Providence Law Asia LLC > Singapore, Singapore > Firm Profile

Providence Law Asia LLC > Firm Profile

Managing partner: Abraham Vergis, S.C
Directors: Nawaz Kamil, Zhuo Jiaxiang, Vanathi Ray, Asiyah Arif
Counsels: Kenny Lau, Hari Veluri, Ngo Wei Shing, Priscilla Chia, Niki Chen, Leo Zhi Wei, Bestlyn Loo, Lyndon Choo, Alston Yeong, Daniel Huang, Kyle Chong

• • • International arbitration
    • Corporate and commercial litigation
    • Restructuring and insolvency
    • Construction, infrastructure and energy
    • Fraud and asset recovery
    • Investigations and business crimes
    • SICC expertise
    • Technology disputes
    • Private client practice

• • • SIAC arbitration, representing a regional telecommunications company against a claim for US$34m by a Singapore technology company for breaches of a collaboration agreement to promote and distribute an IPTV product.
    • ICC arbitration, representing the Republic of the Philippines concerning the construction and alleged expropriation of an airport terminal involving claims of over US$1bn.
    • HKIAC arbitration in Hong Kong, representing a prominent Indonesian billionaire and his group of companies, in a dispute with a Canadian party over a private equity investment venture valued at US$100m.
    • LCIA arbitration in London, representing a German distributor against a Malaysian government-linked company, concerning the termination of a distribution agreement in Europe, involving claims of over US$60m.SIAC arbitration, representing a group of coal mining companies against a consortium of investment funds for breaches of various lending agreements, involving claims of over US$100m.
    • SIAC arbitration in Singapore, representing American and Japanese vendors against Indian purchasers, concerning the repudiated sale of a group of Japanese companies valued at US$30m.
    • ICC arbitration in Bangkok, representing a Japanese global corporation against its Thai distributor, concerning the termination of a distribution agreement and involving claims of US$14m.
    • ICC arbitration in Singapore, representing a large Japanese MNC in a contract and intellectual property dispute worth over US$50m.
    • SIAC arbitration in Singapore, representing a group backed by sovereign wealth funds, against an $83m Emergency Arbitration brought by a high profile businessman and art dealer arising from a sale and purchase agreement.

• • • Acted for PDV Marina, one of the state-owned national oil companies of Venezuela in successfully resisting claims of over US$1.8bn made by global creditors against its assets held in Singapore. These claims arose from various ICC and ICSID arbitration awards secured against the Venezuelan Republic and PDV Marina’s parent company, PDV SA, which these claimants sought to enforce against PDV Marina’s assets in Singapore by arguing that PDV Marina is merely an alter ego or extension of the state. These culminated in the Singapore High Court issuing a landmark decision declining to treat a state-owned entity as an alter ego of the state, because the Court recognised PDV Marina’s corporate functions and separate legal identity from the state. This matter involved complex private international law and cross-border insolvency principles, and was reported in the Global Arbitration Review, with its ramifications widely discussed internationally.
      
    • Defended the holding companies for a multi-million-dollar group of Jordanian companies against a claim for US$2.6bn brought by Motorola Credit Solutions, as part of its worldwide effort to enforce a judgement obtained in USA in 2003 against Turkish political dissident CemUzan and family.
    • Acted for a Russian party in a multi-party, cross-jurisdictional litigation before the Singapore International Commercial Court (“SICC”) and the Court of Appeal. Sir Vivian Ramsay, IJ presided over the case at first instance. The case involved a joint venture between Singapore and PRC entities to develop a RMB3bn Winter Theme Park, with an Olympic-accredited ski slopes and resort project in Shanghai.
      
