Desmond Chng
Associate Director, Dispute Resolution
- Singapore
- Drew & Napier LLC
- T +65 6531 2450
- F +65 6535 4906
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Key Practices
Qualifications
- Advocate & Solicitor, Supreme Court of Singapore (2016)
- LLB (Hons), National University of Singapore (2015)
Desmond practices commercial and corporate dispute resolution. He represents clients in international and domestic arbitration, litigation, and mediation.
He handles a broad range of matters including commercial contracts, employment, insurance, landlord and tenant, sale of goods, and shareholder disputes. He advises and acts for multinational corporations, government-linked entities, financial institutions, senior executives, and high-profile individuals in a wide variety of sectors, including insurance, banking and finance, real estate, manufacturing, fast-moving consumer goods, technology and e-commerce, sports, entertainment and hospitality, aviation and transportation, power and energy, healthcare and pharmaceutical, media, marketing and corporate communications.
He also volunteers with the Ministry of Law Legal Aid Bureau and the Law Society Pro Bono Services.
- Employment / Wrongful dismissal – Acted as counsel before the Singapore High Court to strike out a wrongful dismissal claim and obtained the first reported extended civil restraint order in Singapore preventing a former employee from further re-litigating his claim: Joseph Clement Louis Arokiasamy v Singapore Airlines Ltd [2020] 5 SLR 869.
- US$120 million smartphone dispute – Represented an electronics manufacturer in an SIAC arbitration against a European principal in disputes arising from the design, development and manufacturing of a smartphone.
- S$10 million bancassurance dispute – Represented a leading international insurer in an SIAC arbitration brought by a bank in a dispute arising from the termination of a long-term bancassurance distribution agreement.
- S$1 million insurance claim – Defended an insurer at trial and on appeal in the Singapore High Court against a claim on a life insurance policy that was denied on the basis of fraud: Tan Yi Lin v AIA Singapore Pte Ltd [2021] SGHC(A) 23.
- US$650,000 gasoline dispute – Represented a fuel company in an SIAC arbitration in a dispute arising from the sale and purchase of gasoline involving quality and demurrage claims.
- Assigned Solicitor, Legal Aid Bureau
- Member, Law Society of Singapore
- Member, Singapore Academy of Law