Event information
Amid a scene of change and uncertainty, organisations around the world are increasingly faced with an increased risk of disputes, amplified by the rise of technology, ever-evolving ESG considerations and supply chain disruption.
Running a successful business depends on anticipating risks and establishing robust compliance now more than ever, to successfully protect your organisation in today’s inter-connected world. For General and In-House Counsel across Asia Pacific, the challenge is even greater, with remote working, digital transformation and multi-jurisdictional nuances requiring a broad perspective and deep understanding of the local outlook.
The Legal 500’s Asia Pacific Disputes Summit brings together prominent General Counsel and leading disputes practitioners from around the region, for a day packed full of practical discussions around dispute avoidance, management and resolution.
Made up of panels, interviews and presentations, sessions are set to cover topics ranging from the ever-evolving role of GCs at a time of international volatility; choosing the most appropriate arbitration forum, the rising significance of ESG and role of international arbitration, the emergence of legal tech and the role it can play in dispute management, litigation arising from greenwashing, and from failures in the assessment, mitigation, and disclosure of climate risks; crisis management, the legalities and options when it comes to third-party funding, and the challenges and risks presented to boards when navigating internal and external investigations.
Attendees can expect high-profile speakers, plenty of time for debate, and networking drinks to end the day.
Agenda
08.30am – 09.00am Arrival & Registration
09.00am – 09.10am Welcoming note from Legal 500 Editor and GC Keynote Speaker
- Nathalia Lossovska, head of legal, Asia-Pacific, and vice-president of the ACC’s Singapore Chapter, WTW
09.10am – 10.00am Trends and developments relating to crypto-asset disputes
There has been a number of important developments in Singapore relating to crypto-asset disputes, in respect of civil claims as well as insolvency proceedings. The expert panellist will share their experience in respect of practical issues faced in such disputes, including issues of enforcement, how cryptoassets can be valued, seeking vital information from uncooperative persons, and who can one look to as potential defendants. The speakers will also share on unique issues faced in respect of stablecoins, crypto insolvency and crypto restructuring, as well as the insolvency of cryptominers.
- Moderator: Leow Jiamin, partner, WongPartnership LLP
- Daniel Chan, partner, banking & financial disputes practice, WongPartnership LLP
- Lionel Leo, partner, restructuring & insolvency and special situations advisory practices, WongPartnership LLP
- Kwok Yi Wen Mildred, senior legal counsel, Bitdeer Technologies Group
- Collin Cheong, director of legal and corporate development, Coinhako
- Kang Junwei Benjamin, senior regulatory counsel APAC, BVNK
10.00am – 10.30am Risk and Reward in Southeast Asian Transactions
In the current context of the evolving landscape of international transactions, our expert panellists will explore the risks and rewards associated with deals in Southeast Asia. Our distinguished speakers will share insights, suggest practical strategies to navigate complex business transactions, and provide comprehensive solutions to ensure successful outcomes for companies operating in the region. Key discussion points will include regulatory challenges, market trends, cultural considerations, and success stories.
- Patricia Astorga, chief legal officer and partner, Mintz Group
- Jack Mullan, partner and head of Asia, Mintz Group
- Johnny Lim, partner, Reed Smith LLP
- Bernard Yee, managing director, Resource Law LLC
10.30am – 11.00am Managing internal investigations: effective strategies to mitigate risk and protect your reputation and developing an effective whistleblowing system
This discussion will take an elevated look at the current best practice for internal investigations and how they should be conducted. Alongside crucial insights on handling internal investigations with finesse, an in-depth discussion on risk mitigation and the safeguarding of company reputation will give takeaways to audience members who are theorising their next investigation or currently engaged in managing one. The panel will also analyse the best way to manage communications within and outside organisations so that internal investigations do not develop into present dangers.
- Nicolas Tang, founder and managing director, Farallon Law Corporation
- Ben Ee, partner, litigation support and forensics, RSM Singapore
- Carlos Estrada, SVP general counsel and integrity & compliance officer, APAC, Adecco Group
11.00am – 11.15am Coffee Break
11.15am – 12.05pm Navigating Evolving Fraud Risks – An Asian Perspective
In this panel discussion, we will delve into the domain of fraud within the APAC region. As globalisation and technological advancements continue to reshape the global business landscape, so do the risks associated with fraud. Our panellists aim to share insightful perspectives, and strategic approaches to managing such risks, including:
- Emerging facets of fraud
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Is or should there a duty to prevent fraud?
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Technology and other strategies aid of the fight against fraud
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Nuclear legal tools in the pursuit of fraud perpetrators
- Danny Ong, managing director, Setia law
- Victoria Ting, associate director, Setia law
- Lily Tsen, general counsel, Amcor Flexibles Asia Pacific
- Jarrod Baker, forensic partner. Deloitte Southeast Asia
- Anushka Chandra, head of corporate compliance – Region Asia Pacific and Africa, Bosch
12.05pm – 12.35pm Litigation management, and what to do when things go wrong
- Peter Doraisamy, managing partner, PDLegal LLC
12.35pm – 1.40pm Lunch
1.40pm – 2.30pm Perspectives on Shareholder Activism: A Cross-Border Case Study
This panel discussion will explore how shareholders safeguard their interests through litigation and the exercise of legal rights. Our focus extends beyond legal aspects, drawing from our speakers’ experience in cross-border shareholder disputes and transactions. The panellists will also analyse the impact of shareholder activism on directors, and examine how they can engage with shareholders, thus fostering dialogue whilst safeguarding their company’s values and objectives. In parallel, the panellists will assess the need (or lack thereof) for board representation in the wake of the surge in shareholder activism against the backdrop of the increasingly complex and transnational nature of modern corporations.
