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Zhen Yu Lam
Special Counsel | Singapore
Secretary Cheryl Yeo
Operating as Withers KhattarWong LLP in Singapore.
Zhen Yu is a special counsel specializing in restructuring and insolvency.
His core practice revolves around debt restructuring and insolvency (both Court-supervised and out of Court), including distressed and special situation transactions. His clients include insolvency practitioners, institutional creditors, debtor companies, fund managers, investors and HNWI entrepreneurs alike. He also acts in commercial litigation and arbitration matters, particularly investment-related disputes and asset recovery.
Zhen Yu is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and has wide experience advising clients from Mainland China and Hong Kong, including state-owned enterprises, private individual investors, company directors and multinational corporations, on cross-border legal issues.
Zhen Yu is recognised as an INSOL International Future Leader of Singapore, having successfully completed the Future Leaders Programme 2023. He is also currently a fellow of the Insolvency Practitioners Association of Singapore Limited (IPAS).
Track record
Contested realisation of 13 Xihe Capital vessels
Represents the Liquidator (formerly Judicial Managers) from FTI Consulting of 6 SPVs owned by Xihe Capital Pte Ltd, in insolvency proceedings and realisation of 13 vessels, including an ongoing contest in the Singapore Court over the sale proceeds of a vessel.
Ex-chairman of a company formerly listed on SGX
Successfully assisted a HNWI in his debt restructuring efforts via a voluntary arrangement in contested Singapore Court proceedings, by which liabilities exceeding USD 400m were restructured.
Liquidation of failed cryptoexchange
Represents the Liquidator from FTI Consulting of Zipmex Pte Ltd, including successfully persuading the Singapore Court in Re Zipmex Co Ltd and Ors [2024] SGHC 6 that no further moratorium should be granted for the Zipmex Group, given that there was no further prospect of restructuring.
Re Mingda Holding Pte Ltd [2024] SGHC 130
Represented a Shanghai-based commodities trader as Lead Counsel to advocate against the amount of advantage sought by the funding creditor over proceeds of contemplated litigation by the liquidator. Zhen Yu's legal submissions were noted by the Judge to be a "commendable effort".
Yap Sze Kam v Yang Kee Logistics Pte Ltd [2023] SGHC 43
Successfully represented Maybank as Lead Counsel in a significant landmark case in which the Singapore High Court dismissed judicial management applications in favour of existing receivers and managers. (Note: This case was recognised was recognized in the Benchmark Litigation APAC Awards 2024 as an Impact Case of the Year.)
ZenRock Commodities Trading Pte Ltd
Represents the Liquidators (formerly Interim Judicial Managers) from KPMG in insolvency law issues and investigations, including satellite litigation in the Singapore and English Courts in connection with fraudulent trades entered into by the company's management.
Sinosteel Group restructuring
Advised as Singapore Counsel to the Sinosteel Group in relation to its international debt restructuring, including defending against litigation commenced by the Liquidators of its Singapore subsidiary.
Individual Chinese private equity investors
Acted for separate groups of Chinese investors in commencing claims against private equity funds (TAP Venture, Sunmax Global Capital) registered under EDB's Global Investor Programme, concerning alleged wrongdoing and misuse of funds by the funds' management and controllers.
Insight
External publications
Goh Yihan and Paul Tan (gen eds), Singapore Law: 50 Years in the Making (Academy Publishing, 2015)
Goh Yihan, Contractual Interpretation in Indian Evidence Act Jurisdictions: Compatibility with Modern Contextual Approach (2013) 13 Oxford University Commonwealth Law Journal 17-48
Admissions
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Advocate and Solicitor, Singapore (2016)
Education
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National University of Singapore - LL.B. (Second Class Honours, Upper), 2015
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New York University - Student Exchange Programme, Fall 2013
Languages
- English
- Mandarin
Memberships
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Law Society of Singapore
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Singapore Academy of Law
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Fellow, Insolvency Practitioners Association of Singapore Limited (IPAS)
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Member, INSOL International
Key dates
- Year joined: 2018