About LAW@CDC 2020
The Law Awareness Weeks (LAW)@CDC is a collaboration between Law Society Pro Bono Services (LSPBS) and the five Community Development Councils (CDCs), supported by the People's Association, National University of Singapore Faculty of Law, Singapore Management University School of Law, Singapore University of Social Sciences and the Singapore Corporate Counsel Association.
LAW@CDC is a nationwide effort to promote awareness and understanding of the law in the community through a series of talks, so that people living and working in Singapore may know their rights and be empowered when faced with common legal issues. This year, we are proud to have the Singapore Corporate Counsel Association (SCCA) join in this effort where 13 law awareness webinars will be aired ‘live’ online from 5 October - 13 November 2020.
The range of topics are issues faced in the day-to-day lives of Singaporeans including Employment, Family Violence, Divorce and You (Civil), Divorce and You (Syariah) and Advance Legal Planning. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we have added topics in response to these challenges during this time - Small Businesses in a Crisis, Dealing with Creditors (Individuals and Small Businesses), Freelancing in a Crisis, Working from Home (PDPA considerations for Employees and Small Businesses) as well as Landlord Tenancy Matters (Individuals/Small Businesses).
Our moderators together with our panellists, will discuss on the respective topics. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and clarify any doubts they may have on the law relating to the topics. Catered to audiences with no legal background, the legal talks aim to simplify legal jargon and explain the law as it applies to the man on the street.
Register for our webinars to learn about your rights and equip yourself on how to best handle basic legal issues!
Law and Me: Stronger Together
WEBINAR TOPICS
SPEAKERS AND MODERATORS
Click on the photos to view a brief profile of the speakers.
 Abigail LeeAbigail is the Executive Director of Healing Hearts Centre, and the current President of the Association for Play Therapy (Singapore). With close to 15 years of experience as a counsellor, play therapist, supervisor and trainer, Abigail works with children, adolescents, individuals and families who have experienced trauma, abuse and anxiety issues. She is a Certified Circle of Security Facilitator with Circle of Security International and a Certified TraumaPlay therapist and supervisor. |  Abigail TanAbigail is the Regional Legal Counsel at an e-commerce company. She specialises in intellectual property, employment, logistics and compliance. She is also a certified information privacy professional (Europe). Outside of work, she is involved in women’s rights initiatives. She spends spends her free time with her corgi, Bruno. |  Adisti Bte JalaniAdisti is the Principal Social Worker at PAVE. She heads PAVE’s casework team. She has a Masters degree in Social Work (NUS) and has more than a decade of experience as a practicing social worker. In the 11 years of her stint in PAVE, Adisti engaged persons who abuse, survivors of violence and children impacted by family violence both at casework as well as group work level. She has also given talks and presentations on the topic of dating and domestic violence at local and overseas platform |
|---|---|---|
 Alex LiamAlex is dual qualified in Singapore and Australia. He is the Head of Legal at Singapore’s second largest electricity producer and a diversified energy company. His purview spans all major corporate transactions, litigation and intellectual property. Concurrently, he volunteers at LSPBS' Community Legal Clinic |  Amalina KamalAmalina advocates for a collaborative approach towards the practice of family law with the view of achieving a solution that is practical and workable. Amalina believes that it is important for divorcing couples to be able to move on with their lives post-divorce in the least acrimonious way possible, especially where there are children involved and whose interests have to be protected. |  Andrew LeeAndrew is the Legal Counsel for the Singapore operations of a global education provider and was formerly an Associate Director at Drew & Napier LLC. His passions lie in dispute resolution, employment, intellectual property, data protection and family law. He’s found volunteering with LSPBS particularly rewarding and fun and looks to continue in his free time. |
 Berlin SohBerlin is an Associate in Fortis Law Corporation’s Private Client Practice Group. She has represented clients across a range of family law issues including disputes and divorces matters. She believes in collaborative dispute resolution, especially when children are involved. Apart from family-related disputes, Berlin advises on matters relating to estate planning and incapacity issues such as drafting of wills, Grant of Probate and Letters of Administration, execution of LPA and deputyship. |  Cory WongCory is the Senior Associate to prominent criminal lawyer Josephus Tan at Invictus Law Corporation. Cory specialises in criminal law. Cory is also familiar with cases involving community law. He was previously a police officer and had spent much time interacting with the community. As a lawyer, he continues to devote countless hours to spreading legal awareness. Cory graduated from the University of Warwick (UK). He is fluent in English and Mandarin. |  Dharma JayaramDharma has worked extensively in the public and private sectors over the last two decades holding various positions of responsibilities. She works in various fields of law like corporate, commercial, civil, criminal and family litigation. She gives talks and training sessions to government bodies and family service centres. Dharma currently runs Dharma Law LLC with other lawyers and has practice areas in estate matters, criminal, family, conveyancing and general litigation matters. |