- Mark Lee, joint managing director, WMH Law Corporation
- Sarah Yeo, associate director, WMH Law Corporation
- Stanley Park, independent consultant and member of the board of directors of the Singapore Corporate Counsel Association
- Owen M. Hawkes, partner, forensic, advisory, KPMG in Singapore
2.30pm – 3.20pm Assessing the cybercrime landscape for GCs
Cybercrime is on the rise and will increasingly become a critical risk for all Southeast Asia. GCs are expected to play a critical role in responding to cyber incidents, including addressing the loss of key data, legal and regulatory disclosures and penalties, and reputation management.
During this session, our panellists will discuss:
- cybercrime trends;
- security of critical infrastructure; and
- the role of GCs in preparing for and responding to cyberattacks.
- Gilbert Leong, senior partner, Dentons Rodyk & Davidson LLP
- Foo Maw Jiun, senior partner, Dentons Rodyk & Davidson LLP
- Veronica Lai, general counsel, chief corporate and sustainability officer, Starhub
- Nihal Karakoc, associate general counsel, Johnsonville
- Sam Chung, regional counsel, Agilent
3.20pm – 3.35pm Coffee Break
3.35pm – 4.25pm Recognition and enforcement of foreign judgements in Asia
This panel session offers a comprehensive exploration of the evolving landscape surrounding the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitral awards across borders in Asia. Gain valuable insights into the latest developments, challenges, and innovative solutions that are actively shaping the region’s legal framework.
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Anthony Woo, senior director, CMS Hong Kong
- Wei Ming Tan, of counsel, CMS Singapore
- Lakshanthi Fernando, managing director, CMS Holborn Asia & Partner, CMS Singapore
- Anthony Ellwood-Russell, investment manager – asset tracing and intelligence, Omni Bridgeway
- Piyush Gupta, senior corporate counsel, Singapore Airlines
- Anya Bailey, managing director – strategic communications, FTI Consulting
4.25pm – 4.55pm Trade Finance Security: Built on a House of Cards?
- Monique Wan, senior associate, Wee Swee Teow LLP
4.55pm – 5:25pm Rules of Engagement: Top tips for an effective working relationship amongst in-house, local jurisdiction, and international lawyers
Interactions involving lawyers in in-house, local and international firm positions are inevitable and critical in complex cross-border disputes. This quick-fire panel discussion aims to explore common pitfalls/ pet peeves, and how to avoid these, in order to set up such relationships for success. Our panellists will share insights into fostering a successful partnership between private practice and in-house practitioners in light of GCs’ expectations, and discuss practical solutions from all three perspectives.
- Moderator: Daniel Chia, managing director, Prolegis
- Yanguang Ker, director, Prolegis
- Gitta Satryani, partner, Herberts Smith Freehills
- Arjun Agrawal, senior counsel Asia, Chevron
- Jackson Eng, head of litigation & regulatory enforcement, Asia Pacific, Deutsche Bank
- Jeanette Wong, senior legal counsel, global healthcare company
5.25pm-5.35pm Closing Remarks
- Maree Myerscough, COO & general counsel, Aquila Clean Energy Asia Pacific
5.35pm – 6.30pm Drinks and event close
Speakers
Nathalia Lossovska, head of legal, Asia-Pacific, WTW
Kwok Yi Wen Mildred, senior legal counsel, Bitdeer Technologies Group
Mildred is currently a Senior Legal Counsel with Bitdeer Technologies Group, a world leading Nasdaq-listed technology company for blockchain and high-performance computing. Bitdeer specialises in cloud and data center infrastructure and has operations in the United States, Norway and Bhutan, and handles complex processes involved in computing such as equipment procurement, transport logistics, datacentre design and construction, equipment management and daily operations. Recently, Bitdeer announced a collaboration with Nvidia to become Nvidia’s first SuperPod Cloud Service Provider in Asia.
In her role, Mildred handles a plethora of legal matters, with a focus on M&A and investment matters for Bitdeer globally. Mildred previously practised law for 7 years at one of Singapore’s largest law firms, with a focus on M&A, PEVC and general corporate matters. In her free time, Mildred volunteers with the Jalan Kayu Legal Clinic to provide pro-bono legal services to the community.
Collin Cheong, director of legal and corporate development, Coinhako
At Coinhako, Singapore’s leading digital asset brokerage, Collin oversees the company’s legal and corporate affairs. He also plays a key role in furthering the company’s business development initiatives and promoting strategic partnerships and growth at Coinhako. Before joining Coinhako, Collin was a practising lawyer at a leading magic circle law firm and had spent time in both the law firm’s Singapore and Beijing offices. During his tenure as a practising lawyer, Collin frequently worked with multinational clients, private equity and sovereign wealth funds and has extensive experience advising them on cross-border mergers and acquisitions and investments.
