Appeal held that a law was unenforceable in its entirety. The court’s remarks in obiter, which hinted at a possibility that a future constitutional challenge may be successful, was referenced by the government when it announced its decision to repeal Section 377A of the Penal Code in August 2022.

Client feedback

“Chooi Jing Yen and Chen Yongxin, my lawyers from Eugene Thuraisingam, upheld their professionalism and showed me kindness and compassion throughout my case. I never expected myself to be involved in a legal dispute, and if not for my lawyers, it could have been one of the most draining and emotionally exhausting things to experience. Instead, I felt safe, secure and confident throughout the entire litigation. Jing Yen guided me, answered the many questions I had and explained everything so I could understand what was going on. The team was extremely meticulous and prepared. Like grandmasters in chess, they could think many steps ahead. Jing Yen shared the objective with me from the start, and it was fulfilled. My case was sensitive because it involved media and press, but the whole litigation process was really well managed. The lawyers on the team were experts on the topic and handled my case really well. I had friends telling me that lawyers are the ultimate winners in any case because of the money they earn at each step of the litigation process, and that I had to be wary of the decisions being made. That wasn’t the case for me at all. In fact, all the decisions made showed me how my lawyers had my best interests at heart. Jing Yen gave me the confidence that I could trust the team, and that I did not have to be anxious. I’m also really thankful for how prompt he was with my questions as well, because it always put an end to the anxiety I’d feel whenever I was uncertain. I’d also like to thank Ariffin Sha for answering the many questions I had as well. From my experience, I’d highly recommend engaging the lawyers at Eugene Thuraisingam. They are superb at their work, so calm and confident with what they do. I’m so thankful that the case has been resolved and that I can finally move forward. Thank you so much Jing Yen, Yongxin and Ariffin. I will forever be grateful.” – Labour and employment

“Responsive, effective strategy, and intelligent legal analysis.” – White-collar crime

Chooi Jing Yen

“Jing Yen was kind, knowledgeable and professional. He is very well prepared and has great foresight. He is able to think many steps ahead and fulfils his goals. He is very transparent with regards to fees and considered my financial concerns.”

Eugene Thuraisingam

“Very responsive, responsible and reliable.”

“Friendly and approachable, while maintaining a steady grasp on the case file.”

“He is excellent.

Focus Law Asia is a specialist litigation boutique with a speciality in domestic and regional shipping disputes. Apart from its prowess in contentious maritime matters, the team handles a broad range of disputes including international arbitration and commercial litigation. Examples of recent cases include investment, shareholder, commodities trading, construction and insurance disputes. The firm has dedicated Japanese and Korean desks and it is part of the One Asia Lawyers network.

The key disputes partners for shipping and commercial matters are managing director Shem Khoo and director Mark Tan.

The team is acting for Maersk Tankers Singapore in various High Court claims by United Overseas Bank Limited and Standard Chartered Bank for misdelivery arising out of discharge of cargoes without original bills of lading. It is also assisting Swiss bank, Banque de Commerce et de Placements in proceedings against an SGX-listed company for unpaid sums arising from a circular transaction with no genuine cargo.

On the commercial side, Khoo and his team are battling for a Japanese individual and her holding investment companies in an action brought by The Resolution and Collection Corporation. The  Japanese government-linked entity is pursuing claims of unjust enrichment, constructive trust and tracing arising out of fraudulent transactions allegedly perpetrated by the client’s father in Japan during the real estate economy bubble in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The Focus Law team successfully set aside the ex parte Mareva injunction obtained by the plaintiff against the clients on the basis that the plaintiff had no good arguable case and made material non-disclosure of key facts. This matter involves novel issues of law that have not been canvassed in the Singapore courts before, including how the extension of a limitation period for enforcement of a Japanese foreign judgment in Japan will interplay with the limitation period for enforcement of a foreign judgment via common law action in Singapore.

The firms counts 3H Air Conditioning & Engineering, Adera Global, Aeturnum Energy International, Alpha DX Group, Nishiki Real Estate and Waseda Singapore as part of its active client roster.

Client feedback

“Managed the administration of the case and advised us on alternatives with their pros and cons.” – International arbitration

“Tactical and practical.” – Shipping

“Good at assessing the confidence level of winning the law suit. Meticulous examination of all details of the case.” – White-collar crime

Shem Khoo

“He is an excellent lawyer and commercial in approach.”

“Tactical, practical and accessible.”

Jowen Siew

“A creative thinker, he is responsive to his client and their work, accommodating the client’s schedule. He was familiar with the law pertaining to my case, and always provided alternative strategies.”

Veronica Teo

“Super-responsive and very clear with communications.”

Fullerton Law Chambers’ primary strength is in corporate and commercial disputes and it regularly acts for blue-chip corporate clients before the High Court and Court of Appeal in Singapore. Its dispute resolution practice spans a wide range of domestic and multi-jurisdictional corporate and commercial disputes, as well as international arbitration. Market peers have acknowledged their increased visibility in the past 12 months in notable cases.

Edmund Eng, Wei Chern Tham and Brinden Anandakumar are key members of the team.

In one case highlight, the firm remains the counsel of choice for the majority shareholder of Raffles Town Club in disputes with the other shareholders of the club. Another important mandate is its representation of Borrelli Walsh as the judicial managers of the Hyflux wind-up. During the research period it also represented a major bank in a number of proceedings arising from the collapse of oil and gas giant Hin Leong Trading. The bank claimed an interest in significant quantities of oil and gas cargoes stored at Universal Terminal and onboard the vessel Ocean Taipan.

The team has been instructed by one of the members of the governing council of the Luna Foundation Guard in relation to potential claims arising out of the collapse of TerraUSD. In another technology matter with South Asian and Southeast Asian elements, the founders of a Singapore software company turned to the firm in relation to an arbitration arising out of the acquisition of the company.

Former director Alfred Lim left the firm in September 2022.

Client feedback

“Fullerton is good at sifting through complicated legal issues then providing the clearest explanation and course of available actions for the client. They are usually very cost-efficient as compared to some other law firms I have used before. They are also very approachable and available at all times to deal with any ad hoc issues which crop up.” – Commercial and transactions

“Fullerton law is very good at litigation and dispute resolution, and also very good in general corporate transactions work like investment agreements. They have great depth in their team and superb legal knowledge and always manage to break down complex legal issues with great clarity for the client.” – Commercial and transactions

“The firm, and in particular Mr Eng and his team, provide top-tier dispute resolution services. I have found them to be very responsive and collaborative. The level of service they provide has been exceptional so far and very client-oriented. They have time and again provided sharp and incisive legal advice and litigation strategies. They also have the ability to cut through complex facts and legal principles very quickly and to explain all of this in simple and clear language which is easily understandable to the commercial law person.” – Commercial and transactions

“Mr Eng and his team never fail to provide premier dispute resolution services. They have displayed a depth of talent that I have not come across in Singapore or China. Their industry-specific knowledge is excellent. Time and again they have provided us with clear and comprehensive legal advice. Their ability to strategise, and anticipate issues that may arise, is also unrivalled. I have found them to be proactive, responsive and very client-oriented. In short, I would say that they are intelligent, formidable and incredibly well-equipped to handle even the most complex of disputes.” – Commercial and transactions

“In my opinion, Edmund and his team are unparalleled in the dispute resolution space. I am in the commodities space and they have built up a reputation for being the go-to firm for complex commodities disputes. I have also found from my experience that they provide excellent advice and are always one step ahead of the opposing counsel.” – Commercial and transactions

“No one does litigation better than Fullerton Law Chambers, especially Edmund and his team there. I have instructed them on a number of matters over the last few years and they have always delivered market-leading litigation services. I can say without any hesitation that the firm’s industry and sector-specific knowledge is unparalleled. They also have the uncanny ability to cut through complex problems and formulate creative solutions rapidly, even when it comes to the most complex matters we have entrusted them with.” – Commercial and transactions

“I have found the firm, through my interactions with Brinden, to be more than capable of holding of its own against the larger law firms in Singapore. They provided first-rate advice that demonstrated in-depth knowledge of the law. They were also very client-oriented and were responsive to all of my needs. It was a pleasure working with them and I look forward to further opportunities to do so in the future.” – Commercial and transactions

“We have engaged Fullerton Law Chambers primarily for their strength in litigation and dispute resolution. We have found their legal advice to be well thought out, comprehensive and alive to the commercial realities of the business world every step of the way. We have no doubt that they can easily take on the largest firms in Singapore and the most difficult cases. They can be very aggressive when the situation calls for it and do not pull any of their punches. We have engaged top Singapore law firms in the past and Fullerton Law Chambers have eclipsed all of them in our experience. They are now our go-to law firm for commercial disputes.” – Construction

“Gives good, thorough advice.” – International arbitration

“They give quick responses, which is much valued in today's fast-paced world and especially in the industry my company is in.” – Labour and employment

“They understand our business well and are able to give effective advice.” – Technology

“Clear and concise advice, and well thought-out strategy.” – Trade and customs

Brinden Anandakumar

“He has a very sharp legal mind and is able to zoom into the most crucial aspect of the legal case and explain it with great clarity to the client. He is very hard-working and efficient, and able to meet all our affidavits deadlines with ease and enable clients to have ample time to refine and plan our work. He is very cost-efficient and always surprises us with the very reasonable billings for the deal. He is always approachable and patient, and is there to guide us and support us throughout the entire vexing litigation process.”

“Smart with comprehensive knowledge”

“Brinden is a brilliant and highly skilled litigator. He has a huge appetite for information and a very sound knowledge of the law. He has a knack for breaking down complex issues clearly and concisely, and is very smooth and eloquent. He is also very proactive and takes charge of a dispute from the start. His work rate is incredible and he is always available to give us advice at any time of the day. He is also a talented strategist and the depth of thinking he has demonstrated is impressive. We have watched him outmanoeuvre other lawyers with ease. He has been more than capable of going toe to toe with the largest firms in Singapore and land decisive blows against them in disputes we have been involved in. It has been a pleasure watching him turn up the heat on his opponents and subject them to unrelenting pressure that wears them down. He is extremely tenacious and leaves no stone unturned in his preparation. He is one lawyer you want fighting your battles and he will fight to the end to ensure you win your case.”

“Brinden is extremely talented and has excellent attention to detail. He is very knowledgeable about all the relevant and material facts, as well as having all the important documents at his fingertips, with his ability to sift through the thick volumes of material quickly and accurately to identify the issues. He is very focused in his work and offers very practical advice. He is extremely diligent and gives attention to every little detail. Other firms pale in comparison.”

“He has good communication skills and provides practical advice. He well understands our business and the issues we face.”

“We have worked with a senior associate by the name of Brinden Anandakumar. We find him quick on the uptake; he has displayed the ability to follow the issues very quickly and is very responsive. We have no doubt that he will develop into an outstanding lawyer with time.”

“I have also worked with Brinden Anandakumar, who is an associate director in Edmund’s team at Fullerton Law Chambers. I have been impressed with his attention to detail and how he has knowledge of all the relevant facts and documents at his fingertips. He also has the ability to quickly sift through the material to identify issues that actually matter. He is certainly a future star to watch out for.”

“He is bright, industrious and meticulous.”

“I worked very closely with Brinden, and he is the best lawyer I have ever worked with. From our first meeting, he explained everything to me in terms I could easily understand and was always very responsive when I had questions outside of our meetings. If anyone is looking for a knowledgeable lawyer, with energy-centric knowledge, Brinden is your to-go lawyer. Additionally, Brinden got back to us quickly and made it a seamless operation, especially as we were facing time constraints. I highly recommend and will work with this law office again.”

Edmung Eng

“He is an extremely astute legal mind, able to cut through all the complicated legal issues and explain them simply yet with great clarity for the client. He’s got a very positive and supportive mindset, which is invaluable for the client as we go through the stress and pain of a long legal wrangle with unscrupulous counterparties. He is very cost-efficient and will help the client minimise and manage the entire costs of the legal recovery process.”

“He is proven with a great track record, as we have been successful in all the cases which he has dealt with for us so far. He’s always approachable and patient, and we can look for him at any time and he will always be available for us and will explain everything in detail which is extremely reassuring and inspiring during the painful litigation process.”

“Edmund is the partner in charge of all the files we have with the firm. I have been instructing him for a number of years, starting from his time as a partner in Shook Lin & Bok. He is extremely insightful and knowledgeable. He is an excellent, quick-thinking strategist who is able to manoeuvre with ease when navigating challenging strategic issues. He is an intellectual powerhouse without peers.”

“I have experience instructing other top-tier law firms in Singapore, including instructing eminent senior counsel. I can say without a doubt that Edmund is a star litigator who is a senior counsel in the making. He stands head and shoulders above the all the other lawyers, including senior counsel, who I have dealt with. He has an uncanny ability to anticipate issues that may arise down the line. He is also quick thinking and is able to meet complex challenges head on. His ability to strategise and cut through complex issues is also second to none. I have found him extremely formidable and more than capable of going up against the best in Singapore.”

