Chew Xiang is a Partner in the Firm’s Restructuring & Insolvency Practice Group.
Chew Xiang has acted in a wide range of commercial disputes, shareholder fights, trust litigation, and contentious insolvency matters. He also advises on enforcement of security, and has acted for creditors, debtors and insolvency practitioners in numerous restructuring matters.
Chew Xiang is recognised as one of Singapore’s most influential lawyers aged 40 and under by Singapore Business Review in 2019. He was formerly a journalist and served as a Justices’ Law Clerk before joining Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP in 2015. He was placed on the Supreme Court’s Young Amicus Curiae Scheme in 2017 where he assisted the High Court on two appeals relating to the Prevention of Corruption Act.
EXPERIENCE
Litigation & Other Disputes
- Successfully represented the shareholder of a Singapore petroleum and petrochemical products trader, in a landmark Singapore Court of Appeal decision on resolving conflict between winding-up and arbitration.
- Successfully persuaded the Singapore Court of Appeal in a landmark case to recognise the Brickenden rule as part of Singapore law and to affirm the scope of its application for equitable claims involving breaches of fiduciary duties.
- Acting for a global energy industry leader in a dispute arising from a set off that was affected between receivables owed by it to its suppliers that had collapsed following imposition of stricter regulations, and sums owed to it from these suppliers.
- Successfully represented the liquidators of a Cayman Islands holding company, in a special five-member panel of the Singapore Court of Appeal, in relation to a complex commercial fraud perpetrated in multiple jurisdictions, involving more than US$500 million of investors’ funds.
- Successfully acted for a professional services firm in defending claims of negligence in preparing an investigation report.
- Acted in the first debt restructuring of a shipping business trust under s 210 of the Companies Act involving a Singapore-listed shipping trust.
- Successfully acted for a securities brokerage in a claim against a securities trading customer for multi-million dollar contra losses.
- Successfully represented insolvency professionals in an application to compel the appointment of disciplinary tribunals to investigate the conduct of two Singapore-based partners of a large global law firm.
- Acted for the estate of a Singapore politician in an application for determination of rights under an interview agreement.
- Acted for the management council of an industrial property against a subsidiary proprietor for defamation.
- Acted for a solar energy company in an action against a competitor for defamation and conspiracy.
- Acted for a multinational rubber company against its joint venture company in a multi-jurisdictional dispute.
- Acted for a golf club in an appeal against a compensation award arising from an acquisition under the Land Acquisition Act.
- Acted for the Singapore subsidiary of a Shanghai-listed company in a claim against a former director for breach of fiduciary duties.
Restructuring & Insolvency
- Acted for liquidators and private trustees in a variety of undervalue and preference actions.
- Acted for the Singapore subsidiaries of a foreign-listed construction conglomerate in applications for schemes of arrangement and subsequently judicial management.
- Acted for a Singapore-listed furnishings company in a members’ scheme of arrangement as part of the privatisation of the company.
- Acted for a Singapore company listed on NASDAQ in a members’ scheme of arrangement as part of the acquisition of the company.
- Acted for a Singapore-listed marine and offshore services provider in applications for schemes of arrangement.
- Acted for judicial managers of a Singapore-listed marine and offshore services company.
- Acted for liquidators of a Cayman Islands company in relation to a fraud claim and injunctive relief against its former directors and controllers.
Reported Judgments
- Tan Ng Kuang and another v Jai Swarup Pathak [2022] 3 SLR 788
- Miao Weiguo v Tendcare Medical Group Holdings Pte Ltd [2022] 1 SLR 884
- AnAn Group (Singapore) Pte Ltd v VTB Bank (PJSC) [2022] 1 SLR 771
- Tan Woo Thian v PricewaterhouseCoopers Advisory Services Pte Ltd [2021] 1 SLR 1166
- Senda International Capital Ltd v Kiri Industries Ltd [2020] 2 SLR 1
- Sim Poh Ping v Winsta Holding Pte Ltd and another and other appeals [2020] 1 SLR 1199
- Public Prosecutor v Tan Kok Ming Michael and other appeals [2019] 5 SLR 926 (as young amicus curiae)
- Bi Xiaoqiong (in her personal capacity and as trustee of the Xiao Qiong Bi Trust and the Alisa Wu Irrevocable Trust) v China Medical Technologies, Inc (in liquidation) and another [2019] 2 SLR 595
- Anan Group (Singapore) Pte Ltd v VTB Bank (Public Joint Stock Co) [2019] 2 SLR 341
- Trisuryo Garuda Nusa Pte Ltd v SKP Pradiksi (North) SdnBhd and another and another appeal [2017] 2 SLR 814
- Lee Wei Ling and another v Attorney-General [2017] 2 SLR 786
- Southern Realty (Malaya) SdnBhd v Chen Jia Fu Darren (alias Tan Suryo) and others [2016] 5 SLR 1307
- Lee Wei Ling and another v Attorney-General [2016] 5 SLR 902
- Re Sembawang Engineers and Constructors Pte Ltd [2016] 3 SLR 1057
- Re Punj Lloyd Pte Ltd and another matter [2015] SGHC 321
- Re Sembawang Engineers and Constructors Pte Ltd [2015] SGHC 250
MEMBERSHIPS / DIRECTORSHIPS
- Member, Rules of Court working party
PUBLICATIONS
- Co-author, Report on Civil Remedies (Dec 2020), Singapore Academy of Law, Law Reform Committee
- Co-author, Singapore chapter, Chambers Global Practice Guide on Insolvency (2016)