Kang Junwei Benjamin, senior regulatory counsel APAC, BVNK
Benjamin is the Senior Regulatory Counsel, APAC at BVNK, a platform that leverages distributed ledger technology to facilitate the payment and receipt of monies by businesses throughout the world. He is responsible for the company’s regulatory expansion into the Asia-Pacific and North America, which includes licence applications, mergers and acquisitions, and structuring of business transaction flows to ensure compliance with laws in various jurisdictions.
Benjamin has extensive legal, regulatory and compliance experience in the fintech space, having built out regulatory frameworks and policies for several regulated start-ups spanning areas such as SME lending, investment robo-advisory services, brokerage trading platforms, expense management, and distributed ledger technology. He also represented these companies when dealing with regulators in the region, some of which include the Monetary Authority of Singapore, Bank Negara Malaysia, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission, and the Florida Office of Financial Regulation.
Prior to his foray in-house, Benjamin trained at Clifford Chance for 2 years.
Danny Ong, managing director, Setia Law
Danny leads Setia Law, a specialist dispute resolution and crisis management boutique firm in Singapore. Danny is particularly known for his expertise in complex cross border disputes, fraud, and financial crime and is recognised amongst the Global Elite and as one of 40 Global Thought Leaders in the asset recovery field. More recently, Danny has been a pioneer in fraud and asset recovery in the digital assets space, having led as counsel in landmark judgments emanating from the Singapore Courts. He is also regularly called upon by corporations to assist with cross border investigations, from financial crime to financial market regulation. With extensive experience in multi-jurisdictional headline restructurings and insolvencies, Danny is also recognised as a “standout” advisor in distressed situations, with particular expertise in pursuing insolvency claims.
Daniel Chan, partner, banking & financial disputes practice, WongPartnership LLP
Daniel Chan is a Partner in WongPartnership’s Banking & Financial Disputes Practice. He regularly advises and acts for international banks and financial institutions in complex contentious matters involving both court proceedings and arbitration. In recent years, Daniel has accumulated significant experience in advising blockchain / cryptocurrency platforms on matters involving disputed claims, breaches of contract, fraud and misrepresentation, as well as in matters involving intellectual property and technology law. He has acted as lead counsel in various court proceedings in Singapore in pursuit of claims against Three Arrows Capital Ltd and Hodlnaut Pte Ltd following their collapses.
Lionel Leo, partner, restructuring & insolvency and special situations advisory practices, WongPartnership LLP
Lionel LEO is a Partner WongPartnership’s Restructuring & Insolvency and Special Situations Advisory Practices.
His main areas of practice involve commercial litigation, restructuring and insolvency and international arbitration. Lionel routinely acts as lead counsel with a particular focus on complex, high-value and cross-border matters that involve restructuring, insolvency, banking and finance. Lionel has recently accumulated significance experience in contentious restructuring and insolvency matters involving cryptocurrencies and digital assets, acting as lead counsel in court for the joint liquidators of Three Arrows Capital (the US$10 billion cryptocurrency hedge fund that went bankrupt) and the interim judicial managers of Hodlnaut (one of Singapore’s leading digital assets borrowing and lending platforms that collapsed).
Lionel is the inaugural winner of the prestigious Joseph Grimberg Outstanding Young Advocate Award and is a recommended lawyer for restructuring and insolvency in Legal 500 Asia-Pacific Guide. He has also been ranked as a Litigation Star in Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific, and has been recognized for his expertise in insolvency law in IFLR1000, AsiaLaw and Best Lawyers.
Patricia Astorga, chief legal officer and partner, Mintz Group
Patricia Astorga is Chief Legal Officer and Partner. She oversees the Company’s global legal, compliance and risk management functions and is the chief advisor to the Chief Executive Officer, the Board of Directors and senior management. Patricia’s investigative work focuses on white-collar trials and disputes.
Jack Mullan, partner and head of Asia, Mintz Group
Jack Mullan is a Partner in the Singapore office and is the Head of Asia at the Mintz Group. Jack has worked in Southeast Asia for the past 15 years and during this period has lived in Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore. He has also executed hundreds of consultancy projects across Myanmar, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Brunei, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and Sri Lanka. Jack speaks Spanish, French, Malay and has limited working proficiency in Bahasa Indonesia.
Johnny Lim, partner, Reed Smith LLP
Johnny Lim, based in Singapore, is a partner in the firm’s Global Corporate Group, focused on Singapore, South-east Asia and Greater China. His primary practice areas are in cross-border M&A, joint ventures, private equity, venture capital, and capital markets – from acting for issuers on initial public offerings to post-listing corporate actions, special situations, restructurings and privatizations.
Bernard Yee, managing director, Resource Law LLC
Bernard is an experienced litigator and dispute resolution practitioner. He regularly appears as counsel before courts and arbitral tribunals in Singapore on a wide range of contentious matters. Bernard represents clients in a wide range of general and commercial disputes ranging from corporate insolvency and shareholders disputes to cross-border asset tracing and enforcement actions, often utilising procedures such as maritime arrest, freezing injunctions, search orders and evidence preservation orders.