    • Represented a global property investment firm and asset manager of a premier shopping mall, in acquiring a rare pre-emptive injunction against an anchor tenant, Singapore’s largest supermarket chain, who refused to vacate the premises upon the expiry of their lease. The tenant’s refusal to vacate the premises would have potentially derailed the sale of the shopping mall for over S$900m.
    • Represented the subsidiary of the GMR Group (one of India’s leading infrastructure enterprises) which was the main contractor for the reconstruction of the Maldives Airport in its claim for over S$90m following the sudden termination of the project following the change in the Maldivian political regime.
    • Defended a UHNW Singaporean before the SICC in an action commenced by The Star Casino in Queensland for the recovery of gambling debts of over AUD43m. Successfully applied to have the action struck out on grounds of public policy. Sir Jeremy Lionel Cooke, IJ accepted that the Civil Law Act proscribed the Singapore courts from facilitating the recovery of monies won on a wager.
    • Acted for Ventureast, one of the longest standing venture capital fund managers in India, managing close to US$325m in assets, in Singapore Court proceedings. The claims were brought by a digital payments company with a valuation of over US$5.5bn that is partially owned by Walmart. The case revolves around a dispute over the sale of shares in PhonePe, an India-based technology start-up worth over US$60m.
    • Acted for an international FMCG principal in the Singapore High Court arising out of a dispute between its subsidiary and a former national-level distributor in Malaysia concerning various claims for breaches of equitable duties of confidentiality, IP infringement and conspiracy.
    • Acted for the China Country Head of Macquarie Bank in substantial claims brought against him and Macquarie Bank by a Chinese SOE. This case is one of the earliest cases litigated before the then nascent SICC.The dispute concerned a commodity swap transaction arising from the ISDA Master Agreement, and involved issues noted by the Court to be “potentially of considerable significance to the derivatives market”. Sir Bernard Eder, IJ granted Singapore Counsel leave to make legal submissions on English Law.
    • Represented an Australian director of an international bank in an SICC suit brought by the bank against the Singapore subsidiary of a Chinese state-owned enterprise involving OTC forward swap contracts valued at US$1.2m.
    • Acted for the single largest shareholder of Electronic Cash and Payment Solutions (S) Pte Ltd, a start-up offering an integrated financial services technology platform to businesses and consumers in India, in successfully resisting a winding up application brought by an alleged creditor. The Singapore High Court made determinations on novel points of law on the standing of shareholders to resist creditors’ winding up applications. See: Atlas Equifin Private Limited v Electronic Cash and Payment Solutions (S) Pte Ltd [2022] SGHC 258.
    • Successfully defendeda S$16m claim in the High Court brought by the liquidator of a company in relation to alleged breaches of directors’ duties.
    • Acted for the founder of a regional real estate group of companies in resisting garnishee orders in respect of joint bank accounts. This matter is noteworthy in being the first case dealing with the question of the party that bears the burden of proving the ownership over the funds in the joint account sought to be garnished.
    • Represented an Australian lawyer in his claim against Resorts World Singapore, for assault, battery and false imprisonment. This is the first known case in Singapore seeking civil damages for intentional torts, including claims for aggravated and exemplary damages.
    • Engaged by Yahoo! Singapore to protect journalists’ privilege not to disclose their sources of information in light of an order by the Singapore Police Force to disclose metadata on their communications with an internet hacker known as ‘The Messiah’.
    • Instructed urgently to act for a multi-national construction corporation against Singapore’s leading business publication in respect of a highly defamatory article concerning the propriety of Ecohouse’s Brazilian property investment schemes that were being marketed in Singapore which caused a loss of investor confidence. The publication removed the offending article and reached a private settlement on terms favourable for our client.