“Edmund is a top-tier litigator capable of going toe to toe with the best litigators in Singapore. I have been impressed by his intelligence and depth of preparation. I have found him to be incisive, shrewd and without peer when it comes to litigation strategy. I have also seen him in action during cross-examination and I was pleasantly surprised by his ability to tear down the opposing party’s witnesses with ease. He is the complete litigator, if there ever was one.”

“Edmund is second to none in the litigation space. Time and again, we have approached him for advice on complex matters and he has always provided incisive and compelling advice that addresses all our needs. His intelligence and mastery of the law is first rate, but what separates him from the field is that his advice always takes into account the commercial realities of the industry we operate in. I have also been impressed by the depth of talent at Fullerton Law Chambers.”

“Incisive and innovative.”

“Knowledgeable and proactive.”

“He is clear and concise, articulate and sharp.”

Wei Chern Tham

“Very competent counsel with deep legal knowledge and good relationship-building skills.”

Gateway Law Corporation’s real strength is in intellectual property, employment law and telecommunications, media and technology. However, it is also active in the disputes space, where it supplements its IP litigation expertise with commercial disputes, insolvency and arbitration work. In addition to contentious IP work, the team is active in anti-counterfeiting initiatives and enforcement.

Leading the contentious team is managing director Max Ng.

All cases submitted for consideration remain confidential, but the firm is busy managing various IP owners’ patent and trademark portfolios in the pharmaceuticals, technology and media sectors.

Former associate director Amira Budiyano left in October 2021 for an in-house position.

Key clients include Challenger Technologies, Formula One Licensing, Lucence Diagnostics, Mister Minit, National University of Singapore, TenX and Xiaomi.

Client feedback

“They are responsive to clients and offer a tailored approach to solving clients’ needs.” – Commercial and transactions

“Prompt to respond to queries.” – Intellectual property

Max Ng

“He makes the effort to understand the company and the context of the situation. He’s clear in providing legal options and also on the efficacy of the different options.”

“Responsive in a timely manner.”

Traditionally strong in litigation, Harry Elias Partnership offers the full spectrum of dispute resolution coverage including commercial disputes, construction, IP litigation, insolvency and international arbitration. The firm’s top-tier contentious family and matrimonial practice is widely known in the market. The construction and engineering group has carved out a niche in the area of marine engineering, dredging, land reclamation and shores protection. Its clients include high-profile local and international individuals, banks and financial institutions, as well as corporations. The firm also offers solid mediation advocacy capability with trained mediators accredited as principal and associate mediators with the Singapore Mediation Centre.

Managing partner and head of the dispute resolution practice Philip Fong and partners Suressh S, Andy Lem, Chau Yee Tan, Justin Chia, Yvonne Foo and Joanna Seetoh are the key figures at the firm. The latter four are construction specialists. Francis Goh heads the international arbitration department, Esther Wee leads the IP team, while Siew Fong Foo and Tien Hua Koh are widely known for their outstanding family and matrimonial expertise.

Highlights in commercial disputes during the research period include defending one of the accused in a case involving over 300 charges of market manipulation, unauthorised trading and cheating. This case has been described by prosecutors as “the largest market manipulation case in Singapore’s history”. In a multi-jurisdictional arbitration matter, the team acted for the owners and vendors of a Singapore trust company against the buyers for breach of the sale and purchase agreement for the takeover of the company.

YTL Concrete has recruited the construction lawyers for its defence against claims by HSL Constructor and the Public Utilities Board (PUB) regarding damage caused to PUB’s water pipe and other losses due to ground stress exerted at the site for the improvement to the Bedok Canal.

Chia and his team are representing a management group in its claim against the developer, main contractor and subcontractors for building defects in the Singapore High Court. A public utilities board has instructed the firm for its defence against claims by the management committee plaintiff of alleged breach of non-delegable duty of care, breach of statutory duty and nuisance in the execution of the drainage improvement works.

The insolvency team continues to act for Ascendas REIT, Singapore’s first and largest listed business space and industrial real estate investment trust, in its high-value claims against the Hyflux Group for its premature termination of long-term leases for two buildings, Hyflux Building and Hyflux Innovation Centre. It is also representing First Abu Dhabi Bank as a creditor in the AgriTrade International restructuring.

Partner Joanna Seetoh and of counsel Chua Ming Hao joined last year from LVM Chambers and Clyde & Co Clasis, respectively.

Key clients include BRC Asia, DBS Bank, GAM Kimura Commodity Trade Finance Fund, Rich-Link Construction, Singapore Ministry of Health, Standard Chartered Bank and Vantage Shipbrokers.

Helmsman is best known for its shipping and commodities work, but it has recently expanded to cover commercial disputes as well. The firm has offices in Singapore and Hong Kong, and the combined teams house more than 20 specialist fee earners. The litigation and arbitration groups cover shipping, trade and commodities, corporate and finance, restructuring and insolvency, energy projects, fraud and recovery, company law, employment law and general dispute resolution. The team works with commodity traders, banks and charterers in high-value, cross-border disputes across the globe. It also has substantial experience in the mid and downstream liquefied natural gas (LNG) sector, particularly in LNG shipping and chartering and LNG trade disputes. To support the firm’s foray into general disputes, one partner and five litigation associates were hired in the past year across the two offices.

Key members of the firm include commodities and shipping experts Ian Teo, Chong Jun Tang and Maureen Poh, as well as corporate disputes specialists Lynette Koh and Una Khng. Khng joined late last year from the Singapore Supreme Court, where she was a district judge and registrar.

The team is acting for a Singapore company in respect of claims against a listed Chinese company, two Hong Kong companies and a Chinese national. The dispute surrounds alleged forged invoices issued by the Hong Kong company to the Chinese company. It is additionally serving as co-counsel for United Overseas Bank in a claim for about $43 million against Maersk for misdelivery of oil cargo without presentation of bills of lading. The case involves several complex issues of law related to bills of lading.

In a seminal matter that will no doubt help shape shipping and insolvency laws, Trafigura has instructed the team in a dispute that arose out of the Hin Leong insolvency. The dispute revolved around a circular trade of two cargoes of petroleum products which were sold by Hin Leong to the client, and then from the client to Winson Oil Trading (WOT), and by WOT back to Hin Leong. The sale of goods dispute between seller and buyer raises novel issues of shipping, sale of goods, trade finance and insolvency law. The interpleader proceedings also raise novel issues of civil procedure, sale of goods, trade finance and personal property law.

The firm counts Nora, Polaris Shipping, SK Shipping, Toyota Tsusho Corporation and Wilmar International as notable clients.

Client feedback

“Responsive and practical.” – Commercial and transactions

“Cost-efficient.” – Trade and customs

Ian Teo

“Very commercial-minded, all-round thinker.”

Matthew Teo

“Practical and personable, with a firm grip of the law and its application.”

Global firm Herbert Smith Freehills is famed for its market-leading litigation and arbitration practice across the region, including Singapore. The team consistently features in groundbreaking flagship cases, with top-end clients entrusting their “bet the company” disputes to the HSF lawyers. The Singapore offering is particularly noted for its energy and natural resources expertise, as well as its specialism in construction and engineering. Other core disputes areas include TMT, banking and financial services, commercial contracts, and shareholder and JV matters. The group also advises on high-value, high-profile investment treaty claims and arbitrations, typically in cross-office teams. The Singapore team houses four partners, who are supported by six specialist international arbitration lawyers. The firm operates a fully integrated arbitration practice group in Southeast Asia across its Singapore, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok offices.

Head of international arbitration for Southeast Asia, Alastair Henderson helms a leadership team that includes seasoned disputes practitioners Elaine Wong, Tomas Furlong, Gitta Satryani and Daniel Waldek.

In one high-stakes highlight during the research period, a cross-office team is representing two Sinopec Group subsidiaries in the largest claim every filed with the SIAC, valued at over $5.5 billion. The claim arises from the purchase of a 49% stake in a UK North Sea joint venture, now majority-owned by Spanish oil major Repsol. The tribunal has made multiple findings of fraud against Repsol, a significant achievement given the extremely high bar for establishing fraud under English law. This was also a landmark victory for a Chinese state-owned enterprise. The parties are working towards a hearing this year to determine the quantum of damages payable. In parallel, Repsol has applied to set aside two of the awards before the Singapore International Commercial Court.

Best known for its shipping practice, Joseph Lopez provides a comprehensive range of legal services to both local and international clients. The firm represents multinational companies, government bodies, blue-chip corporations and high net-worth individuals before all levels of Singapore courts and various institutional arbitral centres, including the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, LCIA and ICC. Its expertise lies in shipping, engineering, natural resources, commodities trading, and oil and gas. In the past 12 months, the firm has worked on matters spanning multiple jurisdictions including Japan, Cyprus, New Zealand and the US.

The firm is led by Joseph Lopez and another key lawyer is partner Mubin Shah. Lopez primarily focuses on commercial international arbitration with a specialisation in commodities and energy.

In one case highlight, the firm is acting for the claimants in an ongoing New York-seated arbitration under the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association involving a claim amount of almost $70 million. In another matter, Lopez and his team are representing the respondent in an ongoing Singapore-seated arbitration under the SIAC Rules, arising from alleged breaches of a corporate guarantee which relates to two JVAs for complex financing arrangements.

The team is assisting the claimant at the SIAC in an ongoing dispute arising from the sale of 12 shipments of coal. In another SIAC case, the team is acting for the claimant buyer against the respondent buyer for a demurrage dispute arising from a contract for the sale of Indonesian coal.

Joseph Tan Jude Benny is best known for shipping litigation and arbitration, but the prominence of its commercial disputes practice has increased and it is acting on more general litigation, with a growing energy and commodities platform. For example, at present more than half of the team’s case load involves non-maritime-related claims, with the team acting for financiers, contractors and international companies. Besides specialist sector-focused disputes, the firm is also skilled in handling commercial contractual claims, investment disputes, insurance, insolvency, defamation and fraud cases. The team has extensive experience in high-profile wet and dry shipping matters, and admiralty proceedings, including the arresting and releasing of vessels, constituting limitation funds for collision matters and personal injury matters.

The key contacts at the firm for commercial and shipping disputes are Murali Pany, Danny Chua and John Sze.

The team continues to act for Grant Thornton, as the judicial managers of Xihe Holdings, and dozens of ship-owning companies in relation to the Hin Leong Group insolvency. The work involves dealing with claims from more than a dozen banks and traders, each entity having tens to hundreds of millions of dollars exposure from the collapse of the Hin Leong Group as a whole. Xihe Holdings is the main asset owner within the group structure.

In another highlight, the firm is representing Petroleo Brasileiro, a Brazilian state-owned oil and gas company, in an $80 million shipping case against Natixis Bank and others. The team also assisted the judicial managers of Nan Chiau Maritime and the company itself in relation to an ongoing action brought by a third party for a breach of statutory duties and obligations relating to the disposal of the company’s assets in a manner that is prejudicial to the third party. There are several novel law issues that arise in this matter, as they have never been adjudicated by the courts. The court will have to determine the rights of a plaintiff-holder of a statutory lien arising from an admiralty claim and whether such a security holder is a class of persons that a judicial manager should take into account for the purposes of a section of the chief insolvency law.

Sze and his team are acting for AmBank Berhad against a Singapore-listed oil and gas company in respect of a significant financing that has been provided.

Apart from broadening its capacity from shipping to encompass energy and commodities, the firm also has an international reach with its network of offices in Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Bangkok, Taipei, Yangon, Piraeus, Los Angeles, Hamburg, Munich and Incheon. Joseph Tan Jude Benny is a member of the international network of independent law firms, ADVOC.

Client feedback

“They clearly set out the processes and issues.” – Shipping

“Prompt client service and advice, and practical solutions proposed.” – Shipping

“The lawyers are excellent with quick service. They are very knowledgeable and have great insight.” – Shipping

“I deal with numerous lawyers in various locations and we rarely come across professional minds of this calibre. JTJB surely stands out!” – Shipping

Danny Chua

“He presents issues clearly.”

“Danny is always reachable and maintains very good client relationships.”

“He has in-depth knowledge and experience in our particular industry sector.”

John Sze

“John Sze heading the matter, is simply next to none. He has a business mindset, understands the dispute and handles it extremely professionally. Working with him is an absolute pleasure.”

K&L Gates Straits Law has a respected commercial litigation and arbitration practice led by five disputes-focused partners. It is able to represent clients in both local and cross-border disputes, and in the past year has worked on contentious matters across a diverse range of industry sectors around the region. The team routinely acts for multinational corporations, financial institutions, local corporates and individual litigants in their local, regional and global disputes. The firm has seen an uptick in force majeure mandates, as well as insolvency-related instructions. Its investigations practice continued to expand last year, covering not only large cross-border investigations but also more diverse domestic white-collar crime matters.