Mark Lee, joint managing director, WMH Law Corporation
Mark is co-founded and Joint Managing Director of WMH Law Corporation. He heads the firm’s Commercial and Corporate Dispute Resolution Practice and is the Co-ordinating Partner of the firm’s “boardroom(WMH+)” platform (specialising in boardroom, shareholder and joint venture related disputes / transactions).
Mark advises high-value companies, public listed companies, shareholders and directors in complex, multi-party disputes and transactional matters. His practice has a particular cross border focus and he has represented foreign based shareholders / directors across jurisdictions such as Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, China and Russia. Mark routinely appears before the High Court and also as appellate counsel across a broad range of cases.
Mark is lauded as an “astute lawyer”, “effective” and “surgical with his approach and strategy”. He was shortlisted by Thomson Reuters’ as a finalist for the Young Lawyer of the Year Award and Managing Partner of the Year Award.
Sarah Yeo, associate director, WMH Law Corporation
Sarah graduated with First Class Honours and is an Associate Director at the firm where she specialises in complex, high stakes, multi-party commercial litigation. She has both led and assisted in numerous hearings, trials and appellate proceedings and is known for her tenacious advocacy and meticulous attention to detail.
Allan Cohen, senior research editor, The Legal 500
Gilbert Leong, senior partner, Dentons Rodyk & Davidson LLP
Gilbert Leong is a Senior Partner and Head of Dentons Rodyk’s Intellectual Property & Technology practice group.
He is a pioneer in the field of data privacy/protection matters. As a member of the Legal Sub-Committee of the National Internet Advisory Committee, Gilbert participated in the drafting of the “Model Data Protection Code for the Private Sector” before the legislation was enacted in Singapore. Gilbert advises large organizations on data protection laws both at home and abroad. He has also written and spoken widely on the area and is regularly sought for his insights.
Gilbert has experience advising on high impact cyber breach incidents in sectors such as insurance, higher education, social media, e-commerce, hotels, financial services, transportation/logistics, IT and telecommunications sectors. He was co-lead counsel to a party involved in proceedings of the Committee of Inquiry set up by the Singapore Government to investigate the nation’s highest profile cyber breach.
Nicolas Tang, founder and managing director, Farallon Law Corporation
Jarrod Baker, forensic partner, Deloitte Southeast Asia
Jarrod is a partner and leader for Forensic Investigations at Deloitte Southeast Asia. Working across the globe, he has been instrumental in helping financial institutions and corporates with investigations into complex fraud, serious misconduct and financial crime. He is experienced working on high profile matters involving regulators such as the United States Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the UK Financial Conduct Authority, and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. This includes investigating breaches of anti-corruption legislation such as the FCPA, violations of trade sanctions, market misconduct and financial misstatement. Jarrod is well-versed in helping corporates develop, implement and monitor effectiveness of their fraud risk management and financial and economic crime compliance frameworks.
Maree Myerscough, COO & general counsel, Aquila Clean Energy Asia Pacific
Maree Myerscough is the COO & General Counsel of Aquila Clean Energy Asia Pacific, a clean energy platform that funds, develops, builds and operates clean energy assets across the region. Previously she worked with Conergy, SunEdison and with Latham & Watkins and Mallesons in private practice.
In 2018 Maree was honoured to win the “General Commercial” award at the Global Counsel Awards in New York and be included in ALB’s In-house Counsel “40 Under 40” List for Asia Pacific. Maree was included in The Legal 500 GC Powerlist: Southeast Asia 2022 and was short-listed for an FT Innovative Lawyers Asia-Pacific 2021 award for her work on pro bono projects, community service initiatives, mentoring and service leadership within the legal community. That year she was also included in Transition Economist’s TE100 Women of the Energy Transition in the Renewables category.
Ben Ee, partner, litigation support and forensics, RSM Singapore
Lily Tsen, general counsel, Amcor Flexibles Asia Pacific
Lily is the regional General Counsel for Amcor Asia Pacific and sits on the global Legal Leadership Team and regional Senior Leadership Team for Amcor. As a member of senior management, Lily supports her organisation to identify and anticipate risk and to guide the taking of strategic, operational and business decisions within well-defined and understood guardrails. Working closely with audit teams and the business, Lily focuses on upskilling and creating a culture of integrity through training and the development of policies and processes to promote business ethics, internal controls and good corporate governance.
Before joining Amcor in a permanent in-house capacity, Lily was a lawyer with highly respected law firms in her native Australia where she, amongst other things, supported clients with the identification of critical risk issues and the formulation of policies to support legal and ethical business practices and good governance. She is a thoughtful, empathetic and influential leader (including in the Diversity Equity & Inclusion space where she helps to spearhead organisational initiatives aimed at promoting the same), and serves as on the Board of the Association of Corporate Counsel Singapore as a Board Director and Executive Member.