• • • Acting for and advising the joint and several liquidators of Hin Leong Trading (Pte) Ltd in one of the largest and most complex liquidations in Singapore. Prior to its winding up, Hin Leong Trading was one of Asia’s largest oil traders. The ongoing liquidation has a debt profile in excess of US$4bn with other creditors’ claims amounting to over US$1bn. These claims from major banking institutions are ongoing and involve complex, multi-party litigation and mediation with many of Singapore’s leading lawyers and insolvency professionals assisting.
    • Acting for a Singapore chemicals company in a US$2.4bn restructuring project involving a scheme of arrangement which resulted in landmark insolvency judgments in Re Chochubar Aromatics [2016] SGHC 279 and SK Engineering & Construction Co Ltd v Conchubar Aromatics Ltd [2017] SGCA 51.
    • Acted for PDV Marina, one of the state-owned national oil companies of Venezuela in successfully resisting claims of over US$1.8bn made by global creditors against its assets held in Singapore. These claims arose from various ICC and ICSID arbitration awards secured against the Venezuelan Republic and PDV Marina’s parent company, PDV SA, which these claimants sought to enforce against PDV Marina’s assets in Singapore by arguing that PDV Marina is merely an alter ego or extension of the state. This matter involved complex private international law and cross-border insolvency principles, and was reported in the Global Arbitration Review, with its ramifications widely discussed internationally.
    • Acting for a Cayman Island venture capitalist fund in the recovery of various outstanding amounts arising from syndicated loan transactions totaling over US$50m, which involved the enforcement of a share charge, obtaining summary judgments against the corporate and personal guarantors, resisting SIAC proceedings by the debtor, resisting various reliefs sought by the debtor during an application for ongoing US Chapter 11 proceedings be recognised under the UNCITRAL Model Law on Cross-Border Insolvency. This case was reported in Re Rooftop Group International Ltd and another (Triumphant Gold Ltd and another, non-parties)[2019] SGHC 280.
    • Acted for Aaron Loh & Angela Ee of Ernst & Young Solutions LLP (and subsequently Cameron Duncan from KordaMentha) as liquidators of Griffin Real Estate Investment Holdings Ptd Ltd, in taking a range of enforcement actions against the former management (and related parties) to recover over S$50m. This matter eventually culminated in the decisions of Griffin Real Estate Investment Holdings Pte Ltd (in liquidation) v ERC Unicampus Pte Ltd [2018] SGHC 273 and Griffin Real Estate Investment Holdings Pte Ltd (in liquidation) v ERC Unicampus Pte Ltd and another appeal [2019] SGCA 57.
    • Acting for and advising BlackRock and Ares SSG (who act through their security agent, Madison Pacific Trust Limited) in respect of a US$50m loan facility given to Take Solutions Singapore (a majority shareholder of the Indian List Co, Take Solutions India). Providence Law is advising on various cross-border restructuring aspects and acted for the lenders in an application to place Take Solutions Singapore into judicial management.
    • Acting for the BVI liquidators of Six Capital Investments Limited in various recovery actions with respect to a debt of over US$143m and in seeking and obtaining recognition of the BVI winding up proceedings in Singapore under the UNCITRAL Model Law on Cross-Border Insolvency.
    • Applied for recognition of Malaysian winding-up proceedings as a foreign main proceeding under the UNCITRAL Model Law and for various Singapore proceedings be stayed. This culminated in the Singapore Court of Appeal issuing a landmark decision in United Securities Sdn Bhd v United Overseas Bank Ltd [2021] SGCA 78, one of the first Singapore-reported decisions on the interpretation of Article 20 of the UNCITRAL Model Law, which had just been received into Singapore law.
    • Acted for Agritrade Resources Limited, an entity listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange, in various recovery actions in Singapore, India and Hong Kong, as well as in a global debt restructuring exercise of over S$450m across the courts in Bermuda, Hong Kong and Singapore.
    • Acted for liquidators from a leading audit firm in a members’ voluntary winding up of a group of companies with assets of approximately S$302m comprising, inter alia, real estate, shares and antiques.
    • Acting for a major Chinese bank in a high profile cross-border liquidation of a Singapore mainboard-listed company with over S$297m in debts.
    • Acted for an Indonesian businessman in the restructuring of his personal debts amounting to approximately US$240m through a voluntary arrangement proposed pursuant to the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018.
    • Acting for a prominent company and its directors in scheme of arrangement and individual voluntary arrangement proceedings relating to the restructuring and liquidation of the company’s pre-fabrication business involving debts of over S$100m and the sale of a specialized integrated plant.
    • Acted for COB Technology Pte Ltd on a scheme of arrangement to restructure approximately S$94m of the company’s debt.
    • Acting for and advising The Working Capitol Group, a group well-known in the property management industry in Singapore, in a debt restructuring exercise involving the evolving co-working space industry in Singapore. This restructuring further features a novel debt consolidation exercise of the Group’s debts amounting to approximately S$48m and a pre-packed scheme proposed under Section 71 of the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018. Providence Law works together with insolvency professionals from Quantuma on this matter.

