Contact

eeyang.lee@covenantchambers.com

Office: +65 6635 8885

Focus Areas

Commercial & Property Disputes

• Business, Shareholders & Partnership Disputes

• Competition & Antitrust

• Fraud & Asset Recovery

• Property Ownership & Trust Disputes

Corporate, Commercial & Financial

• Employment

• Mergers & Acquisitions

• Regulatory & Compliance

• Charities & Non-Profit

Family Practice

• Family Offices

• Legacy Planning: Wills & Trusts

• Probate & Estate Administration

• Matrimonial Law

Dispute Resolution

• Civil Litigation

• Mediation

• International Arbitration

Medical Negligence & Personal Injury

• Personal Injury & Accident

Restructuring & Insolvency

• Insolvency Disputes

• Enforcing Creditors’ Rights

• Corporate Rescues

• Workouts & Debt Restructuring

Memberships

• Member, Law Society of Singapore

• Member, Singapore Academy of Law

Education / Qualifications

• Advocate & Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore (2008)

• LLB (Hons), NUS (2007)

• Certified Family Office Advisor, Wealth Management Institute (2022)

Lee Ee Yang

Managing Director

Beginning his career in one of the “Big Four” firms in Singapore, Ee Yang walked the unconventional path and started a litigation practice in his fifth year of practice. Since founding Covenant Chambers LLC in 2016, Ee Yang has seen his practice expand, with a focus on commercial and property disputes involving high-net-worth individuals as well as corporate entities. He strives to raise the legal sector to new heights by leveraging his wealth of experience and passion in advocacy and empowering the next generation of legal eagles.

Ee Yang was a recipient of the prestigious Singapore Academy of Law Overseas Scholarship and was attached to Essex Court Chambers, a highly regarded barristers chambers in the United Kingdom, working with established King’s Counsel. He was also an adjunct instructor at the National University of Singapore, teaching the Legal Analysis, Research and Communications course.

In addition, Ee Yang actively engages in pro bono work. Ee Yang was listed in Britishpedia’s Successful People in Singapore by British Publishing House (2021).

Ee Yang currently serves as the Vice Chairman of Law Christian Fellowship, a sectional group under the Graduates Christian Fellowship, which aims to Fellowship, Witness and Serve. Ee Yang also serves as the Chairman of the Board of Elders of RiverLife Church.

In his free time, Ee Yang enjoys golf and soccer and is a member of the Law Society golf and premier soccer teams.

Sample Cases

Commercial Disputes

• Acting for a multi-million dollar company in a claim against a director, his wife and their companies for breach of fiduciary duties, dishonest assistance and conspiracy to injure. Successfully acted for our client in a specific discovery application where the High Court held in Systematic Airconditioning Pte Ltd v Ho Seng Ken and others [2023] SGHC 10 that marital communications privilege cannot assist a litigant to resist disclosure of what he communicated to his or her spouse.

• Successfully obtained a local freezing injunction against 3 defendants (i.e. prohibiting the disposal of their assets worldwide up to the value of USD 1.217 million) in the High Court in a claim on the grounds of conspiracy by lawful or unlawful means, breach of fiduciary duties, knowing receipt, dishonest assistance, breach of contract and unjust enrichment.

• Successfully obtained a worldwide freezing injunction against 4 defendants (i.e. prohibiting the disposal of their assets worldwide up to the value of approximately S$2 million) in the High Court in aid of arbitration. Acted for the client in arbitration proceedings to recover investments in the sum of approximately S$2 million from the investment company and the director of the same, on the ground of conspiracy by unlawful means, alter ego and/or sham or façade.

• Successfully applied to enforce a settlement agreement valued at US$4,165,675 made pursuant to mediation at the Singapore Mediation Centre in a cross-border dispute between Vietnamese and Australian shareholders of a Singapore holding company, raising interesting issues on the grounds for setting aside an expert valuation resulting in a written judgment in Teo Lay Gek & Another v Hoang Trong Binh & Another [2019] SGHC 84.

