Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow has a substantial Singapore employment practice that is part of its highly rated international group. The team is one of few to have deep credentials on both the Singapore law and international law fronts, representing numerous multinationals in local and regional matters, including an array of contentious and non-contentious work. The firm has an excellent record in transactional and investigation-related employment matters. It represents a range of tech, financial services and other businesses. Kelvin Poa covers employment and investment funds work and Celeste Ang is a litigator with a strong record in employment disputes. Ng Zhao Yang has impressed many with his employment specialism.
Labour and employment: local firms in Singapore
Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow
Practice head(s):
Kelvin Poa; Celeste Ang
Other key lawyers:
Ng Zhao Yang
Testimonials
‘This firm is very professional, but I mainly appreciate that if something is urgent they get back to me very quickly and the advice is practical with all relevant considerations.’
‘They are very pleasant and highly professional, they are real partners and don’t settle with just the legal advice – they provide additional related aspects, benchmark where needed and are every responsive.’
‘The team is very collaborative and willing to connect us with subject matter experts across the continents. We appreciate the flexibility provided in terms of billing arrangement (e.g. a mixture of fixed fees, project-based rate and retainers in some of the emerging markets). The team will also assist us with the engagement of their legal experts outside Singapore. The team will always go the extra mile to ensure that the legal advice given is consistent and useful for our industry.’
‘Celeste Ang – swift and insightful. Thorough knowledge in the area of practice and places a high commitment to understanding clients’ needs.’
‘Zhao Yang Ng is a very knowledgeable employment law counsel and he provides practical solutions to the complicated cross-border matters.’
Allen & Gledhill LLP
Allen & Gledhill LLP has one of the largest teams in Singapore, spanning both contentious and non-contentious matters. The group has experienced growth in health and safety matters, including those linked to the Covid-19 crisis. It has also maintained its eminent standing in restraint of trade, employee poaching and non-compete injunction cases. Kelvin Wong and Sanjiv Rajan co-head the practice, with the latter known for employment disputes, including white-collar crime and investigations-related matters. Tay Yong Seng is a highly rated employment litigator, notably non-compete injunction and senior executive remuneration disputes. Christine Tee is an emerging talent.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘I always use Allen & Gledhill for employment litigation. They are fast and professional in their delivery of advice and their success rate on matters which I have referred to them is 100%.’
‘A&G is one of the most knowledgeable and well-connected legal advisors in Singapore. They are able to provide good advice that is pragmatic and addresses the client’s commercial needs vs. textbook recitals. They also work with the client on the resolution of issues – first by getting a deep understanding of the underlying problems, and then brainstorming with the client to test alternative solutions. Finally, because of their network, they are able to obtain informal feedback and intelligence that are extremely valuable in resolving sensitive labour matters.’
‘I always use Tay Yong Seng as my litigation counsel. He is Oxford-educated and technically razor sharp. To this day he has never failed to achieve an excellent result from any of the matters I have referred to him – a 100% success rate for a very demanding client and he has always performed way beyond expectations.’
‘We worked with lead partner Tay Yong Seng who worked tirelessly to meet tight deadlines and solve tricky challenges. He is extremely detailed and pragmatic in his approach and was always available even at short notice. Yong Seng is not shy about providing honest views that may not always align with our objectives, but he always did that in a tactful manner and with solid and robust analysis – and it was appreciated since we did not want a “yes-man/woman”.’
‘Tay Yong Seng: responsive and reasonable both in quality and fees.’
‘Sanjiv Kumar Rajan: experienced and to the point to the issues.’
Work highlights
- Acted for MTF in obtaining an extraordinary worldwide Mareva freezing injunction against a borrower company’s CEO and Finance Manager based on alleged fraud, freezing their assets worldwide up to the value of $7.1m.
- Acted for BGC Partners in a watershed High Court case where the High Court will decide for the first time whether employees who do a ‘no-show’ despite signing employment contracts will be liable for damages.
- Acted for IP Investment Management in a landmark case in personal data litigation – Singapore’s first Civil Court action for personal data breaches under the Personal Data Protection Act.
