OF MANAGING CONFLICT & SEEKING JUSTICE

Conflict is often an unavoidable part of everyday life - whether in inter-personal relationships, business transactions, or even in the regulatory aspects of life. Some have said that people tend resolve conflicts in any one of the following ways:

• Avoidance

• Accommodation

• Compromise

• Competition

• Collaboration

How do you manage and approach your conflict situtations?

Not everyone feels capable to resolving such conflicts on their own, but everyone wants to see justice done. Where law and legal issues are involved, it gets even more complicated and takes expertise, knowledge of legal principles, processes and procedures to help solve the problem. That is why some people feel like they will never be able to obtain justice for their situation.

I believe that access to such justice is for everyone. My role as a lawyer is to be a gatekeeper who ensures that those who look for justice may find what they are looking for.

My experience in dispute resolution and litigation has involved a variety of cases and clients, thus equipping me with competence to handle a wide-range of disputes both Civil and Criminal. As an accredited mediator with the Singapore Mediation Centre (SMC), I am also familiar with Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) practices and processes that are often utilised to resolve conflicts where the conventional court process may seem less effective or fruitful.

CIVIL LITIGATION PRACTICE

My civil litigation practice areas includes advising and representing corporate institutional clients as well as individuals in commercial matters such as contractual disputes, debt-recovery matters, director/shareholder disputes, and company-related disputes (including employment matters). I also find great joy in serving and assisting individual clients or ‘the man on the street’ on a variety of issues that affect everyday life. My civil litigation practice areas includes:

• Commercial-related disputes

• Contract review, drafting and advisory work

• Contractual disputes

• Loan/debt-recovery matters

• Enforcement measures

• Directors and/or Shareholders disputes

• Insolvency and Winding-up applications

• Employment matters (including):

  • Advice on Restrictive Covenants and Restraint of Trade

  • Termination-related disputes

  • Salary and related claims for damages

• Landlord-tenant disputes

• Matrimonial / Family & Divorce Matters

• Advise on community-related disputes (such as a neighbour-disputes, small claims, etc.)

• Protection from harassment matters and Defamation

• Immigration-related issues (such as National-Service liabilities and/or Permanent Residency matters)

• Magistrate’s Complaints and Private Prosecutions

• Medico-legal matters (such as medical negligence, SMC complaints, etc.)

CRIMINAL LITIGATION PRACTICE

I also take a special interest in criminal cases and have advised / represented clients for criminal charges of varying severity and nature. This includes preparing and discussing applicable criminal defences, advice and representation at the investigation-stage or when criminal proceedings have been started, as well as pre-emptive advisory work on compliance issues or potential regulatory criminal offences:

• A wide-range of offences under the Penal Code

• Employment of Foreign Manpower Act & Employment Act

• Securities and Futures Act

• Misuse of Drugs Act

• Road Traffic Act

• Moneylenders Act

• Prevention of Corruption Act

• Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act

I am also familiar with trial and appeal processes and am an active panel lawyer under the Law Society of Singapore’s Criminal Legal Aid Scheme (“CLAS”).

NON-CONTENTIOUS MATTERS

When I am not in Court fighting legal battles, I assist clients in problem-solving and value-creation of a different nature. My legal advisory practice constitutes non-contentious legal drafting and document review as well as private client and inheritance planning matters, such as:

• Legal document review, advice and drafting

• Private wealth and inheritance planning (Wills, Power of Attorney, Lasting Power of Attorney)

• Grant of Probate & Letters of Administration

• Mental capacity issues (such as Mental Capacity Act/Deputyship applications)

• Deed polls