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Singapore Law Watch
30-07-2025
- Business
- Singapore Law Watch
New movement to help Singapore lawyers with their mental health and sustainability of profession
New movement to help Singapore lawyers with their mental health and sustainability of profession Source: Straits Times Article Date: 30 Jul 2025 Author: Samuel Devaraj Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon said the movement represents a collective commitment to ensure that lawyers remain in the profession. A movement to help lawyers to eliminate unnecessary stresses in their job, promote work-life balance, and foster a healthier and sustainable workplace culture was launched on July 29. The Mindful Business Movement was launched on July 29 during the Legal Profession Symposium 2025. Speaking at the symposium that was held at Parkroyal Collection Pickering, Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon said the movement represents a collective commitment to ensure that lawyers remain in the profession. He said: 'The Mindful Business Movement aims to drive awareness and adoption of the sustainability principles, support their practical implementation in legal workplaces and promote the mental health and well-being of members of the profession.' Under the movement is a set of sustainability principles developed in response to feedback gathered during various focus group discussions that would be disseminated to law firms. The principles include having smart meetings and communications, advocating that meetings are planned properly and run efficiently. Another principle is supporting rest and growth, with firms urged to provide mental wellness resources. Firms are also told to set aside protected time for training and mentoring. Another principle is mindful delegation, which entails providing junior staff with clear instructions that include sufficient context, and setting deadlines that are realistic, transparent and appropriately negotiable. The Chief Justice said the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) will develop a five-step guide to flesh out the sustainability principles. The Mindful Business Movement was launched in partnership with various groups, including SAL and the Britain-based Mindful Business Charter. In an interview with The Straits Times on July 22, SAL chief executive Yeong Zee Kin said the goal of the Mindful Business Movement is to inculcate workplace practices that can lead to sustainable legal careers. Elaborating on mindful communication, Mr Yeong spoke about boundaries in the workplace and how bosses should consider if an issue is urgent before sending an e-mail or message to their subordinates over the weekend or after work hours. If the matter is urgent, the boss should explain why it is so, he said. 'Being a bit more mindful and smart in the way we communicate – that's actually an important aspect,' he added. The Mindful Business Charter, which was launched in 2018, was founded by Barclays Bank and two of its panel law firms. It now has 140 signatories, including businesses outside the legal sector. The charter's chief executive officer, Mr Richard Martin, used to be a lawyer but left the profession to join the field of workplace culture after he recovered from a serious mental breakdown that occurred in 2011. He told ST that the charter began with conversations about the mental health crisis faced by legal practitioners, and that while there have been efforts to raise awareness about the issue and support those struggling, there was little discussion about the causes in the workplace. Mr Martin said that in the legal profession, there is a mindset that lawyers need to do everything their clients ask for and to do it as quickly as possible, at the expense of their own well-being. 'I think that is certainly very present in Singapore as it is in other parts of the world, and it's not an easy mindset to change,' he said, adding that employers and lawyers need to be more caring towards themselves and each other. Meanwhile, to help address young litigators' disillusionment about a lack of opportunities, CJ Menon said the courts' practice directions will be amended to provide junior litigators with a greater role in oral advocacy. Among these changes, junior assisting counsel in hearings in the Court of Appeal, the Court of Three Judges and the Appellate Division, as well as appeals in the General Division of the High Court, will now be 'ordinarily expected' to make part of the oral submissions. Said the Chief Justice: 'It is our hope that these changes will make a concrete and meaningful difference to our young litigators. 'But for these initiatives to achieve their intended outcomes, we will need our senior colleagues to embrace them in the right spirit, and to convince their clients that it is ultimately in their interests for certain advocacy tasks to be delegated to junior counsel because it reduces legal costs and allows lead counsel to focus on the main advocacy tasks at hand.' Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction. Print
Singapore Law Watch
16-07-2025
- Business
- Singapore Law Watch
$3b money laundering case: MinLaw acts against 4 law firms and 1 lawyer over seized properties