Drew & Napier LLC
Drew & Napier LLC has a highly developed employment practice, notably leveraging the firm’s celebrated dispute resolution history, but also having a recognised non-contentious and transactional practice. It has achieved further prominence in key areas such as discrimination claims, collective bargaining agreements and employee terminations. The group also shows high levels of expertise in negotiating Singapore regulations relating to the proportion of foreign employees. Kelvin Tan is a leader in employment disputes. Benjamin Gaw is highly rated as a non-contentious employment specialist, as is Lim Chong Kin. Rakesh Kirpalani provides further expertise in technology-related employment disputes.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Legal expertise coupled with practical advice and guidance. Prompt and client-focused service.’
‘Partners and associates have good subject matter expertise, and provide prompt service.’
‘Prompt response. Willing to explain, clear advice given. Have comfort that full attention is given to us.’
‘Rakesh Kirpalani – listens well then offers clear and lucid advice.’
Key clients
Abbvie Pte Ltd
Align Technology, Inc
Aries Fertilizers Group Pte Ltd
Chevron
Clarins Pte Ltd
Digital Realty
Fujitsu Components Asia Pt. Ltd
Fullerton Fund Management
Hertz Corporation
The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation – Singapore branch (HSBC Singapore)
Marina Bay Sands Pte Ltd
McCormick Ingredients SouthEast Asia Pte Ltd
Michael Welter
MOH Holdings Pte Ltd (MOHH)
MSA SE Asia Pte Ltd
Nippecraft
SAP Asia Pte Ltd
Singapore Airlines Limited
Work highlights
- Acted for SAP Asia Pte Ltd in proceedings in the Singapore High Court against SAP for wrongful dismissal on the basis of discrimination on the basis of gender.
- Advised a subsidiary of a US listed company on the significant realignment of legal, HR and technological issues between two entities which required review of operational directives from the ground up.
- Acted for Singapore Airlines Limited in successfully applying to strike out the Originating Summons filed in 2019 and obtained an Extended Civil Restraint Order against a former employee, which restrained him from commencing any action concerning any matter involving the termination of his employment in 1997 without the leave of court.
Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP
Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP has a large team of employment experts, covering the full spectrum of non-contentious and contentious matters. The firm has impressed in advisory matters, including employment policies and incentive plans, along with restructuring and retrenchment exercises, big-ticket employment disputes (including wrongful dismissal claims), and investigations. Desmond Wee is a leader in retrenchment exercises, employee terminations and incentive plans. Jonathan Yuen and Muralidharan Pillai, SC are at the forefront of employment disputes.
Practice head(s):
Jonathan Yuen; Desmond Wee
Other key lawyers:
Muralidharan Pillai, SC
Testimonials
‘R&T support all our employment work in Singapore. They know the law, have practical advice on how to manage issues, provide clear advice and do so in an efficient manner.’
‘The team is extremely knowledgeable and responsive. They take a commercial viewpoint as well as a legal one and act as a true partner to the businesses they support. They are extremely easy to work with and build trust and rapport quickly with their clients. We have worked with a few legal practices in Singapore and they are by far the best we have ever come across.’
‘Their knowledge, responsiveness, passion for what they do and ability to make fast decisions on the right course of action. They are extremely personable, go out of their way to support their clients and build up a great rapport with those they work with. The individuals we have worked with have had a really positive approach, but a no-nonsense one at the same time and that is very refreshing.’
‘Jonathan Yuen knows all there is to know about the law, provides clear and helpful advice, and is responsive. For any employment law support, we only consult Jonathan.’
‘Jonathan Yuen has great commercial acumen, understands clients’ needs immediately, and is prompt in his responses.’
Key clients
Turner & Townsend
Engie
Sennheiser
The Japan Research Institute, limited
AXA Insurance Pte Ltd
Ermenegildo Zegna
Daiwa Bank
Cloudflare, Inc
Credit Agricole
Allfunds Bank
Marriott International Asia Pacific
Work highlights
- Acted for a leading international bank in Singapore against a wrongful termination suit brought by an ex-employee; and responding to a concurrent Monetary Authority of Singapore inquiry as to the dispute
- Acted for Nomura Singapore Limited in an employment dispute involving an ex-employee.
