“Empathetic, discerning, well-prepared, and composed under pressure – the mark of a brilliant lawyer.”

Daniel Ng

Associate Director

Daniel’s main area of practice is Litigation and Dispute Resolution.

Daniel has advised both individual and corporate clients in civil and commercial matters, and has represented them before all levels of the Singapore Courts, at arbitration, and mediation. He has handled a wide variety of cases including, inter alia, complex commercial disputes, cross-border disputes, corporate disputes (between shareholders and/or directors), contractual disputes, fraud, tort, construction disputes, and landlord-tenancy disputes.

Daniel has also represented clients in criminal matters, including, inter alia, traffic, theft, and customs offences, before the State Courts of Singapore.

He has been described by clients as “extremely professional; timely, thorough, knowledgeable and effective” (Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific 2021), and “[h]ard working”, providing clients with “[q]uick turnaround time, even outside office hours” (Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific 2022).

In 2019, at the tender age of 28, Daniel fought and overwhelmingly won his first trial as lead counsel, before the High Court of Singapore. This trial involved complex issues such as breach of fiduciary duties, trust and constructive trust, and limitation of actions.

Daniel graduated from the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 2015 and was admitted to the Singapore Bar in 2016. In his time at NUS, he took part in various moot competitions. Most notably, Daniel led his team to the quarter finals of the 12th Annual Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot, and was also personally awarded an Honourable Mention for the Neil Kaplan Award for Best Oral Advocate.

Daniel is a daredevil. In his free time, you will find him shredding the snow covered slopes of the mountains of Japan, or racing go-karts. He also loves food and is now finding it difficult to fit into some of his clothes.

Significant Matters & Transactions

  • Ang Bee Yian v Ang Siew Fah [2019] SGHC 178: Daniel acted for the Plaintiff in his first trial as lead counsel, before the High Court of Singapore. The Plaintiff successfully claimed against the Defendant for (i) the return of her investment capital (in excess of US$300,000), (ii) a declaration that the Defendant holds the Plaintiff’s investment capital, interest, and all traceable proceeds or assets thereof on constructive trust for the Plaintiff, (iii) a declaration that the Defendant holds 25% of a condominium property on trust for the Plaintiff, and (iv) an order that the Defendant is to provide an account of the expenses and rental proceeds for the condominium property, and pay all wrongfully withheld net rental proceeds to the Plaintiff. The Defendant’s counterclaims, which were in excess of S$1 million, were completely dismissed. This case involved complex issues such as breach of fiduciary duties, trust and constructive trust, and limitation of actions. In particular, Daniel was successful in establishing, through submissions and cross-examination, that the Defendant had admitted in her pleadings as well as in various SMS text messages to owing the capital investment to the Plaintiff (even though, on the face of the SMS text messages, these admissions by the Defendant were qualified, or not clear and unequivocal), which had the effect of resetting the limitation period.
  • Stephanie Tang Swan Leen and ors v Tan Su San (the personal representative of the deceased Tan Seng Huat) [2018] SGDC 218 (District Court): Acted as assisting counsel for the Plaintiffs and successfully established liability against the Defendant driver who suffered a stroke before colliding into the Plaintiffs. The Court adopted a 2015 English Court of Appeal’s objective test requiring “total loss of control”. This is the first Singapore decision on the applicable legal standard to establish a defence of automatism under tort law.
  • Chan Lung Kien v Chan Shwe Ching [2018] SGCA 24: Acted as assisting counsel for this matter that was heard in the Singapore Court of Appeal before a quorum of 5 appellate judges (which is only reserved for cases of significant jurisprudential value / impact). The team managed to convince the Court of Appeal to find that the previous Court had read / interpreted certain English authorities incorrectly.
  • Grande Corporation Pte Ltd v Cubix Group Pte Ltd and others [2018] SGHC 13: Acted as assisting counsel, and successfully struck out the Defences of the 3rd and 4th Defendants for the 3rd and 4th Defendants’ breach of an Unless Order and for their contumelious conduct in the underlying specific discovery proceedings. As a result, judgment was obtained against the 3rd and 4th Defendants without the Plaintiffs having to go to trial.
  • Solvadis Commodity Chemicals Gmbh v Affert Resources Pte Ltd [2018] SGHC 210 (High Court):Acted as assisting counsel for an independent creditor. This is the first reported decision in Singapore whereby the Court approved a liquidator’s assignment of the causes of action (and not merely the fruits of the causes of action) of a company undergoing liquidation to a third party litigation funder.
  • Solvadis Commodity Chemicals Gmbh v Affert Resources Pte Ltd in HC/CWU 17/2017 (High Court): Acted as assisting counsel for a German chemical company in successfully converting a creditors’ voluntary winding up into a compulsory, Court ordered winding up. The team was able to convince the Court that an independent investigation not only had to be carried out as to the affairs of the company in liquidation, but also seen to be carried out.
  • Acting for the founding members of a Singapore company (which has various subsidies and business partners worldwide) who were forcefully suspended from their duties. Assisted in taking out an application for leave to commence a statutory derivative action against the remaining directors, and for an interim injunction to protect the trade secrets belonging to the said Singapore company.
  • Successfully defended, as lead counsel, a summary judgment application taken out against a Singapore shipping company and their directors for defaulting on a loan extended to them.
  • Acted as lead counsel in successfully registering a foreign Court judgment obtained in the Supreme Court of Victoria, Australia.
  • Acted as assisting counsel for a large timber company in Singapore in a Security of Payment Act (Cap. 30B) adjudication. The team successfully reduced the claim amount by more than 72%.

Client Testimonials

Dominic and his team went above and beyond and exceeded all of my expectations in every way. Dealing internationally, he made a positive impact on my case as the knowledge he used along with the professionalism was instrumental. Being on different international time zone he worked on hours that were not expected and always did so with positivity and service. He uses common sense as well as legal knowledge equally and his work was very thorough in everything he did. He treated our case as if it was his own with passion and conviction and approaches the toughest problems with only solutions. I am very grateful that I found Dominic and the Characterist firm and could not recommend anyone as highly as I do with him.

Benjamin M. Sturner, Founder & CEO, Leverage Agency