Singapore

Setia Law is a specialist high-stakes disputes and crisis management practice in Singapore with an unswerving focus on complex litigation and arbitration. Co-founded in 2023 by veteran advocates Danny Ong and Yam Wern-Jhien, the young firm has swiftly become a prominent conflicts-free hub for major commercial, financial, and technology-related disputes. Setia’s lean, senior-led team is prized for its ability to deliver big-firm expertise through a nimble platform, a combination of technical excellence and pragmatic strategy. Its lawyers are known for cutting through complexity at critical moments, drawing on decades of collective experience and a record of guiding clients through global crises and unprecedented legal challenges. Notably, Ong was elevated to the rank of Senior Counsel in January 2026, one of the youngest lawyers to receive this honour in Singapore. 

Cross-border, high-value disputes are at the core of Setia’s practice. The firm has particular strength in matters involving finance, technology, and digital assets, from banking and securities litigation to high-tech intellectual property and fintech controversies. The firm is especially recognised for its thought leadership in the blockchain and cryptocurrency domain, where it has handled multiple crypto-related disputes in and beyond Singapore, leveraging pioneering experience in obtaining court relief over digital assets. Its lawyers have also represented leading global technology companies, such as Microsoft, Nokia, Rakuten and STMicroelectronics, in a range of disputes, underscoring the breadth of their expertise beyond purely financial cases.  

Setia Law’s capabilities have been put to the test in landmark disputes over the past year. Last summer, the firm acted for global pharmaceutical leader Novo Nordisk in obtaining and defending a US$730 million worldwide freezing injunction from the Singapore International Commercial Court. The injunction was granted in support of an ICC arbitration against a Chinese biotech company accused of fraud in a US$1.3 billion drug acquisition, and was upheld despite a vigorous challenge by the defendants. In the same case, the firm also secured Singapore’s first-ever “anti-anti-suit injunction” to stop parallel proceedings in Denmark that were aimed at undermining the Singapore court’s orders. These unprecedented measures helped preserve the client’s rights and assets across multiple jurisdictions. They also demonstrated the Singapore courts’ willingness to grant robust interim relief in aid of foreign arbitrations and to prevent vexatious litigation abroad. 

In another groundbreaking highlight, the Setia team acted for a UK claimant which produced Singapore’s first reported validation of a third-party litigation funding agreement in a standard court proceeding. The firm’s client, a financially distressed individual enforcing £31.2 million in UK judgments against a Singapore-based debtor, would have been unable to pursue her claims but for a professional funder stepping in. The defendant sought to strike out the enforcement action as “champertous,” arguing that litigation funding outside of insolvency or international arbitration was unlawful in Singapore. The High Court rejected that challenge, holding that the funding arrangement was permissible and not an abuse of process. This precedent-setting decision opened the door for broader use of third-party funding in general commercial cases in Singapore.