• Successfully acted for a law professor in his appeal to the High Court on a defamation claim on the defence of qualified privilege, resulting in a written judgment in Gao Shuchao v Tan Kok Quan & Ors [2018] SGHC 115.

• Successfully acted for a  businesswoman in setting aside a statutory demand for the sum of over S$135,000 issued by the defendant licensed moneylender as a result of a series of “creative” refinancing transactions introduced by the defendant, resulting in a written judgment in Ang Ai Tee v Resource Credit [2017] SGHC 159; the High Court held that the loan transactions were prima facie unconscionable and substantially unfair to the client and ought to be reopened under Section 18 of the Moneylenders Act, given that Plaintiff had paid more than S$200,000 to the licensed moneylender and was further faced with a claim of S$135,879.96 for a principal loan of only S$120,000.

• Acted for a prominent supplier in the food industry in their appeal before the Competition Appeals Board on liability and quantum of the fine imposed by the Competition Consumer Commission of Singapore leading to a 71% reduction of the S$1.78 million fine imposed on the clients in the largest competition prosecution on price fixing and anti-aggression pact in Singapore under Section 34 of the Competition Act, resulting in a written judgment in Gold Chic Poultry Supply Pte Ltd and others v Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore [2020] SGCAB 1.

Property and Trust Disputes

• Advised and acted for more than 40 subsidiary proprietors in a multimillion-dollar claim against a Singapore-listed developer’s subsidiary for exiting a S$95 million collective sale deal.

• Acted for a successful businesswoman in defending claims in trust and unjust enrichment from an ex-lover of over S$8 million in real estate and movable property.

• Represented a joint beneficiary of an estate in obtaining an order for sale of a shophouse worth S$ 4 million which parties to the litigation jointly inherited many years ago.

• Represented a grandson sued by his grandfather for the sum of S$1.5 million allegedly paid to him as real estate commission on the grounds of inter alia, unjust enrichment and mistake.

Succession, Probate and Administration

• Successfully acted for clients in a highly contested appeal to the Family Division of the High Court to obtain deputyship orders in their favour for a dementia patient in VUW and others v VUT and another and other appeals [2021] SGHCF 41. The decision was upheld by the Appellate Division of the High Court of Singapore.

• Successfully acted in a High Court application for a declaration that a procedurally irregular CPF nomination was legally valid and to restrain the CPF Board from disbursing the CPF funds pending the determination of the matter by the High Court in Toh Tun Li Adeline v Central Provident Fund Board and another [2023] SGHC 55.

• Acted for the estate of a patriarch in applying to strike out a claim made by the deceased’s son and a prominent banker in Singapore; the decision was upheld by the Court of Appeal.

• Acted for an elderly man in applying to revoke a “deathbed gift” under the donatio mortis causa doctrine, obtaining a landmark judgment from the Singapore High Court in Koh Cheong Heng v Ho Yee Fong [2011] SGHC 48.

Employment

• Represented an employee of a large oil and gas company in obtaining compensation of a six-figure sum for retrenchment benefits and bonus owed.

Family Law

• Represented a flight stewardess and successfully argued for the court to add back an aggregate sum of more than S$200,000 being monies belonging to the parties used by the husband covertly to invest in other properties not legally belonging to him, as well as drawing an adverse inference against the husband for failing to disclose his assets and income arising from various business interests, leading to an uplift of 5% in favour of our client. The husband’s appeal to the High Court in TWM v TWN [2021] SGHFC 25 was dismissed by the Family Division of the High Court.

• Acted for a full-time housewife in obtaining a division of more than S$1 million in divorce proceedings in the Family Justice Courts; the decision was upheld by the High Court on appeal.