 Elaine HoElaine is the Head of APAC Legal & Compliance at a leading global financial technology company which enables corporate finance professionals to transact faster, smarter and cheaper by digitizing their treasury management and working capital functions. Prior to this Elaine spent more than a decade practising in local and international law firms. Elaine is also an active grassroots leader in both Jalan Besar GRC and Holland-Bukit Timah GRC,& Vice Chairperson, Law Awareness Committee at LSPBS. |  Francis GohFrancis is a mediator, legal advisor and partner at Harry Elias Partnership LLP. He has nearly 30 years of experience in dispute resolution. He believes that with proper advice, parties can manage disputes and do business with confidence. He also advises clients on LPA, Wills, Probate etc. Francis serves on the Council of the Singapore Institute of Arbitrators as the Honorary Secretary & is a Senior Advocacy Trainer for The Law Society of Singapore. He regularly volunteers with LSPBS. |  Fong Wei LiWei Li is experienced in commercial and civil litigation, including arbitration and mediation. Wei Li enjoys sharing his experience. He is an active member of the Law Awareness Committee and is often invited to conduct public talks and seminars aimed at promoting legal knowledge and awareness among laypersons. Besides practising law, Wei Li lectures on a part-time basis at the Singapore Management University’s School of Law. |
 Gerald WiyatnoGerald is currently a regional legal counsel for a Chinese internet company. He focuses on Personal Data, Content, Regulatory Compliance & Employment. He has experience advising on employment, such as minimum benefits and protections, workplace discrimination, health and safety, employment aspects of tax, and personal data etc. As part of his public outreach, he has given several employment law talks. Gerald is happy to be giving back by volunteering for the annual LAWs. |  Genie GanGenie is a seasoned professional in international government relations, a lawyer called to the Singapore Bar, certified mediator and mediation coach, negotiator, public speaker, thought leader and community influencer. She currently heads government relations for Asia-Pacific in Kaspersky, a global cybersecurity company. Her previous roles include government policy officer, Singapore Delegate to the UN General Assembly, and Director for Representation & Law Reform at The Law Society. |  Gregory Vijayendran SCGregory is a partner in the Commercial Litigation Practice Group in Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP. He serves as President of The Law Society of Singapore and Vice President of the Singapore Academy of Law. He also serves as Chairman of LSPBS. Gregory has also had a unique, longstanding and direct and indirect service in various charities, and VWOs in Singapore. |
 Haziq Ika ZahidiHaziq focuses on providing SMEs with cost-effective representation for disputes involving complex legal and factual issues. Haziq also advises private individuals in both commercial and criminal matters. |  Halijah MohdHalijah graduated from National University of S’pore and was called to the bar in 1984. The focus of her practice is family law (in both civil and syariah courts). She is also part of Musawah (a global movement for equality in Muslim family). She had been involved in representations to Select Committee on several bills including Administration of Muslim Law Act, Women's Charter, Penal Code, and Maintenance of Parents Act. |  Jeremiah ChoyJeremiah has close to 30 years of experience in Singapore’s arts scene and with international experience that ranges from all around the world. He was awarded the inaugural Outstanding Kent Ridge Alumni award in 2010 and was the recipient of ST Life! Awards Best Supporting Actor 2019 for his role in Leda and the Rage. He was nominated for Best Director in 2002 for Machine. He is also an advocate for freelancers in Singapore. In 2019, he was presented an award by LSPBS. |
 June LimJune is the Managing Director of Eden Law Corporation, a low bono private law firm committed to providing competent and affordable legal representation to clients of modest means and underprivileged communities throughout Singapore. She has a keen interest in matrimonial matters involving child abductions/relocations and foreign wives living in and outside of Singapore. June volunteers with LSPBS' Criminal Legal Aid Scheme as well as with Legal Aid Bureau, Community Justice Centre and HOME. |  Lee Chia MingChia Ming is a Partner in Dentons Rodyk's Litigation and Arbitration practice groups. She acts for commercial clients and individual clients in a wide range of matters, and her practice includes a strong focus on high-value and cross-border commercial disputes. Chia Ming graduated from Singapore Management University in Bachelor of Laws (Summa Cum Laude) and Bachelor of Business Management (Summa Cum Laude). She has worked both in Singapore and in London. |  Low Seow LingSeow Ling is an Associate Director with Eden Law Corporation. She believes that legal representation should be within every individual's reach and plays a part in achieving this lofty goal by offering equitable, affordable and sustainable access to her legal services. Seow Ling is interested in Estate Planning. She enjoys formulating sustainable estate planning solutions for families with elderly and people with intellectual disabilities. She volunteers with the SNTC and MSF. |