$3b money laundering case: MinLaw acts against 4 law firms and 1 lawyer over seized properties Source: Straits Times Article Date: 16 Jul 2025 Author: Samuel Devaraj The Director of Legal Services, a department under MinLaw, conducted investigations into 24 law practices, and 11 of the probes have been concluded. The Ministry of Law (MinLaw) has taken four law firms and one lawyer to task for anti-money laundering breaches over the purchase of properties in the $3 billion money laundering case, with one of the practices receiving the maximum penalty of $100,000. In a press release on July 15, MinLaw said it is supporting the Director of Legal Services (DLS) in conducting inquiries into the law practices that were involved in the conveyancing of the real estate seized in an anti-money laundering operation in August 2023. It said the DLS conducted investigations into 24 law practices that were involved, and 11 of the probes have been concluded. The DLS heads the Legal Services Regulatory Authority, which is a department under MinLaw that oversees the regulation of all law practice entities and the registration of foreign lawyers in Singapore. The DLS has ordered two law practices to pay financial penalties of $30,000 and $100,000 respectively. A third law practice was issued a statutory notice of the intention to order it to pay a financial penalty of $70,000. A final decision will be made after receiving and considering the firm's written representations, if any, MinLaw said. The ministry added that the DLS privately reprimanded a fourth law practice, and also referred one lawyer to the Law Society of Singapore for disciplinary action. MinLaw did not name the four law practices and the lawyer that have received enforcement action in its press release. The Straits Times has contacted the ministry for more information. The DLS has decided it will not be necessary to take further regulatory action against seven other law practices. Said MinLaw: 'The DLS is considering the inquiry findings for the remaining 13 law practices, and whether any lawyers concerned should be referred to the Law Society of Singapore for disciplinary action.' Among its roles, the Law Society maintains the standards of conduct of the legal profession in Singapore. MinLaw added that a law practice that breaches its anti-money laundering obligations can face regulatory control action against its licence. In response to queries from ST, a MinLaw spokesperson said law practices found to have breached their anti-money laundering obligations under the Legal Profession Act may be given a warning, ordered to pay a penalty of up to $100,000, or have their law practice licence suspended or revoked. A lawyer who breaches his or her anti-money laundering obligations can face disciplinary proceedings, which could result in monetary penalties, suspension from legal practice or disbarment. Singapore's largest case of money laundering involving $3 billion in cash and assets saw 10 foreigners arrested in multiple islandwide raids here on Aug 15, 2023. The nine men and one woman, who were originally from Fujian, China, were jailed, deported and barred from re-entering Singapore. MinLaw noted that all law practices and lawyers are subject to anti-money laundering obligations under the Legal Profession Act. These obligations include analysing money laundering risks relating to each client and performing customer due diligence measures that are commensurate with the client's risk profile. A law practice or lawyer also must file a suspicious transaction report (STR) with the police if they suspect the client may be engaged in money laundering, MinLaw noted. It added that if a law practice or lawyer decides to continue to act for the client despite these suspicions, it should substantiate and document the reasons for the decision. It must also adopt enhanced customer due diligence and monitoring measures. MinLaw said law practices must also have internal anti-money laundering policies, procedures and controls that fulfil the regulatory requirements and are sufficiently robust. The ministry said it issued a guidance note to the legal industry on June 23 to highlight the responsibilities of law practices and lawyers under their statutory anti-money laundering obligations. The note covered areas including analysing client risk, identifying material red flags, establishing a client's source of wealth and the timeline for filing an STR. MinLaw said that while Singapore has a comprehensive anti-money laundering regime, the landscape is constantly changing as new money laundering risks and methods emerge. It added: 'Everyone has a role in ensuring that Singapore's anti-money laundering systems continue to be robust, from the law enforcement agencies, to the service providers such as the financial institutions and law practices, to the general public.' The law firms and lawyer were the latest to be dealt with in relation to the $3 billion money laundering case. On July 4, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said nine financial institutions were given $27.45 million in composition penalties, and action was taken against 18 staff. MAS said the financial institutions did not adequately check on customers' sources of wealth, even though there were discrepancies in the documents they had provided. Eight of the nine institutions did not adequately investigate suspicious transactions flagged by their own systems. For the staff, breaches included failure to detect or adequately assess multiple deficiencies during the onboarding of higher-risk customers. Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction. Print