Managing partner and senior counsel Sreenivasan Narayanan is the key contact for disputes at the firm. Other practitioners to note are partners Palaniappan Sundararaj, a specialist for complex tort and banking and trade litigation, international arbitration expert Raja Bose, and corporate disputes lead Valerie Ang. Muralli Rajaram is the go-to lawyer for restructuring and insolvency litigation.

The team continues to act for the former judicial managers and now liquidators of Ocean Tankers, the sister company of oil and commodities trader Hin Leong Trading. It additionally assisted Alternative Advisors Investments (AAI) in its claim to recover monies under a loan agreement and a personal guarantee, both of which have been assigned to AAI. The assignor of the loan and personal guarantee was previously a co-plaintiff to the suit.

In a complex, cross-border labour matter, the team is representing an individual in an unfair dismissal claim against Verifone Singapore. There are several documents that govern the relationship between the parties. These documents contain conflicting jurisdiction clauses and dispute resolution clauses. Accordingly, the key issues include what applicable law and dispute resolution mechanism may govern the dispute. Concurrent proceedings will likely be held in litigation and arbitration between Singapore and the US.

In another restructuring and insolvency matter, the team was instructed by a construction company for its scheme of arrangement proposed to its creditors. The scheme was a highly unusual one in that it envisaged payment to the creditors from the proceeds of several dispute proceedings that were under way or yet to be commenced. The scheme passed and, in a related arbitration proceeding, a favourable award was issued on behalf of the client and an appeal against the award was successfully resisted.

The white-collar crime team has been busy representing a Malaysian national and businessman who faces 189 charges under the Securities and Futures Act, Penal Code and Companies Act for various market misconduct and related offences. This matter has been highly publicised and the size and complexity of the case is unprecedented. It has been described by the Singapore authorities as “the most extensive case of market manipulation and securities fraud in Singapore”.

Core active clients include Alternative Advisors Investments, Bank of India, LS Cable & System, Indian Overseas Bank, Right Angle Media, UGL, SK Group and Union Bank of India.

Client feedback

“The team has a very good understanding of international law, the ability to get to the main and critical issues quickly, and the lawyers are very meticulous in their approach.” – International arbitration

“They give practical and commercial advice.” – International arbitration

Muralli Rajaram

“He is extremely well-focused and meticulous. He gets to the key issue of the case quickly.”

Sreenivasan Narayanan “Good at strategising.”

Global firm King & Spalding has long been a market leader for international arbitration in the region. Its Singapore team comprises six partners with over 70 years of experience in Asia, and 11 other fee earners who exclusively practice international arbitration. The team had a record year in 2022, acting for some of the world’s best-known multinational corporations in significant pleadings and hearings for large commercial, construction and investment treaty cases. The firm has one of the largest dedicated arbitration teams in Asia, covering a wide range of industry sectors and dispute types. The lawyers have carved out a niche expertise in the nuclear sector and is the go-to firm for investment treaty arbitration. Many of the lawyers practice as arbitrators in international arbitrations under major arbitration rules across multiple jurisdictions.

The leadership is stacked will well-respected international arbitration specialists such as Wade Coriell, Elodie Dulac, Nils Eliasson and Peter Chow. Eliasson joined from Shearman & Sterling Hong Kong last year. Emerson Holmes left the firm in November 2022.

The list of notable highlights is long for the King & Spalding team, which is handling several individual cases with over $1 billion at stake. Recent victories include securing a full dismissal of claims involving disputed share ownership valued at $3 billion for San Miguel, with a $14 million costs award in its favour, and securing a partial award for Chevron in the quantum phase of its dispute against Ecuador.

The team is representing Shell Philippines Exploration in an ICSID arbitration against the Republic of the Philippines in relation to the allocation of petroleum revenues under a petroleum services contract with the state. This is one of the two highest value arbitrations in Philippine history, with $1.5 billion at stake. In another similar high-stakes case, King & Spalding is acting for Chevron’s Thai subsidiary, CTEP, in a $2 billion dispute against the Kingdom of Thailand and its Ministry of Energy. CTEP is the former operator of the Erawan blocks, Thailand’s first commercial natural gas field, located in the Gulf of Thailand.

Partner Simon Dunbar departed for Gateway Law Corporation at the beginning of 2022.

LegisPoint is an independent boutique firm with expertise in cross-border international disputes and arbitration. The firm regularly works closely with local law firms and international law firms in the UK, US and other countries. The dispute resolution practice is run by Samuel Chacko, a seasoned litigator with an active international arbitration practice. He is a chartered arbitrator, and an accredited adjudicator and mediator. Chacko has been lead counsel in a number of substantial international arbitrations involving complex cross-border legal and factual issues. The disputes team is helmed by Chacko and he is supported in the leadership by Roslina Bte Baba and Shack Keong Lim.

Recent work highlights are all confidential, but span insolvency litigation and contentious construction matters to an arbitration at the ICC.

Founded in 2017 by senior counsel Lok Vi Ming, LVM Law Chambers is a respected, mid-sized disputes boutique offering a comprehensive range of dispute resolution services spanning commercial litigation, construction, insurance, media and telecommunications disputes, tax, mediation, real estate, regulatory and white-collar matters. The firm occupies a unique space, being able to represent clients against established institutions and organisations when larger firms cannot due to conflicts. It expanded into the shipping business last year, with the hiring of a seasoned maritime expert for complex shipping and international trade-related arbitration matters. Its mediation offering has also grown with mandates in this form of resolution steadily increasing. Lok is the deputy chairman of the Singapore International Mediation Centre.

The firm has been consistently instructed in high-profile cross-border cases involving China, Brazil, Europe, Japan, Malaysia, the UK and the US. It boasts a dedicated China desk that is handling an increasing volume of matters involving Chinese parties, with interests in construction, technology, private equity and infrastructure. This year, the firm climbs up a tier in three core rankings: commercial and transactions, construction and international arbitration.

Managing director Lok Vi Ming leads an experienced team that includes deputy managing director Joseph Lee.

A key win in the past year was attaining a judgment in the client’s favour, recovering the bulk of his assets from the defendant, who had bought numerous high price items using the client’s monies and claimed them to be gifts and refused to return them following the end of the relationship. The decision represents a rare instance of a court finding the existence of a resulting trust on the evidence, in the context of a personal relationship. Other triumphs for the team include successfully resisting the enforcement of a foreign emergency arbitration award and acting for a foreign bank against a company which was in compulsory liquidation in an action premised on the assignment of seven invoices, in the repayment of $2.4 million.

The team acted for a Chinese state-owned entity in the Singapore International Commercial Court in complex solar power project disputes involving issues of conspiracy and fraud effected through a labyrinth of agreements and transactions. It is also representing Laud Architects and one of its directors in an ongoing dispute commenced by a contractor relating to novel issues as to the duties that construction professionals owe to contractors. It also raises issues as to when and to what extent proceedings should be stayed in favour of ongoing arbitration proceedings between the plaintiff and one defendant.

Last year the firm welcomed director and shipping specialist Mohd Haireez from Incisive Law, as well as director Jean Chan from the Singapore High Court to bolster its white-collar crime practice.

Key clients include Geetex Enterprises, Goldsland Holdings, Hong Kong Sin Hua Development, JG Jewelry and Plutoray.

The Mayer Brown arbitration team in Singapore actively work on mandates from across the region. The team was bolstered last year with the arrivals of noted international arbitration specialist Kay-Jannes Wegner from Kim & Chang and senior associate Edern Coent. Both are involved in long-standing ongoing large defence procurement and construction-related arbitrations, which complement the existing offering. Another key addition was counsel Kate Apostolova from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.

The firm consistently handles contentious matters for energy, infrastructure, commodity finance and natural resources clients, and has a heavy concentration of renewable energy sector and gas price review disputes. Cases managed by the firm include price review arbitration, restructuring-related disputes, M&A-related disputes, shareholder disputes and investment arbitration disputes. In addition to the investment arbitration caseloads, the team is experienced in a myriad of general commercial disputes. Recently, it has handled instructions in the TMT, sports and media, fashion, hospitality, real estate and defence industries.

Key contacts include international arbitration specialists and partners Yu-Jin Tay, Paul Teo and Wegner.

Client feedback

“Mayer Brown provides excellent service to its clients. It is always up to date on the recent developments in the sector and gives a very personalised service to its clients. Matters are partner-led and they give absolute priority to clients’ needs.” – International arbitration

“They can assess and analyse the issues well and provide an out-of-the-box solution.” – International arbitration

Yu-Jin Tay

“He is extremely hands-on and understands clients’ commercial interest in the matter. He is always up to date on recent developments in the jurisdiction.”

“Creative and very articulate in addressing the issue.”

The Singapore disputes offering of Mishcon de Reya was launched in 2019 by seasoned disputes lawyer Gavin Margetson, who previously practised at Herbert Smith Freehills. The lean team is helmed by Margetson and Henry Winter, who joined from Hogan Lovells at the end of 2021. Winter’s expertise in energy and infrastructure matters, as well as experience handling complex international trade disputes, has bolstered the practice. The team specialises in complex arbitrations across multiple sectors such as energy, fintech, international trade, hospitality and TMT. The team is also experienced in investor-state dispute settlement and white-collar crime matters. Clients include global corporations or government entities engaged in disputes across the region and beyond. Notably, Margetson is one of the few foreign lawyers called to the Singapore bar.

Recent disputes clients of the firm include Coda Payments, QBE Insurance and Visa Resources.

Client feedback

“They provide the same quality of service as the big law firms but with a more responsive, personal approach.” – Commercial and transactions

Gavin Margetson

“He takes a pragmatic approach to dispute resolution and has an outstanding ability to digest and interrogate even the most complex quantum issues that arise.”

Morgan Lewis Stamford – a Singapore law corporation affiliated with Morgan Lewis & Bockius – is highly regarded for commercial litigation and arbitration, and this year it moves up one rank in several key tables such as insolvency, white-collar crime and construction. Last year, the firm welcomed two new directors to bolster its commercial and civil litigation and tax controversy practices. The firm’s mainstay is commercial disputes and it has sizeable insurance, construction and shipping practices. The firm is also highly active in international arbitration with significant experience handling arbitrations before major tribunals including SIAC, HKIAC, LCIA and the UN Commission on International Trade Law. It has seen its contentious private client work portfolio grow in the past 12 months. The team maintains a solid track record of securing landmark victories and instructing on first-of-its-kind matters. As the city-state’s only fully integrated law firm, Morgan Lewis & Bockius has a litigation team in Singapore that can represent in the domestic courts. The past year has been a banner one for the team, with multiple wins and instructions in some of the market’s most high-profile insolvencies and shipping cases.

Daniel Chia, Wendy Tan and Pardeep Khosa are key names in the team focusing on commercial disputes. Tan is also a noted practitioner for shipping matters. Khosa joined last year from Davinder Singh Chambers, while tax specialist Lau Kai Lee was hired from the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore to bolster its tax practice.

In a bet-the-company fight, Chia and his team are acting for the directors of Verrency Singapore and Verrency Group Holdings, a public company in the e-commerce and e-payments space, defending the directors in minority oppression actions commenced in Singapore by minority shareholders of the Verrency Group.

The firm continues to act for PetroChina International, China’s largest oil and gas producer, on issues arising out of the insolvency of Hin Leong Trading, one of Asia’s largest fuel traders and bunker suppliers, and its shipping arm, Ocean Tankers. The firm remains active for Darco Water Technologies in resisting derivative proceedings brought by its minority shareholders. The minority shareholders had sought to compel Darco to bring derivative proceedings against its majority shareholder in respect of water and waste concession deals in China and Indonesia, alleging that the majority shareholder had breached his fiduciary duties. Another case highlight saw the firm act as Shanghai Shipyard’s counsel in connection with a dispute over four rig building contracts with a cumulative value of more than $500 million.

Tan and her team secured a win for its client, a prominent Malaysian businessman, in his long and hard-fought claim in an international arbitration against an Asia-based private investment firm. The high-stakes cross-border matter traversed multi-jurisdictional laws and considerations. The former managing director of Kyen Resources has also turned to the firm for his defence in a claim brought by Hyundai Corporation Singapore in the Singapore High Court alleging fraudulent misrepresentation and conspiracy against various defendants.

In a novel case, the team was instructed by Gracious Land in proceedings against property developer Oxley Gem. Gracious Land pursued arbitration proceedings, but subsequently Oxley Gem applied to the court to remove the arbitrator on grounds of bias. It is very rare for an application to be made to remove an arbitrator for bias before any decision has been awarded. The case raises several novel and unique points on whether certain interlocutors’ rulings were ‘pre-judgments’ such that the arbitrator has prejudged the matter.