Anthony Woo, senior director, CMS Hong Kong
Wei Ming Tan, Of counsel, CMS Singapore
Wei Ming specialises in a broad range of complex, multi-jurisdictional matters, including international arbitration and commercial litigation. As an advocate and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore, Wei Ming has a particular focus on High Court litigation in addition to appearing as party counsel in international and ad hoc arbitration proceedings. Wei Ming has acted for a number of household name clients across a broad range of sectors, including shipping, technology, financial services and insurance.
He sits on the Law Society of Singapore’s ADR and Civil Practice Committee and as a Panel Expert for Arbitration (LexisPSL). Wei Ming is the editor of the popular Singapore International Arbitration Blog and his thought leadership has been published by Legal500, Practical Law and the Singapore International Mediation Centre, amongst others, alongside developing the Singapore chapter for the CMS Expert Guide on Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgements. Wei Ming was featured in Asian Legal Business’s inaugural list of Singapore Rising Stars (2022) which spotlights the next generation of the region’s lawyers based on client feedback.
Lakshanthi Fernando, managing director, CMS Holborn Asia & Partner, CMS Singapore
Lakshanthi Fernando is a dispute resolution specialist with expertise in international arbitration and trial and appellate court litigation, having acted as lead party counsel in arbitral proceedings under almost all major institutional rules and procedures, including SIAC, ICC, HKIAC, LCIA and UNCITRAL, and as first chair before all levels of the Singapore courts, including the Court of Appeal. She has particular specialism in complex, cross-border issues having advised/represented global clients in almost all options and procedures available, including enforcement of foreign court judgments and arbitral awards, injunctive relief, security for costs applications and expedited proceedings.
Lakshanthi sits on the SIAC’s Users’ Council, the Singapore Academy of Law’s Editorial Board and the Law Society of Singapore’s International Relations Committee. Her commentary on international dispute resolution has been featured by local and international press, including the Financial Times, BBC World News and Singapore Straits Times.
Lakshanthi is a recommended lawyer in some of the leading legal directories for her expertise, including her feature in Legal500’s inaugural arbitration Private Practice Powerlist for SE Asia and in Who’s Who Legal (International Arbitration), where she is described as “a world class lawyer” and “distinguished as a market-leading practitioner in the region.”
Stanley Park, independent consultant and member of the board of directors of the Singapore Corporate Counsel Association
Stanley Park is an independent consultant/advisor and a member of the Board of Directors of the Singapore Corporate Counsel Association, joining the Board in 2014.
Stanley was Managing Director and Head of Legal – Asia Pacific Region for Scotiabank’s Global Banking and Markets Division from Mar 2014 – Apr 2023. Based in Singapore, Stanley was responsible for all legal matters across the region, including China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore. Among other responsibilities, Stanley provided (i) transactional advice and support to the Bank’s businesses related to capital markets, investment banking, commodities, corporate lending/trade finance and global transaction banking; (ii) regulatory advice and support re the Bank’s businesses; (iii) management of litigation and disputes; (iv) advice and support to the Bank’s internal or proprietary functions (including proprietary investments, HR matters, Finance); and (v) participation in corporate governance or oversight.
Prior to joining Scotiabank, Stanley was with Daiwa Capital Markets, as Senior Legal Counsel, in Singapore and Hong Kong from 2011 – 2014; with Barclays Global Investors, as General Counsel, in Tokyo from 2009 – 2010; with DKR Oasis, as Chief Compliance Officer, in Hong Kong in 2008; with Salomon Smith Barney and UBS Securities in Tokyo from 2001 – 2007; and with Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton and Coudert Brothers in NYC, from 1992 – 2001.
Stanley graduated from Princeton University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics in 1985 and received his law degree from the Harvard Law School in 1988, where he served as an editor of the Harvard Law Review. Stanley has been a member of the New York State Bar since 1994.
Veronica Lai, general counsel, chief corporate and sustainability officer, Starhub
Veronica is responsible for StarHub’s Legal, Corporate Secretariat, Regulatory and Sustainability functions.
With more than two decades of experience in the info-communications industry, Veronica also previously helmed the Corporate Communications and Investor Relations functions, during her tenure at StarHub. Prior to joining StarHub, she practised law at Rajah and Tann Singapore LLP.
Under her leadership, StarHub is recognised by the Corporate Knights’ Global 100 as the World’s Most Sustainable Telecom Provider in 2023. Veronica serves as the Honorary Treasurer of the Global Compact Network Singapore’s Management Committee, the Singapore chapter of the UN Global Compact. She was conferred the Chief Legal Officer 2020 Award by the Singapore Corporate Counsel Association, and is listed in Legal500’s GC Powerlist since 2017. In 2023, she was listed on the inaugural list of the Legal500 Green GC Powerlist, which ranks the top General Counsels leading in Sustainability practice.
Veronica is appointed as a specialist mediator by the Singapore International Mediation Centre, and appointed by the Ministry of Finance to the Income Tax Review Board. She also received the Asian Company Secretary 2013 Award for Singapore by Corporate Governance Asia. Veronica holds a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) from the National University of Singapore.
