Kelvin Koh
许立群
LL.B. (Hons) (NUS)
Partner
“不戰而屈人之兵，善之善者也”
(“The supreme art of war is to win without fighting”)
An avid admirer of Chinese culture, Kelvin often turns to Sun Tzu’s Art of War for guidance in matters of the courtroom. For him, the pen has indeed proven mightier than the sword, one he wields masterfully at the service of his clients in commercial litigation, international arbitration, restructuring and insolvency, and private wealth and trust matters.
The latter is a budding practice that Kelvin has been developing over the past few years to cater to the growth of high-net-worth individuals and families in the region, and those redomiciling in Singapore, whether it is to establish watertight trusts for future generations or to resolve knotty trust-related disputes.
Kelvin is also a firm believer in the concept of 关系 (“relationships”). He keeps a keen eye on the cultural and situational sensitivities important to traditional Chinese clients, earning their trust and becoming a friend rather than being merely a lawyer to them. Kelvin is one of the partners who spearheaded TSMP’s China desk.
Kelvin’s deeply rooted Chinese values also translate into a scholarly appreciation for education and nurturing the next generation of tactical litigators. He has spent numerous years teaching Equity and Trust to lawyers-in-the-making at the National University of Singapore. He is currently the Principal Examiner for Trusts and Equity with the Singapore Institute of Legal Education. He also contributed the chapter on Equity and Trusts in Bullen & Leake & Jacob’s Singapore Precedents of Pleadings.
Testimonials
Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific
“Kelvin gives an in-depth analysis of every single situation. He is very meticulous and has a sharp eye for details. He gives advice on all angles and ensures clients understand all the what-if situations. With the clear sharing of his knowledge, the client is clear on the next step or what positions to take.”
The Legal 500 Asia Pacific
“Synergistic team, responsive, and a very holistic approach when it came to handling cases. Proper and thoughtful advice was always given even if it was not optimal for revenue generation. This was especially true for Kelvin Koh.”
Asialaw Profiles
“Kelvin is a rising star lawyer with amazing English and Chinese proficiency to provide bilingual legal service.”
Notable Briefs
Acted for offshore companies in the Court of Appeal in one of the largest trust disputes in Singapore involving assets of US$600 million to US$800 million linked to the late Mr Robert Perez De La Sala, one of the wealthiest men in Australia: Ernest Ferdinand Perez De La Sala v Compañia De Navegación Palomar [2018] 1 SLR 894; Ernest Ferdinand Perez De La Sala v Compañia De Navegación Palomar [2020] 1 SLR 950.
Acted for Vintage Bullion DMCC, a customer of a futures and options broker in creditors’ voluntary liquidation, MF Global Singapore Pte Ltd, in the High Court and Court of Appeal to determine the scope of the statutory trust over customers’ monies: MF Global Singapore Pte Ltd (in creditors’ voluntary liquidation) v Vintage Bullion DMCC [2015] 4 SLR 831; Vintage Bullion DMCC v Chay Fook Yuen [2016] 4 SLR 1248.
Acted for YTL PowerSeraya and Seraya Energy in a successful $33 million contractual claim involving long term electricity retail contracts in Singapore, which culminated in the Court of Appeal landmark decision on the law of penalty in Singapore: Denka Advantech Pte Ltd v Seraya Energy Pte Ltd [2021] 1 SLR 631
Acting for Wanda Holding Group Ltd, one of the top 500 China private companies, in the US$500 million debt restructuring of its Singapore subsidiary, Hontop Energy (Singapore) Pte Ltd and disputes with lenders and trade creditors.
Acting for Success Elegant Trading Limited in a multi-million dollar cross-border trust dispute arising from claims by CVC Capital Partners against ex-Chinese restaurant mogul Zhang Lan.
Acted for Actis Excalibur, a fund managed by a leading UK private equity investment firm Actis LLP, in a major corporate dispute concerning its S$142 million investment in an oil, gas and marine products distribution company, KS Distribution.
Appointed as amicus curiae in to assist the Singapore High Court in a magistrates’ appeal involving novel issues of statutory interpretation in view of Singapore’s international treaty obligations under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES): Public Prosecutor v Wong Wee Keong [2016] 3 SLR 965.
Kelvin Koh in the News
18 September 2023
Kelvin Koh quoted in Lianhe Zaobao on estate planning for non-traditional families
Penned by Kelvin Koh
4 January 2021
2021: In Which We Rise From the Ashes of the Pandemic
By Thio Shen Yi, SC, Stefanie Yuen Thio, Ong Pei Ching, June Ho, Jennifer Chia, Kelvin Koh, Derek Loh, Melvin Chan, Adrian Tan
7 January 2020
Reading the Tea Leaves for 2020
By Thio Shen Yi, SC, Stefanie Yuen Thio, Ong Pei Ching, June Ho, Ian Lim, Jennifer Chia, Kelvin Koh, Derek Loh, Chee Chin Wi, Kishan Pillay
