Wendell Wong

Wendell is the former Managing Director of our acclaimed Disputes Resolution Department. He is a highly respected leading senior civil, commercial and criminal lawyer. His civil and commercial practice encompasses contracts and commercial disputes, shareholder and director disputes, asset recovery, medical negligence, product liability, cybersecurity related and cross-border arbitration work. His criminal practice focuses on commercial and business crime, anti-money laundering, fraud, securities, cyber fraud, corruption, corporate governance related offences, investigation and private prosecution work. Wendell has acted in many high-profile and landmark commercial, white-collar, and business crime cases in Singapore.

Wendell regularly engages in regulatory and compliance advisory work including anti-fraud and anti-bribery investigations work for multinational and listed companies. He is on the panel of lawyers representing various embassies in Singapore, including those of the United States of America and Qatar.

Wendell is an experienced senior arbitration counsel who has acted as lead counsel in numerous disputes and international arbitrations under the rules of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre ("SIAC"), International Chamber of Commerce ("ICC") and United Nations Commission on International Trade Law ("UNCITRAL"). Wendell has also acted as lead counsel in the Singapore International Commercial Court ("SICC") in a landmark securities law case related to ISDA Master Agreement Long Form Confirmation under English Law.

Chambers Global ranks Wendell as a leading practitioner in dispute resolution and commends his regional work related to the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act ("FCPA"). Chambers Global describes him as renowned for his developed understanding of the Indonesian legal system. The Asia Pacific Legal 500 also ranks Wendell high in the area of dispute resolution. Who’s Who Legal recognises Wendell as one of the top Business Crime Defence, Investigations and Commercial Litigation lawyers in Singapore. Wendell is also

listed by Lexology Index as a Global Elite Thought Leader in Thought Leaders Global Elite in Business Crime Defence 2024, and Investigations 2022 and 2023. Wendell has been named by Benchmark Litigation Asia Pacific as Litigation Star – White Collar Crime for eight consecutive years. Wendell was selected as the Best Lawyer of the Year 2023 and 2027 for Criminal Defence in a peer review by Best Lawyers publication.

Wendell is a member on the Criminal Procedure Rules Committee (“CPRC”). Wendell was also appointed as a member of the Penal Code Review Committee by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Law.

Wendell is a strong advocate of pro bono work and access to justice. He was one of the pioneer trainers for International Bridges to Justice, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Criminal Justice Training for ASEAN Countries in Singapore and Laos in 2011 and involved Myanmar trainees in 2013.

He serves as Treasurer of the International Bar Association, Anti-Corruption Committee as part of the leadership team

In October 2022, Wendell was appointed as a Board member of the Housing & Development Board (“HDB”). He is also a member of the HDB’s Audit and Risk Committee.

Wendell is on the Board of Governors of National Trade Union Congress (“NTUC”) Foundation Limited.

Wendell is on the Selection Panel for Singapore Law Reports (State Courts/Family Justice Courts/ Youth Courts).

Wendell is the immediate past Chairman, Criminal Practice Committee, Law Society of Singapore. He is also a mentor with the Criminal Legal Aid Fellowship, Law Society of Singapore (”CLAS”). He is an immediate past member on the Criminal Legal Aid Steering Committee (“CLAS”) and was on the Board of Law Society Pro-Bono Services Limited.

Wendell joined Drew & Napier in 2000, having spent three years as Deputy Public Prosecutor / State Counsel with the Attorney General's Chambers.

LL.B. (Hons), National University of Singapore, 1997

Gazetted as Deputy Public Prosecutor/ State Counsel

Attorney-General’s Chambers, Singapore, 1997-2000

Advocate & Solicitor, Supreme Court of Singapore Solicitor, England & Wales, 2002

• Board member, Housing & Development Board (“HDB”)

• Board of Governors, National Trade Union Congress (“NTUC”) Foundation Limited

• Board of Governors, Anglo-Chinese Schools

• Former Honorary Secretary, Mainly I Love Kids (“MILK”)

• Former Non-Executive Independent Director, GSH Corporation Limited

• Member, Criminal Procedure Rules Committee, Singapore chaired by the Honourable The Chief Justice of Singapore

• Member of Penal Code Review Committee 2018, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Law

• Selection Panel for Singapore Law Reports (State Courts/Family Justice Courts/ Youth Courts)

• Advocate & Solicitor, Supreme Court of Singapore

• Solicitor, England & Wales; Member of the Law Society of England & Wales

• Former Chairperson, Criminal Practice Committee, Law Society of Singapore

• Former Board Member, Enhanced Criminal Legal Aid Scheme Steering Committee, Singapore Academy of Law

• Former Board Member, Law Society Pro Bono Services Limited

• Former Co-chairman, Legal Affairs Committee, American Chamber of Commerce, Singapore

• Panel member of US Embassy, Singapore’s list of attorneys

• Panel member of list of lawyers for Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands, Singapore

• Panel member of list of lawyers for Embassy of Sweden, Singapore

• List of lawyers for Embassy for the Republic of Indonesia, Singapore

• Panel Member, Lead Counsel, Supreme Court’s Legal Assistance Scheme for Capital Offences

• Former Panel of Counsel for Disciplinary Matters, Law Society of Singapore

• Representatives of Group Member (Asia) of International Bar Association Membership Committee 2023

• Treasurer, International Bar Association, Anti- Corruption Committee

• Former Regional Representative Asia Pacific, International Bar Association, Anti- Corruption Committee

• Coordinator, IBA ACC-International Chamber of Commerce: Joint Task Force on Issues of Corruption in International Arbitration, 2021

• Regional Co-ordinator (Asia), International Bar Association, Anti-Corruption Structured Criminal Settlements Sub-committee

• Member, IBA ACC UNGASS Asset Recovery Sub-Committee 2020

• Member, IBA ACC Project Roll Out- OECD Working Group on Bribery 2020

• Member, Criminal Legal Aid Scheme, Law Society of Singapore

• Mentor, Criminal Legal Aid Fellowship, Law Society of Singapore

• Former Panel Member, Investigation and Disciplinary Panel, Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants

• Member, ASEAN Law Association

• Member, Law Society of Singapore

• Member, Singapore Academy of Law

• Former Member, Selection Panel, School of Law, SIM University

• Former Member, Singapore Institute of Directors

• Former member, Business China, Singapore

• Former Advisor, Singapore Nightlife Business Association