Career and Experience

LLB (Hons), University of Singapore, 1976

Admitted to: Singapore Bar (1979)

Selected Activities

Currently:
Acts for the Society in the prosecution of professional misconduct cases and chairs Inquiry Committees to investigate and hear complaints against lawyers

Tutors regularly in the Post Graduate Law Course for law graduates

Sub-committee member of the Singapore International Chamber of Commerce

Sub-committee member of the Singapore Institute of Directors

Non-executive board appointments of several privately held companies

Previously:
Served the Law Society in various roles, including sitting on the Society’s Cross Border and Multi-Disciplinary sub-committees as well as the International Relations Committee.

Served as an independent director of a publicly listed company

Served on the Income Tax Board of Review from 2011 to 2016
​​Bernard is the managing-director of the law corporation. He worked for the Singapore Legal Service from 1976 to 1982 and served in various Legal Departments including the judiciary of the Subordinate Courts before going into private practice in 1982. ​
​​He established the present practice in 1985 and undertook a variety of litigation and advisory work particularly representation of stockbrokers during the Pan-El crisis and defence of numerous commercial crime cases. He has undertaken a variety of civil and commercial litigation at both trial and appellate jurisdictions and advised as a solicitor on cross-border transactions for acquisition of assets in Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia. Presently he undertakes trial work and advises clients on establishing business structures in Singapore including wealth management and business succession issues. ​

Bernard has also acted in numerous retail conveyancing transactions including mortgages and charges to all the main banks and the CPF board. He has also personally acted in major transactions in his career including an unincorporated joint-venture sale of land and buy back of apartments which is now known as 800 Thomson; acted for the developers in the sale of a block of apartments in the project known as South Haven; the sale of landed properties in the project known as Riverina; enbloc purchase and sale of Shan Mansions (Residential) at Balestier Road and enbloc sale of Dapenso Building (Commercial) at Cecil Street.

Legal directories

“Excellent client relationship management.” - Asialaw Profiles 2020

Reported cases

  • ​Re Abdul Rahim Rajudin [1988] SLR 907
  • Re Abdul Rahim Rajudin [1989] 1 MLJ 289
  • Abdul Rahim Rajudin v Law Society of Singapore [1991] 1 MLJ 256
  • Abdul Rahim Rajudin v The Law Society of Singapore [1991] SLR 1
  • Lee Kam Wah v Associated Asian Securities (Pte) Ltd [1991] 3 MLJ 286
  • Associated Asian Securities Pte Ltd (in liquidation) v Lee Kam Wah [1993] 1 SLR 585
  • De Souza Lionel Jerome v Attorney General [1993] 1 SLR 882
  • Hanafiah v Public Prosecutor [1994] 1 SLR 321
  • Justlogin Pte Ltd and Another v Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp Ltd and Another [2004] 1 SLR 118
  • Cheah Geok Tuan (alias Seah Geok Tuan) and Another v Lie Khin Sin and Another [2006] 1 SLR 340
  • Law Society of Singapore v Tham Kok Leong Thomas [2006] 1 SLR 775
  • Public Prosecutor v Ng Teck Soon [2008] SGDC 304
  • Public Prosecutor v Tan Meng San [2009] SGDC 150
  • Public Prosecutor v Ong Chow Hong [2009] SGDC 387
  • Anchor Cleaning Agency Pte Ltd v Tan Kim Meng [2010] SGDC 192
  • Public Prosecutor v Rudy Lim [2010] SGDC 174
  • Ong Chow Hong (alias Ong Chaw Ping) v Public Prosecutor and another appeal [2011] SGHC 93
  • BBO v The Comptroller of Income Tax [2012] SGITBR 2
  • BLP v The Comptroller of Income Tax [2013] SGITBR 2
  • Emjay Enterprises Pte Ltd v Leica Camera Asia Pacific Pte Ltd [2013] SGDC 325
  • Timor Global, LDA v Equatorial Group Pte Ltd & Ors [2015] SGHC 203
  • Kenneth Koh & Anor v Koh Ah Leng & Anor [2020] SGHC 131