Nihal Karakoc, associate general counsel, Johnsonville
Nihal brings over two decades of extensive expertise in the technology, professional services, and FMCG sectors across Europe and APAC. Currently serving as the APAC Associate General Counsel at Johnsonville, a prominent American meat manufacturing company, she oversees a spectrum of responsibilities spanning commercial, compliance, HR, M&A across the region. Nihal holds a Master’s degree in law from the University of Brussels and a LLM in international business law from Pantheon-Assas Paris.
Peter Doraisamy, managing partner, PDLegal LLC
Peter Doraisamy is the Founder and Managing Partner of PDLegal LLC, an award winning mid-sized full-service law firm based in Singapore. The Firm also maintains an office in Bangkok, Thailand.
With 25 years of practice experience, Peter is widely recognised as a leading advocate. He regularly acts as counsel in complex commercial litigation matters and international arbitration. He is frequently instructed on contentious matters in the areas of Maritime and Shipping, International Trade, Commodities, Restructuring and Insolvency, Insurance, Shareholders’ Dispute, Employment, Corporate Governance, and Fraud and Asset recovery.
Peter serves a diverse clientele across a wide array of industries. His clients include high net worth individuals, corporations, ranging from multi-national to publicly listed entities as well as international and local law firms who instruct him as counsel.
For non-contentious matters, clients look to Peter as a trusted business advisor and strategist in relation to joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions and restructuring exercises.
Carlos Estrada, SVP general counsel and integrity & compliance officer, APAC, Adecco Group
Carlos Estrada is the General Counsel/ Integrity & Compliance Officer, APAC at The Adecco Group, the world’s leading talent advisory and solutions company.
He is responsible to lead the function in 14 countries and is committed to nurture a team of 40+ talented legal and compliance professionals.
Coming from an M&A background both in-house and in private practice, Carlos holds an LLM and Business Administration Certificate from Northwestern University-Kellogg School of Management.
In 2022, he was included in the Legal 500 GC Powerlist: South East Asia and became General Counsel of the Year by The Asia Legal Awards.
Anthony Ellwood-Russell, investment manager - asset tracing and intelligence, Omni Bridgeway
Anthony Ellwood-Russell is an Investment Manager who focuses on asset tracing and case intelligence in the Singapore office of litigation funder Omni Bridgeway. He is responsible for the assessment and management of cross-border litigation, with a particular focus on enforcement proceedings. He is the only investment manager in litigation finance in the region who comes from an asset tracing background, and speaks Mandarin, Indonesian and Thai.
Monique Wan, senior associate, Wee Swee Teow LLP
Monique focuses on commodity-related litigation and arbitration, advising major traders on high-value complex disputes, such as physical contracts and trade finance.
Her experience spans all levels of the Singapore Courts, and she is also admitted to argue selected matters before the Dubai International Financial Centre Courts (DIFC). For international arbitration, she has acted as Lead Counsel at the SIAC, and assisted the Sole Arbitrator in KCAB proceedings and BAC bilingual proceedings.
Her portfolio includes acting for a Pertamina subsidiary against a major European bank on a US$24M Letter of Credit dispute before the Singapore International Commercial Court (SICC) and the Singapore Court of Appeal, being Lead Counsel in an international institutional arbitration for a senior fund executive in the oil sector, and advising a Fortune 100 Enterprise’s renewables arm in a solar dispute against a regional contractor in an ICC arbitration.
Monique holds certificates in Energy Price Risk and SIAC and Institutional Arbitration, and her insights on the practical and legal implications of sanctions clauses in trade finance were recently featured in the Global Trade Review (2023).
Victoria Ting, associate director, Setia law
Victoria is an Associate Director at Setia Law LLC, specialising in white collar crime, fraud and investigations. Prior to Setia, Victoria was a Deputy Public Prosecutor with the Financial and Technology Crime Division of the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC). While at the AGC, she successfully prosecuted and tried many significant fraud, bribery, money-laundering, and sanctions cases and acted for the state in asset forfeiture cases. She has also overseen complex fraud and fraudulent trading investigations and prosecutions, working in close collaboration with other law enforcement and governmental agencies such as the Commercial Affairs Department, the Monetary Authority of Singapore and the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau. Victoria brings an in-depth understanding of law enforcement, policy-making and regulatory agenda-setting in Singapore. She has represented Singapore as a delegate at financial regulation forums such as the G7’s Financial Action Task Force.
She holds a First Class degree from the University of Cambridge, and an LL.M. from Columbia Law School. At Columbia, she was awarded the Walter Gellhorn prize, for graduating with the highest academic average.
Anushka Chandra, head of corporate compliance - Region Asia Pacific and Africa, Bosch
Ms. Anushka Chandra is the Head of Corporate Compliance, Asia Pacific and Africa, for the Bosch Group. She is a dual-qualified lawyer with more than 19 years of legal experience. She has experience in an extensive range of cross-functional and cross-regional legal and compliance matters, including but not limited to, corporate and commercial law, litigation, white collar crimes with a specialised focus on anti-bribery and corruption, fraud, compliance and risk management, corporate governance and M & A. She leads of team of legal and compliance professionals across the Asia Pacific and Africa region and is a trusted advisor to the regional management and a member of the leadership team. Before taking on the role of Regional Head of Corporate Compliance, she led the regional Legal department for the Bosch Group as General Counsel, South-East Asia. Prior to that, she was a corporate and commercial dispute resolution lawyer for a leading law firm.