Published Judgments

• Li Jialin and another v Wingcrown Investment Pte Ltd [2023] SGHC 256

• Toh Tun Li Adeline v Central Provident Fund Board and another [2023] SGHC 55

• Systematic Airconditioning Pte Ltd v Ho Seng Ken and others [2023] SGHC 10

• Kelington Engineering (S) Pte Ltd v Gan Cheng Chuan [2022] SGHC 90

• VUW and others v VUT and another and other appeals [2021] SGHCF 41

• TWM v TWN [2021] SGHFC 25

• Zhang Hong En Jonathan v Private Trustee in Bankruptcy of the Estate of Zhang Hong’En Jonathan [2020] SGHC 262

• Teo Lay Gek & Another v Hoang Trong Binh & Another [2019] SGHC 84

• Solvadis Commodity Chemicals GmbH and Affert Resources Pte Ltd [2018] SGHC 210

• Gao Shuchao v Tan Kok Quan & Ors [2018] SGHC 115

• UMU v UMT [2018] SGHCF 16

• ULU v ULT [2018] SGFC 45

• Ang Ai Tee v Resource Credit [2017] SGHC 159

• TNI v TNJ [2016] SGFC 27

• TWN v TWM [2016] SGFC 167

• Harjit Kaur d/o Kulwant Singh v Saroop Singh a/l Amar Singh [2015] SGHCF 5

• Koh Cheong Heng v Ho Yee Fong [2011] SGHC 48

• SetClear Pte Ltd and others v Ashlock William Grover [2011] SGHC 130; Ashlock William Grover v SetClear Pte Ltd and others [2012] SGCA 20

• Toh Tian Sze v Han Kim Wah [2012] SGHC 111

• ANH v ANJ [2010] SGDC 488

Media Mentions

Opinions and Interviews

• [说法识法] 备好书证与人证 避免遗嘱变“疑嘱”, Lianhe Zaobao (29 October 2023)

• “Prepayment model can deliver knockout punch to gyms in long term: industry observers”, The Business Times (23 May 2023)

• “Upcoming longer training contracts could hurt law firms’ bottom lines”, The Business Times (4 May 2023)

• “Ringfencing prepayments by law could see businesses pass on higher costs to customers: lawyers”, The Business Times (29 September 2022)

• “When caning of children becomes abuse: Lawyers explain the legal parameters”, Channel News Asia (18 August 2020)

• “Professional services sector roadmap aims to create 5,500 new jobs a year for PMETs”, The Business Times (25 January 2018)

• “Senior Lawyer Feature: Lee Ee Yang from Covenant Chambers LLC”, Asia Law Network (23 November 2017)

• “Tech Start for Law Spotlight”, Law Gazette (November 2017)

• “Toa Payoh couple arrested: Experts caution against lynch-mob mentality”, Today Online (27 April 2017)
  

Cases Mentioned

• “Singapore High Court delineates scope of marital communications privilege", LegalOne (8 January 2024)

• “Pair sought $1.2m refund for aborted condo deal, court rules developer entitled to forfeit $380k”, The Straits Times (12 September 2023)

• “Puzzling that CPF nomination automatically revoked by marriage but not divorce, says judge”, The Straits Times (8 March 2023)

• “Court orders man's CPF savings to go to daughter instead of estranged ex-wife despite failed nomination”, Channel News Asia (8 March 2023)

• “老翁生前提名女儿受益未成 高庭仍令公积金局发放款项”, Zaobao (9 March 2023)

• “Friends and relatives of childless widow with dementia fight to be appointed as deputies”, The Straits Times (20 December 2021)

• “Court rejects lawyer’s bid to give new proof at 11th hour”, The Straits Times (4 April 2020)

• “Home Owners of Ampas Apartment sue Oxley Holdings unit in collective sale dispute”, The Straits Times (19 January 2019)

• “Compensation for personal injury claims deemed as matrimonial assets, rules judge”, The Straits Times (10 July 2018)

• “High Court overturns ruling that SMU law don had defamed trio at condo’s AGM”, The Straits Times (14 May 2018)

• “Housewife staves off bankruptcy over husband's $16m debt”, The Straits Times (11 November 2017)

Publications

• Britishpedia Successful People in Singapore by British Publishing House

Articles

• What Can A Beneficiary of an Estate Do Should He Not Receive His Inheritance?

• Estate Litigation: Contesting the validity of a will

• Are Companies in Liquidation allowed to enter into Third-Party Litigation Funding Agreements?

