Singapore

Lighthouse Law is a boutique law firm known for its white-collar crime and commercial disputes practices. Founded in 2022, the firm quickly positioned itself as a go-to for complex criminal defence, regulatory investigations and high-stakes civil litigation, often with cross-border elements. The firm joined the global Aliant network in 2023, bolstering its international reach and linking its lawyers with a network of offices on five continents. Last year, the team expanded by bringing on board the litigation practice of Muslim Albakri, a veteran white-collar and commercial litigator who specialises in economic crime and fraud cases. Today, under the leadership of managing partner and highly regarded criminal defence lawyer and litigator Adrian Wee, and key partners Rachel Soh and Albakri, the firm fields an agile dispute resolution team adept in white-collar crime, regulatory enforcement, commercial litigation, international arbitration, real estate and trust disputes, and asset recovery. This broad yet focused expertise has fueled strong momentum over the past 12 months, as Lighthouse Law took on several prominent matters of public interest in Singapore while continuing to advise corporate clients on confidential investigations and cross-border disputes. 

White-collar criminal defence has been a particular bright spot for the firm’s growth. Following the arrival of Albakri and his team, Lighthouse Law has been instructed on a number of high-profile prosecutions and investigations, especially those involving alleged fraud, corruption, money laundering and securities offences. In a headline-grabbing case the team defended a former police officer who was accused of helping a global scam syndicate launder S$10.3 million through a shell company. The ex-police staff sergeant claimed trial and was convicted on nine charges of acquiring and transferring criminal proceeds on behalf of foreign fraudsters, who had tricked a French company into paying for non-existent pandemic supplies. After a dramatic trial that revealed how Singapore was used as a conduit for international scam funds, the High Court sentenced the defendant to eight years and eight months’ imprisonment. The Lighthouse team immediately filed an appeal against the conviction and sentence on its client’s behalf. The case, which saw the firm vigorously contest the prosecution’s evidence and legal theories, has been closely watched as one of Singapore’s largest money-laundering prosecutions in recent years, underscoring the firm’s skill in navigating multi-jurisdictional financial crime cases involving millions in illicit funds and novel points of law.  

The firm has also been active on the regulatory and investigations front. The firm was engaged to represent the chief financial officer of a technology company at the centre of a US-led export control probe involving Nvidia computer chips. The CFO is under scrutiny for allegedly helping arrange sales of high-end GPUs to entities in China in circumvention of US sanctions. This matter, which spans Singapore, the US and China, highlights the firm’s ability to advise clients caught in global enforcement actions, coordinate with foreign counsel and manage the delicate interplay between different jurisdictions’ laws. The firm has been guiding the client through investigative interviews and evidence reviews, and providing strategic counsel on Singapore’s mutual legal assistance obligations to US authorities, all while protecting the client’s rights.  

On the commercial litigation side, the firm has represented a mix of corporates, SMEs and individuals in contentious matters ranging from shareholder and director disputes to property and trust litigation. The firm has been involved in a string of crypto-related disputes as Singapore grapples with fraud and failures in the digital assets space. Earlier this year, the team acted in the first prosecution against the leaders of A&A Blockchain Innovation, a collapsed cryptocurrency mining scheme that raised S$1.8 million from investors and turned out to be a Ponzi scam. The firm defended the startup’s Chief Technology Officer, who faced multiple charges for his role in the fraud. This matter, involving the intersection of traditional fraud charges with novel digital assets, positions the firm at the cutting edge of Singapore’s emerging cryptocurrency enforcement landscape.  

Client feedback 

Adrian Wee 

“He is innovative, solution-focused, and has deep knowledge.” 

“Adrian is adept at managing issues that arise in the course of proceedings, especially dealing with multiple parties and counsel.”