Melvin Sng

Melvin is the Senior Partner of the firm’s Litigation, Arbitration & Investigations practice in Asia. He also co-heads the firm’s Restructuring and Insolvency practice in Asia.

Melvin advises major global financial institutions and corporations on their most sensitive and complex disputes and regulatory investigations in Asia. He has over 20 years of experience in commercial litigation and arbitration, often in the most high-profile disputes. He is acknowledged by Chambers Asia Pacific as an “esteemed litigator with a notable track record advising on regulatory investigations, as well as financial services litigation.”

Work highlights

Among many cases and investigations, Melvin has led or advised:

Contentious Regulatory & Investigations

• Moody’s Investors Service (Hong Kong) on an investigation and subsequent enforcement action initiated by the Securities & Futures Commission of Hong Kong in relation to the publication of a research report, including representing Moody’s in an appeal to the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal
• Standard Chartered Securities on an investigation and subsequent enforcement action initiated by the Securities & Futures Commission of Hong Kong (“SFC”) in relation to alleged failures as sponsor on the IPO of China Forestry Holdings
• a major global financial institution on an anti-money laundering investigation by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority concerning suspected failures relating to the bank’s correspondent banking business
• an asset management firm on an SFC dawn raid and investigation of potential insider dealing in respect of two separate trades that took place in 2018

Commercial Litigation

• a Chinese state-owned enterprise in a complex shareholder dispute relating to China Shanshui Cement, involving multiple proceedings in Hong Kong, PRC and the Cayman Islands
• a Chinese investment company in multiple sets of proceedings before the Hong Kong Courts involving breach of fiduciary duty claims against former de facto and shadow directors with respect to a failed investment in the PRC
• a global financial institution in proceedings before the English and PRC courts in connection with multimillion U.S. dollar metal financing fraud in Qingdao
• the Hong Kong liquidators of Lehman Brothers and MF Global in the winding-up and liquidation of the Asian entities of Lehman Brothers and MF Global
• Kookmin Bank in a dispute with the beneficiary of a performance guarantee involving proceedings in the English courts and an appeal to the UK Supreme Court resulting in the leading judgment of Rainy Sky SA & Ors v. Kookmin Bank on contractual interpretation

Commercial Arbitration

• a major Japanese trading house in a Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) arbitration relating to a claim in excess of US$100m for breach of warranties relating to the disposal of a water treatment business in the PRC
• a leading Asia gaming group in a SIAC arbitration relating to a multimillion U.S. dollar claim arising under a hotel management agreement
• a global oil & gas group in a United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) arbitration relating to a claim in excess of US$120m against its joint venture partners arising out of a joint operating agreement for two oil and gas fields in India
• a global oil & gas group in an arbitration under the Indian Arbitration Act relating to a multi-million U.S. dollar claim for unpaid sums due to the Gas Authority of India

Melvin regularly writes for Global Investigations Review. His articles include:

“China: handling internal investigations”, The Asia-Pacific Investigations Review 2018, September 2017, with Justin Tang and Steven Pettigrove

“China: handling internal investigations”, The Asia-Pacific Investigations Review 2017, September 2016, with Justin Tang and Shanshan Huang

Melvin holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from King’s College, University of London and obtained a Graduate Diploma in Management from the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology.

He is fluent in English, Cantonese and Mandarin.