Private Client Practice
Providence Law Asia’s private client practice provides high-net worth and leading individuals with a strategic, sophisticated and bespoke advice on the legal issues that affect them the most, including in cases involving professional negligence or malpractice, defamation, employment disputes, and estate and probate disputes. Providence Law Asia also frequently offers discreet advice and representation on matters which are politically-sensitive or have a significant public interest element.
While the needs and challenges faced by our private clients are varied, they all involve various sensitivities which require discretion and careful management. Our team works closely with other professionals, including risk and crisis managers, asset tracing companies and public relations firms whenever necessary to achieve the best possible outcomes for our clients.
We are also well-equipped to handle disputes with an international dimension, and are able work seamlessly with lawyers in other jurisdictions to obtain timely advice and urgent court orders (including injunctive reliefs) to secure and protect our clients’ positions.
Our representative cases include:
- 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 former Prime Minister of a South-East Asian state in legal proceedings in Singapore.
- Represented the Superintendent of Changi Prison in a civil application commenced against it by 23 death row inmates in 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$200 million 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$40 million. 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.
