Leo Zhi Wei
梁芝玮
Counsel
Zhi Wei is a Counsel of the firm. She has acted in a broad spectrum of complex international arbitration and commercial litigation matters, including an arbitration relating to sanctions placed on a Russian bank, a dispute regarding the management of over US$600 million of assets belonging to a high net worth individual, and several high-value disputes worth over S$80 million involving breaches of fiduciary duties by errant directors and trustees.
Zhi Wei graduated with First Class Honours in law from the London School of Economics and Political Science where she also achieved the best performance for Medical Law. Thereafter, she went on to read for the Bachelor of Civil Law at the University of Oxford. After graduation, Zhi Wei spent two years undertaking a diverse range of legal work experience in public law, public international law, human rights and international arbitration with established international institutions in London and Israel.
Since being called to the Singapore Bar in 2017, Zhi Wei has worked with distinguished Senior Counsel on complex commercial disputes. In 2022, Zhi Wei was appointed by the Supreme Court of Singapore to the Young Amicus Curiae Scheme and provided her independent opinion to the High Court in a landmark decision on the rights of personal injury litigants to challenge causation in bifurcated trials in Salmizan bin Abdullah v Crapper, Ian Anthony [2023] SGHC 75. The High Court expressed its “immense gratitude” for Zhi Wei’s assistance, and commended her by stating in its judgment that her “oral and written submissions have been exceptional and greatly assisted” the Court.
Beyond practice, Zhi Wei is committed to legal education and scholarship. Since 2021, she has been lecturing Legal Research and Writing and Business Law as an adjunct at the Yong Pung How School of Law, Singapore Management University. Zhi Wei has also authored numerous articles and presented her research at international academic conferences, including an article on Wrotham Park damages for breach of contract, which was awarded the Best Feature Article written by a Young Lawyer at the Singapore Law Gazette Awards 2018.
In her free time, Zhi Wei participates actively in pro bono causes relating to low-wage migrant workers, which she has shared about in the media. She regularly assists and represents migrant workers in the full range of legal matters, is a volunteer with the Migrant Worker Legal Clinic and a member of the Migrant Worker Legal Assistance Committee convened by the Law Society of Singapore.
Zhi Wei is fluent in English and conversational Mandarin.
Admissions
- Advocate and Solicitor, Supreme Court of Singapore.
Professional Experience
- Represented a property developer in account of profits proceedings and successfully obtained judgment for profits of approximately S$87 million against an errant director and a development company, following the Court of Appeal’s finding that the errant director was liable for acting in breach of his fiduciary duties by diverting a maturing corporate opportunity. See Innovative Corp Pte Ltd v Ow Chun Ming [2022] SGHC 233.
- Represented multiple companies forming part of a leading international energy, steel and mining conglomerate in contested insolvency proceedings involving disputed debts exceeding S$300 million.
- Represented a private individual in an appeal before the Court of Appeal involving claims against a large global investment bank for breach of its contractual obligations which resulted in losses amounting to approximately US$26 million.
- Represented a private individual in High Court proceedings against a medical practitioner (deceased) for negligently performing a gallbladder surgery giving rise to a claim for damages in the region of S$1.5 to 2 million.
- Represented a foreign company in contentious proceedings involving the management of assets worth US$600 to $800 million linked to the late Mr Robert Perez De La Sala, following the decision by the Court of Appeal. See Ernest Ferdinand Perez De La Sala v Compañia De Navegación Palomar, SA and others and other appeals [2018] 1 SLR 894.
- Represented private individuals in High Court proceedings involving claims worth approximately US$64 million by an investment company for breach of fiduciary duties and conspiracy to injure arising from the transfer of share sale proceeds from a foreign holding company.
- Represented a private individual in a dispute over the validity of a Deed of Family Arrangement in respect of an estate worth over S$10 million. See Tan Wei Leong v Tan Lee Chin and others [2021] 4 SLR 84.
- Assisted the team that successfully represented an ultra-high net worth individual in relation to an application before the High Court to set aside a consent order on the grounds of fraud and non-disclosure. See BMI v BMJ [2018] 3 SLR 177.
- Represented one of the largest banks in Russia in an SIAC arbitration for claims of approximately US$250 million involving disputes arising from the impact of US sanctions on a Global Master Repurchase Agreement.
- Represented an international medical and security services company in an UNCITRAL arbitration involving claims exceeding US$40 million for breach of contract and minority shareholder oppression arising from a joint venture agreement.
- Represented a multinational Chinese telecommunications company in an SIAC arbitration for claims exceeding US$45 million for disputes arising from a royalty agreement, involving issues of whether the rates offered were FRAND (Fair, Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory).
- Represented a main contractor in a multimillion-dollar in an SIAC arbitration against the developer over disputes arising from the construction of a leasehold condominium development in Singapore.
- Represented a party implicated in the multi-billion-dollar global Wirecard scandal in criminal proceedings.
- Represented an employee in criminal proceedings in respect of charges arising from the falsification of documents under the Workplace Safety and Health Act.