Gregory has a wealth of experience and expertise in various spheres of civil and commercial litigation and arbitration and dispute resolution. He was appointed Senior Counsel in 2019. He is also a recognised expert in banking and insolvency as well as charities governance.
Gregory graduated from the National University of Singapore and was one of the main speakers in the university’s mooting team in 1992 that emerged world runners-up at the 1992 Jessup International Law Moot Competition in Washington D.C. Gregory was thereafter admitted to the Singapore Bar in 1993 and joined Rajah & Tann after being in practice in two other leading law firms for 15 years (jointly heading the Banking and Insolvency Litigation Practice group of another leading law firm).
Gregory has been recognised by Best Lawyers in Singapore for Insolvency and Reorganization Law, and Litigation since 2010. He has also been recognised as a Distinguished Practitioner in Dispute Resolution by asialaw Leading Lawyers (2022). Who’s Who Legal also previously identified him as an “expert” for Restructuring and Insolvency and is described as “impressive and highly visible” in the area.
Gregory presently serves as immediate Past President of Law Society having been the longest serving President of the Law Society of Singapore. He previously served on the Inquiry Panel of the Law Society of Singapore, as Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Insolvency and Practitioners’ Association of Singapore and as inaugural Subject Coordinator for the Part B Elective on Wills, Probate and Administrations (appointed Senior Teaching Fellow) of the Singapore Institute of Legal Education. He has conducted nationwide and professional wide seminars and counts as his personal teaching highlights being part of Summer School Faculty in Handong International Law School (teaching International Business Transactions in 2008 and 2009), a lecturer on company law developments to the ACCA Annual Conferences for several years and lecturing for the LKY School of Public Policy in 2014 on Non-Profit Management for the 21st Century.
Gregory is a former Southeast Asian schools oratorical award winner, Asian silver medallist in international chess, two-time Law Society Appreciation Award winner. Gregory has been judicially commended by the highest court in Singapore in 2006 for “meticulous professionalism” “prodigious efforts” “and what it is (and ought to be) like to practise the law in the best (indeed, its highest traditions)”. Gregory has also been humbled to receive the Good Samaritan Award conferred on him in Washington DC in October 2008 by Advocates International for his leadership of Advocates Asia – an NGO committed to (among others) international reconciliation, conflict resolution, religious liberty and professional ethics.
EXPERIENCE
Banking
- Successfully obtained summary judgment/summary determination on a banking claim of US$50 million for syndicated lenders and defending the same on appeal via Registrar’s Appeal – Pacific Harbour and Credit Suisse AG v Estate of Susanto Lim, deceased (Suit No. 795 of 2012) (September 2014)
- Successful claim for more than US$5 million for assigned receivables where defence asserted a tripartite set off – Rabobank Singapore Branch vs Motorola Electronics Pte Ltd [2011] 2 SLR 63
Conflict of Laws
- Successful appeal against stay on the grounds of forum non conveniens – Pacific Harbour and Credit Suisse AG v Estate of Susanto Lim, deceased (unreported judgment in Suit No. 795 of 2012) (August 2013)
- Raised conflict of laws issue on whether Singapore was forum conveniens to hear the dispute – Holdrich Investment Ltd v Siemens AG [2010] 1 SLR 12
Contract
- Successful appeal in contractual interpretation of an employment contract and leading apex court decision on applicability of contra proferentem rule – Hewlett-Packard Singapore (Sales) Pte Ltd v Chin Shu Hwa Corinna [2016] SGCA 19 (CA)
Civil Procedure
- Successful defence to appeal in which Official Secrets Act defences were raised to resist discovery application – Elbow Holdings Pte Ltd v Marina Bay Sand [2014] SGHC 26
Employment
- Successfully represented the plaintiff in his application for relief from disqualification as a director of InnovationzPte Ltd, which had been struck off the register but later restored
Insolvency
- Insolvency restructuring of a public-listed company with a combined group debt in excess of S$280 million – In the Matter of Goldtron Limited (Originating Summons No. 1274 of 1998) (HC)
- Advising a strategic investor on various issues arising out of the Creditors’ Scheme of Arrangement and the subsequent Shareholders’ Agreement in China Aviation Oil’s debt restructuring exercise
- Representing incumbent liquidators of Daewoo in a novel insolvency application for conversion of a creditors’ voluntary liquidation to a compulsory liquidation (HC)
Insurance
- Important case on recognition of legal duty of disclosure owed by insurers to insured – Stansfield Group Pte Ltd v CASE & Anor [2011] 4 SLR 699
Tort
- Successfully defending the individual respondent in Civil Appeal No. 83 of 2014 from a High Court decision in Suit No. 349 of 2011 – Straits Advisor Pte Ltd v Michael Deeb and others
Trusts
- Successful opposition to Trustees’ court application for sale of trust property pursuant to s56 (1) (Trustee Act) due to, inter alia, non-fulfillment of duties during the sale process – Lai Chong Lee & 2 others v Ho Mimi Sze & 6 others (Suit No. 1058 of 2017) (March 2018)
Wills, Probate and Adminstration
- Important judicial clarification that step-children cannot claim from step-parent under intestacy laws – Low Guang Hong David & others v Suryono Wino Goei [2012] SGHC 93
MEMBERSHIPS / DIRECTORSHIPS
- Immediate Past President, Law Society
- Chairman, International Relations Committee, Law Society
- Fellow, Singapore Academy of Law (2017 – Present)
- Fellow, Insolvency Practitioners Association of Singapore (FIPAS) (2007 – Present)
- Fellow, Singapore Institute of Arbitrators (FSiArb)(since 2009)
- Fellow, Singapore Institute of Directors (FSiD) (since 2021)
- Member, Audit Committee, Singapore Academy of Law
- Chairman, Law Society Pro Bono Services Pte Ltd
- Member, SAL Specialist Accreditation Board
- Board Member and Specialist Mediator, Singapore International Mediation Centre (SIMC) (since 2020)
- Member, Bioethics Advisory Committee
- President, Tribunal for the Maintenance of Parents (since June 2022)
- Board Member, National Council of Social Services
- Trustee, National Youth Fund
- Vice Chairman, Advocates International Global Council
- Chairman, Law Christian Fellowship
- Chairman, Prison Fellowship Singapore (since June 2022)
- Member, Senior Common Room Committee, Eusoff Hall, National University of Singapore
