David CHEE

David CHEE is a Partner in the Private Wealth and Middle East Practices. Called to the bar in 2004, David has extensive experience in both legal practice and wealth management sector. In addition to his legal career, he has worked as an in-house counsel for trust companies and as a wealth planner in private banks. With nearly two decades in the wealth management industry, David brings deep industry insight and a robust network of connections.

David’s primary areas of expertise include wealth and succession planning, trusts and philanthropy. He is dedicated to assisting clients organise their affairs in a proactive and thoughtful manner, with a focus on intentional legacy planning. David emphasises preserving and strengthening family relationships, ensuring that his clients’ legacies are passed down in a way that aligns with their values.

In the private wealth space, David advises ultra high-net-worth clients on all aspects of their international wealth and succession planning, including generational wealth transfer, asset protection, asset preservation, family business succession, family governance, structured philanthropy, tax planning and the establishment of family trusts and family offices. 

David also works closely with professional trustees, providing counsel on matters relating to trust structuring, restructuring, licensing and regulatory compliance, risk management and the administration of trusts and estates. Beyond family trusts, his expertise also extends to trusts in other areas such as charity, investments, debt restructuring, employee benefit programs, environmental restoration and rehabilitation projects. 

In the field of philanthropy, David advises on the establishment, governance, regulatory requirements administration and restructuring of charities and non-profit or philanthropic entities. These include institutions of public character and donor advised funds. His clients include a sovereign wealth fund, a trade union, financial institutions, family offices and large business organisations.

David is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, the Law Society of Singapore and the Singapore Academy of Law. He is also recognised as a Chartered Trustee by the Singapore Trustees Association. He serves on the boards of an international non-profit organisation and an Institution of Public Character, on the governance sub-committee of his church’s mission organisation, and on the Executive Committee of the Asia Estate Planning Association as Vice-President. David is also an active speaker and educator in the field of trusts and estate planning. 

David is widely recognised as a leading lawyer in private wealth by independent publications such as Private Client Global Elite Directory, Chambers High Net Worth Guide and The Legal 500. He is also ranked in Lexology Index as Global Leader for Private client and National Leader for Private Client in Southeast Asia. He was recognised as "Private Client Lawyer of the Year" by The Asian Lawyer Emerging Markets and remains one of the world's top 250 elite lawyers advising ultra-high-net-worth clients by Legal Week's Private Client Global Elite. Previously, David has been recognised in the area of Trusts and Estates by Best Lawyers and was also a listed lawyer in Singapore Business Review's 40 most influential lawyers aged 40 and under. 

David graduated from the National University of Singapore and is admitted to the Singapore Bar.