In a high-profile and complex corruption matter, Khosa represented the directors of a freight forwarding company who became involved in a conspiracy to pay bribes after the company was unable to fulfil its contractual obligations. Another highlight has the team acting for an individual who is alleged to have become involved in a conspiracy to pay bribes to an officer of the Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) for advancing the business interests of various companies with the WRS.

In the past few years, Morgan Lewis & Bockius has made a substantial pivot towards Asia; its combination with Stamford Law Corporation in 2015 has given Singapore its Asian office with the most substantial disputes capability.

Morrison & Foerster has a wide-ranging international arbitration practice that has represented clients in arbitrations across all global forums. The Singapore disputes team comprises seasoned trial advocates who conduct their own advocacy in arbitration. The group is full-service across all forms of dispute settlement and the Singapore office is part of a completely integrated regional practice that covers all of Asia. With a diverse caseload of arbitrations conducted in multiple languages, the arbitration team regularly collaborates with the Japan and China teams to provide full regional coverage. It has experience in a broad range of sectors including technology, energy, construction, infrastructure, telecommunications, private equity, and real estate. The global firm is well-known for its intellectual property strength, which is reflected in the team’s roster of IP-related arbitrations.

Among the key practitioners is Craig Celniker, who leads the firm’s global international arbitration practice and Asia disputes practice. He has a proven track record in commercial litigation and arbitration across diverse industries. Another notable partner is Daniel Levison, who heads the Singapore litigation department. Last year, the firm boosted its international arbitration and white-collar crime offering with the hiring of associate Yi-Jun Kang from Clifford Chance.

All cases submitted for the research period remain highly confidential. However, it has been noted that the firm has worked on disputes involving issues around joint ventures, regulations, contractual claims and post-transactions.

Client feedback

“Excellent resource for everything across Asia.” – Government and regulatory

Daniel Levison

“He’s a great communicator. He understands the client's issues and gives practical advice.”

Omni Law was founded in 2020 by Oommen Mathew, whose stellar credentials form the base of his firm, which focuses on litigation and arbitration. His team handles dispute resolution matters relating to corporate and commercial issues, construction and infrastructure projects, energy and renewables, and public international law. Apart from general commercial and corporate disputes, the firm has branched out into new areas of practice such as financial technology, and it has a stable flow of counsel work. The team is called upon by numerous solicitors and lawyers across various jurisdictions.

Managing director Mathew is the key contact.

The firm continues to represent a capital infrastructure development company in its $300 million arbitration claim against a South Asian state-owned entity in respect of a concession agreement to develop and build an island. This matter involved one of the first concession agreements signed in the Maldives. The abrupt termination has created a major political and economic issue for the government which is still unresolved.

Another highlight saw the team acting for an international energy trading company on court proceedings against two banks for payment under various letters of credit (LCs). The claims against the banks for payment under the LCs involves complex points of law regarding letter of credit transactions, and relate to an important principle on when and if banks can refuse to pay on compliant LCs documents. In addition, this matter concerns complex and highly publicised litigation and insolvency proceedings following the collapse of Hin Leong Trading, and involves allegations of fraudulent trades between multiple parties.

Mathew and his team are assisting a leading integrated healthcare platform in its claims against a special purpose vehicle in respect of a call option of significant value and a loan agreement following the entry into a subscription agreement for an investment into the redevelopment of a significant freehold commercial property.

PD Legal, formerly known as Peter Doraisamy, is traditionally recognised for its shipping and admiralty, and insurance expertise. The firm regularly acts for shipowners, charterers, protection and indemnity clubs, insurers and other institutions involved in the maritime industry. Its lawyers are experienced in not only shipping disputes but also corporate commercial and civil litigation involving banking and finance, construction, employment, and fraud and asset recovery. It has an India desk to assist Indian clients with Singapore disputes and Singaporean entities involved in disputes with Indian parties, as well as a China desk, which is now led by two[WC(1]  partners. The contentious insurance practice was also boosted by the hiring of a veteran legal manager from QBE. Last year alone, the firm had its lawyers on record for 17 public judgments issued.

Core leaders at the firm include managing partner Peter Doraisamy, deputy managing partner Gerard Quek, senior partner Nazim Khan and partners Andrew Lee, Kyle Gabriel Peters, Wei Hong Ling and Cathryn Neo. Insolvency specialist Khan recently joined from UniLegal, while arbitration expert Neo joined from Ashurst ADT Law early last year, and construction and insurance specialist Ling was hired last September. The firm now has nine partners and over 20 fee earners.

In one case highlight, the team is acting for the former director of a company presently in liquidation, defending him against multi-million dollar claims raised by the insolvent construction company and its liquidator. The dispute arose from the failed development of a luxury island resort. The matter is significant as it pertains to an examination of director’s duties in failed construction projects, whether a failed project is ipso facto proof of a conspiracy to defraud a company, and the evidential standard required for mounting claims against former directors.

On the maritime front, Doraisamy and his team are representing the owners of SOV Southern Star in a suit against the defendants, who were the bareboat charterers. The defendants wrongfully failed to pay charter hire and the client sought to terminate the charterparty and sued for the outstanding charter hire cost of $53 million. The defendants also redelivered the vessel in a poor state, which was worse than how it was delivered. The client successfully obtained a mandatory injunction from the High Court compelling the defendants to hand over all data relating to the vessel as well as provide information in order to rectify the vessel. The matter is currently being arbitrated.

Client feedback

“They consider all aspects of a matter and have out-of-the-box thinking.” – Commercial and transactions

“They do a great job at responding and trying to make sure they understand what the firm needs. Also, their documentation for the draft is done quite nicely.” – International arbitration

Peter Doraisamy

“He takes a personal interest in our cases instead of surface reading only.”

Gerard Quek

“He is knowledgeable, creative, proactive and supportive. He always give us new ideas and shares his view frankly with us, to enable us to make a wise decision and resolve the issue efficiently.”

“His social aspect of building relationships with clients and making them feel like they are a part of the PDLegal family is very well done.”

PK Wong & Nair formed a JV with international firm Mayer Brown at the beginning of 2023. It houses an experienced team of dispute resolution and insolvency lawyers. The firm is staffed with 23 lawyers and its disputes team is led by the well-respected Suresh Nair. Its dispute resolution strengths continue to be rooted in corporate and commercial litigation, insolvency and employment disputes, with peers noting that the firm punches above its weight for complex contentious insolvency matters. This is due, in part, to having three seasoned R&I lawyers leading the team, which is bigger than some of its largest competitors in the market. Its international arbitration practice has a particular focus on regional commercial and commodities-related disputes. Other key disputes lawyers include Andrew Ang, Basil Ong, Bryan Tan, Joel Yeow and Nicole Foo.

In a high-profile matter, the team is representing British and Malayan Trustees on seeking directions of the court on a bond trustee’s powers and duties in a bond default. There was a landmark decision on the calculation of trustee votes, since there was a lack of clarity in the law pertaining to trustees’ obligations in the event of a bond default. This case brought to the forefront the issue of the scope of a trustee’s duties and liabilities during a bond default, which at the time of the application was a live issue, given the number of bond defaults in recent years.

The team continues to act for Antanium Resources in a proposed restructuring of its debts. It is also assisting the client to obtain a moratorium, and thereafter an application to convene a meeting for a scheme of arrangement to restructure the company’s debts, amounting to around $750 million. This case has raised a number of novel issues, such as the super-priority application in respect of arbitration funding which appears to be the first of its kind, as well as whether a scheme of arrangement may impose new obligations on scheme creditors – an issue that has been adjourned to be decided at the sanction hearing, if necessary.

PK Wong & Nair is a member of First Law International, an international legal network of independent law firms covering more than 80 jurisdictions across Asia Pacific, the US and the UK.

Client feedback

“The team prepared the groundwork and understood the disputes well.” – Construction

“The firm is very responsive and takes its role seriously.” – Insolvency

“Provides sound and practical advice.” – Insolvency

“I have a well-established working relationship with Suresh Nair. This firm would be my first stop because they are hungry, excellent at what they do and always on top of their game.” – Insolvency

“Attentive and professional. Competent and knowledgeable.” – Insolvency

Suresh Nair

“He has a practical understanding of issues and is able to formulate solutions.”

“Very responsive and great attention to detail.”

“Dispenses practical advice.”

“He is among the best insolvency practitioners in Singapore. An exceptional advocate, he is razor-sharp and precise and provides timely and practical advice in the most personable way possible.”

“He’s competent, knowledgeable, approachable and understanding.”

PKWA Law Practice is one of Singapore’s most respected family law firms with an experienced team of lawyers specialising in divorce, family law, wills and probate. It boasts a strong track record also covering work in these practice areas: conveyancing, divorce, child custody, division of matrimonial assets, maintenance, separation, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, inheritance law, mental capacity act deputyship, adoption, and insurance. The firm has seven family law specialists led by the head of general litigation and family law, Chong Boon Lim. Another key contact at the firm is deputy head of family law, Dorothy Tan.

Due to the sensitive nature of the work, the details of each case cannot be disclosed. However, one example given during the research period was acting for a father in judicial separation proceedings. While the grounds for judicial separation were amicably resolved, parties contested all financial matters. Of note were matrimonial assets bought, sold and re-invested during the course of the marriage as well as the question of indirect contributions for spouses relocating to support each other. In another matter, the team served as lead counsel for the plaintiff wife in an acrimonious divorce trial, ancillary matters hearing and appeal hearings.

Notable corporate clients include Citibank, DBS, HSBC, Maybank, OCBC and Standard Chartered Bank.

There is unanimous respect in the market for dispute resolution boutique firm Providence Law and its managing director and senior counsel, Abraham Vergis. Its team is routinely sought after by international law firms for counsel work and is experienced in cross-border disputes. Since being established in 2012, the firm has grown to 18 Singapore-qualified lawyers and is expanding its pool of foreign-qualified practitioners. The firm often takes on briefs of a size, complexity and value which exceeds its stature, often from global clients that are based in jurisdictions such as the Jordan, Seychelles, Australia, Switzerland and the US.

Apart from Vergis, other notable directors are international arbitration expert Jiaxiang Zhuo and counsel Wei Shing Ngo. Director Vanathi Ray joined at the beginning of 2022 from Joseph Lopez. Other recent mid-level counsel hires include Priscilla Chia from Peter Low & Choo, Hari Veluri from TSMP and Leo Zhi Wei. The new arrivals all bring significant experience in a wide range of civil and commercial disputes at all levels of the Singapore courts and in international and domestic arbitration proceedings. Insolvency specialist Nawaz Kamil left the firm in May 2023. 

In one complex, transnational dispute, the team is assisting PDV Marina, a subsidiary of the national oil company of Venezuela, PDV SA. These entities are ultimately owned by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. PDV Marina had over $40 million being held by a liquidator in Singapore, who had difficulties in releasing these monies to PDV Marina because of the US sanctions imposed against Venezuela and PDV SA. The US sanction issue was before the Singapore Court where the firm acted as lead counsel in assisting the client to secure a release of these funds. Novel conflicts of laws issues were decided by the Singapore courts for the first time on matters relating to whether a foreign entity can be regarded as an extension of a foreign state such that the state's liabilities can be imposed on the entity. The decision will have significant impact on the extent to which the liabilities of foreign states can be sought to be imposed on the commercial entities in which the foreign state has some interest.

In another matter, Vergis and the team is acting for BlackRock and Ares SSG in relation to a S$50 million ($37.5 million) loan facility provided by a consortium of high-profile lenders in an application to place the borrower company into judicial management so as to restructure the debtors’ liabilities. This is a unique case in that one of the key bases for a judicial management order was predicated on a total loss of trust and confidence in the debtor’s management. It also engaged Indian law issues as to whether the appointment of a judicial manager could amount to a change of control under the Indian takeover regulations.

Recent clients include Agritrade Resources, JSC Zvezda Far Eastern Shipyard, PricewaterhouseCoopers, The Working Capitol Group and Ventureast Proactive Fund II.

Dispute resolution boutique PRP Law was founded by Pradeep Pillai in 2017 after he left Shook Lin & Bok to strike out on his own. He is highly regarded by the market and the firm is best known for its expertise in complex commercial, insolvency and employment litigation. Its insolvency practice is experienced in all aspects of personal and corporate insolvency such as bankruptcy, liquidation, judicial management, individual arrangements and schemes of arrangement. The team regularly advises insolvent companies, insolvency practitioners and creditors on all contentious and non-contentious aspects of insolvencies and corporate restructurings. As an independent firm, it is conflict-free, and it often features as independent counsel, taking on instructions as Singapore counsel for foreign and local law firms. With labour disputes on the uptick, the team was recently boosted by the hiring of a prosecutor from the Ministry of Manpower, Joel Wei.

The disputes offering is led by managing director Pillai, director Joycelyn Lin and associate director Simren Kaur Sandhu.

