Full Profile
Weiyi advises clients on investigations into corruption, money laundering, employee misconduct, fraud and other white-collar offences, and assists them with their response to enforcement and regulatory authorities in the context of government investigations. She also advises on the design and implementation of compliance programs, including undertaking risk assessments to identify risk areas, drafting compliance policies to address these risks, assisting with the training of employees/third parties and addressing instances of non-compliance when they occur. As part of the compliance program, she further advises clients on their internal investigation protocols, employee disciplinary processes and dawn raid procedures.
As a litigator, Weiyi represents clients as lead counsel in litigation and arbitration proceedings relating to general commercial, international trade, investment, employment, and technology disputes. She is also an experienced mediator and arbitrator, having been appointed to the panels of the Singapore Mediation Centre and the Singapore International Arbitration Centre.
Weiyi is appointed to the Goods and Services Tax Board of Review by the Ministry of Finance and serves as Council member of the Singapore Institute of Arbitrators. She has also served as President of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners’ (ACFE) Singapore Chapter and is a Certified Privacy Manager with the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP). Weiyi regularly speaks and publishes on her areas of expertise, and is the author of the Singapore Chapter of the International Comparative Legal Guide – Corporate Investigations 2022.
Weiyi is recognised as a “Next Generation Partner” for White Collar Crime by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2024, and named “Corporate Investigations Lawyer of the Year” by the Lawyer Network (2023). Clients describe her as a “stellar attorney” who “is both extremely knowledgeable of the regulatory framework and relentlessly responsive”. They also praise her for her “wealth of knowledge and pragmatic approach”.
Experience
Some of Weiyi’s work highlights (all matters done prior to joining Clyde & Co):
Compliance and Investigations
- Corruption and money laundering: Advised and assisted a UK multinational bank in its internal investigations on one of its investee companies in South East Asia, relating to allegations of fraud and corruption that originated from a whistleblower from the investee company. Advised the client on money laundering issues arising from predicate offences and assisted with the filing of Suspicious Transaction Reports. Assisted with the client’s reports to regulatory authorities in Singapore, Indonesia, the UK and the US and obtained a favourable resolution of the matter with the authorities.
- Tax evasion and money laundering: Advised the Singapore subsidiary of a Swiss financial institution on an investigation into potential offences of tax evasion and breach of reporting obligations under US, Swiss and Singapore laws, by way of an elaborate tax fraud scheme. Advised the client on money laundering issues arising from the transfer of funds and assisted the client in its response to investigations by the US Department of Justice, Swiss financial authority and Singapore Monetary Authority of Singapore.
- Insider Trading / Market manipulation: Advised a British multinational bank in its internal investigations on allegations of insider trading and market manipulation by its traders in relation to bond products. Provided the client with legal advice on potential liability and assisted the client in its reports to the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
- Corporate governance: Advised and assisted a Singapore private equity company on investigations into alleged corporate governance issues and accounting irregularities in respect of an investment into an offshore company.
- Regulatory offences – foreign exchange: Assisted a US multinational bank on a complex multi-jurisdictional risk assessment in Asia Pacific, as a result of investigations and prosecution by the US Department of Justice in respect of cross border forex offences.
- Regulatory offences – product recall: Advised a European food and beverage manufacturer on a regional product recall affecting 8 jurisdictions in the Asia Pacific region, arising from an alleged breach of food safety regulations.
- Anti-trust: Advised and represented a European manufacturing company in its internal investigations into potential anti-trust violations. Assisted the client in its response to investigations by the Competition Commission of Singapore in respect of allegations on the abuse of dominant position.
- Trade compliance: Represented a manufacturing company in its defence to investigations and charges brought by Singapore Customs under the Singapore Strategic Goods (Control) Act; obtained a favourable resolution of the matter with the authorities.
- Intellectual Property theft: Advised an Australian manufacturer of food and beverage products on its internal investigations into allegations of fraud and intellectual property theft by a senior ex-employee and assisting with legal action against the said ex-employee.
- Anti-bribery compliance programs: Advised and assisted various multinational companies and listed entities with anti-bribery risk assessments and the design and implementation of anti-bribery compliance programs, for compliance with the FCPA, UK Bribery Act, Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission Act (MACC) and Singapore Prevention of Corruption Act.
- Data-privacy compliance programs: Designed data privacy compliance policies and procedures for a Japanese healthcare and medical devices company and conducted training for senior management, administrative and sales personnel. Assisted various clients with the review and implementation of data privacy policies for compliance with the Singapore Personal Data Protection Act and other privacy laws in the region.
Litigation and Arbitration
- Transactional dispute: Represented a Swedish private equity fund in arbitration proceedings under the auspices of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) against a management consulting company in its claim for breach of the consultancy agreement between the parties. Successfully obtained an arbitral award in the client’s favour.
- Distributorship agreement: Represented a Bruneian owner of a shrimp farm in arbitration proceedings in China against a company in Hong Kong SAR involving a claim for the alleged breach of a distributorship agreement between the parties. The arbitration was administered by the Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration (SCIA) and conducted in Mandarin before a 3-person tribunal. Successfully defended against majority of the counterparty’s claims.
- Investment banking dispute: Represented a listed company in its defence against a claim by a European investment bank, arising from deficits in trading accounts linked to the much-publicised penny stock crash in Singapore in 2013.
- Sale of goods: Advised a renowned multinational technology company headquartered in China in its dispute with a Singapore reseller in respect of the alleged breach of payment and other obligations under the reseller agreement. The agreement is governed by Singapore law and disputes are to be resolved by reference to arbitration in Hong Kong SAR before a 3-person tribunal, under the rules of the SIAC.
- Transactional and employment dispute: Represented a Singapore private equity fund in SIAC arbitration proceedings against two of its former key employees based in Switzerland, arising out of an equity participation plan extended to the employees. The dispute was also the subject of concurrent court proceedings in Switzerland and we successfully assisted with the negotiation of a global settlement in respect of the ongoing court and arbitration proceedings.
- Trademark infringement: Represented a major cigarette manufacturer in criminal enforcement and concurrent civil proceedings against parties involved in the sale and distribution of counterfeit cigarettes in various countries. Successfully obtained injunctive relief against counterparties for trademark infringement.
- Copyright infringement: Represented a French multinational confectionary company against a copyright infringement and trademark revocation claim by an Indian company in respect of artistic work used on product packaging.
- Licensing dispute and trademark infringement: Represented a UK owner/licensor of an entertainment establishment in a dispute against its Singapore licensee for breach of the license agreement, and a claim for trademark infringement against third parties for unauthorised used of its registered trademarks.
- Professional liability: Represented and successfully obtained an acquittal for a Project Manager of a major construction project in respect of a criminal charge of professional negligence and breach of workplace safety laws, which was alleged to have brought about the collapse of structural elements and the death of individuals on site.
- Criminal defence: Represented an individual in its defence against charges of illegal moneylending arising from alleged loans given by way of property transactions.