 Liyen LimLiyen volunteers at LSPBS, Liyen has assisted in the development of materials for Law Awareness and helping with LSPBS’s annual fundraising gala and the Annual Report. She also creates content for and hosts legal webinars on a variety of topics. It is a project she greatly enjoys being a part of. She practiced as a corporate commercial lawyer for about 2 years, assisting in both High Court and Subordinate Court case. She has two teenage children. |  Margaret YeowMargaret has been practising family law since her call to the Bar in 1994. As a Director at Hoh Law Corporation, she specialises in family law, probate and estate administration and mental capacity applications. She is a Notary Public and a Commissioner of Oaths with the Singapore Academy of Law. Besides wearing multiple hats, she also volunteers as a panel deputy in pro-bono mental capacity applications and is also an accredited Professional Deputy and Donee. |  Mohammad RizuanRizuan graduated from the University of Manchester. He is the Joint Managing Partner of Emerald Law. Rizuan is a general practitioner and deals in a wide area of practice including but not limited to Civil and Criminal Litigation, Family Litigation and Syariah Divorces. He is also well versed in Muslim Estate Planning. Rizuan has a keen interest in civil matters particularly those involving companies and businesses. |
 Luo Ling LingLing Ling has served in the legal industry since 2008. An area of her expertise is in construction claims under the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act (SOPA). During her engagement in the Singapore civil service, Ling Ling served in The Office of the Public Guardian, Ministry of Social and Family Development, as a Policy Advisor and later became Assistant Director, Legal. She now runs her own firm. |  Michael ZhuMichael is a dedicated corporate counsel and currently serves as the General Counsel for Mercedes-Benz Taiwan, a subsidiary of Daimler Group in Taiwan. Before this role, Michael was a regional counsel for a US based company in Singapore. Michael is called to the bar in the state of California and New York. He has been working in Shanghai, Singapore and Taiwan for the past 10 years and is familiar with regional legal matters |  Mustafa Rasheed - Project HeadMustafa is a Project Head with the SME Centre and aside from his advisory work with SMEs and Start-ups he heads Outreach & Partnerships delivering speaking engagements and clinics at various forums, incubators, accelerators and co-working spaces. Aside from his work he is also an active volunteer contributing his expertise to various committees in Singapore. |
 Ng Bin HongBin Hong is currently a Senior Associate with Peter Low & Choo LLC, a boutique law practice specializing in litigation and dispute resolution. He is passionate about law and issues relating to the elderly and the mentally capacitated. He works closely with organisations such as MSF, Agency of Integrated Care, The Office of Public Guardian, as well as various nursing homes and family service centres in Singapore where he provides legal advice and other related services. |  Patrick TanPatrick, TEP is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Fortis Law Corporation. His areas of practice include general litigation and arbitration, wealth management, real estate and private client matters. He is a Notary Public, Commissioner for Oaths, a Fellow of the Singapore Institute of Arbitrators, as well as an accredited Associate Mediator with the Singapore Mediation Centre. He also currently serves as a Volunteer Mediator with the State Courts of Singapore. |  Patrick TayPatrick is the Assistant Secretary-General of NTUC and also Director of NTUC’s Legal Services and Strategy. Concurrently, he is an elected MP and the NTUC Central Committee. He chairs the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for Manpower and is a member of the GPC for Law and Home Affairs. He has been representing the Labour Movement in all the tripartite workgroups to review/update employment and industrial relations legislation. |