• 5 Things to Note in a Collective Sale

• Court upholds compensation of $170,000 to deceased Bangladeshi worker’s family after appeal

Lee Ee Yang

Managing Director

Beginning his career in one of the “Big Four” firms in Singapore, Ee Yang walked the unconventional path and started a litigation practice in his fifth year of practice. Since founding Covenant Chambers LLC in 2016, Ee Yang has seen his practice expand, with a focus on commercial and property disputes involving high-net-worth individuals as well as corporate entities. He strives to raise the legal sector to new heights by leveraging his wealth of experience and passion in advocacy and empowering the next generation of legal eagles.

Ee Yang was a recipient of the prestigious Singapore Academy of Law Overseas Scholarship and was attached to Essex Court Chambers, a highly regarded barristers chambers in the United Kingdom, working with established King’s Counsel. He was also an adjunct instructor at the National University of Singapore, teaching the Legal Analysis, Research and Communications course.

In addition, Ee Yang actively engages in pro bono work. Ee Yang was listed in Britishpedia’s Successful People in Singapore by British Publishing House (2021).

Ee Yang currently serves as the Vice Chairman of Law Christian Fellowship, a sectional group under the Graduates Christian Fellowship, which aims to Fellowship, Witness and Serve. Ee Yang also serves as the Chairman of the Board of Elders of RiverLife Church.

In his free time, Ee Yang enjoys golf and soccer and is a member of the Law Society golf and premier soccer teams.

Sample Cases

Commercial Disputes

• Acting for a multi-million dollar company in a claim against a director, his wife and their companies for breach of fiduciary duties, dishonest assistance and conspiracy to injure. Successfully acted for our client in a specific discovery application where the High Court held in Systematic Airconditioning Pte Ltd v Ho Seng Ken and others [2023] SGHC 10 that marital communications privilege cannot assist a litigant to resist disclosure of what he communicated to his or her spouse.

• Successfully obtained a local freezing injunction against 3 defendants (i.e. prohibiting the disposal of their assets worldwide up to the value of USD 1.217 million) in the High Court in a claim on the grounds of conspiracy by lawful or unlawful means, breach of fiduciary duties, knowing receipt, dishonest assistance, breach of contract and unjust enrichment.

• Successfully obtained a worldwide freezing injunction against 4 defendants (i.e. prohibiting the disposal of their assets worldwide up to the value of approximately S$2 million) in the High Court in aid of arbitration. Acted for the client in arbitration proceedings to recover investments for approximately S$2 million from the investment company and the director of the same, on the ground of conspiracy by unlawful means, alter ego and/or sham or façade.

• Successfully applying to enforce a settlement agreement valued at US$4,165,675 made pursuant to mediation at the Singapore Mediation Centre in a cross-border dispute between Vietnamese and Australian shareholders of a Singapore holding company, raising interesting issues on the grounds for setting aside an expert valuation resulting in a written judgment in Teo Lay Gek & Another v Hoang Trong Binh & Another [2019] SGHC 84.

• Successfully acted for a law professor in his appeal to the High Court on a defamation claim on the defence of qualified privilege, resulting in a written judgment in Gao Shuchao v Tan Kok Quan & Ors [2018] SGHC 115.

• Successfully acted for a  businesswoman in setting aside a statutory demand for the sum of over S$135,000 issued by the defendant licensed moneylender as a result of a series of “creative” refinancing transactions introduced by the defendant, resulting in a written judgment in Ang Ai Tee v Resource Credit [2017] SGHC 159; the High Court held that the loan transactions were prima facie unconscionable and substantially unfair to the client and ought to be reopened under Section 18 of the Moneylenders Act, given that Plaintiff had paid more than S$200,000 to the licensed moneylender and was further faced with a claim of S$135,879.96 for a principal loan of only S$120,000.

