Lim Chong Boon is Head of the Family Law and General Litigation Practice at PKWA Law.
Chong Boon started his practice at Allen & Gledhill, where he had the privilege of working directly under some of Singapore’s best lawyers.
He has more than 25 years of experience in Singapore courts. Chong Boon’s practice areas include family and divorce law, probate, commercial litigation, company law, construction litigation, corporate debt recovery, directors and shareholders’ disputes, employment law, intellectual property, immigration matters, insolvency, landlord-tenant disputes, and property disputes.
Awards and Accolades
Chong Boon is named a Litigation Star for family law by Benchmark Litigation Asia Pacific editions in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. The respected publisher is the definitive guide on the leading litigation lawyers internationally and in the region. Benchmark Litigation recognizes “litigation stars” in each country as individuals who were recommended consistently as reputable and highly effective litigators by their clients and peers.
Chong Boon is also ranked as a Leading Family and Singapore Divorce Lawyer by Doyles Guide in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022.
Chong Boon is also recommended by Global Law Experts 2015 edition as someone who “is valued by clients in civil and family law matters for his knowledge and experience in the law” and for being “practical and streetwise”. Global Law Experts describe him as “a good listener”, able to “cut through the issues quickly”. In addition, he is known “to favour mediation over litigation in divorce matters, but will litigate aggressively in court”.
The Family Law Group at PKWA Law has been consistently recognised as one of the top family law practices in the region. The list of accolades includes:
- PKWA Law is named as one of the top law firms in Singapore by the Straits Times in its “Singapore’s Best Law Firms” in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
- PKWA law has won two important Court of Appeal decisions on the issue of division of matrimonial assets, including one described by the judges as “complicated,” “challenging” and “highly unusual” in which our 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.
- PKWA Law ranked as one of the leading Family Law Firms in the 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 editions of Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific.
- Lim Chong Boon is ranked by Benchmark Litigation Asia Pacific 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 as a Dispute Resolution Star.
- Dorothy Tan is listed in the “Top 100 Women in Litigation” in Asia-Pacific by Benchmark Litigation 2021 and 2022. She is among several Singapore female lawyers who are recognised as leading litigators in the Asia Pacific. Dorothy is recognised as a leading lawyer in family and matrimonial law.
- Recognised as one of the leading Family Law Firms in Singapore by Asian Legal Business at the annual ALB Southeast Asia Law Awards in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022.
- Doyles Guide – PKWA Law is ranked as a leading family law firm. Lim Chong Boon and Dorothy Tan are ranked as leading family lawyers in Singapore.
- Doyles Guide to Leading Family & Divorce Lawyers – Singapore, 2017 – Lim Chong Boon and Dorothy Tan are both ranked by their peers as “Leading Family and Divorce Lawyers in Singapore 2017”.
- PKWA Law is ranked as a “Leading Family and Divorce Law Firm in Singapore” in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 by Doyles Guide to Leading Singapore Family & Divorce Lawyers.
- Doyles Guide of LeadingSingapore Family Lawyers 2016 – Lim Chong Boon and Dorothy Tan are ranked as Leading Family and Divorce Lawyers in Singapore. PKWA Law is also ranked as a recommended Leading Family Law Firm.
- Charlene Nah was named as one of Family Law Rising Stars 2022 by Doyles Guide.
- PKWA’s family lawyers Dorothy Tan and Low Jin Liang were named among Singapore’s “Most Influential Lawyers Under 40” by Singapore Business Review 2016.
- Dorothy was shortlisted for “Woman Lawyer of the Year” by Asian Legal Business at the SE Asia Law Awards 2018. She was selected by an independent panel of 30 legal experts and is the only family lawyer on the shortlist.
- Dorothy Tan is named as one of Asia’s top young lawyers by Asian Legal Business 2016.
- Dorothy Tan was nominated for “Young Lawyer of the Year” at the SE Asia Law Awards 2017.
- Global Law Experts 2015 Edition — Lim Chong Boon is a recommended lawyer in “Family and Civil”.
He has been involved in several high-profile cases involving substantial claims.
Commercial & Civil Cases
- Acting in protracted and highly complex litigation in the Singapore High Court of one of the largest corporate bond defaults in emerging markets history involving Asia Paper and Pulp. The claim was worth US$300 million and involved legal experts from the US and Indonesia, and decisions involving the Supreme Court of the State of New York and the Supreme Court of Indonesia (OCM Opportunities Fund II, LP and Others v Pt Indah Kiat Pulp & Paper Corporation and Another [2008] SGHC 73).
