Established in 2001 by Mrs. Arfat Selvam, Selvam LLC is a boutique corporate and disputes law firm offering Singapore law services to both local and international clients.

 

On 1 January 2011, Selvam LLC entered into a joint law venture with Philadelphia-based United States law firm, Duane Morris LLP. The affiliation, formally known in Singapore as an Enhanced Joint Law Venture (“JLV”) was the first U.S.-Singapore joint venture to be approved by Singapore as part of the enhanced liberalisation of its legal services market in 2008. The joint venture, known as Duane Morris & Selvam LLP, enables Duane Morris to strengthen its capabilities, access and presence in Asia through Selvam LLC’s top-ranked Singapore corporate and disputes practices, and likewise helps Selvam to leverage the support of Duane Morris’ 20 U.S. and other international offices.

 

In addition, the partnership enables Selvam to draw upon the JLV in terms of the technology, IT infrastructure, training and capabilities of a global law firm. Together, the firm now has over 900 lawyers across 30 offices including five offices in Asia: Singapore, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Shanghai and Yangon. Selvam LLC undertakes all Singapore law aspects of the JLV, including litigation, employment, real estate and family law matters. Due to the ever increasing volume of cross-border transactions, our local law capability greatly enhances the scope of legal services we are able to offer our clients.

 

For more information on Duane Morris & Selvam LLP and the services it provides, please go to www.duanemorrisselvam.com.

 

Our firm is often described as “unique.” We have a level of collegiality that means each member of our team is treated as a member of our Selvam family. Our philosophy is to embrace and encourage the diversity of our people. Our clients benefit from the quality of our lawyers and their commercial acumen.

In addition to providing legal services, we believe in making a difference in our local community and we participate in various community engagement projects. Our lawyers share their knowledge and expertise pro bono with community and charitable organizations. One such initiative is for the All Saints Home, a group of elderly care centers across Singapore, which provide support to underprivileged senior citizens. Our lawyers assisted elderly residents to execute a lasting power of attorney so that those close to them may make crucial decisions on their behalf in the event that they are incapacitated. Our other pro bono work has involved helping some low income individuals who could not afford representation in civil and criminal matters.

GP Selvam (RIP)

Managing Director

Yves Quintin

Biography

Retired Judge G.P. Selvam (RIP) was appointed as Judge of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Singapore in 1994 following a three-year term as Judicial Commissioner, and stayed until reaching the constitutional retirement age of 65 in 2001.

Judge Selvam has over 100 reported cases to his name as a Supreme Court Judge, covering a wide range of civil, commercial, arbitration and admiralty matters. He was also a member of the Supreme Court Working Party on Civil Procedure and the Rules Committee which introduced procedural measures for expeditiously clearing the backlog of civil and admiralty cases.

Prior to his appointment, Judge Selvam was in private practice with the law firm of Drew & Napier. He joined the firm in 1969 and stayed on until 1991 when as Senior Partner, he was elevated to the Supreme Court. He was a practice leader in shipping, admiralty, banking and international trade.

After his retirement in 2001, Judge Selvam was appointed C J Koh Professor of Law at the National University of Singapore. He returned to the practice of law and established his name as a leading practitioner in international arbitration where he, as arbitrator ruled on several landmark disputes. He joined Selvam LLC as Consultant, and held this position when the firm established Duane Morris & Selvam LLP, a joint law venture with U.S. law firm Duane Morris LLP in 2011.

Judge Selvam was editor-in-chief of the Singapore Civil Procedure first published in 2003 and republished in 2007.

In 2013, Judge Selvam was appointed Chairman of the Committee of Inquiry into the Little India riot which took place in Singapore in December 2013.

Judge Selvam also chaired the Commission of National Inquiry in the Maldives to enquire into the events in 2012 that resulted in the transfer of power from President Nasheed. For more than a decade, he had advised the Government of Union of Myanmar in transactional and dispute resolution matters.

Judge Selvam graduated from the University of Singapore in 1968, and after a brief period as Assistant Lecturer, he was admitted as an advocate & solicitor of the Republic of Singapore in 1969. Following his retirement from practice in 2018, Selvam LLC appointed him as Senior Mentor Emeritus. In 2022, Mr. Selvam passed away due to personal health condition. May he rest in peace.