Sam Chung, regional counsel, Agilent
DaeKeun Chung (Sam) serves as a Regional Counsel for Agilent Technologies (https://www.agilent.com), managing for the intricate landscape of commercial legal affairs across the dynamic region spanning Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Korea. He is in charge of building and leading strategic legal frameworks in the region to protect and enable the company, which involves navigating through various regulations and statutes that may impact the business operations and defending company’s interests in any conflicts and disputes (both internally and externally). DaeKeun was recognized by being included in The Legal 500 Green GC Powerlist: Southeast Asia in 2023. However, he finds greater joy and pride in the legal team’s recognitions: In-House Community Legal Team of the Year in 2020; Singapore’s Top In-House Teams by Asian Legal Business in 2022; and Legal 500 Powerlist: Southeast Asia Teams in 2023.
DaeKeun believes in the power of corporate values and culture in shaping the legal dynamics as in-house counsel, and currently serves as Agilent’s Culture Ambassador.
Piyush Gupta, senior corporate counsel, Singapore Airlines
Piyush is an experienced corporate lawyer with more than two decades of experience, both as an in-house counsel as well as a private practitioner. Piyush has advised clients on the full range of matters covering aviation, corporate finance, corporate regulatory, competition and FCPA/anti-bribery matters in senior advisory capacities across Asia.
Foo Maw Jiun, senior partner, Dentons Rodyk & Davidson LLP
Foo Maw Jiun is a Senior Partner in Dentons Rodyk’s Intellectual Property & Technology practice group and Co-Head of the Patents practice. He is also Co-Head of the Data Privacy & Protection and Cybersecurity practices.
Maw Jiun’s areas of practice encompass worldwide registration of intellectual property, infringement and counterfeiting actions, commercial litigation involving intellectual property, commercialization of intellectual property rights (such as licensing and assignment agreements) and compliance with data protection and cybersecurity laws.
Maw Jiun is experienced in advising on data protection and cybersecurity issues and has assisted clients in various industries, including finance, healthcare, media, automotive, aerospace, property development, logistics, postal, hospitality, education and retail, on data breaches, data protection impact assessments, and developing data protection policies and compliance programmes. Maw Jiun’s clients include public and private healthcare institutions, statutory bodies, fashion retailers, financial institutions and IT service providers.
Anya Bailey, managing director - strategic communications, FTI Consulting
Anya Bailey is a Managing Director in the Strategic Communications segment of FTI Consulting and is based in Singapore.
Having split Ms. Bailey’s career between London, Tokyo and now Singapore, she specialises in corporate reputation, crisis management and financial and litigation communications. Her experience spans a broad range of sectors across multiple markets.
Ms. Bailey advises companies operating in Asia on their regional communications strategies, helping clients to navigate complex business issues which impact their stakeholders.
Prior to joining FTI Consulting in 2023, Ms. Bailey spent 13 years in Tokyo where she was most recently a Senior Advisor at a strategic communications firm, helping to launch its Tokyo office and advising clients on their communications strategies.
Owen M. Hawkes, partner, forensic, advisory, KPMG in Singapore
Owen is a Partner in KPMG’s Forensic practice in Singapore, with 20 years of regulatory investigation and risk management experience. He has qualified and practised both as an accountant and a lawyer. Prior to joining KPMG, Owen practiced as a barrister for eight years, six of which were at the British Government’s Serious Fraud Office – the United Kingdom’s lead agency on financial crime and international corruption. After joining KPMG Forensic in 2007, Owen has undertaken a variety of fraud and regulatory risk management engagements assisting clients with assessing and upgrading their organizational readiness and fraud and regulatory risk controls. Owen is a leading expert in investigations, forensic accounting, and asset recovery.
Leow Jiamin, partner, WongPartnership LLP
LEOW Jiamin is a Partner in WongPartnership’s Commercial & Corporate Disputes Practice. Her practice involves a wide range of court and arbitration matters, ranging from commercial and corporate, cross-border, fraud, asset recovery, to intellectual property disputes. She is also fluent in Mandarin and regularly acts for Mandarin-speaking and Chinese clients.
Jiamin currently serves on the Singapore Law Society’s Cybersecurity and Data Protection Committee (Vice-Chair) and the Intellectual Property Committee, as well as the Asset Recovery Next Gen Committee and the ICC Singapore Arbitration Group Core Committee. She was placed Joint 4th in the 2014 Singapore Bar Examinations and was awarded two distinctions and a top student subject prize. Besides being legally trained and qualified, Jiamin also holds a Bachelor of Engineering.
Daniel Chia, managing director, Prolegis
Daniel is Head of Litigation at Herbert Smith Freehills Prolegis in Singapore, covering contentious matters relating to dispute resolution, contentious restructuring and insolvency and government investigations and enforcement.
Daniel provides tailored, tactical advice that adds value to client’s corporate strategy. He devises and executes strategies for complex, cross-border and multi-disciplinary disputes relating to commercial crime, commercial fraud, business crime defence, white-collar proceedings, professional indemnity insurance, shareholder litigation, insolvency claims, and securities and regulatory enforcement in Asia. These include matters relating to misselling, misrepresentations, fraudulent fundraising, and prosecuting and defending against allegations of corruption, money laundering, and commercial crime.