Key highlights during the research period include featuring for the judicial managers of HTL International, acting for the liquidator of Teelek Realty on all matters arising from the winding up, and assisting the liquidator of Global Sports Commerce on its insolvency and the possible division of its shares held in an Indian subsidiary.

Client feedback

“Personal and individualised services.” – Commercial and transactions

Pradeep Pillai

“He is approachable, forthcoming and has a good legal mind.”

Mid-sized boutique law firm Quahe Woo & Palmer is led by three leading dispute resolution practitioners, Michael Palmer, Christopher Woo and Melvin Lum. The team comprises 24 lawyers in total, including seven directors and one consultant. The firm primarily focuses on complex commercial and corporate disputes, as well as construction and insolvency disputes. It is particularly active in disputes involving banking and securities, shareholder and oppression actions, high-value debt recovery, probate, defamation and employment matters. The firm has offices in Singapore, Hong Kong and London, and it is part of the Multilaw network as its Singapore member.

Since the strategic hiring of construction specialist Yeo Boon Tat in2020, the firm has experienced a steady increase in contentious infrastructure, construction and engineering mandates. The firm is active in dispute matters relating to key projects in Singapore, ranging from commercial developments to public infrastructure projects.

On the non-commercial side, Quahe Woo & Palmer has a highly regarded family and matrimonial law practice that is headed by leading lawyer Michelle Woodworth. This year, that practice climbs up into the second tier in the rankings for contentious family law.

In one highlight during the research period, the firm defended an investor against BTHMB Holdings, in a case which arose from the client’s attempted acquisition of Bithumb Korea, one of South Korea’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges. In another matter, the team is defending CSAPL Holdings against Carlsberg’s claims over the repayment of a loan. A US glove-maker instructed the team for its claim in the Singapore High Court against a supplier arising from a contract to supply medical grade gloves. The construction team is defending a property developer against a claim in the Singapore High Court brought by the management corporation of a residential development in relation to alleged defects in the property.

Client feedback

“Meticulous and user-friendly advice.” – Commercial and transactions

“They clearly set out our position, and provided direction on how to negotiate with the other party.” – Commercial and transactions

“They are responsive and gave timely advice that is cost-effective.” – Commercial and transactions

“Good service, prompt responses and professional attitude.” – Construction

“The partner on construction disputes is quite experienced and a very thorough lawyer.” – Construction

“Lawyers have practical knowledge of the law of the land and how can they best implement it in my situation.” – Family and matrimonial

“Quahe Woo & Palmer has carried itself in a fair and professional manner while proactively protecting and advising me on my legal rights. Quahe Woo & Palmer’s professional conduct makes it a trusted adviser.” – Family and matrimonial

“Provide sound and practical legal advice. Able to respond quickly to urgent matters.” – Insolvency

“Quahe Woo & Palmer has been very professional and will constantly update us on the status of the case. They are reliable and we are very happy with their service.” – Labour and employment

“Personal responses, prompt and fair.” – Real estate

Shiao Hong Ho

“She has a penchant for details, practical solutions within the ambit of law, and always listens to the client very well.”

“She is diligent, capable and timely with good and fair advice in the best interests of the client.”

“She is knowledgeable, methodical and extremely timely and effective in her communication. She also displayed empathy in handling the case.”

Melvin Lum

“Calm and confident especially in crisis settings. A safe pair of hands.”

“Responsive, clear and precise.”

“A trusted adviser that provides personalised service and in-depth knowledge.”

Reuben Tan

“He is professional, knowledgeable, patient and listens well. He provides good solutions and suggestions.”

Chris Woo

“Excellent knowledge and communication.”

“Honest and transparent.”

Siyue Wu

“Siyue provided practical legal advice based on the documents reviewed.”

Boon Tat Yeo

“Great service, great client communications and honest advice.”

“He’s thorough and has a deep understanding of construction disputes.”

Rajah & Tann is leading full-service law firm with roots in dispute resolution. The firm enjoys a stellar reputation for litigation, with the largest practice in Singapore and Southeast Asia, and it is a go-to choice for many clients in complex, cross-border disputes. The firm has the highest number of senior counsels, with a total of seven in Singapore, which gives it the strongest advocacy power in the region. The court hearing statistics alone reflect the commanding lead the firm has in the market, with the highest number of hearings in 2021, at 564 cases, which is almost double the cases of the next closest competitor. The team also secured the highest number of SICC judgments as of mid-2022, with more than a third of the total. The firm maintains an excellent track record of securing landmark decisions and victories for its clients across a wide range of practice areas. Market watchers commend the firm’s expertise, particularly in sectors such as energy, financial services, shipping and construction. This year, the firm ascends into the top tier in the construction rankings.

Among the firm’s numerous leading lawyers are key senior counsels Eng Beng Lee, Chuan Thye Tan, Andre Yeap and Francis Xavier, and partners Adrian Wong, Vikram Nair, Kelvin Poon, Patrick Ang, Danny Ong and Rebecca Chew, who are known for their work in commercial disputes. Insolvency, international arbitration and shipping specialist Kian Sing Toh is another notable figure alongside IP-focused Kok Keng Lau, construction experts Chee Siong Sim and Lip San Soh, commercial litigation head Chandra Mohan and white-collar crime expert Hamidul Haq.

The Rajah & Tann team was at the helm for Tendcare Medical Group Holdings in the largest successful claim ever for fraudulent trading in Singapore. The case also resulted in the Court of Appeal issuing a landmark judgment appraising the law of reflective loss in the jurisdiction. In another seminal case, the firm is acting in the first civil claim brought in Singapore by an investor against directors for breach of statutory duties under two sections of the Securities and Futures Act. Its clients are the former non-executive independent directors of the managers of Eagle Hospitality Trust.

On the construction front, the team is representing Vim Engineering in an appeal against a High Court decision in a significant dispute involving contractual conditions when making variation claims. The case is of tremendous significance for the industry, and the appellate judgment, when it is issued, is likely to be the locus classicus on a number of issues that are often significant sources of controversy. The issues addressed will include the effect of oral instructions for variations where the construction contract provides for variations to be carried out only on written instructions, the authority of employees to issue instructions on a live construction site, and the effect of provisions in the construction contract regarding the entitlement to levy back charges.

The insolvency litigators are busy assisting Shanghai Huaxin Group on its liquidation. This is a very significant case demonstrating the increased collaboration between the mainland and Hong Kong judicial authorities in relation to insolvency matters. It is the first case where a Hong Kong court has recognised and assisted mainland liquidators. In another marquee matter, the team received the first-ever recognition of Singapore’s moratorium law in a landmark ruling by the High Court of England and Wales involving its client, H&C S Holdings. This groundbreaking decision is a significant development for Singapore’s debt restructuring and insolvency regime. The ruling is positive for debt workouts across different jurisdictions and a boost to Singapore’s ambition to become Asia’s debt restructuring hub.

In a huge, high-value international arbitration case, the firm continues to defend an Indian conglomerate against a $21 billion claim brought by a BVI entity for alleged breaches of non-disclosure agreements. The team additionally represented the Republic of the Philippines in ongoing $15 billion arbitration proceedings before the ICC on claims for breach of contract and estoppel brought by two large multinational oil and gas companies.

On the labour side, the firm successfully acted for Prudential Assurance Company Singapore in a High Court suit against its former group financial services director and PTO Management and Consultancy. The High Court found that the former director was liable to the client for breach of his contractual obligation to act with integrity and honesty. The case arose out of one of the largest mass exoduses of financial advisers in Singapore in recent history.

Key clients include Alfa Bank of Russia, Borrelli Walsh, China Machinery New Energy, Hilton Group, Prudential Assurance, Senda International Capital, Vedanta and World Fuel Services.

Rajah & Tann has a strong regional footprint that makes it adept at multi-jurisdictional dispute resolution, with strategic firm alliances across Southeast Asia that allow it to appear in local courts in China, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Cambodia and Myanmar.

Client feedback

“Concise, technically excellent and commercial advice.” – Commercial and transactions

“The team conducts an in-depth study of the facts, blended with a high level of legal research and extreme professionalism, and practical approach in matters.” – Commercial and transactions

“Fees are reasonable and the response quick.” – Construction

“They are good at strategising and advising how to prepare positions and documentation, and to manoeuvre to maximise our situation in protecting our position against the contractor.” – Construction

“They do well overall. Particularly in preparing strategy to respond to our opponent's attitude, and they are efficient.” – Energy

“Quick turnaround and sound knowledge of the law.” – Insolvency

“Commercially savvy lawyers who are ‘high touch’ with clients.” – Insurance

“Provides legal advice in a timely and well organised manner.” – Insurance

“Takes matters forward without unnecessary bells and whistles.” – International arbitration

“Great practical solutions-focused work.” – Labour and employment

“We appreciate their responsiveness and clarity of advice.” – Labour and employment

“Rajah & Tann Singapore provided clear, coherent and practical advice, liaised with foreign counsels seamlessly, and instead of simply forwarding the advice from foreign counsels to us, they proactively sought clarification from foreign counsels, and also rationalised how the advice received from foreign counsels gels with their own advice.” – Labour and employment

“Gives solid tax advice and structures.” – Tax

“Extreme quality of client service, very technical and in-depth analysis of the client's situation. High quality of opinion provided. Partner in charge, Vikna Rajah, had amazing knowledge.” – Tax

“Rajah & Tann is very good in strategising and advising on how certain events should be portrayed and presented to the police and prosecution.” – White-collar crime

Dedi Affandi Ahmad

“Always tries to understand clients' position and requirements.”

Tze Phern Ang

“Tze Phern was able to deliver clear, coherent and practical legal advice. He was also able to meet all the timelines as promised.”

Josephine Chee

“Josephine knows the law very well and is very realistic in her assessments. She also has a lot of previous, useful experience.”

Kim Beng Ng

“Excellent analytical and strategic advice on how best to position and prepare a defence against potential future disputes. Once a dispute is evident, he’s able to look ahead and provide steps to maximise our position.”

Vikna Rajah

“He’s highly professional and knowledgeable, with Incredible technical insight. He offers perfect client service and is in control of the whole process from explaining to delivering. He provides swift and on-point service.”

Mark Cheng

“Excellent knowledge and strong in communications.”

Lip San Soh

“He is responsive and practical, with a good knowledge of construction law.”

Elaine Tay

“She is a very competent lawyer with good industry knowledge.”

Kelvin Poon

“Good legal knowledge and positive approach.”

Adrian Wong

“Technically excellent, he writes well, is concise, practical and offers a solution.”

“Gets to the point and steers matters towards an efficient resolution.”

Andre Yeap

“He's a no-nonsense lawyer. He would tell us his view and the prospect of our case without sugar-coating it. Thus, he helped us to manage our expectations and decide what strategy to employ.”

Jonathan Yuen

“He’s a problem-solver and understands our business very deeply.”

“Practical and provides clear advice.”

Established in 2016, RevLaw is a dedicated dispute resolution practice with particular expertise in commercial litigation, contentious employment matters and insolvency. The firm comprises seven fee earners and is led by two partners, Sui Tong Chua and Yik Wee Liew, who are particularly experienced in insolvency and employment disputes. Its regular clients include banks, insurers, private equity funds, contractors, hotel owners and insolvency practitioners. This year the firm climbs up one notch in the commercial disputes ranking.

The team recently scored a win for the former CEO of HTL, an investment holding company with subsidiaries in sofa manufacturing. The client was a defendant in a suit raised by a Chinese listed conglomerate, which claimed that the client, alongside two other defendants, had made various misrepresentations and breached numerous personal undertakings to the plaintiff. The matter was discontinued in late 2022 by the plaintiffs on terms which restrict them from commencing fresh proceedings without leave of court and the payment of substantial costs to all the defendants.

In another case, the team acted for various Mongolian state agencies in fraud claims against a former prime minister of Mongolia and his proxies. Sritex Group has instructed the firm for Singapore-related court work that is associated with its debt restructuring in Indonesia.

Recent active clients include Bank of America and Orion-One Development.

RHTLaw Asia is known for commercial disputes work that includes claims in court and domestic and international arbitration proceedings. The firm is also active in matrimonial disputes and has a strong criminal litigation team.

Core members of the dispute resolution leadership include partners Nandakumar Renganathan, Conrad Campos and Sharon Chong. Senior counsel Leslie Chew acts as senior consultant on the team.

The firm continues to act for a former employee of one of the largest private equity funds in Southeast Asia against their former employers for claims in wrongful termination, breach of contract, unlawful means conspiracy and misrepresentation. This is possibly the first-ever case in Singapore to consider stigma loss resulting from the breach of the implied term of mutual trust and confidence.

In another highlight, the firm is representing a locally incorporated holding company providing investment services through its subsidiaries in an arbitration proceeding at SIAC against a BVI incorporated corporation. The case is significant as it raises issues for determination in respect of what would constitute legitimate expectations of a minority shareholder and when executive committee members would be deemed to have acted in the best interests of the company.

