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Deborah is a partner in the litigation and arbitration team.
Deborah Barker, S.C. was called to the Bar on 19 January 1977 and was appointed Senior Counsel on 6 January 2001. She has worked for more than three decades in the areas of civil and commercial litigation and has extensive experience in both trial and appellate litigation.She has acted for banks, financial institutions, government-linked bodies, insurance companies and multinational corporations in a wide range of matters and has been instructed to act in various complex corporate and trust claims, family and property related matters and cross-border disputes. She has argued numerous appeals before the Court of Appeal, including an appeal from a decision of the Singapore International Commercial Court. She has also conducted numerous arbitrations, both local and international and has handled various arbitration-related court proceedings. She has been appointed as a Notary Public.
Her areas of practice include Arbitration; Civil and Commercial Litigation; Family Law; Corporate and Commercial Law; Property Law; Employment Law and Labour Relations; Banking, Finance and Securities; Estates and Trusts, Landlord and Tenant, Hire-Purchase, Leasing and Factoring; and Bankruptcy and Insolvency.
She has acted as Chairman of the Disciplinary Tribunal in various matters arising from complaints to the Law Society.
Recent recognition
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Track record
Breach of Contract
[2023] SGHC 144: Konica Minolta Business Solutions Asia Pte Ltd v NPE Print Communications Pte Ltd.
Breach of Contract
Acted for an Indonesian company in a claim exceeding USD 30 million against a Malaysian conglomerate in relation to a project for the development of land and successfully settling the same after mediation.
Easement / Right of access
Acted for a company linked to Singapore's sole national trade union in a claim relating to easements and right of access for land encircled by neighbouring land.
Misrepresentation
[2024] SGHC 133: Acting in a claim against an expert for misrepresentation.
A major Singaporean communications services provider
Represented the Company and its Chief Executive Officer, who are co-defendants in an ongoing litigation commenced by an ex-employee of the Company in respect of alleged wrongful termination of employment, and alleged defamation by the Company's Chief Executive Officer.
Alleged wrongful termination and defamation
Represented the Company and its Chief Executive Officer, who are co-defendants in an ongoing litigation commenced by an ex-employee of the Company.
Fraud and conspiracy involving 4 jurisdictions
[2023] SGHC(A) 37, [2020] SGHC 29: Represented 4 Cypriot companies with respect to a claim of more than USD22milion based on fraud and conspiracy commenced by the Singapore -based investment arm of a Japanese public listed company.
Evidence by video link
[2020] SGCA 5: Anil Singh Gurm vs J S Yeh & Co. and another - Successfully obtained leave in the Court of Appeal for a foreign witness to give evidence by video-link from Australia. The witness had a fear of being prosecuted for an offence under Singapore's Residential Property Act were he to come to Singapore. In a ground-breaking decision, the Court of Appeal held that this was not a bar to his giving evidence by video-link.
Talks
‘My Property and the property of others: Acquiring and disposing ownership of land (including HDB flats) and acquiring and defending other property rights', Grassroots Club on Me - 16 March 2013, lecturer
Insight
External publications
Author of A Guide to Termination of Employment in Singapore published by Lexis-Nexis, currently in 2nd edition
Contributor to Civil Litigation in Singapore, published by Sweet and Maxwell, 2016
Contributor to ‘Singapore Precedents of Pleadings', published by Sweet and Maxwell Asia
Contributor to Employment and Labour Law produced by the European Lawyer, 2012
Admissions
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Advocate and Solicitor, Singapore (1977)
Education
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University of Singapore, LL.B (Hons)
Memberships
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Senior Counsel (2001)
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Referee, Industrial Arbitration Court
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Panel of Chairmen, Disciplinary Tribunal, Law Society
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Committee of the ASEAN Law Association
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Appeals Board, National Hockey Federation
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Executive Board, Ju Eng Home for Senior Citizens
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Commodore, Changi Sailing Club
Key dates
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Year Joined: 1980
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Year became partner: 1985
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Year became partner of Withers LLP: 2015
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Managing Partner: 2014 to 2024
Languages
- English