Singapore

Covenant Chambers is a tech-savvy law firm best known for its work in commercial and property disputes and related technology, media and IP matters. Over the past year, the firm’s litigation team has handled a broad range of contentious matters, from complex corporate and shareholder suits to high-profile property cases, tech/IP disputes, and employment conflicts. Many of these cases involve novel points of law. Incisive and forward-looking, the firm embraces technology in its practice and delivers on creative, efficient dispute solutions that align with clients’ long-term commercial goals. The firm’s capabilities span all levels of Singapore’s courts and international arbitration forums, and it is equally adept in alternative dispute resolution like mediation.  

The dispute practice is spearheaded by Deputy Managing Director Ronald JJ Wong and Director Khelvin Xu, who together drive the firm’s litigation strategy. Wong is a seasoned advocate with a strong focus on TMT and IP disputes. Xu brings particular expertise in commercial litigation and employment law, complementing the firm’s profile in TMT cases. Under their leadership, Covenant Chambers has expanded its caseload in the past year.  

The team’s recent matters showcase its ability to handle precedent-setting disputes. The firm achieved a significant victory in the Court of Appeal on behalf of two private property buyers, protecting them from an “unreasonable” forfeiture of deposit. In this high-profile case, a condominium developer had seized a S$1.2 million upfront payment after the buyers could not complete the purchase. The Covenant Chambers’ team, led by Managing Director Ee Yang Lee and Wong, successfully argued that such an exorbitant amount could not legally be treated as a true deposit. Singapore’s apex court agreed and in a landmark judgement, the Court of Appeal ordered the full sum returned to the buyers and laid down a new framework for determining when a contractually labelled deposit is unenforceable for being excessive. This outcome is now the leading authority on deposits in Singapore, providing guidance for countless property and commercial transactions where a large upfront payment is used to secure performance.  

Another standout matter was the firm’s role in Singapore’s largest anti-monopoly case to date, which tested the bounds of competition law. The firm acted for several food importers and distributors accused by regulators of participating in a price-fixing and market-sharing cartel. The lawyers guided the clients through a complex appeals process that culminated in a first-of-its-kind victory at the Competition Appeal Board (CAB). The case set an important precedent on how Singapore’s competition watchdog must prove collusion, underlining the firm’s ability to push boundaries in regulatory disputes. 

Covenant Chambers also frequently handles tech and IP-related litigation. One highlight involved a multi-jurisdictional patent infringement suit that the firm navigated to a successful resolution. In other tech matters, the firm has defended clients in high-stakes trade secret and confidential information cases. For example, in one ongoing suit, it obtained an injunction against a former R&D engineer to prevent misuse of proprietary data and algorithms.  

Beyond core commercial litigation, the firm manages a broad disputes docket. In the past year it was involved in defending litigation by liquidators to recover fraudulent transfers stemming from the fallout of one of Singapore's largest reported Ponzi schemes, it has advised high-net-worth individuals in cross-border trust and estate fights, and it has been involved in contentious construction cases, including acting for homeowners to claim liquidated damages from developers for project delays.