Drew & Napier LLC‘s investigations practice encompasses both corporate investigations and criminal defence. The team is active across a range of matters, including bribery, fraud, and anti-money laundering. Notably, the team has experience acting as independent special auditors in corporate governance inquiries. The practice is led by Wendell Wong, a former prosecutor with expertise in business crime and corruption matters; Chia Voon Jiet, who specialises in competition and regulatory investigations; and Gary Low, whose practice covers securities offences, including market manipulation and insider trading. Also supporting the team is Mahesh Rai, who assists companies with internal investigations and advises on corporate governance and money laundering matters. Adam Maniam frequently intervenes in high profile money laundering and competition investigations.
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Mentions
Profile
Work Department
Dispute Resolution
Position
Managing Director, Dispute Resolution;
Co-Head, Investigations;
Co-Head, Criminal Law Practice
Career
Wendell is a highly respected leading senior civil and commercial, investigations and criminal lawyer. His civil and commercial practice includes contracts and commercial disputes, shareholder and director disputes, asset recovery, medical negligence, product liability, cyber security related and cross-border arbitration work. His criminal practice focuses on commercial and business crime, anti-money laundering, fraud, securities, cyber fraud, corruption, corporate governance related offences, investigation work and private prosecution work
Wendell regularly engages in regulatory and compliance advisory work including anti-fraud and anti-bribery investigations work for multinational and listed companies. He is on the panel of lawyers representing various embassies in Singapore, including those of the United States of America and Qatar.
Wendell is an experienced arbitration counsel who has acted as lead counsel in numerous disputes and international arbitrations under the rules of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre ("SIAC"), International Chamber of Commerce ("ICC") and United Nations Commission on International Trade Law ("UNCITRAL"). Wendell has also acted as lead counsel in the Singapore International Commercial Court ("SICC") in a landmark securities law case related to ISDA Master Agreement Long Form Confirmation under English Law.
Chambers Global ranks Wendell as a leading practitioner in dispute resolution and commends his regional work related to the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act ("FCPA"). Chambers Global describes him as “renowned” for his developed understanding of the Indonesian legal system. The Legal 500 Asia Pacific also ranks Wendell highly in the area of dispute resolution. Who’s Who Legal recognises Wendell as one of the top Business Crime Defence, Investigations and Commercial Litigation lawyers in Singapore. Wendell is also listed by Lexolpgy Index as a Global Elite Thought Leader in Thought Leaders Global Elite in Business Crime Defence 4024, and Investigations 2022 and 2023. Wendell was selected as the Best Lawyer of the Year 2023 for Criminal Defence in a peer review by Best Lawyers publication.
Wendell is a member on the Criminal Procedure Rules Committee (“CPRC”). Wendell was also appointed as a member of the Penal Code Review Committee by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Law.
Wendell is a strong advocate of pro bono work and access to justice. He was one of the pioneer trainers for International Bridges to Justice, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Criminal Justice Training for ASEAN Countries in Singapore and Laos in 2011 and involved Myanmar trainees in 2013.
He is Treasurer of the International Bar Association, Anti-Corruption Committee as part of the leadership team
In October 2022, Wendell was appointed as a Board member of the Housing & Development Board (“HDB”). Wendell is also on the Board of Governors of National Trade Union Congress (“NTUC”) Foundation Limited.
In 2020, Wendell was appointed a non- executive independent director on the board for listed property developer, GSH Corporation Limited. Wendell is also on the Selection Panel for Singapore Law Reports (State Courts/Family Justice Courts/ Youth Courts).
Wendell is the immediate past Chairman, Criminal Practice Committee, Law Society of Singapore. He is also a mentor with the Criminal Legal Aid Fellowship, Law Society of Singapore (”CLAS”). He is an immediate past member on the Criminal Legal Aid Steering Committee (“CLAS”) and was on the Board of Law Society Pro-Bono Services Limited.
Wendell joined Drew & Napier in 2000, having spent three years as Deputy Public Prosecutor / State Counsel with the Attorney General's Chambers.
