People

Prof Tang Hang Wu, PhD

陈汉吾

LL.M. (Cambridge)
LL.B. (NUS)

Consultant

hangwu.tang@tsmplaw.com

vCard

“Be kind to others and yourself.”

Hang Wu is a walking encyclopedia of law. But it is his volumes of stories and his compelling narrative method of simplifying complex facts and legal arguments into an effective case theory that make him a highly sought after collaborator and professor of law, as well as instructed counsel and expert witness on various aspects of Singapore law in international disputes.

As a consultant, Hang Wu co-heads TSMP’s Private Wealth and Trust practice with Jennifer Chia and Kelvin Koh, advising and acting as Counsel on contentious matters involving property, land, strata titles, equity, restitution, unjust enrichment, fraud, asset tracing as well as private wealth and trusts transactions. As a full-time professor at the Yong Pung How School of Law, Singapore Management University, he brings the Law to life for students, painting vivid scenarios with stories and anecdotes.

He is often instructed by Singapore and international law firms to advise on complex legal issues pertaining to restitution, unjust enrichment, asset tracing, fraud land, equity, trusts and charities. Hang Wu’s specialist knowledge has led to him being appointed as an expert on Singapore trust law by the US Department of Justice, expert witness on Singapore law by Singapore and international law firms in international litigation and arbitration, and instructed Counsel in matters before the Singapore High Court and Court of Appeal.

In addition, he collaborates with legal teams in Singapore and elsewhere engaged in complex litigation to provide counsel's opinion, trial and appellate strategies. Together with his colleagues at TSMP, he has had experience managing complex trust disputes in Singapore and Jersey.

Testimonials

in Anna Wee Chiaw Sek v Ng Li-Ann Genevieve (sole executrix of the estate of Ng Hock Seng, deceased) [2013] 3 SLR 801 at [138]

“A leading expert” who is “well-known locally and internationally”.

Notable Briefs

Instructed Counsel before the Singapore High Court for NUH Funds Limited, a registered charity in Singapore, on the interpretation of a bequest in a will to the predecessor of NUH Funds Limited. The issue was whether the bequest lapsed due to a change in name and legal structure of the predecessor to the current charitable entity, NUH Funds Limited. After a contested hearing, the High Court held that the bequest, which was a landed house worth approximately S$8 million, did not lapse and should be given to NUH Funds Limited. The judgment is found at DFS v NUHS Funds Limited [2023] SGHC 336.

Instructed Counsel before the Singapore Court of Appeal for a claim successfully resisting a mortgage on a property worth approximately S$4 million the ground that the client’s signature was forged. The High Court judgment was successfully overturned and the matter resulted in a landmark Court of Appeal judgment with important observations on adverse inference and undue influence. The judgment is found at Sudha Natrajan v Bank of East Asia [2016] SGCA 66.

Instructed Counsel before the Singapore Appellate Division and Singapore Court of Appeal in numerous cases and providing legal opinions on multiple cases on familial disputes over property claims alleging express trust, resulting trust, common intention constructive trust, proprietary estoppel, illegality & unclean hands and Strong v Bird. Subject matters of dispute include real estate, company shares and gold bars.

Advised a licensed trust company in a complex decision-making process about the exercise of the trustee’s dispositive decision in a discretionary trust worth well over US$100 million. The trustee exercised its discretion after receiving the advice.

Managing ongoing trust disputes in multiple jurisdictions for an Asian family in relation to trust structures settled in Jersey and Hong Kong involving trust assets worth well over US$100 million.