Bird & Bird ATMD LLP
Bird & Bird ATMD LLP has been an eminent player in the market for many years thanks in part to the presence of leading name Seow Hui Goh. The team of employment specialists has a strong record in domestic and regional engagements, notably building a fine standing in unfair termination and discrimination claims. It is also noted for its presence in gig economy matters, particularly in the tech sector. Retail, hospitality and financial services are also key sectors for the team.
Practice head(s):
Seow Hui Goh
Testimonials
‘The team is extremely tenacious in dealing with tough cases – in our case, suspicious work injury compensation claims. They fight very hard and very fair. In a climate where work injury insurance fraud is on the rise, it is not easy to find a firm that wholly supports an employer’s fight on principle.’
‘Seow Hui Goh – Good industry knowledge and provides very pragmatic advice.’
‘Seow Hui Goh is tactically brilliant, very intuitive and such an affable person. She has been an outstanding, trustworthy and dependable legal adviser to me. She has shown creditable expertise in her work, and her meticulous but practical approach has earned her commendations from others as well. Ms Goh is always steps ahead in our cases, which gives me peace and confidence that all the issues and concerns are and will be properly addressed.‘
Key clients
Shell Eastern Trading Limited
Vulpes Investment Management Pte. Ltd.
Vulpes Testudo Fund
MMI Asia Pte. Ltd. (a subsidiary of Messe München GmBH)
Chemori Industries Pte. Ltd.
Samit Chopra
Work highlights
- Successfully represented Shell Eastern Trading Limited and its former associate in defending wrongful dismissal and conspiracy claims brought by a former commodities trader Dong Wei.
- Represented the Singapore subsidiary of a Munich-headquartered state-owned operator of convention centres in a Singapore High Court suit defending a wrongful termination claim commenced against it by its former managing director.
- Advised a multinational technology company in Singapore on day-to-day HR operational and legal issues and represented the client in its retrenchment exercise in 2020.
Clyde & Co Clasis Singapore
Clyde & Co Clasis Singapore has continued to cement its standing in the employment market; its leading name Thomas Choo was made a senior equity partner in 2021. The presence of Prakash Pillai and legal director Junxiang Koh provides further extensive experience in contentious employment matters and court proceedings. The Singapore group has acted for clients in an impressive range of disputes concerning alleged wrongful terminations, data protection breaches, and non-competition clauses. The team is also well-connected to other offices around APAC and across the world. It represents a range of multinationals, most notably a number of global insurance companies.
Practice head(s):
Thomas Choo
Other key lawyers:
Prakash Pillai; Junxiang Koh
Testimonials
‘The team we work with is creative, tenacious and has great follow-through. We work with them on a variety of matters.’
‘They provide an all-rounded service, something which no law firm we have used so far has been able to offer. Clyde & Co has over 55 offices globally, and as we also have a global presence, it is seamless for us to approach Thomas Choo in Singapore to sort out all our employment matters globally. Their rates are also very competitive in the market, and we have always felt that we have been given a lot of value-add with Clyde as opposed to other firms out there.’
‘Thomas Choo is very well-known in the employment space in our industry.’
‘Thomas Choo – extremely responsive and commercially-minded. Technically excellent and able to provide “out of the box” and creative ideas that suit our commercial needs. He is one of the best lawyers I have encountered in his field, very switched on even at 4 in the morning and I recommend him wholeheartedly to anyone out there. A definite go-to lawyer if anyone encounters an urgent legal issue that requires sorting out.’
‘The team we work with from Clyde & Co is Thomas Choo and his team of associates. We find Thomas Choo extremely responsive and knowledgeable in the area in which he practises. Due to his ability to quickly appreciate what is needed by the client and versatility, the work, when we collaborate with them, appears seamless. ’
‘I would single out Thomas Choo as he has always been extremely responsive in the support required. Values I would highlight include an extremely understanding personality and the ability to remain calm and collected in the face of time pressure.’
Key clients
Blackrock Inc.
