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Jansen Chow

Co-Head, Fraud, Asset Recovery & Investigations

Practice Area:

Commercial Litigation
Fraud, Asset Recovery and Investigations

LLB (Hons), University of Bristol
Advocate & Solicitors, Singapore

T +65 62320624
E jansen.chow@rajahtann.com

Jansen co-heads the firm’s Fraud, Asset Recovery & Investigation practice and covers a wide range of commercial matters with a strong emphasis on cross-border disputes.

A leading practitioner in Cryptocurrency and Digital Technology, Jansen successfully obtained Singapore’s first reported case of a worldwide mareva injunction against “Persons Unknown” and third party disclosure orders against cryptocurrency exchanges in CLM v CLN. Additionally, he acted for a group of Russian cryptocurrency algorithmic traders in a US$100 million dispute relating to trade revenue and proprietary software, as well as advised liquidators of a cryptocurrency investment platform involving misappropriation of over $300 million of cryptocurrency assets.

Jansen also specialises in Anti-Corruption and Regulatory Investigations, having acted for one of the largest Singapore conglomerates in a highly publicised corruption scandal in Brazil. This was the first ever FCPA resolution involving a Singaporean company, and an unprecedented global settlement co-coordinated with criminal authorities in three jurisdictions in the U.S., Brazil and Singapore. The firm was awarded “Boutique or Regional Practice of the Year” at the Global Investigations Review Awards in 2018 for its role in this matter, which was also nominated for “Most Important Development of the Year”.

Jansen has substantial experience in court litigation and arbitration. He has successfully argued a trial in the Singapore High Court as Lead Counsel since he was a Senior Associate, and has regularly been involved in high-profile trials and appeals, such as the case of Hwang Cheng Tsu Hsu v OCBC, the leading authority in Singapore on banker’s duty relating to suspected elderly fraud and mental incapacity, and AKN v ALC, which Court of Appeal decision is the leading authority on the consequences of setting aside an arbitral award on the tribunal’s mandate.

Jansen was appointed as a member of the Young Amicus Curiae scheme with the Singapore High Court for two terms in 2010 and 2011, and was named by Singapore Business Review as one of Singapore’s most influential lawyers in 2016. Jansen has been identified as a key lawyer by The Legal 500 for Dispute Resolution. 

Notable Cases & Transactions

Cryptocurrency and Digital Technology

  • Acted for a prominent client in obtaining a worldwide Mareva injunction against “Persons Unknown” and third party disclosure orders against cryptocurrency exchanges in relation to stolen crypto assets.
  • Acted for a Russian group of cryptocurrency algorithmic traders in a US$100 million dispute involving trade revenues and proprietary software. Successfully obtained freezing injunction in Switzerland to freeze bank accounts of up to US$36 million.
  • Successfully secured worldwide freezing orders against cryptocurrency assets of Torque Group’s Chief Technology Officer, and acting for the liquidators of Torque Group, a cryptocurrency investment platform which collapsed in 2021 following upon the loss and misappropriation of over US$300 million of cryptocurrency assets.

Fraud and Investigations

  • Acted for a consortium of 15 international banks in a massive and systemic S$1.5B fraud, and successfully a worldwide Mareva injunction against the directors of a Singapore commodity trading firm for US$96 million as well as third party disclosure orders against banks of suppliers in tracing investigations.
  • Acted for defendants in a claim for €500 million by a solar energy company listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The defendants’ assets worldwide (including Europe, China and Singapore) were frozen under a Mareva injunction and placed into receivership. There were also concurrent legal proceedings in England.
  • Advised one of the largest Singapore conglomerate in a global resolution of US$422 million with criminal authorities across three jurisdictions in the U.S, Brazil and Singapore. This was the first ever case involving a Singaporean company for FCPA violations.
  • Acted for prominent Singapore businessman in relation to alleged violation of North Korean sanctions and alleged laundering of hundreds of millions of dollars for North Korea.

Commercial Disputes

  • Acted for a bank in defending a highly publicised claim brought in the name of an elderly 92 year old customer for alleged breach of banker’s duty in relation to the sum of about S$9 million held in her account. This was the first reported banking case in Singapore involving suspected elderly fraud and mental incapacity.
  • Successfully represented a healthcare service provider in a landmark decision by the Court of Appeal on the consequence of transaction in breach of financial assistance regime under the Companies Act.
  • Acted for an insurance company in defending a claim by a policy-holder for alleged fraud and breach of contract. The dispute involved a critical year feature of the policy, which received widespread media coverage in 2003. It was estimated that more than 110,000 policies in Singapore may have been affected by the critical year issue. The insurance company also claimed for defamation against the policy-holder for false statements published on her online blog.
  • Represented a healthcare service provider in setting aside voluntary arrangements put forward by an individual under the Singapore bankruptcy regime.

Arbitration

  • Acted for an Indonesian company in defending a claim for over S$3 billion in a SIAC arbitration involving a gold and copper mining project in Indonesia. The dispute involved issues of Australian and Indonesian law.
  • Acted for an international vehicle distributor in a Japanese arbitration under the JCAA Rules for a claim of over US$300 million for wrongful termination of a distributorship agreement in Thailand. The distributorship agreement was governed by Japanese law. There were also related proceedings in the Thai Courts.
  • Acted for an international hotel management company registered in Switzerland against a hotel owner in Jakarta in setting aside three arbitral awards made in Singapore. The Court of Appeal decision in this matter is the leading case in Singapore on the role of pleadings in arbitration under the SIAC rules.
  • Acted for an owner of a steel plant in Philippines against the liquidator and secured creditors in applications to set aside an arbitral award made in Singapore. The underlying dispute involved a claim of over US$200 million, and was governed by Philippine law. The Court of Appeal decision in this matter is the leading case in Singapore on the consequences of a setting aside an arbitral award on the tribunal’s mandate.

Publications

  • Contributor, International Fraud & Asset Tracing Guide, Singapore Chapter, Chambers and Partners (2021 - 2023 editions)