Arfat Selvam

Managing Director
ASelvam@selvam.com.sg
+65 6311 0031

Areas of Practice: Corporate

Admitted: Singapore

Leon Yee

Chairman
LYee@selvam.com.sg
+65 6311 0057

Areas of Practice: Banking & Finance; Real Estate; Capital Markets; Private Equity & Venture Capital; M&A

Admitted: Singapore; England & Wales

Sarbjit Singh Chopra

Managing Director
SSingh@selvam.com.sg
+65 6311 0041

Areas of Practice: General Civil and Commercial Litigation; Construction Disputes

Admitted: Singapore

Clement Tan

Director
CJTan@selvam.com.sg
+65 6311 3657

 

Areas of Practice: Commercial Litigation, International Commercial Arbitration, White Collar and Investigations, Criminal litigation

Admitted: Singapore

Daniel Soo

Director
DSoo@selvam.com.sg
+65 6311 3675

Areas of Practice: Commercial Litigation; International Commercial Arbitration; Insolvency and Restructuring

Admitted: Singapore

Kenneth Lim

Director
KLim@selvam.com.sg
+65 6311 3686

Areas of Practice: General Corporate Mergers and Acquisitions Venture Capital & Private Equity Regulatory and Compliance

Admitted: Singapore

Jerald Foo

Director
JFoo@selvam.com.sg
+65 6311 3792

Areas of Practice: Commercial Litigation; International Arbitration; Insolvency and Restructuring; Mediation; White Collar Crime

Admitted: Singapore

Ung Gim Sei

Director
GSUng@selvam.com.sg
+65 6311 3697

Areas of Practice: Intellectual Property Law; Trademark, Internet and Media Law

Admitted: Singapore

Zabrina Abdul Hamid

Director
ZHamid@selvam.com.sg
+65 6311 0072

Areas of Practice: Corporate Real Estate; Banking; Wills & Probate

Admitted: Singapore

Leonard Loh

Associate Director
LWLoh@selvam.com.sg
+65 6311  0073

Areas of Practice: Litigation

Admitted: Singapore

Jennifer Lo

Associate Director
JYLo@selvam.com.sg
+65 6311 0053

Areas of Practice: Corporate

Admitted: Singapore

Patrick E-Wei Ong

Associate Director
PEOng@selvam.com.sg
+65 6311 0047

 

Areas of Practice: Corporate

Admitted: Singapore

Roshan Singh Chopra

Associate Director
 RSingh@selvam.com.sg
+65 6311 3687

Areas of Practice: Litigation

Admitted: Singapore

Evan Teoh Ye Oon

Senior Associate
YOTeoh@selvam.com.sg
+65 6311 3672

Areas of Practice: Corporate; Mergers and Acquisitions; Joint Ventures; Employment

Admitted: Singapore

Cumara Kamalacumar

Senior Associate
CKamalacumar@selvam.com.sg
+65 6311 3655

Areas of Practice: Litigation; Dispute Resolution

Admitted: Singapore

Jonathan Lim

Senior Associate
JLim@selvam.com.sg
+65 6311 3656

Areas of Practice: Corporate

Admitted: Singapore

Luis Duhart

Senior Associate
LDuhart@selvam.com.sg
+65 6311 3684

Areas of Practice: Litigation

Admitted: Singapore

Faustina Joyce Fernando

Associate
FJFernando@selvam.com.sg
+65 6311 3786

Areas of Practice: Litigation

Admitted: Singapore

Colin Tan

Associate
CTan@selvam.com.sg
+65 6311 3681

Areas of Practice: Litigation

Admitted: Singapore

Marcus Ng

Associate
MWNg@selvam.com.sg
+65 6311 3695

Areas of Practice: Corporate

Admitted: Singapore

Yuen Zi Gui

Associate
ZGYuen@selvam.com.sg
+65 6311 3691

Areas of Practice: Litigation

Admitted: Singapore

Yeo Ming Ze

Associate
MZYeo@selvam.com.sg
+65 6311 0038

Areas of Practice: Corporate

Admitted: Singapore

Sakthi Vel Raman

Associate
SRaman@selvam.com.sg
+65 6311 3682

Areas of Practice: Litigation

Admitted: Singapore