About Christopher DE SOUZA

Christopher de Souza is a Partner in the firm’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution department and Intellectual Property department. Christopher advises and represents clients on commercial matters, criminal matters as well as matters involving intellectual property and arbitration.

Christopher graduated with First Class Honours from King’s College London where he topped his Class. He then pursued the BCL Masters degree at the University of Oxford where he graduated with First Class Honours. He was awarded a Shell scholarship while at Oxford and received several book prizes when at King's College London, including the Sweet & Maxwell prize for receiving the joint highest honours in his graduating class and the Jelf Medal for his academic and sporting achievements at the University.

In a recent 2009 Singapore High Court judgment, the High Court Judge recorded that Christopher had done a “most commendable job” and was “thoroughly prepared” and “diligent.”

During his years of practice, Christopher was a Justices’ Law Clerk to the Chief Justice of Singapore, Deputy Public Prosecutor and State Counsel at the Attorney-General’s Chambers and an Assistant Registrar of the High Court before joining Lee & Lee. Christopher became a Member of Parliament for Holland-Bukit-Timah GRC in 2006 and is a member of the Government Parliamentary Committees for Law, Home Affairs and Education.

Christopher’s Court, Dispute Resolution and Arbitration experience includes advising and representing clients in the following cases:

• Successfully representing a company for recovery of monies and profits owing to it under a contractual agreement (Lead Counsel - Court of Appeal) (2010)
• Successfully representing a Singapore-based society in an action for passing off against an individual (Lead Counsel - Court of Appeal) (2009)
• Advising an SGX-listed firm on foreign jurisdiction litigation and rights under contract
• Successfully representing a US and British-owned IT-related company in obtaining different sets of injunctions in the High Court (Lead Counsel - High Court) (2009 - 2010)
• Representing a Singapore-based company in a contractual and tortious matter (Lead Counsel - High Court) (2010)
• Representing an individual in an investment-related banking matter (co-Counsel - High Court) (2010)
• Successfully representing a Hong Kong-based listed company in an intellectual property action involving its subsidiary (co-Counsel - Court of Appeal) (2009)
• Successfully representing a client in a private prosecution in relation to a criminal case (Lead Counsel) (2010)
• Representing an individual against a foreign financial institution (co-Counsel - High Court) (2010)
• Representing a Property Developer in an action involving both passing off and Trade Mark law in relation to a project worth approximately $50 million (co-Counsel – High Court)
• Advising a former CFO in actions relating to alleged Forex transaction losses amounting to close to S$500 million
• Representing a company in a copyright, trademark revocation and invalidation matter in relation to a dispute over Chinese herbs worth approximately S$20million (co-Counsel – High Court)
• Representing a local society in a passing off action against an individual in relation to the use of the society’s name (co-Counsel – High Court)
• Defamation and retrenchment benefits claim against a MNC arising out of an employment dispute and termination (lead Counsel – High Court)
• Monies owing for services provided pursuant to a services contract (lead Counsel – High Court)
• Representing a local SME in an action against a foreign based director arising out of breaches of an exclusive distributorship agreement (co- Counsel – High Court)
• Representing a London-based MNC in a suit for alleged breach of contract (Lead Counsel)
• Representing and advising a Taiwanese Telco equipment manufacturer in a trade mark action against a Singapore based Telco (co-Counsel - High Court)
• Representing and advising a Hong Kong based listed Company in an action involving Trade Mark and tort of passing off litigation (co-Counsel – High Court);
• Representing a local SME in an arbitration involving put option clause in Shareholder’s Agreement before the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (co-Counsel – Arbitration)
• Representing an individual in an arbitration involving a contractual dispute before the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (Lead Counsel – Arbitration)
• Advising an SGX listed company on issues of Company accounts, director’s fiduciary duties and announcements to SGX (Lead Counsel);
• Advising an SGX listed company on possible breach of duties owing by directors to the company, tort of conspiracy to injure and related advisory work (Lead Counsel)
• Representing a BVI company on recovery of trust monies
• Advising an ASEAN-based company on regional mining issues and matters involving arbitration (co-Counsel) (2010)
• Advising the Board of Directors of a Singapore IT-related company on potential litigious action (Lead Counsel)
• Advising the Board of Directors of a Property development firm on guarding its rights in relation to potentially litigious matters (Lead Counsel)

Christopher also makes it a point to accept criminal briefs. He has acted for clients in both the High Court and Subordinate Court in cases involving alleged corruption, outrage of modesty, theft, bomb hoaxes and credit card fraud. Christopher also advises clients on aspects of white collar crime. Christopher’s criminal practice entails advising clients on a wide spectrum of offences which includes mapping out the judicial process in Singapore and the possible outcomes clients can expect.

Christopher leads a team which advises Listed Companies on directors’ duties, potential breach of directors’ duties, and options available to the listed Companies and their Board in relation to non-litigious and/or litigious solutions. This work involves advice to Non-listed Companies and Small-Medium Enterprises as well.

Christopher also manages a team which offers customised immigration advice to clients. His clients include individuals seeking to use Singapore as their base for work, business and family. The advice given to clients involves explaining the whole PR/citizenship application process and the requirements needed to support such applications.

Christopher also offers clients pre-litigation advice, which entails a written opinion detailing the strengths and merits of a client’s case. Such an opinion assists the client in deciding whether to pursue litigation in Court.

He has authored and/or co-authored the following publications:

• Halsbury's Laws of Singapore (Criminal Law), a Lexis-Nexis Publication (2008)
• “Expanding the Boundaries of Sudden Fight”, (2003) 15 Singapore Academy of Law Journal 333
• “Diminished Responsibility: A Less Vindicatory Excuse than Provocation”, (2005) 17 Singapore Academy of Law Journal 793
• Identification Parades, Criminal Procedure Manual, Singapore Board of Legal Education (2004 & 2005 editions)
• Article on the Ten or Life Perplexity in section 304(a) of the Penal Code, Chapter 224 – Singapore Law Gazette (2006) Aug/Sep Issue

In 2010, Christopher was appointed to the Supreme Court's Rules of Court Working Committee, which is chaired by a Supreme Court judge, for a term of two years. Christopher was recently nominated as a Young Global Leader in the World Economic Forum and has also been invited to speak at conferences including: The Singapore Legal Forum 2010; The Singapore Academy of Law “Forensics Conference” 2009;  The Presidents of Law Associations of Asia (POLA) Conference 2006, Young Lawyer’s Forum, organised by the Singapore Law Society; The Temasek Forum in London.

An avid sportsman, Christopher represented Singapore in hockey at various tournaments up to 2005.

Telephone

65574 854

E-Mail-Address

chrisdesouza@leenlee.com.sg