Straits Times
29-06-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Corrupt company director relieved to be arrested as he wouldn't need to pay any more bribes: CPIB investigator
Corrupt company director relieved to be arrested as he wouldn't need to pay any more bribes: CPIB investigator Samuel Devaraj The Straits Times June 28, 2025 In 2012, an anonymous letter landed in the mailbox outside the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) headquarters in Lengkok Bahru. The writer claimed there was an established practice of corruption in a company in the waterproofing and general works industry. Another letter arrived several months later with more information. CPIB officers investigated the claims and unravelled a web involving 89 people, including managing agents, contractors and property agents, who took money from the company documented in financial records as "referral fees". This is one of the highest number of bribe recipients in a corruption case in Singapore, said CPIB. At the centre was the company's director, who adopted this practice so that the recipients would be motivated to recommend his company for future work orders. Between January 2011 and February 2014, he offered bribes of about $461,600 to the 89 people. The individual amounts ranged between $100 and $19,000. In 2016, the then 43-year-old Singaporean director was sentenced to 30 months' jail after pleading guilty to 20 counts of corruption, with 517 other charges taken into consideration. CPIB's deputy director at the enterprise projects office, Mr Phua Meng Geh, was then heading the investigation unit assigned to the case. Speaking to The Straits Times on June 25 at the CPIB headquarters, he said this case highlighted Singapore's intolerance against corruption, no matter the value of the bribe. Mr Phua, who has been with the CPIB for 27 years, added: "I think there is this thinking with many people that a lot of these (business) practices are a way of life. "We are not saying you cannot give tokens of appreciation. What we are saying is if there is a corrupt favour attached to it, then that is where we need to take a very strong stance against it." PHOTO: THE STRAITS TIMES Of the 89, 21 were charged, while the rest were given stern warnings. Eight of the 21 were given jail sentences of between four and 20 weeks. All 21 were fined between $9,000 and $40,000, and were ordered to pay penalties amounting to the gratification they received. Apart from the company director, six of the company's staff received jail terms of between four weeks and 13 months. Six others were handed fines of between $4,000 and $16,000. During court proceedings, it was revealed that some employees were paid fixed salaries, while others received commissions. For those on fixed salaries, the director would pass the "referral fees" to them, and they would hand these to the clients. For those on commission, they had to contribute towards the clients' fees to motivate these sales staff to secure the highest possible contract value. Mr Phua said that after they were called up for investigations, some said the giving of the "referral fees" was a business practice. He added that while the full implications of their actions might not have dawned on them at the time, ignorance is no excuse under the law, especially for an act like corruption. He noted that the company director had said when the firm was small that the sums of money were given as a token of appreciation. Mr Phua said: "When he first started out, his business wasn't that fantastic. He realised that by giving small tokens of appreciation, it helped his business a lot." As his business grew to become one of the more established players in the waterproofing industry here, those receiving bribes demanded more money. When the director was arrested, Mr Phua said the man was relieved he would not need to continue paying the bribes. Following the case, Mr Phua said CPIB stepped up its anti-corruption educational efforts within the building and maintenance industry, and engaged the Association of Property and Facility Managers, and the Association of Strata Managers. Mr Phua reminded managing agents to have transparent dealings with contractors. For the business community, he said that if they start offering such payments, then they will end up paying more and more until their business does not become viable. Highlighting the consequences of such practices, he added that the victims are home owners who may have to pay more after the inflated fees are paid by the Management Corporation Strata Title. Mr Phua said: "If left unchecked, the managing agent who receives money would eventually become beholden to the contractors and could be forced to return the favour by bending rules or closing an eye here or there. "Some of this may amount to safety breaches." He cited the example of managing agents who need to ensure safety measures are in place for workers and residents when carrying out works involving the use of scaffolding. "When they start deviating on some of these things in return for 'referral fees', the consequences can be severe," said Mr Phua. The number of workplace deaths in Singapore rose from 36 in 2023 to 43 in 2024. One of the top causes was the collapse or breakdown of structures and equipment, said the Ministry of Manpower. Highlighting Singapore's zero-tolerance stance against corruption, Mr Vincent Lim, deputy director at CPIB, said it will take action against anyone for offering or receiving bribes. He added: "Those who resort to corrupt means to get ahead in businesses will face the consequences under the law." Click here to contribute a story or submit it to our WhatsApp Get more of Stomp's latest updates by following us on:
Singapore Law Watch
22-05-2025
- Business
- Singapore Law Watch
New Law Academy programme will help young lawyers with ethical GenAI use, difficult clients
New Law Academy programme will help young lawyers with ethical GenAI use, difficult clients Source: Straits Times Article Date: 22 May 2025 Author: Samuel Devaraj The Junior Lawyers Professional Certification Programme (JLP) will address key challenges facing the legal industry, including high attrition rates and limited practical training, as well as the growing impact of GenAI on legal work. A new programme launched by the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) on May 21 is aimed at supporting young lawyers in areas such as the ethical use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and dealing with difficult clients. SAL said in a press release that the Junior Lawyers Professional Certification Programme will address key challenges facing the legal industry, including high attrition rates and limited practical training, as well as the growing impact of GenAI on legal work. Open to lawyers with under five years of post-qualification experience, the programme offers practical training in disputes and corporate practice, imparts management skills and reinforces principles of professional ethics. Its opening conference, which is compulsory for participants to attend, was held at the Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay hotel on May 21. Speaking at the event, SAL's chief executive Yeong Zee Kin said the wave of technological disruption, in particular GenAI, has 'smashed into the shores of legal practice'. He said AI will automate many entry-level legal tasks, affecting the learning opportunities for young lawyers. The clients also expect more from lawyers, since online tools are available that can generate contracts and produce litigation strategies that look very sound and sound very credible. Mr Yeong said: 'The profession can no longer afford to wait four to eight years for lawyers to 'grow into' their roles. '(The Junior Lawyers Professional Certification Programme) is our first step in answering and meeting these tectonic shifts. Developed with support from the Institute for Adult Learning, it introduces new pedagogies to accelerate the development of legal insight, strategic thinking and judgment. 'We want our junior lawyers to take flight – and (the new programme) provides that shorter runway that they need.' For example, a programme module participants can select helps them to prepare for, deal with, and assist in civil trial proceedings. Another module covers cross-examining witnesses in such court proceedings. The module on legal innovation focuses on the application of legal tech tools and GenAI in practice, while the one on client management covers interviewing clients and dealing with the difficult ones. Other modules include those on understanding financial statements and cross-border contract drafting and negotiation. SAL said course participants may be self-funded or sponsored by law firms. It is also working with SkillsFuture Singapore to secure funding of up to 70 per cent of costs for eligible individuals and small and medium-sized enterprises. At the opening conference, Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon highlighted the changing nature of legal work and the more challenging environment in which lawyers operate. He also cited a survey conducted at the 2025 admission ceremony for lawyers, in which around 60 per cent of the respondents indicated that they were likely to move out of legal practice within the next five years to pursue an in-house career, employment in academia or employment with other legal service providers. A third of the respondents had also indicated that they were likely to leave the legal profession altogether in that time, he noted. Chief Justice Menon said the most commonly cited reasons were excessive workload or poor work-life balance, a higher salary or compensation package elsewhere, the impact work had on their mental well-being, a lack of flexibility in their working arrangements and poor workplace culture. Noting that he had on previous occasions explained why such findings ought to be of significant concern, he added: 'I have also suggested how we might go about addressing this challenge, such as by ensuring that law firms develop concrete policies to implement sustainable workplace practices, and by communicating and instilling the values foundational to the practice of law.' Mr Shashi Nathan, a joint managing partner at Withers KhattarWong, told The Straits Times that the new programme can help young lawyers develop practical, transferable skills that are essential for long-term success in the profession. 'Structured exposure to topics such as client handling, legal project management and ethical judgment helps junior lawyers build confidence and develop a more holistic understanding of their role,' he said. Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction. Print