Practice Areas:
- Administrative & Public Law
- Arbitration
- Asset Recovery
- Commercial Litigation
- Competition Law & Regulatory Practice
- Corporate Litigation
- Crime
- Data Protection, Privacy and Cybersecurity
- Defamation
- Employment
- International Arbitration
- International Trade
- Investigations
- Medical Negligence
- Private Client Disputes
- Projects, Energy & Infrastructure (Dispute Resolution)
- SICC Expertise
- Wills, Probate and Estate Administration
Languages
English
Memberships
- Board member, Housing & Development Board (“HDB”)
- Board of Governors, National Trade Union Congress (“NTUC”) Foundation Limited
- Honorary Secretary, Mainly I Love Kids (“MILK”)
- Non-Executive Independent Director, GSH Corporation Limited
- Member, Criminal Procedure Rules Committee, Singapore chaired by the Honourable The Chief Justice of Singapore
- Member of Penal Code Review Committee 2018, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Law
- Selection Panel for Singapore Law Reports (State Courts/Family Justice Courts/ Youth Courts)
- Advocate & Solicitor, Supreme Court of Singapore
- Solicitor, England & Wales; Member of the Law Society of England & Wales
- Immediate Past Chairperson, Criminal Practice Committee, Law Society of Singapore
- Immediate Past Board Member, Enhanced Criminal Legal Aid Scheme Steering Committee, Singapore Academy of Law
- Past Board Member, Law Society Pro Bono Services Limited
- Past Co-chairman, Legal Affairs Committee, American Chamber of Commerce, Singapore
- Panel member of US Embassy, Singapore’s list of attorneys
- Panel member of list of lawyers for Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands, Singapore
- Panel member of list of lawyers for Embassy of Sweden, Singapore
- List of lawyers for Embassy for the Republic of Indonesia, Singapore
- Panel Member, Lead Counsel, Supreme Court’s Legal Assistance Scheme for Capital Offences
- Panel of Counsel for Disciplinary Matters, Law Society of Singapore
- Representatives of Group Member (Asia) of International Bar Association Membership Committee 2023
- Regional Representative Asia Pacific, International Bar Association, Anti- Corruption Committee
- Coordinator, IBA ACC-International Chamber of Commerce: Joint Task Force on Issues of Corruption in International Arbitration, 2021
- Regional Co-ordinator (Asia), International Bar Association, Anti-Corruption Structured Criminal Settlements Sub-committee
- Member, IBA ACC UNGASS Asset Recovery Sub-Committee 2020
- Member, IBA ACC Project Roll Out- OECD Working Group on Bribery 2020
- Member, Criminal Legal Aid Scheme, Law Society of Singapore
- Mentor, Criminal Legal Aid Fellowship, Law Society of Singapore
- Panel Member, Investigation and Disciplinary Panel, Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants
- Member, ASEAN Law Association
- Member, Law Society of Singapore
- Member, Singapore Academy of Law
- Past Member, Selection Panel, School of Law, SIM University
- Past Member, Singapore Institute of Directors
- Past member, Business China, Singapore
- Past Advisor, Singapore Nightlife Business Association
Education
- LL.B. (Hons), National University of Singapore (1997)
- Gazetted as Deputy Public Prosecutor/ State Counsel
- Attorney-General’s Chambers, Singapore, 1997-2000
- Advocate & Solicitor, Supreme Court of Singapore Solicitor, England & Wales, 2002
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Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘Drew & Napier, and especially Mr. Mahesh Rai's team, represents the absolute ideal of who you might seek to represent you.' ‘Mahesh Rai is a great counsel to have on your side – razor-sharp, strategic, and always had clear decisive action.' ‘Mahesh Rai - As a leader and Partner, Mahesh has a deep intelligence and compassion not often seen in a litigator. Mahesh has the uncanny ability to take complex legal or technical arguments and turn them into easy to understand common sense viewpoints that make sense to his clients and make sense to the court.' ‘Every member of the litigation team invested tremendous effort in becoming subject-matter experts in the technology involved.' ‘Jonathan Yong is incredible in his ability to translate complex legal and technical frameworks into succinct arguments, his communication style is that of extreme patience and diligence.' ‘Mahesh's team are masters of distilling complex information into easily understood and digestible form.' ‘Samuel Soo is a compassionate and professional litigator.' ‘Tammie Khor was oftentimes the point communicator throughout, she seemingly was always available and ready to tackle an issue expeditiously.'
Key clients
- Hin Leong Trading Seatrium Limited BSI Bank Limited Viking Engineering Pte Ltd