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Woo Shu Yan

Director, Dispute Resolution

Key Practices

Qualifications

  • LL.B. (Hons), National University of Singapore (2005)
  • Admitted to the Singapore Bar in July 2006

Shu Yan practices corporate and commercial litigation and arbitration.

Shu Yan has handled a diverse range of matters including private equity, corporate, banking and finance disputes and regulatory actions. She has a particular interest in trust and shareholder disputes and has represented prominent clients and high net worth individuals in these disputes. She is also actively engaged in advising clients both in and out of the courtroom on wide-ranging and complex legal issues. Shu Yan is committed to achieving resolutions which are commercially practical and sustainable for clients.

Shu Yan has an active arbitration practice. The matters which Shu Yan has handled usually involve damages of significant value or span multiple jurisdictions. She is experienced in handling matters involving foreign law issues.

In 2011, she was appointed to assist the Court as amicus curiae in a case that concerned certain sentencing issues. The learned Judge for the case expressed his gratitude to Shu Yan for her thorough research and fair-minded opinions in his written judgment – [2012] 1 SLR 116.

Some of the cases which Shu Yan has acted in include:

  • Acting for the former Prime Minister of Georgia, Bidzina Ivanishivili, and his family in successfully claiming US$926 million against Credit Suisse Trust Limited for breach of trust leading to losses in an investment portfolio worth over US$1 billion. The proceedings were originally stayed and we were instructed for the appeal against the stay which we succeeded on - Ivanishvili, Bidzina and others v Credit Suisse Trust Ltd [2020] SGCA 62. The case was reported by the Straits Times as well as Bloomberg.
  • Successful in obtaining judgment and recovery of assets of more than US$35 million in a Singapore International Commercial Court matter, and successfully represented client in two appeals before the Court of Appeal - Baker, Michael A (executor of the estate of Chantal Burnison, deceased) v BCS Business Consulting Services Pte Ltd and others [2020] 4 SLR 85; [2020] SGHC(I) 10; [2022] SGCA(I) 7; [2022] SGCA(I) 8. Client is the Estate of a high net worth individual from the United States who was one of the inventors of a chemical compound used in skincare products. This compound is supplied to a well-known US skincare product company that is listed on the NYSE. The action concerns claims of breach of trust and fiduciary duties against a Singapore company, a Swiss individual and a Hong Kong company.
  • Assisting a client against claims of breach of fiduciary duty and trust. These claims have been alleged to amount to more than US$650 million. The dispute involves applications for anti-suit injunctions and stay of proceedings which we succeeded on [2019] SGHC 182.
  • Advised a prominent and high net worth individual from a foreign jurisdiction in a complex trust dispute involving billions of dollars. Matter involved understanding trust law in various jurisdictions.
  • Recently acted for a well-known electronics company in an arbitration involving claims worth more than US$100million. The claim concerned a US$3 billion contract relating to the sale of televisions in various territories. The dispute involved emergency arbitration proceedings and related Court litigation in multiple jurisdictions. The case has been reported in the Global Arbitration Review and in various media publication in the United States.

The Legal 500 Asia Pacific

Dispute Resolution 2024 – Recommended lawyer

“Woo Shu Yan is attentive to the detail and readily available and engaged.”

Who’s Who Legal 

National Guide: Southeast Asia – Litigation 2024 –Recommended Lawyer 

Global Guide: Hospitality 2022 – Recommended Lawyer

“Woo Shu Yan stands out for her impressive expertise assisting hotels and leisure clients in complex litigation and arbitration proceedings.”

Singapore Business Review

Identified as one of Singapore’s most influential lawyers aged 40 and under (2018 edition)

asialaw Leading Lawyers 2023 edition

“Shu Yan has been instrumental in our trial, appeals and judgments.”

  • Appointed to the Singapore Academy of Law's Promotion of Singapore Law Committee headed by Justice Vinodh Coomaraswamy and Justice Kannan Ramesh
  • Member, Law Society of Singapore
  • Member, Singapore Academy of Law