Michelle Yeo

White-collar crime

• Advised the APAC subsidiary of a Tokyo Stock Exchange-listed multinational company on the criminal implications of a former employee’s fraudulent activity. Drafted and filed a comprehensive police report setting out the findings of our team’s highly complex investigations into the employee’s criminal conduct.
• Advised a client in relation to their potential criminal exposure under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act 1992 regarding their role in the company behind one of the world’s biggest cryptocurrency collapses. Worked closely with US counsel to minimise our shared client’s criminal exposure and to ensure a consistent stand across jurisdictions.
• Represented two defendants in a high-profile private corruption matter involving the Japanese car parts retailer Autobacs. Resisted the Prosecution’s initial sentencing positions of 34 months’ and 26 months’ imprisonment to reach an eventual position of 20 months’ and 4 months’ imprisonment respectively.
• Advised a client in relation to their potential criminal exposure under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act 1992 regarding their role in the company behind one of the world’s biggest cryptocurrency collapses. Worked closely with US counsel to minimise our shared client’s criminal exposure and to ensure a consistent stand across jurisdictions.
• Representing an individual accused of conspiring in a corrupt scheme in a long-running criminal trial with complex procedural issues.
• Advising the family of a high-net-worth individual accused of committing corruption and facing a potential imprisonment term of tens of years in one of Singapore’s highest-profile private corruption matters in recent years.
• Conducted private prosecutions for the Infocomm Media Development Authority against private companies which damage underground cables.

International arbitration and complex commercial litigation

• Acted for United States-based purchasers of a private aircraft, valued in excess of USD 6 million, in an international arbitration commenced under the SIAC rules. We successfully obtained an order for interim relief against the China-based sellers who had failed to deliver the aircraft as required by an international aircraft purchase agreement to which they were party, and eventually succeeded in having the aircraft delivered to the purchasers. The dispute involved a claim for specific performance of an international aircraft purchase agreement and complex cross-border issues such as whether certain technical conditions precedent were fulfilled, as well as what steps our clients had to take to fulfil the requirements for aircraft re-registration. Parties also raised novel arguments on the Emergency Arbitrator’s jurisdiction to modify the Emergency Award.
• Represented the minority shareholder of a Myanmar joint venture worth around USD 250 million in a SIAC arbitration filed by the minority shareholders against the majority shareholder for breaches of contract.
• Advised and represented a leading international health and security risk management corporation accused of breaching its seller’s warranties in relation to the transnational sale of a medical supplies business, and helped them to reach a resolution with the Buyers, a London Stock Exchange-listed multinational company.
• Advised the directors and majority shareholders of a large family-owned sports retailer on pre-litigation strategy against a China-based rogue director and minority shareholder in a dispute worth around USD 200 million.
• Advised the Respondents, one of India’s largest telecommunications companies, in an appeal against a decision in the Singapore High Court upholding a shareholder’s resolution, leading to the appeal being withdrawn.

Advisory

• Regularly advise a western High Commission on various matters ranging from questions on diplomatic immunity to criminal procedure to compliance with local employment laws.
• Advised one of the largest local universities on a number of cross-border copyright infringement claims arising from the University’s use of allegedly infringing material in its online publications. Advised the University on any potential exposure and managed its negotiations with counterparties, eventually reaching successful resolution of all matters.
• Advising a local Statutory Board on various matters related to its enforcement powers and procedures, including drafting its Grounds of Decision in relation to regulatory breaches.
• Advised a Chinese State-owned company on criminal procedure and on the recently implemented Deferred Prosecution Agreement regime in relation to one of Singapore’s highest-profile public sector corruption cases in recent years.
• Advised a major Chinese vehicle design and manufacturing company on its regulatory compliance obligations for operating in Singapore, including its data protection and road traffic obligations.
• Advised a bank on its obligations under Singapore economics sanctions regulations in relation to a potential transaction, worth around SGD 100 million, with a high net worth individual.