WHAT WE DO

James Chai & Partners was established in 1995. Our firm offers a broad range of legal services to local and foreign clients. Our main areas of practice include arbitration, civil and criminal litigation, family law, corporate law, private wealth and asset management, trusts and estate planning, landlord and tenant, real estate and conveyancing.

• Arbitration & Litigation

  Our firm advises and represents clients on domestic and international arbitration. Our services include the drafting of arbitration clauses, selecting the appropriate venue and arbitral process, advising on the appointment of arbitrators and the enforcement of arbitral awards.

  We handle a broad spectrum of litigation cases including admiralty and shipping, banking and finance, building and construction, defamation, debt recovery, equity and trust, directors and shareholders’ disputes, landlord and tenant, employment, family and probate, negligence, partnership, personal injury, insolvency and bankruptcy, insurance, intellectual property as well blue and white collar criminal cases.

• Capital Markets & Private Wealth

  We render advice to high net-worth individuals on the set-up of appropriate onshore and offshore investment structures for succession planning, wealth planning and asset ownership and protection.

  Our practice includes assisting in the establishment of appropriate structures and vehicles such as trust, foundations, family-owned investment holding companies, and international holding companies and the preparation of related documents.

  We are able to advise and assist clients in the establishment of investment funds, whether stand-alone, umbrella or fund-of-fund structures; in both Singapore and offshore jurisdictions.

  Our services include the preparation and the review of launch and marketing-related documents, management and service provider agreements, distribution and placement documents and advising our clients on the importation of offshore domiciled products and the reorganization, restructuring and termination of funds.

• Corporate & Commercial

  The scope of our corporate services include the attendance at directors’ and shareholders’ meetings and the maintenance of proper records prescribed under the laws of Singapore, including the filing of annual returns with ACRA. We also work closely with our network of preferred partners in offshore jurisdrictions at clients’ requests.

  We assist in the setting up of offices and businesses in Singapore, including the incorporation of private limited companies and registration of foreign companies, representative offices and various types of partnerships.

• Employment & Immigration

  We regularly act for our clients, corporate entities and individuals, in the drafting and review of employment contracts.

  Our firm handles disputes on employment related issues on behalf of employers and employees, such as wrongful termination of employment contracts, breach of statutory and common law duties by employers, breach of fiduciary duties by employees, wrongful dismissal of employee, non-compete and restraint of trade clauses.

  We assist overseas clients in their applications for permanent residence status in Singapore, applications for employment passes, professional visit passes, training passes, multiple entry and re-entry permits.

  We advise clients in their appeals to the immigration authority for reconsideration of their decisions concerning the rejection of applications made by the clients for permanent residence and for other various passes issued by the immigration authority in Singapore.

• Family Office

  We are one of the only full service law firms in Singapore that also provides and specializes in Family Office Services.

  Our wealth of expertise in this area allows us to enable high net-worth families to Preserve the wealth of the family and at the same time Grow it, Enjoy it and Pass it down to sustain beyond 3 generations.

  James Chai & Partners is equipped to help start or manage your Family Office at all levels of wealth.

• Martrimonial & Family

  Our firm keeps clients focused on their issues concerning their disputes and helps to create desirable outcomes for them with minimal emotional and financial stress.

  We regularly advise clients on various aspect of family law ranging from deed of separation, divorce and ancillary matters such as division of property, custody of children and maintenance for spouses and children.

• Notarisation & Commissioning Services

  We provide notarisation and commissioning services for various types of legal documents for use in Singapore and overseas.

  At clients’ requests, we are also able to arrange for appropriate translation of documents from any foreign language to English and vice versa and for authentication and legalisation of such documents for use in foreign jurisdictions.

• Real Estate & Conveyancing

  Since 1995, we have acted for many individual and corporate clients including major financial institutions in Singapore on conveyancing and/or mortgage matters.

  Our firm handles conveyancing work including the sale, purchase, sub-sale, mortgage and refinancing of commercial, industrial and residential properties in Singapore.

  We provide services in the negotiation and preparation of sale and purchase agreements of properties via private treaty, auction or tender.

  Our firm also advises property owners and lessees on the leasing of commercial, industrial and residential properties.

• Probate, Wills & Trusts

  In this practice, our firm handles both contentious and non-contentious probate cases and the drafting of wills and trust documents.

  We also assist in applications for Resealing of Grants of Representation from various commonwealth countries and in the applications for grants of probate or letters of administration to the State Courts and the High Court of Singapore for executors and administrators of non-resident deceased’s estate.