Insolvency Law Lawyers in Singapore: The Court Record
Who appears in reported Insolvency Law cases, and what happened · January 2023 to September 2026
As of , 177 reported Insolvency Law judgments on this site.
Across 177 reported Insolvency Law judgments in Singapore courts (2023–2026), Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP appears as counsel in the most cases (30), Han Guangyuan Keith is the most frequently appearing lawyer (13 appearances), of the 43 judgments with a recorded operative disposition, the most common was appeal dismissed (16). These are descriptive counts of who appears in the reported record and what the courts recorded — not an assessment of quality or standing, not an outcome prediction, and not legal advice.
Overview
Insolvency law governs what happens when a company or an individual can no longer pay its debts. It covers corporate insolvency and restructuring — winding up, judicial management, schemes of arrangement, and the restructuring tools used to rescue a business — as well as personal bankruptcy, the recovery of assets for creditors, and the order in which competing claims are paid. Reported judgments in this area turn on how these regimes are applied and how the courts balance the interests of debtors, creditors, and other stakeholders.
The firms and counsel who appear most often in the reported insolvency record are the restructuring and insolvency practices together with the commercial-litigation teams of larger full-service firms. Their prominence reflects how frequently the reported judgments name them as counsel across winding-up applications, restructuring and scheme proceedings, and disputes over the recovery and distribution of assets — a description of activity in the reported record, not an assessment of any matter's merits.
The court record also shows where these matters are resolved. Insolvency and restructuring questions are argued largely in the High Court, including its specialist commercial lists, with the most consequential restructuring and cross-border disputes reaching the appellate divisions. The tables below rank named firms and counsel purely by how often they appear in the reported insolvency-law record; the figures describe activity in reported litigation, not the quality of any representation or the outcome of any matter.
Which law firms appear most often in reported Insolvency Law cases in Singapore?
Who are the most active Insolvency Law lawyers in Singapore by reported cases?
What did Singapore courts decide in Insolvency Law cases?
Operative dispositions recorded across the 43 reported Insolvency Law judgments that carried one — an area-level distribution, not a per-lawyer or per-firm rate.
Representative reported Insolvency Law judgments
The most-cited reported Insolvency Law judgments on this site, ranked by how often later decisions cite them.
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Yes. The High Court held the profits were paid with intent to defraud creditors and, alternatively, at an undervalue, ordered the investor to repay $2,319,484, but dismissed the unjust enrichment claim, allowing the application in part.
High Court · 21 February 2024 · [2024] SGHC 46 · cited by 10 later judgments -
Partly. The High Court held an assigned judgment debt was valid and could be set off on the winding up, but declared the assignment of bare rights to litigate void, allowing the insolvent company's judicial managers' applications in part.
High Court · 24 November 2023 · [2023] SGHC 330 · cited by 7 later judgments -
Yes, if it hampers detection. The High Court held such concealment falls within s 201(b) of the Securities and Futures Act, convicted two accused of most charges, including market manipulation and cheating, and stayed their sentences pending appeal.
High Court · 24 October 2023 · [2023] SGHC 299 · cited by 6 later judgments -
Not if a prima facie valid arbitration agreement covers the disputed debt. The High Court dismissed the application, finding no abuse of process, so the claimant lacked standing as a creditor; the claimant has appealed.
High Court · 29 May 2023 · [2023] SGHC 159 · cited by 6 later judgments -
Arguably, where there is collusion. The High Court found a good arguable case of collusion and a real risk of dissipation, allowed the trustee's application and granted a worldwide Mareva injunction up to S$12.44m.
High Court · 15 July 2024 · [2024] SGHC 182 · cited by 5 later judgments -
Yes. The High Court held his ignorance itself breached his duty of care and ordered him to pay US$146,047,099.60 for the sham cargo drawdowns, allowing the claim in part.
High Court · 11 July 2024 · [2024] SGHC 178 · cited by 5 later judgments -
No. Allowing the liquidator's summons only in part, the High Court approved the solicitors from the date of its order, so he bears their earlier costs himself, but it authorised the funding agreement and granted the funding creditor priority.
High Court · 16 May 2024 · [2024] SGHC 130 · cited by 5 later judgments -
Yes. The High Court held the investor applied illegitimate pressure, including implied threats of legal action he knew had no merit, set aside the 2019 agreements and ordered his company to sell its shares to the claimants at fair value.
High Court · 19 January 2024 · [2024] SGHC 13 · cited by 5 later judgments -
No, in this court's view. The High Court held a solvent company's liquidation does not have its basis in a law relating to insolvency, so it is not a foreign proceeding, and dismissed the application; an appeal is pending.
High Court · 3 April 2023 · [2023] SGHC 82 · cited by 5 later judgments -
No. The Court of Appeal held Art 23(9) of the Model Law absolutely bars a foreign representative from bringing such claims for transactions before it took effect, and Art 21(1) cannot get around it, so dismissed both appeals.
Court of Appeal · 11 March 2026 · [2026] SGCA 12 · cited by 4 later judgments
What the court record shows about costs in Insolvency Law cases
Costs dispositions read from the 72 reported Insolvency Law judgments that addressed costs (39 stated a figure).
Which courts hear Insolvency Law cases?
Which law firms appear most often in reported insolvency cases in Singapore?
The firms that appear most frequently are the dedicated restructuring and insolvency practices and the commercial-litigation teams within larger full-service firms, because insolvency work spans winding up, judicial management, schemes of arrangement, and creditor recovery. The ranked tables on this page are built live from the reported court record and list firms by how often reported insolvency judgments name them as counsel.
What kinds of matters fall under insolvency law?
Insolvency law covers the regimes that apply when a debtor cannot pay its debts, rather than any single commercial field. Typical reported questions include winding up and the appointment of liquidators, judicial management, schemes of arrangement and restructuring, personal bankruptcy, the avoidance and recovery of assets, the priority of competing creditor claims, and cross-border insolvency.
Does appearing often in insolvency cases indicate a lawyer's success rate?
No. The counts on this page measure how often a firm or lawyer appears as counsel in reported insolvency judgments. They are a descriptive record of activity in reported litigation and are not a measure of outcomes, win rates, or the quality of any representation.
Explore the court record
These figures sit inside a wider picture of who litigates in Singapore and how the profession is shaped.
- To see the firms that appear most across every reported area, not just Insolvency Law, read Largest Law Firms in Singapore, Ranked by Reported Court Cases (2026).
- For the individual counsel who appear in the most reported judgments overall, see Most Active Lawyers in Singapore, Ranked by Reported Court Cases (2026).
- For how many lawyers and firms Singapore actually has, and how that compares with the court record, read Singapore's legal profession, in numbers.
- For what the cases teach about Insolvency Law — sub-topics, key cases, terms and the full case list — return to the Insolvency Law topic page.
Methodology & disclaimer
Firms and counsel are ranked by the number of reported Singapore Insolvency Law judgments in which they appear, counting each judgment once. Counts reflect appearances in reported decisions only — unreported matters, settlements and advisory work are not included. This is a descriptive count of activity in reported litigation, not an assessment of quality or standing, and not an endorsement of any firm or lawyer. It is information, not legal advice.