- Advising the leading global operator of water services in employment matters and general corporate advice for its Asia Pacific office.
- Acting for a government statutory board to obtain urgent interlocutory injunctions against occupiers for causing nuisance and breach of contract.
- Acting for Jurong Town Corporation in property disputes and obtaining possession of property from errant tenants.
- Acting for all 8 defendants in the High Court and Court of Appeal to successfully defend a US$27 million multi-cause of action claim for breach of contract, breach of agency, and conspiracy to defraud (Fornet Enterprise Co Ltd v Howell Universal Pte Ltd and Others [2006] SGHC 33).
- Acting for Propnex, one of the largest property agency companies in Singapore, in an action against some of its former employees and agents for poaching its staff and for breach of contract.
- Defending former students in a defamation suit brought by a trainer.
- Acting for a US-listed MNC in litigation over the construction of a wafer fab plant in Singapore.
- Acting for DBS Bank in the recovery of credit card and housing loans.
- Acting for the Nominee to successfully seek bankruptcy protection under the Bankruptcy Act for two directors of TT International Ltd, a company listed on the Main Board of the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited. This allowed the directors to resolve and restructure their personal liabilities of about $51 million arising out of corporate guarantees they had executed in connection with the company’s debts.
- Acting for a major international hotel chain in respect to their dispute with a Singapore landlord;
- Acting in the Singapore High Court in litigation with an international construction and engineering company over the construction of a plant. The case was one of the first in Singapore to involve the electronic discovery of documents stored in servers.
Family Law Cases
- Successfully represented the mother in a bitter custody battle over her 2 children. The High Court awarded our client care and control and ordered the father to hand over the children within 7 days or face contempt action. The case took 3 years and involved over 2,000 pages of court documents.
- Represented a prominent and wealthy Singapore businessman in his divorce proceedings and ancillary issues.
- Acted for a prominent senior Singapore lawyer in a highly contentious divorce matter, division of assets and custody of the children.
- Represented the CEO of a listed company in his divorce proceedings and ancillaries.
- Acted for a wife to recover half of the ex-husband’s lottery win.
- Represents high net worth clients in pre-nuptial agreements.
Some of Chong Boon’s reported cases include Fornet Enterprise Co Ltd vs Howell Universal Pte Ltd & others [2006] 2 SLR 349; [2006] SGHC 33 and OCM Opportunities Fund II, LP and others vs PT Indah Kiat Pulp and Paper Corporation [2008] SGHC 73
Appointments & Memberships
- Chong Boon was on the Council of the Law Society of Singapore for 2 terms (1993 to 1996).
- Appointed by the Chief Justice to the Inquiry Panel of the Law Society of Singapore for two-year terms (2013 to 2015, 2015 to 2017, 2017 to 2019, 2019 to 2021).
- Past committee member of the Civil Practice Committee, Law Society of Singapore
- Past Chairman of Sports Committee, Law Society of Singapore
- Commissioner for Oaths
- Appointed as an Assigned lawyer with the Legal Aid Bureau, Ministry of Law
- Past Tutor, Practice Law Course of the Board of Legal Education – Family Law, Civil Procedure, Insolvency and Bankruptcy
- Fellow, Asian Institute of Alternative Dispute Resolution (AiADR)
- Member, Law Society of Singapore
- Member, Singapore Academy of Law
- Fellow, Asian Institute of Alternative Dispute Resolution (AiADR)
Media
Chong Boon has been interviewed by the media for his views on family law, including:
- Breakups soon after marriage at 20-year high – Straits Times.
- More divorcees visiting kids under supervision – Straits Times.
- More break-ups among less-educated – Straits Times.
- Genuine interest needed to last in the community – Straits Times.
- Behind closed doors – Rape and marriage in Singapore – Channel News Asia.
- When parents have different discipline styles – Young Parents.
- Dealing with irreconcilable differences – Singapore Business Review.
- Singaporeans are cheating with their colleagues; Counsellors see more extra-marital affairs – Straits Times.
- Family Justice Courts launch a cheaper and faster way for users to file applications – Straits Times.