Renganathan and his team are acting for two publicly listed Singapore companies and a former political office-holder of a foreign country in a claim for defamation against a local academic who writes on corporate governance issues. The novelty of this matter is that there are no reported case precedents on the damages that are appropriate to be awarded for listed companies in a defamation proceeding.

Last year saw the departure of former partners Roderick Martin, Vernon Voon, S Gayathri and Senthil Dayalan. The latter went to Sim Chong.

RPC Premier Law is led by two disputes partners that between them share decades of local litigation experience. The firm is best known for complex commercial and civil disputes, banking and finance disputes, 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; it is 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.

The key individuals are international arbitration and disputes specialists Navin Joseph Lobo, Swee Siang Boey and Yuankai Lin.

In a contentious commercial highlight, the team is acting for the former shareholders, directors and co-founders of Fullerton Healthcare Corporation (FHC), a healthcare solutions group with subsidiaries across the Asia Pacific, in a complex high-value shareholders' dispute against a fellow former shareholder and director of FHC. Another notable case has the firm assisting four companies in the China-based YG group of companies, in a complex claim in a Singapore High Court relating to dishonest assistance, unjust enrichment and fraudulent misrepresentation arising out of a share purchase agreement.

In another cross-border matter, Boey and his team are representing an Indonesian company involved in the palm oil industry, its majority shareholder, a Singapore-incorporated investment company as well as the Malaysian director of the aforementioned companies in a $70 million claim against an Indonesian-incorporated defendant as well as two high net-worth individuals residing in Indonesia. The client’s application for an interim anti-suit injunction order involved complex novel issues relating to whether the Singapore court's power to grant such orders extends to cases where the defendants had commenced the Indonesian proceedings against non-parties to the arbitration agreement, and where the Indonesian proceedings were brought on tortious grounds.

Domestic firm Premier Law entered into a joint law venture with international law firm Reynolds Porter Chamberlain (RPC) in 2016. The combined entity is known as RPC Premier Law.

Recent clients include Hainan Huationg Contractor, Hui Bang Construction Investment Group and Siemens Industry Software.

Client feedback

“Frankly, they do everything well!” – Commercial and transactions

Swee Siang Boey

“Extremely knowledgeable and professional.”

“He’s very reliable, positive, constructive and easy to communicate with.”

Selvam is a Singapore boutique law firm with a litigation and arbitration practice that specialises in commercial and transaction, construction and family matters. It is experienced in cross-border disputes that bring in the expertise of its Duane Morris network offices in Shanghai, Vietnam, Myanmar and New York. The Selvam litigators act in local and international cases in the Singapore courts and are experienced in handling international commercial arbitrations under the major international arbitration conventions and rule systems, such as the SIAC and ICC rules. The firm has a growing reputation for contentious construction matters where it acts for Korean and Japanese construction companies. This is reflected in its climb up a notch in the rankings for construction. It is also active in the oil and gas industry, with its international disputes practice covering Vietnam, Myanmar and Mexico. The team has grown its ranks in the past few years and now comprises 11 qualified lawyers and four directors.

Sarbjit Singh Chopra is a key name in the firm’s dispute resolution team with expertise in commercial disputes, international arbitration, construction and family law. Other active lawyers to note include Ramiro Rodriguez and insolvency specialist Daniel Soo.

The firm was involved in a claim against one of the wealthiest people in Singapore and his family. This case is one of the largest claims ever for minority oppression in Singapore. The insolvency team acted for the Korea Development Bank as a creditor of vessels in a complex liquidation and judicial management of Xihe Holdings, their special purpose vehicles and Ocean Tankers.

Another interesting highlight had the team act for a plaintiff, the co-owner of a high-value property, in a property dispute with their former spouse. At the heart of the dispute is whether there was an oral agreement between the parties to deal with the property. The novel aspect was that this fight concerned a significant issue of law – the Singapore High Court had to determine the standard to be applied in determining whether part performance of an oral agreement is satisfied. In doing so, the court also considered the legal position on this issue in other Commonwealth jurisdictions. Subsequently, the Court of Appeal also had to deal with issues of res judicata and the complex issue of whether the appellant himself was precluded by the doctrine of res judicata from raising res judicata against the defendant.

In 2011, Duane Morris and Singapore-based Selvam entered into the first US-Singapore joint law venture to be approved by the city-state to leverage Selvam’s corporate practice across Asia. However, Selvam handles all Singapore law disputes matters as an independent entity, as joint law ventures restrict practice areas and litigation is not allowed. agreement has been satisfied or not; or is it a general principle, deciding whether satisfying part of an 

Sharpe & Jagger is a boutique disputes firm best known for its insurance practice, and it acts for all stakeholders in this sector. This year the firm scales up one tier in the commercial and transactions, and international arbitration rankings. The firm was founded by Justyn Jagger and Samuel Sharpe, who have broad experience in international firms handling various cross-border matters. The firm is also known for its commercial and transactions and contentious employment practices. The firm advises on trade and investment disputes, restraint of trade disputes, debt collection and corporate defence matters. In addition to Jagger and Sharpe, two other lawyers to note are Stephen Cheong and Sinyee Ong.

Sharpe and his team are defending Sportfive against a claim by a former employee for unpaid bonuses before the Singapore High Court. In another labour-related matter, the team successfully represented senior ex-employees of SAIS Group and Kaddra to recover contractual sums following the termination of their employment in high-value litigation proceedings. QBE Insurance instructed Jagger and Sharpe in litigation proceedings for its defence against a claim by Oneberry Lifestyle for damage to a yacht by lightning strike.

The firm’s core clients in the past year include Luckin Coffee, MSIG, financiers of Rhodium Resources and Syngenta.

Client feedback

“Sharpe & Jagger offers excellent coverage advice and also brings a deep understanding of the underlying litigation involved in any coverage dispute. They know the region and they know the different jurisdictional issues that arise.” – Insurance

“Sharpe & Jagger is a much-needed combination of precise legal advice and commercial awareness. Their ability to debrief complex legal matters into solution-oriented advice is remarkable.” – Insurance

“Practical and effective solutions on complicated commercial claims.” – Insurance

“The firm communicated very well throughout the case. All their advice and strategy were spot on. We won in the High Court and Appeal.” – Labour and employment

Justyn Jagger

“Excellent legal knowledge, presentation, knowledge of industry and knowledge of the region and jurisdiction.”

“He has impressive analytical skills and incredible ability to debrief complex legal matters into specific legal advice. He has very clear communication, is responsive and great at meeting deadlines. Probably the sharpest lawyer I have had the opportunity to work with.”

“Proactive, punctual and solves issues.”

“Justyn Jagger is excellent in his deep breadth of experience and polished presentation. He is a truly excellent legal adviser.”

Samuel Sharpe

“He’s well-spoken, always offering several choices and strategies. He always gives his opinion and fair analysis of the case.”

Sharpe & Jagger is a boutique disputes firm best known for its insurance practice, and it acts for all stakeholders in this sector. This year the firm scales up one tier in the commercial and transactions, and international arbitration rankings. The firm was founded by Justyn Jagger and Samuel Sharpe, who have broad experience in international firms handling various cross-border matters. The firm is also known for its commercial and transactions and contentious employment practices. The firm advises on trade and investment disputes, restraint of trade disputes, debt collection and corporate defence matters. In addition to Jagger and Sharpe, two other lawyers to note are Stephen Cheong and Sinyee Ong.

Sharpe and his team are defending Sportfive against a claim by a former employee for unpaid bonuses before the Singapore High Court. In another labour-related matter, the team successfully represented senior ex-employees of SAIS Group and Kaddra to recover contractual sums following the termination of their employment in high-value litigation proceedings. QBE Insurance instructed Jagger and Sharpe in litigation proceedings for its defence against a claim by Oneberry Lifestyle for damage to a yacht by lightning strike.

The firm’s core clients in the past year include Luckin Coffee, MSIG, financiers of Rhodium Resources and Syngenta.

Client feedback

“Sharpe & Jagger offers excellent coverage advice and also brings a deep understanding of the underlying litigation involved in any coverage dispute. They know the region and they know the different jurisdictional issues that arise.” – Insurance

“Sharpe & Jagger is a much-needed combination of precise legal advice and commercial awareness. Their ability to debrief complex legal matters into solution-oriented advice is remarkable.” – Insurance

“Practical and effective solutions on complicated commercial claims.” – Insurance

“The firm communicated very well throughout the case. All their advice and strategy were spot on. We won in the High Court and Appeal.” – Labour and employment

Justyn Jagger

“Excellent legal knowledge, presentation, knowledge of industry and knowledge of the region and jurisdiction.”

“He has impressive analytical skills and incredible ability to debrief complex legal matters into specific legal advice. He has very clear communication, is responsive and great at meeting deadlines. Probably the sharpest lawyer I have had the opportunity to work with.”

“Proactive, punctual and solves issues.”

“Justyn Jagger is excellent in his deep breadth of experience and polished presentation. He is a truly excellent legal adviser.”

Samuel Sharpe

“He’s well-spoken, always offering several choices and strategies. He always gives his opinion and fair analysis of the case.”

Shook Lin & Bok is known for its work in complex, high-profile insolvency matters, commercial disputes, construction disputes and alternative dispute resolution. The firm is also active in fields such as banking, shipping, real estate, and oil and gas. It is particularly recognised for its niche expertise in banking and financial disputes, including advising on financial product claims, restitutionary claims, security enforcement and regulatory investigation. Its insolvency practice is widely touted by market observers, having played leading roles in the country’s most high-profile matters, such as with regards Hin Leong, Envy Global Trading, Pacific International Lines, Gulf Petrochem and ZenRock. In addition, it has been involved in a number of “firsts” in restructuring deals, such as the first pre-packaged scheme of arrangement to the first foreign company to be placed under judicial management in Singapore.

David Chan and senior counsel Sarjit Singh Gill are key contacts in the firm’s disputes team and were the lead partners on a number of the highlighted cases during the research period. Other key names of the 17 partner-strong group include Yeow Khoon Ng, Probin Dass, Joseph Tay, Moses Lin and Jevon Louis.

In commercial disputes, the firm is acting for HSBC against the ex-directors and ex-employees of Hin Leong Trading in claims of fraudulent misrepresentation, conspiracy by unlawful means, procurement of breach of contract and negligent misrepresentation. It has also been instructed by the Independent Panel of the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council in an action filed on behalf of the town council against its current members and elected members of parliament over alleged improper payments

In international arbitration, the team is representing the Singapore arm of a prominent Chinese company in respect of a dispute arising from a global master repurchase agreement made with a major Russian bank. It is also acting for a domestic Singaporean bank in an arbitration claim against credit insurers. Involving complex cross-border elements, the firm is assisting a South Korean commodities trading firm against two Bangladeshi commodities trading firms in an arbitration in relation to the non-delivery of cargo.

In insolvency, the team is counselling the interim judicial managers of three entities in the Envy group of companies. This is the first investment fraud in Singapore's history to hit the billion-dollar mark.

The intellectual property litigation team, led by Louis, represented Zenyum against allegations of trademark infringement and breach of common law trademark rights. This case will be the first in Singapore dealing with whether the use of a hashtag constitutes trademark infringement, which is a growing concern to businesses given the prevalence of social media and online advertising. The case will also deal with what is material to a consumer in the dentistry space in assessing the issue of whether the advertisements run were fair under the comparative advertising defence.

Client feedback

“Excellent preparation of a case on the facts, law, and strategy and tactics.” – Government and regulatory

“They do everything well! They are superb when it comes to finding meaningful and workable commercial solutions within the parameters of the law.” – Insolvency

David Chan

“David personifies the firm. He is a great thinker and solution provider; he’s creative, empathetic and highly market savvy.”

Jamal Siddique

“Excellent preparation on the facts and law, and responsiveness.”

US-headquartered Sidley Austin has staked out a sizeable footprint in the region for its international arbitration, corporate investigations and anti-corruption specialisms. The firm features regularly in regional commercial and investor-state arbitration across multiple industries, such as construction, energy, financial services, mining, public utilities and real estate. The firm’s Singapore white-collar crime team is fully dedicated to this practice and boasts a deep knowledge of local anti-corruption laws. Its lawyers have handled investigations in jurisdictions across the region. Notably, Sidley Austin is one of a handful of international law firms permitted to practice local law.

Partners Tai-Heng Cheng, Margaret Allen and Friven Yeoh are the key contacts for disputes work in Singapore. Cheng is the global co-head of the firm’s international arbitration and trade practice.

One highlight during the research period was the firm securing a victory for a Singaporean marine services provider, PACC Offshore Services Holdings in one of the first and largest treaty claims arising from the widely reported scandal of Oceanografia. This is the first investor-state arbitration brought under a Singapore bilateral investment treaty and was closely monitored by the press.

