Complex Civil and Commercial Disputes
​
Ivan Lee is a Partner in the Litigation & Dispute Resolution Practice, with a practice focused on complex civil and commercial disputes. He appears regularly before the High Court and State Courts of Singapore, and also represents clients in domestic and international arbitration proceedings under the rules of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), the Grain and Feed Trade Association (GAFTA), and the Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC).

Ivan trained at a local Big Four law firm before moving to a specialist disputes boutique. From the early years of his practice, he was entrusted with substantial advocacy responsibilities, including contested hearings and trials. He conducted a 10-day High Court trial in his first year of practice and, in his second year, acted as Lead Counsel in a successful appeal before the Appellate Division of the High Court.

Ivan has since acted as Lead Counsel in a range of contested matters and is also regularly instructed by other lawyers to act as lead counsel in matters requiring advocacy support. His experience includes shareholder and investment disputes, property and trust claims, regulatory-adjacent litigation, and other commercial disputes. Prior to joining his current firm, he led the civil litigation practice at a firm headed by a former District Judge.

Work Highlights

• Lead Counsel – Represented a former director and shareholder in an 18-day trial involving claims of minority oppression and breach of trust, with a claim value exceeding S$18 million.
  
  

• Lead Counsel – Successfully argued an appeal before the Appellate Division of the High Court involving the right of survivorship, presumptions of resulting trust and advancement, and the Housing and Development Act (Lim Choo Hin v Lam Sai Ing Peggy [2021] SGHC(A) 22).
  
  
• Lead Counsel – Acted for a Singapore company in a 10-day High Court trial involving claims exceeding S$1 million, raising issues of mental capacity, non est factum, illegality, and the Moneylenders’ Act (North Star (S) Capital Pte Ltd v Megatrucare Pte Ltd [2021] SGHC 110).
  
  
• Lead Counsel – Successfully defended a global precision-engineering company against a S$2 million claim concerning allegedly defective motors supplied for tunnel ventilation fans in multiple MRT lines. All claims were dismissed.
  
  
• Lead Counsel – Represented a claimant in a S$20 million personal injury action against the Public Utilities Board. The matter was settled midway through trial.
  
  
• Lead Counsel – Acted for a group of 11 investors in claims exceeding S$6 million arising from an alleged Ponzi scheme. The matter was settled for a confidential sum.
  
  
• Lead Counsel – Successfully defended a leading hotel development and management group against claims for unlawful dismissal and defamation brought by a former HR Director. All claims were dismissed.
  
  
• Lead Counsel – Successfully resisted a summary judgment application by a commodities exporter for alleged non-payment of goods, involving complex issues relating to cross-border interbank transfers and funds intercepted by the Office of Foreign Assets Control.
  
  
• Lead Counsel – Represented a commodities trader in arbitration proceedings concerning non-delivery of goods valued in excess of US$1 million.
  
  
• Second Chair – Acted for the franchisee of a global fast-food chain in resisting an application for a prohibitory injunction involving trademark infringement and passing off.
  
  
• Second Chair – Represented appellants in the Court of Appeal in overturning a High Court decision involving claims exceeding S$6 million and issues concerning disclosure obligations in deeds of family arrangements (Navin Jatia and others v Ram Niranjan and another [2020] SGCA 31).
  
  
• Second Chair – Represented an accused person in criminal proceedings for cheating under section 420 of the Penal Code (Leck Kim Koon v Public Prosecutor [2021] SGHC 236).
  
  
• Second Chair – Acted for a relationship manager of a Singapore bank in defending a negligence claim exceeding S$800,000.

Contact Information

• [email protected]
• +65 6730 6016

​Qualifications

• LL.B. (Hons.), Leeds
• Advocate & Solicitor, Singapore

​Expertise

• Civil Litigation
• Commercial Litigation
• Domestic & International Arbitration
• Shareholder and Investments Disputes
• Property and Trust Claims
• Regulatory-adjacent Litigation​

​Languages

• English​

Profile [PDF]

ivanlee_250126.pdf
File Size:	1847 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

---