ASICS
AIA
Alstom Transport
Saudi Aramco Trading
British Broadcasting Corporation (aka BBC)
Upfield (spin-off from Unilever)
Willis Towers Watson
UPS
Clarksons
Berkshire Hathaway Insurance
McConnell Dowell
Mott Macdonald
Partner Reinsurance
Glencore
Dentons Rodyk
Dentons Rodyk‘s extensive presence in Singapore encompasses a high degree of specialisation in employment matters, both contentious and non-contentious. The Singapore team represents a range of local, regional and international businesses on retrenchment exercises, Singapore’s Fair Consideration Framework and various disputes with existing and former employees. Edric Pan and Mark Seah have extensive records in employment disputes, while I-An Lim brings his versatile expertise to non-contentious matters.
Practice head(s):
Edric Pan; I-An Lim; Ray Chiang
Other key lawyers:
Mark Seah
Testimonials
‘Responsiveness, willingness to negotiate fees, ability to write in plain English and explain complex legal processes in simple terms, personable approaches, ease of access to senior partner.’
‘Mark Seah is very approachable, responsive and very easy to deal with. No issue is too small or too big – even just a quick email exchange on a small matter, he will attend to with efficiency and expertise. We have great confidence in the advice he gives and he is able to explain complex legal terms in plain English, which makes our position much easier.’
Key clients
GOJEK Singapore Pte. Ltd.
PSK Asia Inc. Ltd.
Datumstruct (CFS) Pte. Ltd.
WeWork
INEOS Styrolution APAC Pte Ltd
Commerzbank
Unicredit AG
Abbott Laboratories
Cityneon Holdings Limited
OSI Electronics
Work highlights
- Advised GoJek on global redundancy exercise, triggered by COVID-19.
- Advised a Japanese multinational corporation on appealing against a ban on foreign employee hiring due to a ban under Singapore’s Fair Consideration Framework where the government wants Singaporeans to be considered fairly for jobs.
- Advised Japanese multinational corporation on an industrial arbitration matter involving a dispute with the trade union and Ministry of Manpower over retrenchment benefits for fixed-term employees.
Morgan Lewis Stamford LLC
Morgan Lewis Stamford LLC‘s substantial presence in Singapore brings it genuine credibility in both contentious and non-contentious employment matters. The employment team has a strong focus on representing US-based multinationals along with a large number of Singapore-listed businesses. In line with the challenging climate driven by the Covid-19 pandemic, the group has worked intensively in return-to-work and vaccine policies. Data privacy and data protection issues are also fortes for the team. Daniel Chia is a prominent litigator with a fine record in employment matters, while Wai Ming Yap is noted for non-contentious work, including employment contracts, employment handbooks and share options and entitlements. Wendy Tan provides additional contentious expertise.
Practice head(s):
Daniel Chia
Other key lawyers:
Wai Ming Yap ; Wendy Tan ; Yanguang Ker
Testimonials
‘The team is smart, responsive and delivers results. Their unique selling point lies in the labour & employment team’s relatively lean yet effective manpower. ’
‘I recommend Daniel Chia and Yanguang Ker. Not only are they formidable lawyers, but they are also personable people who relate well to those they deal with. They are hardworking and deliver results. ’
Key clients
Efinity Capital Management
William Morris Endeavor Entertainment
The Myers Briggs Company
Charles Monat Associates
Sompo Insurance
BBVA Singapore Branch
Chartered Industries (Far East) Limited
Alcoa Corporation
Sandvik Inc.
Apollo Advisors LP
Gift Management Asia Pte. Ltd.
CenterSquare Investment Management
Prestige BioPharma
General Dynamics and its subsidiaries, including Jet Aviation Singapore and Gulfstream International Corporation
Applied Materials South East Asia Pte. Ltd. and Applied Materials Singapore Technology Pte. Ltd.
Milken Family Foundation/Milken Institute
AstraZeneca
Work highlights
- Advised Alcoa on a range of general employment matters, including on retrenchments caused by COVID-19 and contractual issues arising from the impact of COVID-19 on work arrangements.
