About
Ronald believes that lawyering is about serving people to bring about justice, peace and joy.
He commenced his legal career at one of the Big Four law firms, Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP. His practice is in commercial litigation & arbitration, advising and representing institutional and individual clients in a broad range of disputes from multi-million dollar investment claims to employment disputes.
He also enjoys a enjoy a non-contentious corporate practice dealing in technology & media, FinTech, ICOs, blockchain, employment, startups, companies and shareholder issues, investments & corporate finance, regulatory advice, financial services, mergers and acquisitions, and Intellectual Property (“IP”).
Recent highlights include advising a cryptocurrency exchange operator to be placed in the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) regulatory sandbox for RMO exemption to list security digital tokens, advising on a venture capital investment into a digital payments startup based in Singapore and Indonesia, advising on a secured trade financing facility involving multi-jurisdictional stakeholders, and advising a reputable electronics retailer on intellectual property and other issues.
Ronald volunteers pro bono with various NGOs, legal clinics, LAB and CLAS, advocates for social justice in various platforms, and frequently authors academic and thought papers, some of which have been published in various journals.
He was featured in the Asia Business Law Journal, A-List Singapore’s Top 100 Lawyers 2019 and 2018, and was awarded the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) Overseas Attachment Scholarship to be attached to Queens Counsels and barristers in leading insolvency and commercial set South Square Chambers.
Sample cases & experience:
Advised and successfully acted for an investment fund manager and a large global bank in a claim against a foreign guarantor for sums in excess of US$50 million due under a cross-border syndicated loan agreement. The claim involved the determination of novel conflicts of laws issues regarding the law governing capacity to contract, and a stay of proceedings on grounds of forum non conveniens.
Advised a foreign investor on suspected money laundering activities in relation to, and suspected misappropriation of, a multi-million dollar investment in a fund. Advised investor on potential breaches of regulatory obligations and duties by the Singapore-licensed fund manager imposed by statute and regulations issued by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
Advised a large global bank on a potential dispute with a South-East Asian bank and a trading company relating to purported non-compliant presentation of documents in respect of a letter of credit.
Advised and acted for a global company in the offshore oil and gas industry in a multi-million dollar claim regarding a multi-million dollar dispute in relation to an Engineering, Procurement, Installation and Construction (“EPIC”) contract.
Advised high net worth foreign private clients on complex trust structures, wealth management and novel personal property issues.
Advised and acted for a shareholder director in an appeal to the Court of Appeal relating to the grant of leave to commence a statutory derivative action involving purported breaches of directors’ duties, tort of passing off, violation of intellectual property rights, and usurpation of corporate opportunities.
Advised an international financial institution on employment issues involving termination, bonuses and drafting of relevant documents.
Memberships, associations, positions, and awards:
- Asia Business Law Journal 2019, A-List Singapore’s Top 100 Lawyers
- Asia Business Law Journal 2018, A-List Singapore’s Top 100 Lawyers
- Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) Overseas Attachment Scholarship – South Square Chambers
- Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) Sub-Committee on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotics, Member
- Law Society of Singapore, Member
- Singapore Academy of Law, Member
- Healthserve, Volunteer lawyer
- Assigned Solicitor, Legal Aid Bureau
- Criminal Legal Aid Scheme, Volunteer lawyer
- CIL-IAD Summer Research Internship for Research on Public International Law
- Research assistant in NUS on law of trusts & equity, sovereign wealth funds
- Singapore Journal of Legal Studies, Student editor
- Asian Journal of Comparative Law, Student editor
- Koh Han Kok Book Prize (Public International Law)
- NUS Law Faculty Scholarship
- AIESEC NTU-SSTI International Online Essay Competition First Prize
- GlaxoSmithKlein–EDB JC Book Prize (Sir Paul Girolami Book Prize (First Prize))
Reviews (50)
Featured Services
Commercial Disputes
Commercial Litigation
International Arbitration
Employment Disputes and Advice - restrictive covenants, protection of confidential information
Corporate Insolvency & Restructuring
Corporate Shareholders' and Directors' Disputes
White-Collar Crime
Competition Law
Corporate
Technology, Artificial Intelligence ethics, FinTech, ICOs and Blockchain
Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment
Corporate Insolvency & Restructuring
Companies Law, Mergers & Acquisitions
Investments & Corporate Financing, Startups
Financial Regulations, Regulatory Advice
Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) compliance and investigations, privacy and data analytics
Legal Advisory
Regulatory advice across industries and sectors
Drafting and review of contracts and agreements
Conduct of investigations and inquiries
Advice on regulatory investigations and inquiries by authorities
Media & Publications
- “Wrongful Dismissal, Disability Discrimination and Mental Illness” – Law Gazette, November 2019
- “Enforceability of Legal Rights Relating to Cryptocurrencies, Digital Tokens, and Smart Contracts” – Law Gazette, June 2019
- “Singapore Medical Council ‘not aware’ of any action against man who deceived psychiatrist” – TodayOnline, 11 March 2019
- “Coming onstream: Laws banning sale of set-top boxes” – TodayOnline, 17 January 2019
- “The Law and Practice of Garden Leave: Rights, Duties, Enforcement and Resistance” – Law Gazette, May 2018
- “Taxis and private-hire cars allowed to film passengers, but cannot upload videos on social media” – TodayOnline, 10 April 2018
- “Court dismisses PropertyGuru’s copyright infringement case against 99.co” – TodayOnline, 9 March 2018
- “Deputies, Donees and Disputes: Cases on the Mental Capacity Act” – Law Gazette, December 2017
- “Who’s responsible if a robot runs amok?” – The Straits Times, 11 March 2017
- Case Comment: Accent Delight International Ltd v Bouvier, Yves Charles Edgar [2016] SGHC 40, Singapore Law Blog, 11 April 2016
- “Why a Constitutional Commission to review the Elected Presidency?”, Straits Times, A20 (17 February 2016)
- “7 Considerations Before Executing the Employment Contract”, The Straits Times, ST Recruit (11 June 2015)
- Ronald JJ Wong, “Upkeep claims for wrongful birth, wrongful conception or wrongful fertilisation? IVF mix-up in the Singapore High Court: ACB v Thomson Medical Pte Ltd [2015] SGHC 9” (2015) 23 Tort L Rev
- “Court of Appeal sets aside Mareva injunctions and ancillary disclosure orders in Bouvier, Yves Charles Edgar and another v Accent Delight International Ltd and another and another appeal”, Singapore Law Blog, 7 September 2015
- Ronald JJ Wong, “Legal Regulation of Drones or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Singapore”, Singapore Law Gazette (September 2015)
- Ronald JJ Wong, “Remedies for Equitable Wrongs: Coherence and Limitation Principles: AIB Group (UK) Plc v Mark Redler & Co Solicitors [2014] UKSC 58” (2015) 15(1) OUCLJ
- Ronald JJ Wong and Juay Wei Tian, “The Prevention of Human Trafficking Act 2014: Legislation Comment” [2015] Sing. J.L.S. 261
- Ronald JJ Wong & Jeremy Yeo Wen An, “Rationalising The Notice Requirement For Statutory Derivative Actions: Comparing Singapore And Canadian Perspectives” (2015) 27 SAcLJ 528
- “Reflective Loss, Reverse Piercing and Alter Ego in Koh Kim Teck v Credit Suisse AG, Singapore Branch [2015] SGHC 52”, Singapore Law Blog, 31 March 2015
- Ronald JJ Wong and Jeremy Yeo Wen An, “Case Comment: Gimpex Ltd v Unity Holdings Business Ltd and others and another appeal [2015] SGCA 8”, Singapore Law Blog, 23 February 2015
- “A Private Law Theory of Adjudication Embracing Value Pluralism, Deliberative Democracy and Constitutionalism” (2014) 32 Sing.L.Rev. 81
- “A Critique of International and Singapore Legal Treatments of Trafficking in Persons” [2014] S.J.L.S. 179-205
- “Sinking Your Teeth Into Bitcoin”, Singapore Law Gazette (May 2014):
- “Judging Between Conflicting Expert Evidence: Understanding the Scientific Method and its Impact on Apprehending Expert Evidence” (2014) 26 S.Ac.L.J. 169
- “Employment Contracts – Termination and Dismissal”, Law Gazette (December 2013):
- “Interim Relief in Aid of International Commercial Arbitration: A Critique on the International Arbitration Act” (2012) 24 S.Ac.L.J. 499
Services & Fees
Fees
Contact me to explore the most appropriate fee arrangement for your matter and needs.
Legal Services
- MCST Disputes
- Contract Review
- Patents
- Commercial Disputes
- Debt Recovery
- CMS and Financial Advisor Licence Applications
- Privacy / Data Compliance Review (PDPA)
- RFMC and VCFM Registration
- Shareholder Disputes
- Employment Disputes
- Trademark Infringement
- Sale and Purchase of Business
- Employment
- AML/CFT Compliance
- Intellectual Property Advice
- Landlord-Tenant Disputes
- Drafting IOU / Debt Acknowledgment
- Building and Construction Claims
- Magistrate's Complaint
- Medical Negligence
- Drafting Contracts
- Contractual Disputes
- Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Advisory
- Bankruptcy
- Renovation Claims
- Trade Mark Registration
- Civil Litigation
- Fintech and Financial Regulation
- Copyright Infringement
- Corporate
- Family Offices
- Winding Up of Companies
- Protection From Harassment Order
- Setting up a business
- Variable Capital Companies
- Debt Recovery for Companies
- Defamation
- Information / Cybersecurity Review
- MAS Regulatory Sandbox
It’s been our pleasure working with Covenant through Ronald Wong’s services. Ronald is sharp and attentive to understand what we require for our legal needs. He also provides clear and comprehensive delivery in his advice and guidance to our various concerns on our strategic engagements.
Ronald has good knowledge in IP law. He had guided us to formulate the IP policy which was very clear, positive and easy to understand. Indeed one of our colleagues had commented the IP policy as an excellent document. He was prompt in delivering his service and answered to all our doubts. Our management was impressed with his presentation. He went extra miles (time) to ensure that he had fulfilled his responsibilities. Overall, Ronald is an approachable and down to earth lawyer.
I’ve had the chance to engage Ronald for his legal services, and I must say that Ronald has been a truly dedicated, professional, efficient and understanding lawyer. He is intelligent, thinks and works fast, understands issues easily and provides excellent advice and analyses. He is also reliable and always prompt in responding to emails and calls, regardless of the time of day. Engaging in legal matters can be stressful, but Ronald also provides the interpersonal touch and emotional support and comfort, reminding us that he is there to support us, help us and even shoulder the burden for us. I would highly recommend Ronald to anyone looking for legal advice and support.
Appreciate your promptness and professionalism.