• Acted for a prominent supplier in the food industry in their appeal before the Competition Appeals Board on liability and quantum of the fine imposed by the Competition Consumer Commission of Singapore leading to a 71% reduction of the S$1.78 million fine imposed on the clients in the largest competition prosecution on price fixing and anti-aggression pact in Singapore under Section 34 of the Competition Act, resulting in a written judgment in Gold Chic Poultry Supply Pte Ltd and others v Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore [2020] SGCAB 1.

Property and Trust Disputes

• Advised and acted for more than 40 subsidiary proprietors in a multimillion-dollar claim against a Singapore-listed developer’s subsidiary for exiting a S$95 million collective sale deal.

• Acted for a successful businesswoman in defending claims in trust and unjust enrichment from an ex-lover of over S$8 million in real estate and movable property.

• Represented a joint beneficiary of an estate in obtaining an order for sale of a shophouse worth S$ 4 million which parties to the litigation jointly inherited many years ago.

• Represented a grandson sued by his grandfather for the sum of S$1.5 million allegedly paid to him as real estate commission on the grounds of inter alia, unjust enrichment and mistake.

Succession, Probate and Administration

• Successfully acted for clients in a highly contested appeal to the Family Division of the High Court to obtain deputyship orders in their favour for a dementia patient in VUW and others v VUT and another and other appeals [2021] SGHCF 41. The decision was upheld by the Appellate Division of the High Court of Singapore.

• Successfully acted in a High Court application for a declaration that a procedurally irregular CPF nomination was legally valid and to restrain the CPF Board from disbursing the CPF funds pending the determination of the matter by the High Court in Toh Tun Li Adeline v Central Provident Fund Board and another [2023] SGHC 55.

• Acted for the estate of a patriarch in applying to strike out a claim made by the deceased’s son and a prominent banker in Singapore; the decision was upheld by the Court of Appeal.

• Acted for an elderly man in applying to revoke a “deathbed gift” under the donatio mortis causa doctrine, obtaining a landmark judgment from the Singapore High Court in Koh Cheong Heng v Ho Yee Fong [2011] SGHC 48.

Employment

• Represented an employee of a large oil and gas company in obtaining compensation of a six-figure sum for retrenchment benefits and bonus owed.

Family Law

• Represented a flight stewardess and successfully argued for the court to add back an aggregate sum of more than S$200,000 being monies belonging to the parties used by the husband covertly to invest in other properties not legally belonging to him, as well as drawing an adverse inference against the husband for failing to disclose his assets and income arising from various business interests, leading to an uplift of 5% in favour of our client. The husband’s appeal to the High Court in TWM v TWN [2021] SGHFC 25 was dismissed by the Family Division of the High Court.

• Acted for a full-time housewife in obtaining a division of more than S$1 million in divorce proceedings in the Family Justice Courts; the decision was upheld by the High Court on appeal.

Published Judgments

• Li Jialin and another v Wingcrown Investment Pte Ltd [2023] SGHC 256

• Toh Tun Li Adeline v Central Provident Fund Board and another [2023] SGHC 55

• Systematic Airconditioning Pte Ltd v Ho Seng Ken and others [2023] SGHC 10

• Kelington Engineering (S) Pte Ltd v Gan Cheng Chuan [2022] SGHC 90

• VUW and others v VUT and another and other appeals [2021] SGHCF 41

• TWM v TWN [2021] SGHFC 25

• Zhang Hong En Jonathan v Private Trustee in Bankruptcy of the Estate of Zhang Hong’En Jonathan [2020] SGHC 262

• Teo Lay Gek & Another v Hoang Trong Binh & Another [2019] SGHC 84

• Solvadis Commodity Chemicals GmbH and Affert Resources Pte Ltd [2018] SGHC 210

• Gao Shuchao v Tan Kok Quan & Ors [2018] SGHC 115

• UMU v UMT [2018] SGHCF 16

• ULU v ULT [2018] SGFC 45

• Ang Ai Tee v Resource Credit [2017] SGHC 159

• TNI v TNJ [2016] SGFC 27

• TWN v TWM [2016] SGFC 167

• Harjit Kaur d/o Kulwant Singh v Saroop Singh a/l Amar Singh [2015] SGHCF 5

• Koh Cheong Heng v Ho Yee Fong [2011] SGHC 48

• SetClear Pte Ltd and others v Ashlock William Grover [2011] SGHC 130; Ashlock William Grover v SetClear Pte Ltd and others [2012] SGCA 20

