Our Firm

Founding and early growth of Lee & Lee

On 1 September 1955, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, his wife Mdm Kwa Geok Choo and Mr Dennis Lee Kim Yew founded the legal firm of Lee & Lee.

The firm began in humble circumstances and surroundings, above a coffeeshop along a row of shophouses at 10B Malacca Street. The office was small, with only 2 rooms for lawyers, and modestly furnished with second-hand furniture. The support staff consisted of just 5 clerks and a messenger.

At that time, Mr Lee Kuan Yew was already well known through his representation of trade unions in arbitration tribunals and in trade negotiations.

In the first 5 years of the firm's history, court litigation matters and conveyancing made up the majority of the work. Mr Lee Kuan Yew had handled several big civil cases, and had clients as far off as Kuching, Sibu, Brunei town, Jesselton (now known as Kota Kinabalu) and Sandakan.

In 1959, the People's Action Party won the General Elections, and Mr Lee Kuan Yew became the first Prime Minister of Singapore and left the firm.

By then, Mr E W Barker had joined Lee & Lee. Mr Dennis Lee Kim Yew and Mdm Kwa Geok Choo continued to helm and lead the firm.

Expansion and relocation

Lee & Lee grew rapidly. After 14 years at Malacca Street, Lee & Lee moved to ICB Building along Shenton Way in 1969 to accommodate more lawyers and staff.

Shortly after in 1974, the firm relocated to UIC Building, where it remained for 35 years, further expanding its services and headcount.

It was here that many lawyers sharpened their legal skills, learnt from experienced mentors, made firm and lasting friendships, and celebrated victories, wins and successful transactions.

Technological advancement and leadership transition

In 1987, after 32 years in practice, Mdm Kwa Geok Choo became the firm's first consultant. A scholarship was endowed in her name at the National University of Singapore, and some of the students who were awarded the scholarship went on to train with the firm and are still with the firm to this day.

Mr Dennis Lee Kim Yew retired as partner in 1995 after 40 years of active practice.

As Singapore's economic expansion took off with regionalization efforts, Lee & Lee provided active legal support for companies involved in cross-border transactions involving countries in South-East Asia as well as in the Pacific Rim.

Continued growth and expansion of practice areas

At the turn of the millennium, in 2001, the firm established a joint law venture with international law firm Lovells. Lovells merged with the US law firm of Hogan & Hartson, and through this, what is known today as Hogan Lovells Lee & Lee is the longest surviving joint law venture in Singapore. This enabled Lee & Lee to provide clients with comprehensive advice on international and cross-border matters.

Mdm Kwa Geok Choo retained an active interest in the firm, and graced the official opening of Lee & Lee's new office premises at Capital Tower in 2005 in celebration of the firm's 50th Anniversary.

Throughout the years, Lee & Lee has always placed a strong emphasis on professional and moral integrity, dedication to serving clients' best interests and maintaining camaraderie amongst colleagues.

After 10 years at Singapore Land Tower, the firm moved in 2021 to its present premises at 25 North Bridge Road, just a stone's throw away from the Supreme Court.

On 1 October 2025, Lee & Lee converted from a partnership to a Limited Liability Partnership, heralding a new chapter in its history.

Since its founding, the firm has grown in tandem with Singapore, expanding from a three-lawyer operation to a full-service law firm that is committed to and provides legal service that is in step with the trends of the future while relying on the experience of the past.

Today, Lee & Lee LLP is one of Singapore's leading law firms with a combined strength of over 180 comprising lawyers, paralegals and other support staff. Our clients include well-established family businesses, major financial institutions, public listed companies and multinational corporations. Our relationships with our clients – some of whom the firm has journeyed with over 3 generations of families – are professional and yet personal, tailored to each client's need. The firm has been consistently ranked one of Singapore's top law firms.

The firm will continue to maintain its tradition of service with integrity and excellence, while drawing on the best technological and legal expertise to advise our clients on innovative and practical legal solutions.