22 ASIAN LEGAL BUSINESS – OCTOBER 2023 WWW.LEGALBUSINESSONLINE.COM COVER STORY sel. As managing partner and Ngan’s direct supervisor, I value her opinion the most and rely on her to accomplish tasks on her own, mostly without prompting”. Beyond her demanding legal practice, Nguyen is a passionate advocate for philanthropy. She has taken a proactive role in establishing and managing the VILAF Foundation, a charitable organisation dedicated to providing financial support, primarily in education and healthcare, to underprivileged children in Vietnam. Ngan’s commitment to philanthropy through the VILAF Foundation underscores her dedication to making a positive impact on the community and those she serves. Rashel Ann Pomoy 34, junior partner and deputy head for labor and employment, Villaraza and Angangco Law Offices Rashel Ann Pomoy, a junior partner and deputy head for labor and employment at Villaraza and Angangco Law Offices, advises on litigation, arbitration and labour. She made history in January 2021 when she became the youngest person to be promoted to a junior partner in the firm’s more than 40 years of existence. Some of Pomoy’s notable cases are representation of current and former officials of Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) on a criminal case for money laundering, which resulted in the dismissal of the charge on demurrer to evidence which was sustained by the Philippine court, claim for damages filed by RCBC against Bangladesh Bank for defamation and filing and prosecution of cases against employees of RCBC that participated in the commission of the crime against RCBC. She also led counsel of one of the most expensive estate case cases in the Philippines that involves the estate of the tycoon George Ty, estimated to be worth around $3 billion. Pomoy’s clients include big names such Amazon Operations Services Philippines, Twitter (now X) and Seyfarth Shaw in addition to Rizal Commercial Banking, one of the country’s biggest financial institutions. “Not only is she trusted by the clients, her professionalism and reliability also benefit the Firm itself. She is instrumental in the strengthening of the Firm’s labor practice,” said Alejandro Alfonso E. Navarro, senior partner and group head of the labor & employment practice group at Villaraza and Angangco said. “During the pandemic, she was responsible for shepherding both the prevention and control measures in the office and the Firm’s vaccination program.” Sngeeta Rai 38, director, Davinder Singh Chambers Sngeeta Rai, a director in Davinder Singh Chambers, handles complex civil and commercial disputes. Rai has acted for clients, including listed companies and high-net-worth individuals, in a wide spectrum of cases such as contractual disputes, medical negligence and shareholder disagreements. Rai began her legal career as a Justices’ Law Clerk to the Chief Justice and Judges of the Supreme Court of Singapore. Subsequently, she also undertook a judicial role as an Assistant Registrar. Executive Chairman Davinder Singh SC describes Rai as “one of the finest lawyers of her generation”. He says that Rai has “a very sharp legal mind and is passionate about her work”, “puts clients at ease” and that clients “go to her for solutions”. Chief Executive Officer Jaikanth Shankar describes Rai as “a rising star” and “an exceptionally intelligent lawyer who always has the facts at her fingertips”. He says that she is “making her mark in commercial litigation” and is “adept at dealing with factually and legally complex cases”. Rai is a “top-class lawyer” who is “sharp”, “responsive” and has a “superb knowledge of Singapore law and practice” says an instructing counsel. Another instructing counsel states that Rai displays an “extremely high level of professionalism and confidence” and that the quality of Rai’s work is “exemplary”. Rai is a “top notch lawyer with a big heart”, says a client. Eunyoung Row 39, partner, Bae, Kim & Lee Eunyoung Row, a partner at Bae, Kim & Lee, is a dispute resolution expert with more than a decade of experience. Her notable cases include: successfully defended vice president JY Lee and key officers of Samsung Electronics who were charged for, among others, alleged bribery; and involved in an arbitration case filed by a Korean resort company against Hilton seeking cancellation of a management agreement executed between them due to a breach, and played a significant role in facilitating the resolution of the case by both parties. Row’s clients are Korean Blue Chips such as Samsung Electronics, Samsung C&T, SK group, LG, POSCO Holdings and Hyundai Motor. Although she has already made a name as a star litigator, Row aspires to expand her expertise to advising on compliance that would help mitigate a wide range of legal risks of clients in advance and provides useful advice in a timely manner. She also aims to grow as a good leader by systematising her work experiences and know-how and passing them down to her junior professionals in her team. “Her greatest strength is that she always accurately understands the core of the case and creates the most suitable solution for the client. This ability comes from the experience of carrying out many major cases of BKL and the attitude of having many conversations with customers and looking for related materials,” says Soonik Kwon, partner and the head of BKL’s domestic disputes practice group. Siregran Sakuliampaiboon 37, counsel, Weerawong, Chinnavat & Partners Siregran Sakuliampaiboon is a counsel at Weerawong, Chinnavat & Partners and advises on M&A, foreign investment in Thailand, corporate structuring, and corporate management, focusing on cross-border transactions. Her client base covers many industries,
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