Charis Wong

Successfully acted as lead counsel in a SIAC arbitration for an investor in an investment dispute involving sums of about $5 million.

Successfully acted for the purchasers to successfully challenge a property developer’s forfeiture of a deposit in an abortive condominium sale (Li Jialin and another v Wingcrown Investment Pte Ltd [2024] SGCA 48) . The landmark Court of Appeal decision clarified the law on deposits and penalties.

Successfully acted for the purchasers in their appeal against the assistant registrar’s decision on assessment of damages (Li Jialin and another v Wingcrown Investment Pte Ltd [2024] SGHC 314). This is the first decision where the Court examined in detail:

• (1) Condition 15 of the Law Society Conditions of Sale 2012, which are widely used standard terms in the conveyancing of residential properties in Singapore; and
• (2) the principles relating to when a subsequent re-sale of the property would be a mitigating act, the gains of which have to be taken into account in assessing the vendor’s loss.

Acted for more than forty subsidiary proprietors in their claim against a Singapore-listed developer’s subsidiary for exiting a $95 million collective sale deal. The case concerned unilateral mistake rectification (Doo Wan Tsong Charles v Oxley Jasper Pte Ltd [2021] SGHC 249).

Acted for shareholders in a minority oppression claim in respect of a Singapore investment holding company involving a multi-million-dollar development project in Vietnam (Teo Lay Gek & Another v Hoang Trong Binh & Another [2019] SGHC 84)

Successfully enforced a settlement agreement valued at approximately $6 million in a cross-border dispute between Vietnamese and Australian shareholders of a Singapore holding company. The case concerned the grounds for setting aside an expert valuation (Teo Lay Gek & Another v Hoang Trong Binh & Another [2019] SGHC 84)

Acted for a wholly-owned subsidiary of a Malaysia-listed company to enforce a liquidated damages provision in the sum of about S$500,000 in an employment contract against a former employee (Kelington Engineering (S) Pte Ltd v Gan Cheng Chuan [2022] SGHC 90)

Acted for a businessman’s wife in her application to set aside a statutory demand issued by a bank in the sum of $16 million (Lim Lee Lee v United Overseas Bank Ltd [2018] SGHC 79)

Successfully acted for a law professor in his appeal against a District Court judgment on a defamation claim. The case concerned the defence of qualified privilege (Gao Shuchao v Tan Kok Quan & Ors [2018] SGHC 115).

Successfully acted for a businesswoman to set aside a statutory demand issued by a licensed moneylender Ang Ai Tee v Resource Credit [2017] SGHC 159. The case involved the novel question of whether a series of loan refinancing transactions designed by the moneylender to circumvent the Moneylenders Amendment Rules 2015 could be re-opened by the court. The High Court agreed with us that the loan transactions were unconscionable and ought to be reopened under the Moneylenders Act.

Acted for a doctor and a medical clinic to defend a claim by a healthcare management service provider (Fullerton Healthcare Group Pte Ltd v Kwok & Kwok Pte Ltd and another [2020] SGDC 30). The decision concerned the novel issue of whether a party’s inspection of documents should be deferred to a later time, after the other party has given discovery of undisclosed documents.

Successfully acted as lead counsel to obtain a worldwide freezing injunction against several entities prohibiting the disposal of their assets worldwide in aid of arbitration.

Successfully acted as lead counsel for a flight stewardess in contentious divorce proceedings spanning several years. The case involved asset tracing and third-party discovery. I convinced the Court to add back an aggregate sum of about $200,000 into the matrimonial pool. These were monies covertly used by the husband to invest in businesses and condominium properties owned by third parties. Resisted the appeal before the Family Division of the High Court in TWM v TWN [2021] SGHCF 25.

Successfully acted for a lawyer in a cross-appeal against the lower court’s decision in respect of the child’s access arrangements (WAY v WAZ [2022] SGHCF 14). Resisted the appeal before the Family Division of the High Court.

Acted for a client in respect of her ex-husband’s application to relocate the children to the United States and for children’s maintenance (WDB v WDA [2023] SGHCF 1).

Successfully acted for a client in resisting an application for a personal protection order (UPO v UPP [2018] SGFC 93). Resisted the appeal before the Family Division of the High Court.

Acted as lead counsel for a client in contentious matrimonial proceedings concerning children’s issue and maintenance (VPD v VPE [2021] SGFC 14).

Successfully acted for a food supplier in the largest competition prosecution on price fixing and anti-aggression pact in Singapore. In the watershed appeal to the Competition Appeals Board (“CAB”), the CAB agreed with us that the Competition Consumer Commission of Singapore failed to establish liability of a non-aggression pact, and reduced the $1.78 million fine imposed on our clients by more than two-thirds (Gold Chic Poultry Supply Pte Ltd & Ors v Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore [2020] SGCAB 1).