Doreen Chia

Practice Areas

Employment

Commercial Litigation

Career

Doreen specialises in commercial dispute resolution and employment matters.

She advises and acts for local and international clients in a wide range of commercial disputes in both litigation and arbitration proceedings, including shareholder disputes, breaches of contract and claims involving trusts issues.

Doreen regularly acts for clients (ranging from local companies, multi-national corporations and C-suite employees) on an extensive range of contentious employment matters, including the conduct of investigations, engagement with regulatory authorities, defending and prosecuting wrongful dismissals, salary and payment claims, enforcing non-competition / solicitation covenants and confidentiality agreements and employment-related litigation.

Doreen was previously seconded to the firm’s Shanghai Representative Office, where she advised on Singapore-related matters and gained exposure to aspects of Chinese law.

Professional Memberships

Advocate & Solicitor, Singapore

Publications

• Co-author, Singapore Chapter, Employment Global Practice Guide, published by Chambers and Partners (2023)

• Contributor, “Employment”, Lexis Practical Guidance, published by Lexis Nexis

Experience

Employment

• Successfully advised a leading vertically integrated healthcare platform in Asia, valued at S$1.5 billion, on a complex workplace investigation against senior management of the company after it company received a whistle-blower alert.

• Successfully defending a Singapore-headquartered MNC against an application for leave by a former employee to appeal against an Employment Claims Tribunal order in its favour.

• Advised and acted for a global Fortune 50 FMCG company in litigation proceedings for misuse of confidential information.

• Advised and acted for a global bank in defending a claim by a former employee for wrongful dismissal.

• Advised and acted for a multinational chemicals and biotechnology company in the wrongful downloading of confidential information by former employees.

• Advised and assisted a Japanese MNC in respect of investigations into wrongful acts by a senior employee and subsequent termination of the employee.

• Advised and acted for a Singapore-listed company in respect of wrongful dismissal claims by a former senior employee.

• Advised and acted for a former employee against a multi-national broadcasting corporation for harassment and discrimination.

• Advised and acted for a former employee against a multi-national commodities trading house for wrongful dismissal.

• Advised and acted for local and foreign companies (including MNCs) in conducting investigations into complaints lodged by employees relating to harassment, bullying and other workplace grievances.

• Advised and assisted local and foreign companies (including MNCs) on proceedings before the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management and Employment Claims Tribunal in respect of disputes relating to salary and other payment claims and wrongful dismissal.

• Advised and acted for local and foreign companies (including MNCs) in relation to investigations commenced and sanctions imposed by statutory and regulatory authorities and agencies such as the Ministry of Manpower and the Tripartite Alliance for Fair & Progressive Employment Practices.

Commercial Disputes

• Advised and acted for a high net-worth individual in multiple disputes in respect of a family holding company and shares in the same.

• Advised and acted for former directors of a company in liquidation in respect of claims by the company.

• Advised and acted for a Ugandan company relating to an investment agreement in an arbitration conducted under the auspices of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre.

• Advised and acted for high net-worth individuals in a shareholders’ dispute in a large local company.

• Advised and acted for a Thai corporation in a dispute over a distributorship agreement.

• Advised and acted for a Singapore-listed company in respect of certain missing funds.

• Advised and acted for a global Fortune 50 FMCG MNC in respect of potential breach of contract by an Australian corporation.

• Advised and acted for a high net-worth individual in respect of share options in a large Singapore-incorporated company.

• Advised and acted for a high net-worth individual in defending a claim for alleged trust assets.

• Advised and acted for an individual in defending claims related to Brunei proceedings for alleged breach of fiduciary duties in the administration of an estate.

• Advised and acted for the majority shareholders in a company in defending claims of minority oppression.

• Advised and acted for a PRC client in respect of misrepresentations in relation to an investment scheme.