- Advised and prepared a guide for Facebook on COVID-19 return-to-work litigation risks covering employee-related risks such as discrimination claims, illness claims, breach-of-privacy claims arising from contact tracing, and leave claims.
- Advised AstraZeneca on various Singapore employment law issues connected to its global operations, including advice on restrictive covenants and annual long-term incentive plans.
TSMP Law Corporation
TSMP Law Corporation‘s prestigious standing in Singapore is further elevated by its impressive work in the employment sphere, notably in representing financial institutions, multinationals, Singapore corporates and senior executives. The firm has a history of acting for parties in some of Singapore’s most noteworthy employment disputes, and has an extensive record in transactional-related employment matters, including incentive plans. Ian Lim is an established name in the Singapore employment segment. Senior associate Nicholas Ngo is a rising star.
Practice head(s):
Ian Lim
Other key lawyers:
Nicholas Ngo
Testimonials
‘The employment law team is very responsive and very reasonable in terms of cost.’
‘Very responsive, deep understanding of the subject matter, detailed and yet practical solutions provided.’
‘Ian Lim is our go-to person in Singapore. He is terrific.’
‘Ian Lim is very good with great ideas and professional advice. Combined with a very human touch, I find the services provided excellent.’
‘Ian Lim – level headed professional, an expert in his field, great to work with.’
Key clients
Citibank
DHL
Emerson Electric
IBM
Aviva Singlife
Work highlights
- Acted for Singlife in relation to employment and compensation matters arising from its $3.2bn merger with Aviva.
- Acted for Singapore Exchange-listed TEHO International in its High Court claims against the ex-MD of its subsidiary for his wide-ranging breaches of his fiduciary and contractual duties, misconduct and copyright infringement.
- Acted for multinational energy infrastructure contractor Entrepose in a post-acquisition $6.26m dispute with former owner and director Alain Dambron, involving claims for breaches of warranties and indemnities including for tax liabilities in Turkmenistan.
Withers KhattarWong LLP
Withers KhattarWong LLP is best known for its contentious expertise, representing both employers and senior executives in a range of cases. The firm is recognised for its record in wrongful termination claims, non-compete clauses, and whistleblower complaints. Its experience is also frequently applied in non-contentious matters, including retrenchment exercises and redundancy programmes. Amarjit Kaur is immensely experienced in employment disputes, while Deborah Barker, SC provides additional senior-level gravitas and insight in this space.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘A human touch. Several law firms I have engaged approach an engagement as a transaction. Amarjit and the Withers KhattarWong team approached the engagement with a human touch and with empathy.’
‘The partner was always available and responsive even over the weekend to deal with emergencies.’
‘A significant strength I saw from Withers was the ability to involve global colleagues on international employment matters. As more companies expand overseas, it becomes critical to adhere to employment laws in multiple jurisdictions. In this regard, the Withers team was able to actively involve their attorneys from different countries as needed.’
‘Amarjit Kaur was exceptionally well informed and knowledgeable and above to share market information with ease. She had several examples and experiences she could share and guided us through the process with ease.’
‘Amarjit Kaur. She was very responsive, agile, confident, detailed and empathetic in her approach and management.’
‘Amarjit Kaur was outstanding in her strategy, communication, and empathy is shown for the client. Amarjit was supported by her associate, Jayna Tan. She was the lead attorney on my matter and it produced a favourable result in a situation where the opposing legal team had vastly larger resources.’
‘Amarjit Kaur is always very helpful, no matter what time in the day it is. And even if our legal matter is not exactly her expertise, she will still coordinate things accordingly with the other departments in the firm.’
Key clients
MyRepublic Group Limited
Chaitanya Arora, Ex-Director of FTI Consulting
Kanchan Kanwar, Former General Manager of Grand Park Orchard
Seriously Keto Pte Ltd
Zenrock Commodities Trading Pte Ltd
Work highlights
- Represented MyRepublic Group Limited and its chief executive officer, who are co-defendants in an ongoing litigation commenced by an ex-employee of the company in respect of alleged wrongful termination of employment, and alleged defamation by the CEO.