• • • Represented the main contractors in termination claims against the concessionaire of a multi-billion-dollar airport reconstruction project for an Indian Ocean republic. The client is a prominent South-Asian infrastructure conglomerate with a track record of airport construction projects in India, Philippines, and Turkey.
    • Acted as instructed counsel for a globally recognised specialist marine subcontractor in an arbitration commenced against them by a North Asian cable manufacturing company trench design, cable installation, cable pull-in works and landing onshore works as part of a mega-project to lay power cables between Singapore and Johor Bahru, Malaysia.
    • Acted for a Myanmar-based corporation in an ICC arbitration commenced by a subsidiary of the largest cement conglomerate in South-East Asiain relation to claims exceeding US$385m arising from purported breaches of an alleged joint venture agreement between to develop a cement factory, and manufacture and distribute cement in the region. 
    • Acted for the main contractors, who were being sued alongside a silo designer and an accredited checked, in an 80-day multi-party construction and engineering arbitration in Singapore concerning the partial collapse of Southeast Asia’s tallest multi-cell cement silo. This was a technically challenging case involving complex civil and structural engineering issues addressed by an international panel of 14 expert witnesses.
    • Acted in a 25-day construction arbitration under ICC Rules in Bangkok between a Malaysian boilermaker and a prominent Thai mill owner in respect of a dispute concerning construction defects in a palm oil refinery in Thailand.
    • Acted in a SIAC arbitration in respect of claims exceeding USD150m against a sovereign government for repudiating a 50-year joint venture agreement for the development of a lagoon, with claims for aborted reclamation and infrastructure development works.
    • Acted for a Taiwanese construction company in a Singapore-seated SIAC arbitration against a Singapore electrical services contractor in disputes arising out of a residential project. The arbitration involves complex and technical issues relating to lightning protection systems. 

• • • Representing a multinational automotive manufacturing company in legal proceedings for the disclosure of bank account statements to trace proceeds from a multi-jurisdictional fraud involving more than US$1.9bn, which were transferred across Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Italy, Singapore, Japan, Cayman Islands and Luxembourg.
    • Representing the liquidators of a Singapore company in recovery actions against former directors / affiliated entities involving fraud of over US$140m and assisting in the criminal investigations with the Singapore Commercial Affairs Department.
    • Representing the successful intervention and registration of a foreign confiscation order under the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act in respect of stolen proceeds amounting to approximately US$3m which had been traced to a bank account in Singapore.
    • Representing a decentralised web foundation in a contractual claim for the recovery of cryptocurrencies loaned to a service provider, in claims totaling more than US$40m, leading to a successful settlement.
    • Representing an asset management company in the obtaining of an Anton Piller order and the successful recovery of documents misappropriated from the company by its former employee.
    • Representing a Belgian company in resisting an anti-suit injunction commenced by the scheme administrators of an insolvent Singapore company.
    • Setting aside an ex parte mareva injunction against an Indonesian tin conglomerate in respect of suspected asset dissipation activities across South East Asia and setting aside statutory demands brought against the patriarchs of the company.
    • Representing an Indian state-owned newsprint provider to set aside an injunction obtained in the Singapore High Court that restrained a large local bank from making payment to the newsprint provider on a performance guarantee.
    • Representing a Thai construction company in resisting urgent injunctive relief against the unconscionable call of a US$740,000 performance bond by a Myanmar government-linked company.
    • Obtaining worldwide mareva injunctions against a US national and his nominees, in support of a Singapore action for the enforcement of judgments obtained in the Korean and US Courts in the sum of over US$16m.
    • Obtaining a proprietary injunction against a Singapore financial institution which was the appointed custodian for shares held in an Indonesian listed company.
    • Representing a US director and shareholder of a Singapore company in applying for disclosure of the company’s financial statements and records.
    • Representing the Singapore arm of the second-largest electronics manufacturer in Taiwan in obtaining a freezing injunction against an errant employee in the sum of over US$5m, flowing from the employee’s misappropriation of the company’s properties.
    • Representing the liquidators of a Singapore joint venture in the recovery of judgment debts owed by its errant directors in the sum of over S$30m, including the obtaining of freezing injunctions and commencing actions in knowing receipt against third-parties.
    • Representing the promoters and directors of a billion-dollar global conglomerate headquartered in Mumbai to resist enforcement actions against guarantees entered into by the promoters and directors in the sum of over US$80m.
    • Representing a US incorporated special purpose vehicle in resisting the enforcement of judgments obtained in the Mauritius Supreme Court in the sum of over US$90m.
    • Representing a Singapore software solutions company in applying for a banker’s trust order in connection with suspected fraudulent payments.
    • Representing a BVI investment fund in the cross-border enforcement of corporate guarantees and personal guarantees against entities / persons based in the BVI, HK and the US, for the recovery of debts amounting to over US$7m.
    • Representing the beneficiaries of a Labuan trust in obtaining an interlocutory status quo injunction to prevent the dissipation of assets by the trustees from a bank account situated in Singapore holding proceeds of over S$10m.

