Qualifications |
Director
DISPUTE RESOLUTION
COMPETITION LAW
About Voon Jiet
Voon Jiet graduated with First Class Honours from the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 2002. At NUS, he represented the law school in the Willem C. Vis International Arbitration Moot Competition in Vienna, where his team emerged as champion. Voon Jiet was admitted to the Singapore Bar as an advocate and solicitor in May 2003, and he has been with Drew & Napier since. In 2009, Voon Jiet pursued his Master of Laws at Harvard Law School, and resumed practice in Drew & Napier the following year.
Areas of Practice
Voon Jiet practices civil litigation, arbitration and competition law. The broad spectrum of cases that he has handled includes civil disputes involving banking and finance, commercial contracts, company law, insolvency, corporate fraud, tort and employment. Voon Jiet is also actively involved in advising clients on competition law matters, and has experience with competition law investigations, leniency applications, raids and appeals. Voon Jiet also regularly advises on regulatory and administrative law issues.
Experience
Corporate Disputes and International Arbitration
- Representing Lebanese parties against Saudi Arabian defendants in litigation relating to a joint venture investment dealing in oil futures derivatives in both the High Court and the Court of Appeal. The case is reported at [2004] SGHC 63.
- Acting for a director of a private equity investment group who was sued for alleged breach of fiduciary duties. The case involved a joint venture in a New Zealand food company, and concerned the validity of various securities in Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. The case is reported at [2006] SGHC 31 and [2007] SGCA 13.
- Representing a Swiss company in an international arbitration involving a US$11M joint venture dispute with an Indonesian entity, including the subsequent enforcement of the arbitral award in various jurisdictions.
- Representing a Middle Eastern oil trading company in an international arbitration involving various demurrage claims.
- Representing the liquidators of a Singapore company in respect of a claim for US$1.45 million in the High Court and Court of Appeal. The case is reported at [2008] SGHC 145.
- Representing a consumer association in the High Court in respect of a claim brought by a private school for an alleged unlawful suspension of membership in an accreditation scheme.
Competition and Antitrust
- Acting for a multinational company in respect of a worldwide cartel involved in price-fixing, bid-rigging, and customer, volume and market allocation. The cartel operated in multiple jurisdictions and applications for leniency were made to nine competition agencies in North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Oceania, including an application to the Competition Commission of Singapore for immunity. This required coordination and cooperation with numerous offshore legal firms and counsel.
- Defending the subsidiary of a listed company in an investigation by the Competition Commission of Singapore for alleged abuses of dominance under section 47 of the Competition Act.
- Representing the Consumer Association of Singapore in respect of an investigation by the Competition Commission of Singapore for alleged abuses of dominance in the private education industry.
- Representing a multinational company in respect of an investigation into potential breaches of section 34 of the Competition Act. This case involves on-site management and advice in relation to a ‘dawn raid’ conducted by the Competition Commission of Singapore.
- Conducting a comprehensive audit of a listed company’s business practices, existing agreements, and commercial arrangements to facilitate compliance with the Competition Act.
- Representing a US-based multinational corporation on an investigation by the US Department of Justice in connection with suspected “gun jumping” surrounding a pending merger.
- Representing a transport company in an investigation by the Competition Commission of Singapore on price-fixing activities.
- Acting for a prominent listed company in respect of a complaint filed with the Competition Commission of Singapore that alleged anti-competitive IT practices.
- Advising a leading broadcast and media company on various competition issues in relation to the Media Competition Code. These include issues such as exclusive dealing, mandatory bundling and predatory pricing.
- Advising the Info-communications Development Authority of Singapore on the implementation and operation of the Telecommunications Competition Code.
- Voon Jiet has drafted written submissions for prominent listed companies in the Ministry of Trade & Industry’s public consultations on the draft Competition Law Bill prior to the inception of competition law in Singapore, as well as the Media Development Authority of Singapore’s public consultations on the draft Revised Media Code.
Banking and Finance
- Representing a European bank in respect of various claims brought by its private banking clients for losses amounting to US$11M incurred in foreign exchange accumulators.
- Representing a European bank in litigation involving court proceedings in the United States, Switzerland, and Singapore, where allegations of money-laundering, conspiracy and impropriety were made concerning a bank officer’s conduct in handling the account of a private banking client.
- Acting for an international fund manager and venture capitalist in a dispute involving allegations by a Middle-Eastern investment group as to the mismanagement of investor funds amounting to more than US$200M in the Cayman Islands. The allegations raised issues under both Singapore and Cayman Islands law on corporate governance and the duties of a fund manager.
- Acting for an international bank in an action brought by its customer for pre-action discovery and interrogatories in respect of multi-million dollar Initial Public Offering transactions in Hong Kong.
Corporate Fraud
- Acting for a Singapore listed company in respect of an S$18M fraud in its Indian subsidiary. This included an investigation into the fraud and subsequent litigation against various parties.
- Acting for an educational institution in respect of a fraud perpetuated by its own administrator. The fraud was subsequently reported to law enforcement authorities.
Regulatory and Public Law
- Advising the Info-communications Development Authority of Singapore on a range of regulatory and administrative law matters. Many of these deal with the exercise of public law powers, including issues of natural justice, legitimate expectation and ultra vires.
- Advising an international bank on banking secrecy and disclosure of customer information to foreign regulatory authorities.
- Advising a New Zealand securities and futures brokerage firm on the treatment of funds held by a Capital Markets Services License Holder.
Insolvency
- Representing the largest creditor with claims of more than US$100M in insolvency proceedings involving a shipping company. This involved challenging a proposed Scheme of Arrangement and the appointment of Judicial Managers.
- Acting for the Receivers and Managers of a property belonging to a major construction company involved in a high-profile liquidation.
- Representing a Singapore company in opposing a winding-up petition filed by its minority shareholder.
Employment
- Acting for a Dutch-based multinational company on various employment matters, including termination of employment and retrenchment. Many of these matters involve cross-border employment issues in Hong Kong, China, Indonesia and Australia.
- Advising local and foreign companies in respect of employment and human resource matters, including practical advice on termination of management staff, enforcement of restraint of trade clauses, and conduct of investigations into potential breaches of fiduciary duties.
Publications and Papers
- Co-author of the Chapter titled “Investigations, Enforcement and Rights of Private Action” in Competition Law and Policy in Singapore (Academy Publishing, 2009).
- Co-author of “Competition Law in Singapore” in Competition and Antitrust Review 2008 (Euromoney Yearbooks, 2008).
- Delivered a paper entitled “Competition Investigations: A Practitioner’s Insight” at a seminar: Competition Law in Singapore – Practical insights for compliance (31 January 2008).
- Delivered a paper entitled “Trade Associations” at a competition law workshop organised by Asia Business Forum (31 October 2006).
Appointments / Memberships
- Member of the Singapore Academy of Law
- Member of the Law Society of Singapore.
- Member of the Professional Values Chapter of the Singapore Academy of Law Professional Affairs Committee (2010 – present)
- Member of the Inquiry Panel of the Law Society of Singapore (2011 – present)