- Acted for Chaitanya Arora on pre-litigation advice on his exit from the company, as well as attempt to negotiate a settlement for his departure.
- Advised the former general manager of Grand Park Orchard in respect of her wrongful termination from employment.
WongPartnership LLP
WongPartnership LLP has an excellent record in transactional, advisory and contentious matters. It has an established presence in Singapore and cross-border APAC engagements. The employment team has worked on a series of headline transactions and remains a force in major disputes, such as unfair termination claims and executive incentive disputes. The group represents a range of multinationals, financial institutions, and entrepreneurs and family offices. Jenny Tsin is a recognised employment specialist, particularly in contentious matters. Vivien Yui is an experienced name in transactional and advisory issues.
Practice head(s):
Testimonials
‘Wealth of relevant benchmarking information, experience and an outstanding bedside manner, make dealing with sensitive employment issues much easier for clients.’
‘The employment team at WongPartnership is well versed in a diverse range of employment law disputes and are consistently able to adapt to offer pragmatic and legally defensible solutions to complex and commercial sensitive issues.’
‘The team’s knowledge about employment issues in Singapore encompass not just from the legal perspective, but also from the practical and commercial perspective.’
‘Vivien Yui, the partner that we work with, leverages her negotiations skills and excellent bedside manner to bridge expectation gaps effectively in employment contract matters for senior executives.’
‘My satisfaction working with Jenny Tsin and Vivien Yui has always been shared by my clients. Both are very reachable 24/7, professional and have great personalities.’
‘Jenny Tsin and Vivien Yui are co-heads of the employment practice and exceptional individuals. Jenny manages client relationships with an acute sense for what’s crucial and is loved by all for her cheerful demeanour and can-do attitude. Vivien’s reputation is second to none in the market and her calm and composed approach to complex problems always helps clients reach the desired outcome.’
‘Jenny Tsin is wonderful. She can use such an easy way to make clients understand a complicated issue. She is also always readily available for urgent matters.’
‘Jenny Tsin is a go-to lawyer if you are looking for help to address any complicated labour and employment issues in the Singapore market. She is experienced in all aspects of employment laws, with a particular focus on preventing and resolving disputes between employers and employees. Her corporate law and dispute background and her experiences in handling labour and employment matters in Singapore are what makes her so good at providing solid and practical legal advice to corporate clients.’
Key clients
Nanofilm Technologies International Ltd
Exyte Singapore Pte Ltd
IHH Healthcare Bhd.
CapitaLand Group
Keppel Corporation
Cordlife Group Limited
Celanese
Nikon Singapore
LexisNexis Group
J.P. Morgan
Christian Dior
CPG Corporation
Asia Capital Reinsurance Group
SMRT Corporation Ltd
LVMH (Tag Heuer)
L Catterton Asia
Foursquare Inc
Korn Ferry
Biolidics Limited
Clearbridge Health Limited
Work highlights
- Acted for L Catterton Asia to defend against a former managing director’s claim in excess of $100m relating to wrongful dismissal, entitlement to carried interest, fraudulent misrepresentation and stigma damages.
- Acted for Ricardo Leiman and Rothschild Trust Guernsey Limited in their claim against Noble Resources Limited and Noble Group Limited.
- Acted for the renowned international auction house, Bonhams, against a lawsuit brought by its former head of modern and contemporary art (Asia) and former consultant for constructive dismissal, defamation and conspiracy.
CNPLaw LLP
CNPLaw LLP fields a team of multi-skilled and versatile lawyers, noted mainly for its non-contentious and transaction-related expertise. It represents a number of Singapore-based and regional businesses. Lead partners Bill Jamieson and Pradeep Kumar Singh have broad corporate and commercial experience, and they are also able to advise on employment law issues.
Practice head(s):
Bill Jamieson; Pradeep Kumar Singh
Testimonials
‘Very good solid legal advice. Always well thought through and covers all the points required.’
Key clients
Innovatrics s.r.o.