• • • Multi-jurisdictional fraud case involving misappropriation of several million dollars by two senior executives in a Kazakhstan subsidiary of a Singapore company, and diversion of proceeds to Hong Kong, Ahmedabad and Liechtenstein. Our team directed the fraud investigations in Almaty and Singapore, which culminated in worldwide freezing orders and legal action in the Singapore High Court. 
    • Instructed by a foreign Government to investigate substantial hospital bills rendered by a Southeast Asian hospital in respect of treatment rendered to a group of foreign patients. Investigations revealed that the hospital had systematically overcharged the foreign government millions of dollars, which directly resulted in an amicable settlement based on substantial discounting of all outstanding hospital bills.
    • Representing a HNWI in respect of a Cayman Island family trust with assets valued at over US$133m against criminal prosecution initiated by third parties in Switzerland, USA (FCPA and IRS) and India.
    • Led multi-disciplinary investigations for a leading airport operator in India against a former director in respect of suspected conflict of interest and other serious irregularities, which led to Singapore High Court proceedings, which were subsequently settled favourably.
    • Acted for senior management members of two Singapore GLCs linked to the “Operation Carwash” corruption scandal in Brazil.
    • Acting for the directors of various Singapore-listed companies in respect of disciplinary proceedings brought by the SGX.

Technology disputes
Acting for founders/entrepreneurs

• • • Advising the co-founder of a global technology and commerce platform start-up in relation to shareholder and boardroom disputes.
    • Defending the founder directors of a co-working business against allegations of breach of fiduciary duties brought by the liquidator of their companies and advising them on the global restructuring of their business debts.
    • Defending a co-founder of a fintech venture concerning the setting up of a cryptocurrency bank as well as allegations of cryptocurrency fraud. The matter was successfully settled with the plaintiffs.

Acting for investors

• • • Acting for East Ventures, one of the top seed investors in the world and the most active venture capital investors in Southeast Asia, in a dispute relating to intellectual property rights.
    • Acting for one of the longest standing venture capital fund managers in India, managing close to US$325m in assets, in Singapore Court proceedings. The claims have been brought by a digital payments company with a valuation of over US$5.5bn that is partially owned by Walmart. The case revolves around a dispute over the sale of shares in an India-based technology start-up worth over US$60m.
    • Advising a private equity fund manager in a multi-jurisdictional dispute arising from a referral arrangement.
    • Advising the minority venture capital shareholders in a contentious exit from a multi-party joint venture.
    • Advising various investors in crypto-currency exchanges on their rights and remedies in the aftermath of financial difficulties facing crypto-firms in the “crypto-winter”. Noteworthy matters include acting for Deribit, one of the largest crypto derivate exchange, in the liquidation of 3 Arrows Capital (3AC), and acting for a creditor in the liquidation of Hodlnaut.

