Dorothy Tan is the Deputy Head of the Family Law Practice Group in PKWA Law. She is a Senior Associate Director in PKWA Law.
At the age of 25, Dorothy led a team to successfully argue and win at the Court of Appeal. She argued on the new Singapore law on the division of matrimonial assets. In her second Court of Appeal case, she won for her client 75% of matrimonial assets worth $13.6 million (up from 25%). The swing from 25% to 75% for her client is arguably one of the biggest amounts in appeals court history.
She is also one of the youngest lawyers to be named as one of the Top 100 Women in Litigation by Benchmark Litigation.
Dorothy has acted as lead counsel in many contentious divorce proceedings usually involving high net-worth individuals in the Family Justice Court, the High Court and the Court of Appeal.
Awards and Accolades
Dorothy is widely regarded as one of the leading divorce lawyers in Singapore:
- Dorothy is named as one of the Top 100 Women in Litigation in Asia-Pacific by Benchmark Litigation 2021 and 2022. The list of Top 100 Women in Litigation focuses on "the leading female litigators who have earned their place by participating in the most impactful litigation matters in recent history, as well as by earning the hard-won respect of their peers and clients as top players in their respective fields."
- Dorothy has won two Court of Appeal cases, including one described by the judges as “complicated,” “challenging” and “highly unusual” in which her client won 75% of $13.6 million in matrimonial assets, up from 25%. The swing in matrimonial assets from 25% to 75% is arguably one of the highest in divorce cases in Singapore.
- Dorothy is named as Litigation Star in family and matrimonial law in Asia-Pacific by Benchmark Litigation Asia Pacific editions in 2021 and 2022. The international publisher recognizes “litigation stars in each country as individuals who were recommended consistently as reputable and highly effective litigators by their clients and peers."
- Named as a Leading Lawyer in Doyle’s Guide to the Leading Family & Divorce lawyers in Singapore in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022.
- Dorothy is recognised as one of Asia’s top young lawyers in the Asian Legal Business 2016 listing of “40 under 40 – Asia’s Brightest Young Legal Minds”.
- Dorothy was also named in the Singapore Business Review's “Singapore's most influential lawyers aged 40 and under” list for 2016. Singapore’s most influential lawyers aged 40 are described as lawyers who "dominate the city's legal landscape." Lawyers were selected from a hundred nominees based on thought leadership, influence and success.
- Shortlisted for “Woman Lawyer of the Year” by Asian Legal Business at the SE Asia Law Awards 2018.
- Shortlisted for “Young Lawyer of the Year” by Asian Legal Business in 2017.
Dorothy is a contributor/author for Lexis Practical Guidance – Family Law Module
Appointments and Memberships
- Singapore Mediation Centre Accredited Mediator.
- Singapore Mediation Centre Accredited Collaborative Family Practitioner (CFP).
- Appointed to Singapore Mediation Centre’s Panel of Collaborative Family Practitioners (CFP).
- Associate Mediator of the Law Society Mediation Scheme Panel of Mediator.
- Appointed by the Chief Justice to the Inquiry Panel of the Law Society of Singapore.