Cavinder is the Chief Executive Officer of Drew & Napier. He has an active practice in complex litigation and international arbitration. He is engaged in trial and appellate advocacy at all levels of the Singapore Courts and has appeared as counsel in international arbitration in various countries. He is also co-head of the Competition Law & Regulatory Practice. Cavinder graduated with First Class Honours in law from Oxford University in 1992. He was called to the Bar of England & Wales the following year, placing fourth in the Bar examinations. He returned to Singapore and passed the Singapore Bar exams, winning the prize for top candidate. Cavinder worked for the Chief Justice of Singapore as a Justices' Law Clerk before joining Drew & Napier in 1994 as a litigation associate. In 1995, he was awarded the Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship and left for Harvard Law School where he received an LL.M. He passed the New York Bar exams and was admitted to practice in New York. Cavinder practised as a litigation associate with Sullivan & Cromwell in New York until late 1997 when he returned to Singapore and Drew & Napier. He was made a partner of Drew & Napier in 1998 and a Director of the firm in May 2002. He was appointed Senior Counsel by the Chief Justice of Singapore in 2008, one of a handful to have been accorded the honour before the age of 40. Cavinder is on the Governing Board of the International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA) and a member of the Securities Industries Council. He is Vice-President of the Court of Arbitration of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre, Vice-President of the Asia Pacific Regional Arbitration Group, Co-Chairman of the Singapore Stock Exchange’s Disciplinary Committee and on the Disciplinary Tribunal of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). Practice Areas: Administrative & Public Law Arbitration Banking & Finance Commercial Litigation Competition Law & Regulatory Practice Construction & Engineering Corporate Litigation Financial Services Regulation International Arbitration Sports Telecommunications, Media & Technology
Drew & Napier LLC
Drew & Napier LLC, as a Big Four Singapore law firm, is widely recognised as a dispute resolution powerhouse, having an unrivalled depth of bench and more leading practitioners than any other firm in the jurisdiction. It devotes considerable resources to dispute resolution pursuits and is frequently selected to represent parties in the biggest and most complex cases. Over the 12-month research period, the firm handled litigation matters with a total value exceeding $16bn. It has seen its director (partner equivalent) ranks grow by 10%, continues to expand both its presence in regional disputes and its international client base, and continues to grow its arbitration-related practice. Among a multitude of headline and seminal cases, the firm acted for Hin Leong’s judicial managers in the largest reported fraudulent trading case in Singapore, seeking recovery of over $3.5bn from the directors of the company. CEO Cavinder Bull SC, who is ‘simply superb as a legal adviser, advocate and person’, is at the pinnacle of the profession, having been one of few senior counsels to be appointed before the age of 40, back in 2008. Siraj Omar SC and Randolph Khoo are also outstanding practitioners, along with seasoned practitioner and firm chairman Jimmy Yim SC, also elevated to senior counsel before turning 40 in 1998. Mahesh Rai, Kelvin Tan, Blossom Hing, Wendell Wong and Gary Low act for private clients as well as companies in the advertising, tech, transport and financial industries. Kevin Lee has joined Twenty Essex in Singapore.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Cavinder Bull SC is simply superb as a legal adviser, advocate and person. He dominates the courtroom and is very effective and persuasive while also remaining collegiate and agreeable.'
‘Gold standard of legal firms. High level of integrity and professionalism. The team is thorough, through and through. ’
- 'Foo Yuet Min 1) extremely knowledgeable 2) very alert to important details 3) very impactful writing skills 4) very helpful and responsive 5) straightforward and effective.’
‘Mahesh Rai and his team are brilliant professional litigators. They will work days and nights to make your case successful in court. Mahesh understands business as good as an experienced entrepreneur does. His questions are always to the point, and that really helps in decision making. You will never waste your time, energy and money if you work with him. ’
‘Jimmy Yim SC and Maheshi Rai: top-class advocates, thinking out of the box for solutions.’
‘Blossom Hing is an outstanding litigator with a ferocious work ethic. I can also count on the undivided attention of her team which has depth and breadth. I value her for how she always goes beyond the call of duty.’
‘Jimmy Yim SC is the best lawyer in Singapore. Top KC quality, in his attention to detail, written pleadings and court presentation.’
‘Benedict Teo is an experienced litigator who is familiar with the concerns and issues faced by banks and financial institutions. He provides good strategic direction, is unflappable and approachable, but yet effective. He is backed by a team of generally very competent lawyers.'
Key clients
- AIA Singapore Private Limited
- Capitaland Limited
- Citibank
- Great Eastern General Insurance Limited
- ING Bank / PWC UK (Bala Venkatasamy)
- J.P. Morgan (S.E.A.) Limited
- Johnson & Johnson Pte Ltd
- JP Morgan Chase Bank
- Kuwait Public Institution for Social Security
- Marina Bay Sands Pte. Ltd.
- Monetary Authority of Singapore
- Nike
- Razer (Asia-Pacific) Pte Ltd
- Singapore Airlines Limited
- UBS AG
Work highlights
- Acted for Hin Leong’s judicial managers in the largest reported fraudulent trading case in Singapore, seeking recovery of over $3.5bn from the directors of the company.
- Represented Bidzina Ivanishvili, a former Prime Minster of Georgia, and his family in successfully claiming $926m against Credit Suisse Trust for breach of trust.
- Acting for Arthur Cheong, the founder of venture capital investment firm DeFiance Capital, in proceedings against an insolvent Singapore-based cryptocurrency hedge fund.
Lawyers
Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Leading individuals
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Cavinder Bull SC, Randolph Khoo, Siraj Omar SC