Daniel is recognized as a leading lawyer in major legal directories including Chambers and Partners, Legal 500, and Benchmark Litigation where clients have commended him for not just his technical ability in the law but also his business acumen and his ability to manage disputes and problems and structure solutions efficiently and effectively. Legal 500 notes his “strategic vision and on the ground advocacy” while a client praises his “great work ethic” and a “delight to work with“. He is also credited for leading an “outstanding team” that provides “impeccable service.”
Yanguang Ker, director, Prolegis
Yanguang specialises in high-value and complex litigations, arbitrations, employment matters and criminal proceedings.
Yanguang represents and advises clients on the resolution of high-value and complex commercial disputes with an emphasis on achieving client satisfaction in the most cost-effective manner. He has extensive disputes experience, having appeared at all levels of the Singapore Courts, the Singapore International Commercial Court and SIAC / ICC arbitral tribunals seated in London and Singapore. He also has an active employment law and white-collar criminal practice.
Yanguang has broad and substantial experience in disputes spanning arbitration-related litigation, energy, cryptocurrencies, construction, professional negligence, asset freezing orders and injunctions, venture capital and investments, companies and shareholders, bankruptcy, banking and finance.
Clients and peers have described him as having a “deep knowledge of the law and a tenacious drive to secure the best outcome for his clients“, being a “formidable lawyer” who “delivers results” and as a “rising star in the realm of investigations” (Legal 500 Asia Pacific)
Gitta Satryani, partner, Herberts Smith Freehills
Gitta is an experienced international arbitration lawyer who specialises in complex cross-border disputes, with particular expertise in international commercial arbitration and public international law.
Gitta advises companies and states on a broad range of issues relating to cross-border energy, infrastructure and commercial projects and issues arising under international investment law and sovereign immunity. In addition to her dispute resolution practice, she advises clients on dispute avoidance strategies and investment structuring for the purpose of maximising investment treaty protection in cooperation with the firm’s corporate energy and infrastructure practice groups
Gitta is recognised as in leading directories including Legal 500 Southeast Asia Powerlist (International Arbitration), Who’s Who Legal (Recommended Lawyer: International Arbitration), and Chambers.
Clients describe Gitta as “an impressive lawyer with unique skills in the market” and “very pragmatic and business-oriented in terms of suggesting strategies to resolve a problem and providing good practical guidance” – Legal 500 Asia Pacific
Arjun Agrawal, senior counsel Asia, Chevron
Jackson Eng, head of litigation & regulatory enforcement, Asia Pacific, Deutsche Bank
Jeanette Wong, senior legal counsel, global healthcare company
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PDLegal LLC is a leading medium-sized full service law firm in Singapore with an exceptional team that strives to meet the highest international standards. We draw on our knowledge, experience and energy to deliver practical and commercially effective solutions for our clients across a broad range of industries.
Experience comprehensive legal support with our Full Service Law Firm in Singapore. Providing a broad range of legal services, our experienced team is equipped to handle matters related to corporate law, criminal law, employment law, family law, and more.
Our holistic approach ensures that, irrespective of the nature of your case, you receive expert advice tailored to your specific situation. Based in Singapore, we understand both the local and international legal landscape, ensuring you receive the most relevant and practical legal solutions.
Setia Law is a specialist high-stakes dispute resolution and crisis management team in Singapore, built on formidable experience, driven by ingenuity, and rooted in integrity. Setia is helmed by deeply experienced lawyers who have been at the forefront of major global crises and are specialists in Dispute Resolution, Fraud and Financial Crimes, Restructuring & Insolvency, and International Enforcement. Setia draws on its experience and knowledge to deliver expert legal advice and representation to clients in high-stakes commercial dispute and crisis situations, whilst remaining rooted to its core values of respect, resilience and reliability.
WMH Law Corporation is a medium sized boutique full-service law firm specialised in dispute resolution and corporate law. We are based in Singapore and strategically located in the heart of Raffles Place. Our firm is equipped with strong regional capabilities via the WMH Regency network in Greater China, Indonesia, and Malaysia. WMH Regency is a network of structured regional practice groups conceptualised with the aim of providing clients with first class legal representation in this globalised world.
Our firm has been recognised by Thomson Reuters’ Asian Legal Business (“ALB”) as one of the leading boutique law firms in South East Asia. Notably, the firm was selected as a finalist for the two most coveted award categories in the ALB South East Asia Law Awards 2021: – Singapore Law Firm of the Year; and
Singapore Litigation Law Firm of the Year.
Headquartered in Singapore, WongPartnership is a market leader and one of the largest law firms in the country. We offer our clients access to our vast network spanning our office in China, practices in India, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, and WPG, a regional law network of member firms in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. Our expertise spans the full suite of legal services to include both advisory and transactional work where we have been involved in landmark corporate transactions, as well as complex and high-profile litigation and arbitration matters.
We are a signatory member of the United Nations Global Compact (“UNGC”). As a member of the UNGC, we support the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption.