
About
Samuel Yuen is the Managing Director of Yuen Law LLC and the Head of its Corporate and Business Practice Team. Ranked as one of the leading legal practitioners in Singapore, Samuel is recognised for his work in corporate mergers & acquisitions, fund raising and matters relating to start-ups and emerging companies, by industry watchers such as Chambers and Partners, IFLR1000 and Asialaw.
Samuel is a commercially savvy lawyer who has a reputation for providing practical legal advice that aligns closely with his clients’ business objectives at every stage of their growth. Samuel comes from a line of business owners in Singapore, who have variously and successfully navigated the crises of their generation. He is also highly sought after for his business acumen which has also benefited many of Samuel’s clients.
He founded Yuen Law in 2012 after a fruitful career in corporate and securities law, including a three-year stint as a department head in a leading Malaysian IP Agency.
Samuel is a published author, with “Funding for Start-ups — A Guide to Fundraising” launched in February 2020. This book draws on his extensive experience, having advised numerous startups and tech/fintech companies in their capital raises, as well as investors including venture capital firms and institutional investors.
Samuel is the honorary legal counsel for the Institute of Public Relations of Singapore and help found Guide Dogs Singapore Ltd, a registered charity with Institute of Public Character status. He is also a member of the School Advisory Committee for Tanjong Katong Secondary School.
Reviews (26)
Featured Services
Sale and Purchase of Business
We provide advice on mergers & acquisitions and investments into target companies on all aspects of the deal. We help clients structure the deal, conduct due diligence, assist in contract negotiations, identify regulatory compliance and risk management issues. Whether you are a buyer, or seller, we have the expertise and resources to help you achieve your goals and succeed in today's competitive marketplace.
DUE DILIGENCE
Legal due diligence is a vital process that helps assess the legal risks and liabilities of a business transaction or investment. Our team will conduct a comprehensive review of the target company's legal documents, contracts, and other relevant materials to identify any legal issues that could impact the transaction or investment. We will examine the target's organisational documents, including contracts such as leases, employment agreements, and customer and vendor contracts to identify potential issues that could lead to litigation or regulatory investigations. We assist clients in developing strategies to manage potential risks.
JOINT VENTURE AND SHAREHOLDERS AGREEMENTS
The shareholders agreement is a legally binding agreement between the shareholders of a company. This agreement outlines how the company will be run, how decisions will be made, and how shareholders' interests will be protected. We advise clients on a wide range of issues, including transfer of shares, voting rights, dividend payments, board composition, and management of the company. The agreement may also include provisions for dispute resolution, such as arbitration or mediation, as well as exit provisions. We can also help to ensure that there are provisions to protect the interests of minority shareholders, so that they have a say in key decisions that affect the company.
PRIVATE EQUITY
Our law firm provides a comprehensive range of legal services to venture capital and start-up clients in Singapore. With extensive experience in private equity transactions, we advise on various types of deals, including leveraged buyouts, term sheets, convertible bonds, convertible agreement regarding equity (CARE), simple agreement for future equity (SAFE), share subscription and shareholders agreements, and intellectual property. We understand the startup ecosystem and regulatory environment in Singapore and work closely with VCs and startups to help them navigate the legal landscape and scale their businesses.
Employment
We assist clients in understanding the statutory requirements outlined in the Employment Act, the Retirement and Re-employment Act, and the Work Injury Compensation Act and provide guidance on the TAFEP Tripartite Guidelines. We provide expert advice on key terms that should be included in the employment agreement, including working hours, leave entitlements, termination provisions, and restrictive covenants. By ensuring that these terms are clearly defined in the agreement, we can help protect the interests of both the employer and the employee. We work closely with our clients to tailor the agreement to meet the needs of their organisation, taking into account their industry, the seniority of the position. Our aim is to provide our clients with a clear, concise, and enforceable employment agreement that is in compliance with Singapore's legal and regulatory requirements.
EMPLOYEE SHARE OPTIONS SCHEMES AND AWARDS
An Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) or an Employee Stock Appreciation Scheme (ESAS) is an effective way to motivate and incentivize employees. We can help ensure that your program meets regulatory requirements and achieves its intended goals. We assist with drafting the terms of the plan to, we develop communication and education materials to effectively communicate the program's mechanics to employees. Our support also extends to the administration of the program, which includes issuance of shares, reporting, and compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. As part of our advisory services, we can provide guidance on the Income Tax Act, the Securities and Futures Act, and the Companies Act.
Privacy / Data Compliance Review (PDPA)
We advise clients on the legal aspects of collecting, processing, storing, and transferring personal data of their stakeholders from employees to customers, and the regulatory requirements under the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA). We draft privacy policies, consent forms and outline how the data is collected, used and protected. We help clients understand their legal obligations in the event of a data breach, and the reporting requirements.
DRAFTING CONTRACTS
The success of a company depends on the fortitude and success of its relationships. We help our clients formalise their commercial relationships with customers, employees and shareholders, to give clarity to the terms of the working relationship and to provide for exit strategies. We also assist clients in day-to-day corporate administration, advising them on managing their legal risks and providing board/shareholder advisory services.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
We assist our clients to identify, protect and commercialise their IP assets, so they can build long and lasting brands, through a wide range of IP services, including trade mark registrations, design protection, IP management, enforcement of IP rights, negotiating for licenses, distributions and collaboration agreements.
Media & Publications
Publications
Funding for Start-ups: A Guide to Fundraising
LegaleSE: A Legal Handbook for Social Enterprises (first and second edition)
Singapore Business Review: What you need to known when buying a business in Singapore
The New Savvy: Funding Options Available for Companies
Media
Money and Me: Fundraising for Start-ups (18 May 2020)
Adrian Tan: Interview with Legal Entrepreneur, Samuel Yuen
Asia Law Network: Lawyer Feature- Samuel Yuen
Talks
Startup Law Academy: Partnership Agreements and Exit Strategies (Asia Law Network, General Assembly, e27 and WeWork)
Brands and Influencers | PR and Legal Perspective (Institute of Public Relations of Singapore)
IP Issues Faced by PR and Creative Professionals (Institute of Public Relations of Singapore)
SME & The Law (E2i and SeraphCorp)
Overview of IP and Advanced IP Strategies (Ideas Inc NTU)
Contracting in a freelance agreement – dos and don’ts (NTUC)
Legal Aspects of Contract Negotiations by Managers (Redshift)
Starting a Business in Singapore (Boardman)
Fundraising in Singapore organised (Global Exchange Enterprise)
Legal Structures for VWO (National Council of Social Services)
Charities Lean Forward: Transitioning of Legal Entity – incorporating into a Company Limited by Guarantee (Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth)
Chairities Lean Forward: Fundraising and Digital Protection (Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth)
The Ultimate Guide to Starting A Freelancing Arts Business (National Arts Council)
Services & Fees
Fees
We believe in being transparent about our pricing, we offer fixed fee costs for project basis or monthly retainers.
Legal Services
- Contract Review
- Patents
- CMS and Financial Advisor Licence Applications
- Privacy / Data Compliance Review (PDPA)
- Sale and Purchase of Business
- RFMC and VCFM Registration
- Trademark Infringement
- Employment
- Intellectual Property Advice
- AML/CFT Compliance
- Drafting Contracts
- Trade Mark Registration
- Corporate
- Commissioner for Oaths
- Setting up a business
- Information / Cybersecurity Review
Yuen Law is prompt and professional. They provide good quality legal advice and services. I would recommend Yuen Law without any hesitation as the firm is very sincere and small business friendly and takes a great deal of interest in understanding a company’s problems and provides direct solutions to problems. Samuel and his team as a whole are a bunch of rock stars and work together closely to solve a our problems in a timely and professional manner.
I have known Samuel as a lawyer and friend for a few years. During this time, Samuel has provided me and my companies with invaluable advice and guidance for various commercial transactions. Samuel is also one of the most authentic people you will ever hope to meet in the market place. He takes the extra effort to explain various considerations simply (without legal jargon). Samuel gives very practical and commercially-savvy legal advice. This gave me the confidence we needed to move ahead with our transactions. With his help and the support of his team, I successfully re-acquired the HSR Group for S$1. Not only is Samuel and his team highly competent and knowledgeable, I know they care for me and are attentive to my concerns and are constantly looking out for my interests and legal rights. I have been doing business for more than 25 over years, and I dare say that it is sometimes difficult to find like-minded business people and entrepreneurs, which is why I value our relationship with Yuen Law greatly.
We have been working with Yuen Law since organizing our first ever event in Singapore in 2016 that was an international investor-startup conference of 2,000 people. Samuel and his team helped us with contracts and agreements, and gave plenty of consultation on matters big and small. There was no question we couldn’t ask them and no matter too big for them to resolve. Samuel and his team felt right away the right persons to work with – they understood very well the challenges of a small non-profit and were able to read well the startup mentality we had.
We highly appreciated the friendly and helping attitude of the whole team. We worked closely with Samuel and Jennifer who are rock solid professionals and were able to give us great advice – and they do everything with a customer-first approach. I can highly recommend Yuen Law to companies big and small, especially to startups that are looking for a legal partner that understands what a startup is going through.
I have worked twice with Yuen Law, first when the firm helped establish Foundation Chinese Opera, a non-profit organisation and later when it managed the registration process of Passerelles numériques, a French non-profit wishing to establish a Singapore base. In both cases Yuen Law proved to be a knowledgeable counsellor and I was also impressed by the follow-up work done. Equally important, charges of Yuen Law have always been very reasonable. Working with Samuel has been a pleasure.