Private client practice

• • • Represented Mr Li Shengwu, grandson of Mr Lee Kuan Yew, in contempt of court proceedings brought against him by the Attorney-General of Singapore in respect of a private Facebook post he made (see Li Shengwu v Attorney-General [2019] SGCA 20).
    • Defended Mrs Lee Suet Fern, one of Singapore’s top corporate lawyers, in disciplinary proceedings against her in respect of her role in the preparation of Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s last will and testament (see Law Society of Singapore v Lee Suet Fern [2020] SGHC 255).
    • Represented the Executors and Trustees of the estate of Mr Lee Kuan Yew in an application under Section 96(1) of the Legal Profession Act for an order directing the Law Society to constitute a Disciplinary Tribunal to investigate complaints of professional misconduct against Mdm Kwa Kim Li, the Managing Partner of Lee & Lee.
    • Represented Mr Deepak Sharma, the retired global chairman of Citi Private Bank, in judicial review proceedings against the Law Society of Singapore over the early dismissal of a professional misconduct complaint against a prominent lawyer. The Singapore High Court and Court of Appeal issued landmark decisions addressing novel legal issues of public interest concerning disciplinary proceedings under the Legal Profession Act 1966.
    • Represented a politically-affiliated individual related to a formerPrime Minister of a South-East Asian state in legal proceedings in Singapore.
    • Represented the Superintendent of Changi Prison in a civil application commenced against itby 23 death row inmatesin relation to the alleged sharing of the prisoners’ confidential and privileged communications by the prison authorities to the prosecution.
    • Represented a member of royalty in a South–east Asian state in a number of Singapore court proceedings relating to a private equity investment.
    • Defended Mr Mano Sabnani, former Editor of The Straits Times and the Business Times, in a defamation suit brought by a Singapore-listed company and its directors arising from his conduct as an investor activist.
    • Advised Ms Ankiti Bose, co-founder and CEO of Zilingo, in respect of a dispute against the company in relation to her performance as CEO.
    • Advised the Air Line Pilots Association Singapore (ALPA-S), a registered Trade Union representing airline pilots based in Singapore, on its Collective Agreement negotiations with Singapore Airlines and other operational issues.
    • Instructed on appeal to represent a prominent UHNW Indian citizen in a landmark international custody and child relocation case. Successfully persuaded the High Court – exercising its appellate jurisdiction – to grant the father sole care and control of the child and permission to relocate with the child back to India, despite the mother’s argument that she was the primary caregiver of the child.
    • Instructed to represent a British citizen in an appeal taken out by his wife against an anti-suit injunction granted against her Part III Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act claim in England. The matter involved novel issues dealt with for the first time by the Singapore courts, in particular the principles to be applied in an application for an anti-suit injunction in the context of foreign English proceedings brought under the Part III regime.
    • Acted for the directors of a Singapore Catalist-listed company in one of the first contested disciplinary hearings for a prosecution commenced by the SGX Regco.
    • Acted in several Singapore High Court suits relating to S$200m estate (held through a network of corporate structures and nominees) that became the subject of controversy among the testator’s family members and his business associates.
    • Represented a high–net worth US Permanent Resident against a claim by one of the wealthiest men in Singapore, in respect of a dispute relating to the shares in an Indian company worth around US$40m. This litigation raised complex and novel legal issues involving, among other things, Indian law relating to regulated agricultural land in India and the enforceability of agreements relating to the transfer of property held by, and to be transferred to, third parties.
    • Acted for companies owned beneficially by a foreign state in resisting billion-dollar enforcement proceedings against them.

Address: 1 Raffles Place, #29-62 One Raffles Place Tower 2,
Singapore 048616
Phone: 64381969
Fax: 64382683
Email: info@providencelawasia.com

Lawyer Profiles

Photo	Name	Position	Profile
	Ms Asiyah Arif	Director	View Profile
	Ms Niki Chen	Foreign Counsel	View Profile
	Ms Priscilla Chia	Counsel	View Profile
	Mr Kyle Chong	Counsel	View Profile
	Mr Lyndon Choo	Counsel	View Profile
	Mr Daniel Huang	Counsel	View Profile
	Mr Zhuo Jiaxiang	Director	View Profile
	Mr Nawaz Kamil	Director	View Profile
	Mr Kenny Lau	Counsel	View Profile
	Ms Zhi Wei Leo	Counsel	View Profile
	Ms Bestlyn Loo	Counsel	View Profile
	Mr Wei Shing Ngo	Counsel	View Profile
	Ms Vanathi Ray	Director	View Profile
	Mr Hari Veluri	Counsel	View Profile
	Mr Abraham Vergis, S.C.	Managing Director	View Profile
	Mr Alston Yeong	Counsel	View Profile