Yong Seng Tay

Practice Areas

International Arbitration; Litigation; Employment, Health and Safety

Career

Yong Seng acts as lead counsel in a broad spectrum of commercial disputes, in both litigation and arbitration. His clients include global financial institutions, multinational companies and government bodies.

Yong Seng is recognised as a leading litigator by various top-tier publications, and was shortlisted for Benchmark Litigation Asia Pacific for Singapore Lawyer of the Year for 2023.

In the High Court, he has particular expertise in commercial, banking, real estate and employment litigation. He has successfully acted for top-tier companies like BGC Partners, Itochu and Maersk in complex injunctions that pushed the boundaries of Singapore law. He has had significant experience in handling large-scale industrial accidents and product failures, having defended leading MNCs in the power-generation, renewable energy, automotive and chemical industries.

In the Court of Appeal (Singapore’s highest Court), his experience lies in arguing novel and difficult points of law. His successful cases as lead advocate include a landmark 5-Judge decision on defamation, and leading decisions on company/insolvency law and tort law. He successfully argued Singapore’s first civil action under the Personal Data Protection Act 2012. This was a ground-breaking Court of Appeal decision that recognized emotional distress as being part of “loss or damage” actionable under the Act, and was recognised as an Impact Case by Benchmark Litigation in 2023.

Yong Seng has a busy international arbitration practice, representing heavy industries, power generators, aerospace and media companies. He has successfully represented top-tier Japanese MNCs and trading companies (sogo sosha), as well as European in international arbitrations. He also has significant experience in defending arbitration awards in Court.

Professional Memberships

Singapore Bar (2006)

Publications

Subject Editor of SAL (Singapore Academy of Law) Practitioner (Employment).

Co-Editor of SAL Annual Review of Equity and Trusts.