• Toh Tian Sze v Han Kim Wah [2012] SGHC 111

• ANH v ANJ [2010] SGDC 488

Media Mentions

Opinions and Interviews

• [说法识法] 备好书证与人证 避免遗嘱变“疑嘱”, Lianhe Zaobao (29 October 2023)

• “Ringfencing prepayments by law could see businesses pass on higher costs to customers: lawyers”, Business Times (29 September 2022)

• “When caning of children becomes abuse: Lawyers explain the legal parameters”, Channel News Asia (18 August 2020)

• “Professional services sector roadmap aims to create 5,500 new jobs a year for PMETs”, Business Times (25 January 2018)

• “Senior Lawyer Feature: Lee Ee Yang from Covenant Chambers LLC”, Asia Law Network (23 November 2017)

• “Tech Start for Law Spotlight”, Law Gazette (November 2017)

• “Toa Payoh couple arrested: Experts caution against lynch-mob mentality”, Today Online (27 April 2017)
  

Cases Mentioned

• “Singapore High Court delineates scope of marital communications privilege", LegalOne (8 January 2024)

• “Pair sought $1.2m refund for aborted condo deal, court rules developer entitled to forfeit $380k”, The Straits Times (12 September 2023)

• “Puzzling that CPF nomination automatically revoked by marriage but not divorce, says judge”, The Straits Times (8 March 2023)

• “Court orders man's CPF savings to go to daughter instead of estranged ex-wife despite failed nomination”, Channel News Asia (8 March 2023)

• “老翁生前提名女儿受益未成 高庭仍令公积金局发放款项”, Zaobao (9 March 2023)

• “Friends and relatives of childless widow with dementia fight to be appointed as deputies”, The Straits Times (20 December 2021)

• “Court rejects lawyer’s bid to give new proof at 11th hour”, The Straits Times (4 April 2020)

• “Home Owners of Ampas Apartment sue Oxley Holdings unit in collective sale dispute”, The Straits Times (19 January 2019)

• “Compensation for personal injury claims deemed as matrimonial assets, rules judge”, The Straits Times (10 July 2018)

• “High Court overturns ruling that SMU law don had defamed trio at condo’s AGM”, The Straits Times (14 May 2018)

• “Housewife staves off bankruptcy over husband's $16m debt”, The Straits Times (11 November 2017)

Publications

• Britishpedia Successful People in Singapore by British Publishing House

Articles

• What Can A Beneficiary of an Estate Do Should He Not Receive His Inheritance?

• Estate Litigation: Contesting the validity of a will

• Are Companies in Liquidation allowed to enter into Third-Party Litigation Funding Agreements?

• 5 Things to Note in a Collective Sale

• Court upholds compensation of $170,000 to deceased Bangladeshi worker’s family after appeal

Contact

eeyang.lee@covenantchambers.com

Office: +65 6635 8885

Focus Areas

Commercial & Property Disputes

• Business, Shareholders & Partnership Disputes

• Competition & Antitrust

• Fraud & Asset Recovery

• Property Ownership & Trust Disputes

Corporate, Commercial & Financial

• Employment

• Mergers & Acquisitions

• Regulatory & Compliance

• Charities & Non-Profit

Family Practice

• Family Offices

• Legacy Planning: Wills & Trusts

• Probate & Estate Administration

• Matrimonial Law

Dispute Resolution

• Civil Litigation

• Mediation

• International Arbitration

Medical Negligence & Personal Injury

• Personal Injury & Accident

Restructuring & Insolvency

• Insolvency Disputes

• Enforcing Creditors’ Rights

• Corporate Rescues

• Workouts & Debt Restructuring

Memberships

• Member, Law Society of Singapore

• Member, Singapore Academy of Law

Education / Qualifications

• Advocate & Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore (2008)

• LLB (Hons), NUS (2007)