The team also helped sieze a swift win for J Resources Nusantara in a high-profile and high-stakes $600 million SIAC arbitration against another Indonesian company, Pani Bersama Tambang. Noted financier Lars Windhorst engaged Cheng and his team for an ICDR international commercial arbitration, and ended up settling the matter for less than 1% of the amount that had originally been claimed.

The white-collar crime team, led by leading practitioner Yuet Ming Tham, briefly left Sidley Austin in early 2022 for another US practice, but all returned in July.

Client feedback

“Everything is excellent! It’s why they have almost all of my business in the region, and have for so long. The team that Yuet Ming Tham leads is best in class.” – White-collar crime

“Sidley Austin Singapore and its partners are very responsive, comprehensive and provide strong strategic response to issues.” – White-collar crime

Tai-Heng Cheng

“Tai is very responsive and accessible, and provides strategic and effective solutions to problems.”

Yuet Ming Tham

“She is a phenomenal leader and lawyer. She is able to get to the heart of an issue and quickly. She offers excellent advice on how to address or respond in a way that is not just legally informed but also reflects the breadth of her client base.”

Silvester Legal was founded in 2018 by disputes practitioner Walter Silvester and has grown from just him to a team of five fee earners. It specialises in shareholder disputes. Over the past five years, the firm has served almost 500 clients in over 10 areas of expertise. Managing director and head of commercial litigation Silvester is the key contact for disputes. Director and commercial disputes specialist Walter Alexander is also a name to note.

The minority shareholder in a local employment company has instructed the team on its claim against the majority shareholders and the company. This is a curious minority oppression case because the client is essentially the whistleblower but was reluctant to report the company and directors, fearing a devaluation of his shares. In an employment case, the team is acting for the defendant in a long-running case regarding the enforcement of a judgment in Japan. The client is now prosecuting the enforcement of the judgment against a director who is overseas and will file a suit personally against this director soon. One important issue under employment law that was discussed is whether the employment of an employee is considered terminated by the employer if the employee was forced to submit his resignation letter. Silvester Legal was successful in the counterclaim for its client. The team scored another win for an injured expatriate employee who made a personal injury claim against a government-linked company after he suffered serious injury at the worksite of the defendant. The client received a settlement offer that he was happy with, including full salary and benefits for when he was unable to work. The legal team leveraged the fact that neither defendant was inclined to go to court and expose the poor safety standards which led to the injury.

Client feedback

“They managed the facts of the case well and provided options as necessary. Silvester is extremely well-learned and knows the law confidently, which aided my case.” – Commercial and transactions

“They secured my objective of achieving peace to stop the counterparty from making baseless allegations.” – Commercial and transactions

“They did well in getting the right details and facts as this is a High Court case where every piece of evidence is necessary. Proper research was done and I was even surprised when they had evidence that I did not have myself.” – Commercial and transactions

Siraj Aziz

“He understands the situation and works very hard for justice to be done. He is hard-working and works day and night to meet the deadline.”

Walter Silvest

“He is empathic aernd communicates well.”

“He listens and cares about the case. Then he offers a few options. He was able to help me achieve my objective without making me feel overstretched in effort, time and money.”

The dispute resolution group at Tan Rajah & Cheah is led by the widely recognised and acclaimed senior counsel, Chelva Rajah. He is an active court lawyer, arbitration counsel of choice, former judicial commissioner, arbitrator and judge of the Qatar International Court since 2011. The firm is best known for its commercial litigation prowess and contentious family law expertise, and is a seasoned player in high stakes, long-running and complex litigations. It is also active in insolvency, international arbitration and white-collar crime matters. This year the firm climbs up one notch in the family and matrimonial, and insolvency rankings.

Rajah leads an experienced team that includes MK Eusuff Ali, Moiz Haider Sithawalla, Shobna Chandran, Megan Chia, and family law veteran Imran Khwaja.

In one high-profile highlight during the research period, Chandran and her team successfully fought and won heavily contested court proceedings to wind up AAG for a debt of $250 million under a GMRA form of contract for client VTB Bank. As lead counsel before the Court of Appeal, the team successfully resisted an appeal by AAG for VTB to bear the fees of the liquidator, after the winding up was reversed and set aside by the Court of Appeal. The appeal raised novel questions and the Court of Appeal clarified that the company must demonstrate fault or unfair conduct on the part of the petitioning creditor before the latter could be made to bear the liquidator’s fees and that the court has the inherent power to order a party other than the company to bear such fees.

The government of Malaysia has instructed Rajah, Khwaja and their team for the recovery of seized 1MDB assets in Singapore. This is a very highly publicised matter, with the Malaysian government trusting the firm to represent them in legal proceedings to recover the monies embezzled. In another case, the team is acting for the plaintiff, Innovative Corporation, in a complex claim against an errant director and his company for appropriating the client’s maturing business opportunity. The outcome of the case is significant given the substantial amounts involved and the High Court’s holdings on several key areas, such as the procedure of taking of accounts of profits, disclosure in such proceedings, expert’s duties, causation for account of profits and equitable allowance.

In an interesting family case, the team successfully argued for the monies to be returned to the surviving joint account holder pursuant to the right of survivorship under the laws of Singapore. The application involved novel and complex questions of Singapore and Taiwan conflict of laws and intestacy laws.

In white-collar crime, the team is advising one of three accused persons charged with making false claims to the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore under the Productivity & Innovation Credit Scheme; representing the defendant accused of forging invoices to deceive the Bank of Asia under an invoice financing scheme; and acting for the director of Citadelle Corporate Services in the multi-billion dollar Wirecard fraud case.

Client feedback

“They are remarkable legal brains, business savvy, friendly and go the extra mile to get to the heart of a case and find winnable solutions.”– Class action

“The lawyers at Tan Rajah & Cheah are able to carefully think through each potential option for a client with striking speed and comprehensiveness, and work out the fastest, most efficient solutions.” – Commercial and transactions

“They are very professional and competent in family and matrimonial cases.” – Family and matrimonial

“They are good at explaining the issue, providing alternative solutions and turning around deliverables swiftly.” – Family and matrimonial

“They’ve given balanced and constructive advice to provide a solution.” – Labour and employment

“Tan Rajah & Cheah provides cutting-edge litigation services.” – White-collar crime

Shobna Chandran

“She is extremely bright and hard-working, and a real pleasure to deal with. She’s a creative thinker and excellent on the law. A rare find.”

“Shobna Chandran is a superb litigator who is going right to the top of the profession. Truly excellent.”

Megan Chia

“Megan is highly skilled and experienced in commercial and criminal litigation. She is very responsive and has the impressive ability to simplify the most complex of matters.”

Sudhershen Hariram

“He was responsive, had good knowledge on the topic and was able to provide multiple solutions for the problem.”

“Sudhershen is first and foremost a stand-up human being who provides value-added counsel on family and matrimonial matters. He continues to demonstrate patience and compassion throughout his counsel. As a family lawyer, he always impressed upon me the importance of collaboration and non/de-escalation in post-divorce communications and co-parenting. It is with this children-centric sensitivity and nuance that he has time and again given me clarity and perspective on my rights and obligations in relation to my court order. When I was dealing with acrimonious situations, he mapped out and provided clarity on the risks, the possible mitigation measures, as well as the recommended considerations and options in relation to each consideration. He has also cited case law examples and his experience to give more texture and illustration. This value-added lawyering, based on the principles of minimising acrimony, has given me greater clarity and peace of mind. Post-matrimonial circumstances can at times be harrowing and can create a sense of helplessness and anxiety in clients such as myself. Sudhershen takes the long view in relation to acrimonious matters that concern children, and often advises dialogue with the goal of amicable compromises and outcomes, without acrimony spilling over to the children. From his review of my draft responses and messages to my ex-spouse, I am able to clearly tell that he continues to advise a non-adversarial stance that focuses only on matters of material importance, while also remaining aligned with the court order.”

Imran Khwaja

“Excellent client management skills, and explains issues and concepts clearly and concisely.”

Moiz Sithawalla

“An excellent and clear communicator with a great deal of patience to explain legal concepts.”

“He is measured, creative and a solution provider. He works hard for the client and is always fair. A great lawyer and great representation of what the firm is.”

Withers KhattarWong’s dispute resolution practice often works with different offices across the Asia-Pacific region providing seamless cross-border disputes advice. It acts for a wide range of international clients including corporate entities and directors, high net-worth individuals and their businesses, governments and government agencies, manufacturers, banks, broker-dealers and trust companies. The firm is particularly known for private capital, employment, white-collar and tax-related disputes. Its global dispute resolution practice comprises more than 160 lawyers around the world and they are handling a claims portfolio of over $10 billion. This year the firm moves up one step in the rankings for commercial and family and matrimonial disputes and international arbitration.

Its experienced litigators include two senior counsels, partner Deborah Barker and consultant Amarjeet Singh. Other key lawyers include criminal lawyer Shashi Nathan, financial services disputes lawyer Chenthil Kumarasingam, employment specialist Amarjit Kaur, international arbitration experts Shaun Leong, Ushan Premaratne and Spring Tan, restructuring and insolvency specialist Justin Yip, and insurance lawyer with a focus on professional indemnity matters, Sharon Lin.

In one notable matter during the research period, the firm acted for Delphinium Capital, the sole shareholder of oCap Management (oCap), in relation to a dispute involving the Wirecard entities. The dispute related to fraud perpetuated by the Wirecard entities, which resulted in oCap going into creditors' voluntary liquidation. The matter is important as it concerns the corporate governance and lending practices in the fintech industry. This matter is closely monitored given the ongoing investigations in Germany and Singapore involving the fraud carried out by the Wirecard entities.

In insolvency, the firm continues to assist KPMG as the interim judicial managers in the insolvency of ZenRock Commodities Trading. It also is working with FTI Consulting as the judicial managers of six special purpose vehicles of Xihe Capital, which collectively own 15 vessels. The team was engaged by a high net-worth individual for a personal debt restructuring exercise that was supervised by the Singapore courts.

The global investors of Luna tokens and TerraUSD stablecoins have instructed the firm in a critical dispute arising from the crypto collapse that many perceive to have kickstarted the crypto winter. This is a class action arbitration arising from the famous collapse of stablecoin TerraUSD and its sister coin Luna. The client is a group of more than 100 investors globally claiming against Terraform Labs in relation to losses suffered from the collapse. In another fintech matter, the firm is representing Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLT), creators[WC(1]  of the world’s fastest growing cross-border trade finance platform. At the core of the dispute is whether DLT can exclusively keep its right to use advanced blockchain technologies that it invented. It has arrangements to help reform and develop the fintech ecosystem in Singapore and, together with other stakeholders, the region. The outcome of the dispute could therefore have substantial impact on the direction and development of fintech in Singapore and the Asia-Pacific region.

The employment litigation team acted for MyRepublic Group and its CEO as co-defendants in litigation commenced by an ex-employee in respect of alleged wrongful termination of employment, and alleged defamation by the CEO. This matter raised interesting tangential issues relating to the commercial sensitivity of balancing the protection of whistle-blowers' identities against the need for a fair hearing/inquiry into the accused employee's misconduct.

The white-collar crime group has kept busy defending a client against 85 charges under the Penal Code and Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act for allegedly being in a criminal conspiracy to forge claims for work done when the work had not in fact been carried out. The client and the co-accused persons are being accused of cheating Civil Tech out of nearly $10 million.

Key clients include Estée Lauder Cosmetics, HSBC, Kaddra, Luxasia, Multimedia Engineering, United Overseas Bank and VIVA[WC(2]  International Trust.

Client feedback

“Great responsiveness and turnaround time. Priced competitively.” – Commercial and transactions

“They provide sound advice based on rigorous research, and their pricing is more than competitive.” – Commercial and transactions

“The lawyers respond very promptly no matter how big or small the issue is and provide sound advice, clearly laying out different options and possible results. We're a small company compared to most of the firm's clients and yet we never felt treated as such.” – Technology

Shaun Leong

“Highly responsive, very commercial and applies common sense that pertains to the law for my firm. He provides his opinion and guides us along the way.”

“Shaun has an in-depth knowledge of the digital assets industry, which is rare, and I am impressed with his strong judgement and analytical skills.”

“Shaun Leong is arguably the brightest star of his generation. It is common to find crypto and blockchain regulatory and advisory lawyers out there, but what Shaun does is very rare indeed, being actively focused on digital assets disputes, and very commendable for that matter for the level of quality that Shaun and his team delivers on a consistent basis. Shaun is extremely astute and has a keen strategic mind. He is very adept at finding practical, commercial solutions to the most complex of disputes. He is particularly well-versed in blockchain matters, and has in a very short time grown for himself a cutting edge practice working on some of the most important digital assets disputes in the market right now, not least due to the crises arising from this crypto winter. You would have heard, of course, that Shaun very recently became the first lawyer in the world to obtain a worldwide proprietary injunction to freeze a non-fungible token on the blockchain in a commercial dispute, one belonging to the Bored Ape Yacht Club limited series. That is a really impressive success, and an important one too for sending the message to investors all around the world that people who invest in digital assets have rights that can be protected. He has led the way in making new law for this novel area.”

