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Shashi Nathan
Partner | Singapore
Secretary Juliana Mohd Ezran
Operating as Withers KhattarWong LLP in Singapore.
Shashi is the joint managing partner of Withers KhattarWong and a partner heading the criminal litigation practice.
He is a leading practitioner in the Singapore Criminal Bar where he often conducts high profile cases in both the trial and appellate courts. His cases involve offences of murder, drug trafficking, and kidnapping. Shashi is listed as a lead counsel under the Supreme Court's list of Assigned Counsel for Capital Cases and he has defended numerous clients charged for capital offences. He is one of the most sought after Defence lawyers in Singapore.
His white collar work includes advising and defending institutions as well as individual clients on Singapore's regulatory and compliance framework. Shashi is, in particular, familiar with the Securities and Futures Act and the Prevention of Corruption Act. He regularly advises clients on areas including fraud, corruption, insider trading, market manipulation, tax fraud, as well as a wide spectrum of legislation dealing with corporate malfeasance.
Shashi has been cited in Who's Who Legal as both a top tier 'Global Leader' and 'National Leader' in Business Crime Defense globally and in Singapore since 2020. He has also been listed in the Benchmark Litigation Asia Pacific Guide as a 'Litigation Star' and in the Doyle's Guide as a 'Preeminent' Criminal Defense Lawyer since 2020.
Shashi has been consistently nominated by in-house counsel and industry peers as one of the world's leading White Collar Crime practitioners in the Expert Guides since 2016. He is also ranked in the 2022 Doyle's Guide as one of the leading White Collar Crime & Regulatory Investigations Lawyers.
Shashi is actively involved with the work of the Singapore Academy of Law, where he is regularly invited as a panelist and speaker for legal conferences. He is currently serving as the Chair of the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme. Previously, he served as the Chair of the Criminal Justice Chapter of the Professional Affairs Committee. Shashi is also the immediate past chair of the Criminal Practice Committee of the Law Society. He also occasionally guest lectures at the Faculties of Law of both the National University of Singapore and the Singapore Management University.
Recent recognition
Me in a minute
Track record
Abetment by engaging in a conspiracy
Represented a client charged for abetment by engaging in a conspiracy with 2 co-accused persons by furnishing a false statement to the Singapore Exchange Derivatives Trading Limited.
Multimillion-dollar gold investment scam
Represented one of 3 persons arrested for allegedly being involved in a multimillion-dollar gold investment scam.
One of Asia's top commodity traders
Assisted with the investigations into suspected false and misleading statements, and breaches of disclosure requirements.
One of the biggest cases of corruption involving Singapore's largest oil rig builders
Represented a client in Operation Car Wash – an ongoing criminal investigation being carried out in Brazil involving allegations of corruption between a state-controlled oil company, Petrobras, and construction firms.
Investigations and regulatory compliance
Investigations & Regulatory Compliance
Prevention of Corruption Act
Advising white collar clients on possible breaches and offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, Security and Futures Acts, Corruption, Drug Trafficking and other Serious Crimes Act, Penal Code and various other legislations.
Hedge fund
Acted for the fund managers of a hedge fund which transacted approximately S$500 million worth of investments between their hedge funds, BSI bank and 1MDB.
Alleged market manipulation
Advised broking houses and acted for two brokers implicated in an alleged market manipulation scheme involving LionGold Corporation, Blumont Group and Asiasons Capital.
Insight
External publications
- Shashi Nathan was quoted by Channel News Asia on illegally obtaining prescription drugs via social media.
- Shashi Nathan was quoted by Law.com on how the influx of foreign wealth and investment into Singapore has increased fraud risks.
- Shashi Nathan was quoted by Business Times on the upsides and downsides of longer training contracts, which are being introduced in Singapore.
- Shashi Nathan appeared on Money FM's Mind Your Business podcast to talk about his criminal law practice and his charitable activities.
- ‘The Legal 500 Comparative Guide on White Collar Crime, 2021 - Singapore Chapter', Legal 500 Comparative Guides 2021
- ‘Common Criminal Offences, 2010', You & The Law IV 2010
- ‘Ethics in the Criminal Court', Inter Se 2010
- Manipulating the Stock Market (Published 18 March 2016 on Euromoney's Expert Guides)
- Anti-Money Laundering in Singapore (2016 Withers Khattarwong LLP publication)
- How white is your Persil (The Business Times, 6 Dec 2016)
Admissions
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Advocate and Solicitor, Singapore (1993)
Education
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University of London, LL.B (Hons)
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Barrister-at-Law, Middle Temple
Languages
- English
Memberships
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Singapore Academy of Law - Chairman of the Criminal Justice Chapter of the Professional Affairs Committee
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Law Society of Singapore - Immediate Past Chair and Present Consultant of the Criminal Practice Committee
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ASEAN Law Association
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Singapore Institute of Directors
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The Legal Assistance Scheme for Capital Offences
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Criminal Legal Aid Scheme
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International Bar Association
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Inter-Pacific Bar Association
Key dates
- Year joined: 2013
- Year became partner: 2013