Johnson Lim

Johnson is a senior associate in the litigation and arbitration team.

He acts for family businesses, founders, senior executives and corporates in commercial disputes before the Singapore courts, with a particular focus on shareholder and joint venture disputes, including minority oppression claims and derivative actions, and on claims involving breaches of directors' duties.

He also acts in real estate disputes, including claims against real estate agencies and their salespersons, and advises landlords on their tenancy portfolios and on the disputes that arise from them. His practice extends to debt recovery and the enforcement of foreign judgments, employment disputes involving senior executives, professional negligence claims, and trust and private wealth matters.

Johnson has acted in trials before the General Division of the High Court and the State Courts, and in appeals before the High Court, including its Appellate Division. Many of his matters have a cross-border dimension, involving parties from Indonesia, Australia, Korea, Hong Kong and Europe. He advises Mandarin-speaking clients in Chinese.

Johnson’s experience include the following:

Shareholder and corporate governance disputes

• Acted for the founders of a technology business in successfully resisting a High Court application under section 216A of the Companies Act for leave to bring a derivative action concerning a joint venture.
• Acted for the majority shareholders of a foreign-worker dormitory business in High Court minority oppression proceedings under section 216 of the Companies Act concerning control of the board and the exercise of directors' powers.
• Acted for a former director and shareholder of a consumer goods trading group in defending a High Court claim for conversion and breach of directors' duties concerning alleged unauthorised withdrawals.
• Acted for the minority shareholder and managing director of a jewellery business in his claim against the company for repayment of shareholder loans, and in resisting the company's counter-allegations of breach of directors' duties.

Commercial disputes

• Acted for a manufacturer in responding to a threatened SIAC arbitration concerning allegedly defective equipment.
• Acted for a Singapore ship-owning company in an SCMA arbitration concerning the deposit under a vessel sale and purchase agreement.
• Advised a rail-services company on its contractual rights following the proposed early termination of commercial agreements.

Real estate disputes

• Advised a family-owned property group with retail, office and residential holdings on its leasing portfolio. Drafted and negotiated commercial and residential tenancy agreements, deeds of novation and a co-working licence agreement, and advised on lease extensions and reletting. Acted for the group in tenancy disputes concerning arrears, early termination and reinstatement, including distress proceedings, bailiff enforcement and recovery of possession from a defaulting tenant.
• Acted for one of Singapore's largest real estate agencies and its salesperson in successfully defending a High Court misrepresentation suit by the purchaser of a S$5.1 million condominium unit seeking to recover a forfeited S$1.54 million deposit. All claims were dismissed after trial. The Appellate Division stayed the purchaser's appeal pending payment of the trial costs and later dismissed the appeal.
• Acted for a real estate salesperson in successfully defending a claim for breach of professional duties by the landlord she had represented and a negligent misrepresentation claim by the tenant. The dispute arose from the landlord's representation, relayed by the salesperson, that commercial premises were approved for use as a foreign-worker dormitory. Both claims against her were dismissed in full after trial.
• Acted for one of Singapore's largest real estate agencies in defending High Court claims of approximately S$1.29 million in vicarious liability and negligent supervision, brought by the purchasers of a condominium unit after one of the agency's salespersons misappropriated their purchase monies.
• Acted for a jewellery manufacturer and retailer in a High Court misrepresentation claim against its landlord and the property agents who brokered its tenancy. The client had been told that the premises could be used as a jewellery showroom. After it had fitted them out, the planning authority prohibited retail use.

Debt recovery and enforcement

• Acted for a Hong Kong manufacturer in registering a Hong Kong High Court judgment for over US$2 million in Singapore and garnishing the judgment debtor's Singapore bank account.
• Acting for a construction equipment rental group in a continuing series of debt recovery and insolvency matters against contractors and subcontractors, ranging from statutory demands and default judgments to enforcement.

Employment and senior executive disputes

• Acted for the former senior vice president of a Singapore joint venture between a global brewer and a Nepalese conglomerate in High Court employment litigation. The executive had been appointed to the joint venture by the minority shareholder as its representative. The company sued him after his dismissal. He counterclaimed for wrongful dismissal and unpaid bonuses, contending that the real reason for his dismissal was the dispute between the joint venture partners over whistleblowing complaints, the refinancing of the business and a proposed IPO. At trial the company's claim was dismissed and the wrongful dismissal claim succeeded.
• Advised a senior executive of a multinational group on his entitlements on the termination of his employment, including a discretionary bonus, unvested long-term incentive awards, his directorship and his restrictive covenants.

Trusts and private wealth

• Advised a professional trustee on the administration and amendment of Singapore-law family trusts, beneficiaries' information rights, and the powers and replacement of trustees and protectors.
• Acted for a Buddhist temple in a High Court originating application under the Land Titles Act and the Trustees Act to regularise trustee appointments and title to its land. Obtained declarations validating the later appointments of trustees and a vesting order transferring the property to the current trustees.

Regulatory, sanctions and public sector

• Acted for a Singapore commodities trader in a High Court dispute concerning funds affected by international sanctions. Advised on the interaction between trust claims, sanctions regulations and MAS asset-freezing rules.
• Advised a town council on services agreements.