Merx Aviation Singapore Pte Ltd
MSIG Holdings (Asia) Pte Ltd
Tech Data (Singapore) Pte Ltd, a subsidiary of Tech Data Corporation
True Partner Technology Singapore Pte Ltd, a subsidiary of Hong Kong listed True Partner Capital Holding Limited
Work highlights
- Provided employment law advice to Innovatrics s.r.o. in the technology industry, relating to the transfer of employment of its chief representative officer from the client’s foreign representative office in Singapore to its subsidiary in Singapore.
- Provided employment law advice to Merx Aviation Singapore Pte Ltd on the transfer of employment of its chief operating officer from the client’s Irish subsidiary to Merx Singapore.
- Advised MSIG Holdings (Asia) Pte Ltd, which is the regional holding company of an insurance business listed in Tokyo, on various human resources related matters during the course of the year.
Harry Elias Partnership
Harry Elias Partnership has a strong history in employment disputes, in large part thanks to the presence of S Suressh. He and the team are noted for executive and employee termination cases, along with non-contentious matters such as retrenchment exercises. Of counsel Farrah Isaac is also rated by clients.
Practice head(s):
Suressh S
Other key lawyers:
Farrah Isaac
Testimonials
‘Harry Elias is a diverse firm able to provide specific advice in most of all the different business areas in the region. We have experienced a great quality of work, with attentive advice and accuracy of responses taking into consideration business needs and providing very competitive fees.’
‘I have mainly worked with Farrah Isaac. She has been a great partner to liaise with, organising regional projects and ensuring quality of advice across the different partner firms. Farrah has been of great support in many and diverse projects and has provided us with delicate labour and employment advice becoming the main contact for all HR matters in the region.’
Key clients
Luxottica
Russell Reynolds
eShop World
Iris
Gate Gourmet
Shook Lin & Bok LLP
Shook Lin & Bok LLP has a strong mix of contentious and non-contentious engagements. It is able to draw on the expertise of its large disputes and corporate teams in particular. Teo Mae Shaan has extensive non-contentious experience, including in employment contracts, incentive schemes, and restructuring and redundancy exercises. Probin Dass is highly experienced in employment disputes, including misconduct claims and wrongful dismissal allegations.
Other key lawyers:
Teo Mae Shaan; Probin Dass
Work highlights
- Acted for the Singapore arm of a major Indian asset management company in a dispute with an ex-employee, a high profile fund manager.
- Advised a large foreign fund manager in a highly contentious litigation brought by a former employee against the company, its CEO, and its former Head of Legal among others regarding allegations including wrongful dismissal, defamation, violation of data protection obligations, and harassment.
- Acted for Bella Facial Care Center (S) Pte Ltd in a case concerning breaches of an employment agreement.
Virtus Law LLP - Stephenson Harwood (Singapore) Alliance
Virtus Law LLP – Stephenson Harwood (Singapore) Alliance draws on the wider expertise of the office to provide both non-contentious and contentious advice to its impressive client base. Due to Covid-19, the non-contentious group led by Jason Yang has been active in corporate restructurings, spin-offs and distressed M&A. Key litigator Terence Seah has a background in commercial disputes and white-collar crime, providing the basis for a flourishing practice in restraint of trade disputes. Senior associate Christine Ong is a recognised employment specialist.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Jason Yang; Christine Ong
Testimonials
‘Virtus Law has provided very solid legal advice on employment issues in a clear and concise manner. Also, very responsive in addressing comments and queries from us.’
‘Terence Seah – good knowledge of employment law issues, and always able to understand and anticipate client’s needs and provide value-added input on how to solve client’s problems.’
Key clients
Bridestory
Swire Bulk and China Navigation Company
Work highlights
- Advised Zedra Group on the purchase of BNP Paribas’ trust business in Singapore, and related employment law issues arising from employees transfers of another BNP Paribas entity to the target.
- Advised a company on investigations conducted by the Ministry of Manpower of Singapore in respect of potential charges that the client was hiring foreigners to work in Singapore without the appropriate work passes.
- Advised Swire Group on its spin-off, which included the transfer of affected employees and their employment contracts, as well as business and asset transfer between the relevant entities across a number of international jurisdictions.