 Rajan ChettiarRajan set up a boutique family law firm, Rajan Chettiar LLC, which specialises in all aspects of family and personal laws. He is also an Associate Mediator with the Singapore Mediation Centre and volunteers as a mediation at the State Courts Centre for Dispute Resolution and Family Justice Courts Family Dispute Resolution Centre and the Community Mediation Centre. He is a collaborative lawyer, child representative, parent coordinator and a private mediator. |  Steven LamSteven is an advocate and solicitor specializing in insurance, reinsurance, oil & gas, international shipping & trade, cross border M&A and JV / community law. He is also a chartered arbitrator and certified mediator and adjudicator. Steven is also currently a Fellow of London’s Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Singapore Institute of Arbitrators, an Associate of the Singapore Institute of Taxation, and a Member of the Singapore Institute of Directors. |  Renita Sophia CrastaRenita presently serves as a Group Legal Counsel for one of Singapore’s largest listed real estate companies, advising on matters ranging from corporate, and litigation to real estate issues.Outside of work, Renita is a committee member with the Young Women’s Leadership Connection, as well as Family Support Services group of the Eurasian Association, and also actively volunteers, both in a pro bono legal capacity and otherwise, with several charity organisations. |
 Samuel YuenSamuel is the managing director of Yuen Law. He has a reputation for being able to proficiently straddle the complexities of commercial transactions and the intricacies of Intellectual Property laws. His sharp business acumen and mastery of the law has allowed him to provide innovative and cost effective solutions to his clients. Samuel is a firm supporter of start-ups and believes them to be vital to the Singaporean economy. |  Sarah-Mae ThomasSarah-Mae is Managing Director of Sarah-Mae Thomas LLC and is an Australia and Singapore qualified lawyer. She graduated from Monash University with an LLB (Hons)/BA degree in 2012. She advises and acts for clients in matrimonial proceedings including contentious and non-contentious divorce proceedings. This includes disputes on custody of and access to children, maintenance for wives and children and family violence. |  Sarita MisirSarita is Singapore-qualified transactional and technology lawyer practising in the areas of mergers and acquisitions (M&A), capital markets and information technology law, with a passion for employment law. She is currently Senior Vice President, Global Legal at a major Asia-Pacific focused international healthcare company, where she is the legal lead for global M&A, capital markets and healthcare tech. She is a volunteer at LSPBS and sits on the Law Awareness Committee. |
 Serene GanSerene is a senior regional legal counsel, qualified in Singapore and New York, with a background in Singapore and regional corporate work as well as commercial litigation. Serene provides practical legal advice to her clients, allowing them to capture business opportunities while effectively managing transactions, operations and on-the-ground legal risks. She is the co-chair of the Singapore Corporate Counsel Association Pro Bono Committee which aims to encourage pro bono spirit. |  Shaun LeeShaun is a Counsel in Bird & Bird ATMD LLP’s dispute resolution group. He is dual-qualified in Singapore and in the UK. He has appeared as counsel in arbitration and regulatory tribunal proceedings as well as across all levels of the Singapore courts including before the Singapore International Commercial Court (SICC). He is a member of the Law Awareness Committee and volunteers at pro bono legal clinics as well as a speaker for LSPBS. |  Susan TaySusan is a Lawyer/Parenting Coordinator with 31years in practice. Founder of OTP Law Corporation, Co-founder of PracticeForte Pte Ltd (manages PracticeForte Advisory since 2016) and Co-founder of PracticeForte Technologies Ltd. Despite being trained as a litigation lawyer, her calling is really in family law. Her meaning in life, apart from love, comes from people she represented many years ago turning up ago turning up and telling her that she changed their lives, for the better. |
 Thara MossCommercially minded, speaks 6 languages and an expert at working across cultures, Thara is a Senior Legal Counsel in the energy, resources, technology and defence space. Thara thrives on bridging the Legal-Commercial gap, being terrifyingly efficient and deep dives into contracts. Thara places great importance on giving back to the community and is a volunteer board member. In her spare time, Thara enjoys bouldering and savouring life’s simple pleasures. |  Tan Shen KiatShen Kiat has often been described as a combination of a lawyer and social worker by those that he worked with. He believes sleep is often underrated, and he needs at least 8 hours to behave humanely for the day. He is a delighted co-founder of KITH+KIN LLC - a dedicated estate planning and inheritance law firm with the mission to improve lives, one family at a time. |  Wang LianshengLiansheng is a Partner at BIH LI & LEE LLP. His expertise is in private client matters (i.e. family and probate matters), and he has experience in commercial, criminal, corporate and conveyancing matters. As a playwright, Liansheng has presented commissioned works with various arts festivals and institutions. In his free time, he enjoys watching theatre and dance performances. |
OUR PARTNERS
Law Awareness Weeks@CDC 2020 is brought to you by Law Society Pro Bono Services, in partnership with the People’s Association of Singapore, the five Community Development Councils, the Institutes of Higher Learning (National University of Singapore, Faculty of Law, Centre for Pro Bono Clinical Legal Education, Singapore Management University, Pro Bono Centre, Singapore Unversity of Social Sciences, School of Law) as well as Singapore Corporate Counsel Association.
