Valerie KOH

Matters of significance that Valerie has been involved in include acting for the following:

• Acting for a Thai joint venture company (comprising a wholly owned subsidiary of a public company listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand) in ongoing ICC arbitration proceedings involving a multibillion-baht dispute arising out of the construction of a waste-to-energy power plant valued at approximately THB$1.8 billion. The claims and counterclaims involve a highly contentious factual matrix and complex issues relating to termination, delay and disruption, technical defects as well as legal remedies under Thai law (the governing law of contract), requiring expert evidence from a total of 12 experts.
• Successfully acting for or defending various stakeholders in the construction sector in adjudication proceedings under the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 2004 relating to disputes arising out of construction and supply contracts across various trades, including defending a reputable luxury resort hotel operator against claims arising out of a S$68 million contract for the design, construction and management of a performing arts theatre, and acting for a leading Japanese civil works contractor in claims arising out of a S$34 million contract for the construction of an international mixed-use development. 
• Successfully acting for or defending various entities in corporate and commercial disputes, including defending a prominent property developer against misrepresentation claims for sums S$13 million that were entirely dismissed (Jin Ling Enterprise Pte Ltd v E C Prime Pte Ltd [2019] SGHC 209), and defending a prominent temple in disputes involving novel issues concerning the legal personality of unregistered unincorporated associations (Chee Hock Keng v Chu Sheng Temple [2016] 3 SLR 1396 (CA)*).
• Successfully acting for Far East Square Pte Ltd in a landmark Court of Appeal decision where the Court set aside an adjudication determination on the grounds that the contractor had no entitlement to serve the payment claim in question and that it fell outside the purview of the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act (Far East Square Pte Ltd v Yau Lee Construction (Singapore) Pte Ltd [2019] 2 SLR 189 (CA)).
• Successfully defending a prominent electrical sub-contractor in SIAC arbitration proceedings commenced by the main contractor involving disputes exceeding S$16 million arising out of the development of the Jewel Building at Changi Airport.  
• Advising reputable contractors on various high-value infrastructure, construction and engineering projects across the public and private sectors, both in Singapore and overseas, including residential developments valued in excess of S$214 million, commercial developments, mixed developments, industrial buildings, hotels, airports, power plants and an offshore wind farm.

*Matters prior to joining WongPartnership LLP.

Related Practices

• Infrastructure, Construction & Engineering