“Shaun Leong is a standout star in international arbitration. He is the epitome of a trusted legal adviser, and you would want to have him in your corner handling your most complex disputes of the highest stakes. He is a safe pair of hands and is very at ease in managing cutting-edge legal disputes. Shaun has a keen strategic mind with the ability to find the most practical and elegant solutions to difficult issues. He can be a very persuasive advocate with the ability to help tribunals see perspectives in disputes that are illuminating, like shining a clear light to pierce through the noise and dirt from amongst a complex sea of evidence.”

“Shaun Leong has a wealth of experience in international arbitration. In my view he is the top name in the Asia-Pacific region as the go-to disputes lawyer for complex digital assets disputes, especially those with cross-border elements. He definitely adds the superstar element to any cryptoassets disputes. He is very knowledgeable with all things blockchain, from Metaverse projects to cutting-edge issues around NFTs and innovations in the Web3 space. With his consistency in dispensing high-quality work on a daily basis and his ability to help clients find commercial solutions, Shaun has gained the trust of some of the biggest names in the cryptoassets sector.”

“Shaun Leong is a renowned name for cryptoassets disputes. He is highly skilled in complex disputes with a cross-border element. Underlying his amazing ability to find practical, elegant solutions to complex problems is actually a sophisticated and considered way of managing risks in high stakes disputes. Shaun has demonstrated unfailing commitment to clients' needs, and I have seen how he can combine his creative thinking and problem-solving abilities with strategic planning to devastating effect against adversaries. He is a top-notch, resulted-oriented counsel. Deeply committed to achieving results for clients, he is the one you want go to when the chips are down and the odds are against you.”

“Shaun is an absolute superstar in the cryptoassets sector. He has achieved remarkable successes for some of the biggest names in the digital assets market and has in a very short time created a reputation as the go-to dispute resolution lawyer in Asia for all things blockchain and Web3. He is a formidable lawyer and cross-border strategist, and can be a very compelling advocate in the hearing room with his ability to dissect difficult issues with illuminating simplicity. He definitely impresses with his ability to find effective solutions in a complex and technical situation.”

“Shaun is an experienced arbitration lawyer. He is reliable and someone you can count on when you are faced with the most complex cross-border disputes. He is deeply committed to helping clients achieve their commercial objectives, and finds innovative solutions to resolve issues. He has developed for himself a very strong reputation in the Asia-Pacific region as a leading lawyer in cryptoassets disputes, and is very well versed in all things blockchain. He combines his knowledge and experience to great strategic effect.”

“Shaun Leong is a cross-border disputes specialist par excellence. He is arguably peerless in the cryptoassets disputes sector in Asia and is at the top of his game when it comes to developing effective strategies to resolve disputes related to blockchain, digital assets and all things Web3, such as the Metaverse and NFTs. He evidently has a strong reputation in the Asian arbitration community, being appointed arbitrator on the panels of several premier arbitral institutions. He is also a highly persuasive advocate in the hearing room.”

“Shaun is extremely knowledgeable in his field of IP rights, commercial contracts and disputes.”

Sharon Lin

“Strong legal mind, very good negotiator, able to anticipate the priorities of the other side.”

Gretchen Su

“She is easily reachable and very responsive. She’s very easy to deal with, and provides sound and practical advice.”

WongPartnership is the clients’ choice for big-ticket domestic and cross-border disputes, with top-tier expertise from teams led by no less than 14 disputes-dedicated partners and three senior counsels. The group’s offering encompasses all areas including commercial disputes, construction, international arbitration and insolvency matters. Its work cuts across numerous sectors including energy, entertainment, hospitality, infrastructure, medical, natural resources, telecommunications, transport and trade. The firm is well positioned to act on multi-jurisdictional matters backed by its extensive integrated regional practices in Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, India, China, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The firm has the largest construction practice in the jurisdiction and has a deep bench of senior construction specialists. This year, the firm ascends into the top tiers in the private client and white-collar crime disputes rankings.

Commercial disputes and international arbitration experts Chee Meng Tan and Sean Yu Chou, construction specialists Peng Cheng Tay, Christopher Chuah and Ian De Vaz, corporate and commercial disputes co-heads Joy Tan and Hock Keng Chan, and insolvency expert Manoj Sandrasegara are among the key figures in the firm. Senior counsel Swee Yen Koh and Smitha Menon are other active lawyers in commercial and corporate disputes, and international arbitration. Koh was appointed SC last year, the youngest female active court practitioner to receive this appointment. Private client disputes specialist Simran Kaur Toor left the firm in May 2022 to become the CEO of SG Her Empowerment.

The firm acted for the interim judicial managers of Hodlnaut, a global service provider within the Hodlnaut Group that operates a platform allowing users to deposit cryptocurrency tokens to earn interest on that deposit like a cryptocurrency bank, and allows users to swap cryptocurrency tokens from its own inventory, like a cryptocurrency exchange. The case is interesting on multiple fronts, such as its cross-border nature, quantum of debt, number of creditors, contentious elements and the possibility of novel legal issues.

Chuah and his team represent a Chinese contractor in an ongoing SIAC arbitration before a panel of three arbitrators seated in Singapore, in a case commenced by a developer in respect of a project in Cambodia. The case concerns claims for damages for alleged delays and wrongful termination of contract, with an estimated disputed amount in excess of $100 million. In another matter, the team is assisting Danieli Centro Combustion, a European designer and manufacturer of steel plants, in its dispute with a major Asian steel producer, arising out of the construction of a steel plant in Southeast Asia.

Bloomberry Resorts and Hotels engaged the team for two proceedings before the Singapore High Court to set aside and resist enforcement of the partial award and final award rendered by an arbitral tribunal in a Singapore-seated arbitration. The case involved novel issues such as the standard for finding that an arbitral award had been “induced or affected” by fraud, whether an arbitral tribunal could attempt to enforce its own previous orders and awards, whether an award which affected third-party rights should be set aside, and the tricky issue of whether the three-month time limit for setting aside an arbitral award is absolute, even in cases where the setting aside is premised on fraud that was only discovered after the time limit had expired. The last issue has been the subject of various conflicting decisions in Singapore and Hong Kong.

The insolvency practitioners assisted Pacific International Airlines on the restructuring of approximately $3.3 billion in aggregate of debts and liabilities of the shipping group via a consensual debt reprofiling exercise with its creditors in Singapore. The scale was immense and it was the most successful restructuring to have been concluded in recent history in Asia. Significant legal innovation and creativity was displayed by the legal team at each stage of the matter. This included pioneering the use of a pre-negotiated restructuring strategy through the jurisdiction’s hybrid restructuring regime and the lawyers’ novel legal submissions during court proceedings for the implementation of the scheme.

The firm’s contentious private client team acted for a group of siblings in High Court proceedings against the descendants of their deceased brother to claim assets of their possibly irrational mother. The matter involves complicated issues as to the interaction between the mental capacity and succession regimes. L Capital Asia Advisors enlisted the employment litigators for a dispute relating to a former senior employee’s employment termination and his alleged entitlement to carried interest.

WongPartnership is at the forefront of legal technology in Singapore and has deployed artificial intelligence and document automation technology to enhance its legal services. For example, it adopted technology from London-based AI firm Luminance to support its M&A practice and also runs a subscription-based legal document automation service through WPGateway that generates certain standardised documents for clients.

Core clients include Bonhams Hong Kong, Credit Suisse, JPMorgan Chase and Ramky Cleantech Services.

Client feedback

“WongPartnership was excellent. They were commercial, responsive and sharp. Led by the firm’s head of litigation Sean Yu Chou and partner Daniel Chan, the team was very user-friendly, sensible and effective.” – Commercial and transactions

“Offer clarity in ideas and arguments.” – Commercial and transactions

“In-depth understanding of the case and they keep us updated of the court proceedings.” – Construction

“Quick turnaround with concise and commercially sound legal advice.” – Insolvency

“Wonderful set to work with, especially when they are on debtor-side.” – Insolvency

“WongPartnership was recommended to us as a preeminent insolvency law firm in Singapore. It did not disappoint. At all times, its lawyers were most professional and demonstrated the necessary skills, experience and expertise in their field. WongPartnership lawyers are crisp and responsive communicators, strong advocates and, most significantly, astute business people. We were pleased to have a team of lawyers who could easily appreciate not only the legal issues, but also the business and practical aspects of our situation in order to reach an appropriate and timely resolution. Not only would we be pleased to recommend them to others, but we would gladly hire the firm again should the need arise.” – Insolvency

“As co-counsel, they worked very effectively in coordinating with the Singapore client.” – International arbitration

Joel Chng

“Highly responsive and easy to discuss issues with. Very practical in approaching issues and providing legal advice.”

Josephine Choo

“We appreciated her in-depth knowledge of construction laws and approaches to protecting client's interests.”

“Josephine got an in-depth understanding of the case by having detailed discussions with the client and even visited the job site to gain better understanding of the case.”

Sean Yu Chou

“A first-class lawyer, Sean is very sharp, commercial and user-friendly. He understands the client's objectives and is 'hands-on', providing cogent, practical advice in dealing with complex commercial issues and disputes.”

Swee Yen Koh

“Very diligent and knowledgeable.”

Smitha Menon

“Charismatic and informative, she’s a true pleasure to work with.”

Manoj Pillay Sandrasegara

“Manoj in particular has strong business acumen, with which he skilfully negotiated with the opposing parties. He brought depth of experience to the team and was well respected by not only our team but also the opposing party and his team. Manoj was essential to bringing our matter to a successful result.”

Top-tier full-service Vietnamese firm YKVN has been operating in Singapore for 11 years with a focus on assisting its Vietnam-based clients in international arbitration, commercial disputes and white-collar representation. Launching in Singapore so early has given the firm first-mover advantage and the practice has seen a rapid acceleration of mandates in the past two years.

Senior partner and international arbitration specialist Minh Dang is the key contact for the Singapore office. He is the only Vietnamese member of the SIAC Court of Arbitration and the KCAB International Arbitration Committee.

Last year, the team achieved the settlement of two commercial arbitrations initiated by international oil companies against PetroVietnam and the Government of Vietnam, with initial claims aggregating close to $3 billion. The team was also instrumental in a case arising out of an accident at the new port of Hai Phong, which required court litigation and administrative proceedings among the shipowner, the owner of the port, the operator of the container terminal and the insurance company to resolve the initial damages exceeding $20 million. YKVN’s litigation and administrative law litigation strategy led to a favourable settlement for the client.

Property-related disputes have been on the uptick and the YKVN team has been instructed in numerous high-stakes matters. In one case, for example, the firm won a judgment for the Vietnamese subsidiary of an Indonesian listed company, at trial and on appeal, that allowed the client to retain land currently worth almost $9 million, which the plaintiff was attempting to force the client to sell for much less, under contracts the YKVN team successfully argued were invalid. In another case, the team successfully argued that a Vietnamese company that had acquired land involved with a massive corruption scandal in Binh Duong province was a purchaser in good faith for value based upon the evidence in the case, as well as a novel application of the article of the Civil Code that defined the concept of good faith purchaser. Finally, it also won an SIAC award for its Vietnam-based developer client, helping it to have claims exceeding $9 million dismissed.

Yuen Law offers a broad disputes offering that covers complex commercial cases in the courts and pre-litigation work including negotiations, mediation and private settlements. Its experience spans shareholder, employment, construction and property disputes, to debt recovery, insolvency, defamation, medical negligence, personal injury and motor accident, and criminal matters. Many of the team’s clients are SMEs and high net-worth business owners, notably in the consumer goods and services, pharmaceuticals and life sciences, and technology sectors. Last year, the firm acted in 135 contentious matters.

The main contact for the dispute resolution group is partner Amos Cai. He is supported by three associates.

In one highlight, the team successfully acted for the plaintiff in a claim for equitable compensation for breach of trust deed in relation to shares of a company. The client was a beneficial shareholder of a Malaysian company distributing a line of hearing aids across Malaysia and other countries. He entered into a trust deed with the defendant, who is also a shareholder and the company's sole director. The defendant issued additional shares to himself in the Malaysian company without the plaintiff’s consent and in breach of the trust deed. Cai and his team advocated for the plaintiff at trial on liability and successfully obtained judgment in that regard. The final judgment was in the client’s favour and the opponent’s appeal to the Appellate Division of the High Court was dismissed.

Client feedback

“They are meticulous in all details. They also are very prompt in their responses and they also give very sound and practical legal advice.” – Commercial and transactions

Amos Cai

“He is always prompt to respond and follow up.”

Jian Yang Yip

“He knows his work well, gives sound advice and he's very confident, especially during court trial.”