OFFICIAL PR PARTNER
WEBINAR COLLABORATORS
Law Society Pro Bono Services
Law Society Pro Bono Services is an initiative by The Law Society of Singapore to help bring free legal assistance to those in need in our community. It is part of The Law Society's stated mission to ensure access to justice for all.
Our work is supported by our volunteers who give generously and selflessly of their time and expertise for the needy in our community and financially by contributions from individual lawyers, law practices, private donations, foundations, corporations and key stakeholders such as the Ministry of Law, TOTE Board and various community partners.
For more information on our pro bono programmes please visit https://www.lawsocprobono.org.
Community Development Councils
The Community Development Councils (CDCs) were established in 1997 to build a tightly-knit, compassionate and self-reliant community. The CDCs share the PA’s objectives of fostering community bonding and building social cohesion amongst the people of Singapore. They work closely with grassroots organisations, government agencies, voluntary welfare organisations and corporate partners to strengthen the social fabric of Singapore.
Through the CDCs, residents are able to forge strong community bonds, enabling the more able and successful to come forward to help the vulnerable in society. The five CDCs are Central Singapore CDC, North East CDC, North West CDC, South East CDC and South West CDC.
The CDCs' mission is to build a Caring and Cohesive Community, where we Assist the Needy, Bond the people, Connect the Community
For more information, please visit .
Centre for Pro Bono & Clinical Education, Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore
The Centre for Pro Bono & Clinical Legal Education is the central body that oversees and runs pro bono programmes and the clinical legal education programme at NUS Law. The Centre's activities have their roots in the rich tradition of pro bono work among staff and students.
Among its key objectives, the Centre seeks to develop and enhance legal skills in NUS Law students, particularly in community lawyering, and to build legal awareness programmes primarily targeted at the social service sector so as to strengthen legal assistance that can be provided to such organisations that promote the welfare of the vulnerable in society.
In doing so, the Centre aims to prepare NUS Law students for real-world practice by exposing them to the challenges of delivering quality legal service while serving the community.
For more information, please visit
Singapore Management University, Pro Bono Centre
As a stakeholder of the justice system, Singapore Management University (SMU) Pro Bono Centre has advocated a pro bono culture amongst law students through various pro bono programmes ever since the founding of the SMU School of Law in 2007.
The Centre handles all pro bono projects including running legal clinics at SMU, and organising and hosting programmes to raise pro bono consciousness. The Pro Bono Centre has been supported by the RHT Rajan Menon Foundation since 2017.
For more information, please visit
School of Law, Singapore University of Social Sciences
The SUSS School of Law’s primary focus is to support the nation’s efforts to train and produce first-rate practitioners in the areas of criminal law and family practice.
Accordingly, our LLB and JD programmes adopt a pedagogical approach that emphasises problem-solving, by splicing the learning of substantive law with practice-oriented application.
Exposure to cross-disciplinary fields, as well as opportunities for all students to engage meaningfully with members of both the Bar and the Judiciary, ensure that our graduates enter the profession primed for practice not just with the foundational knowledge and skills, but also a keen sense of purpose.
For more information, please visit
The Singapore Corporate Counsel Association
The Singapore Corporate Counsel Association Limited, is the national association serving the in-house community in Singapore. As connectivity is imperative to in-house lawyers in their day to day
projects and tasks, to make sensible and important resolutions to the organization they serve,
the SCCA aims to serve the needs of just that.
Currently, the SCCA reaches out to over 3000 in-house counsel in Singapore and continues to
grow its network and connections in the region and around the world with counsel ranging from
10,000 in APAC to 100,000 around the world.
It prides in building reputable training programs, toolkits, competency frameworks and skills required by domestic and regional corporate lawyers and will continue to be committed in this endeavour.
For more information, please visit
Contact Us
If you would like to organise a legal talk for your organisation as part of Law Awareness Weeks @CDC 2020, please click HERE to fill up a simple request form and we will follow up.
If you have any enquiries or feedback regarding Law Awareness Weeks@CDC 2020, please leave us a message and we will get back to you shortly.