Davinder Singh to leave Drew & Napier
Top litigator Senior Counsel Davinder Singh is leaving Drew & Napier after 37 years.
The firm and Mr Singh, 61, announced yesterday that he has decided to leave the firm to start his own practice and to train young lawyers.
The new firm's name has not been revealed.
Mr Singh will be joined by Drew & Napier directors Jaikanth Shankar and Pardeep Singh Khosa.
Two years ago, as chief executive officer, and without being asked, he initiated the leadership renewal process and appointed a new CEO, according to the announcement.
He was asked to stay on as executive chairman with no retirement age.
"Renewal in the commercial world cannot meaningfully take place under a shadow. If you train the young to take over, you must trust them to do so," said Mr Singh.
"I have overseen the transition and am convinced that the new team is ready and the firm is in capable hands.
"I therefore believe that it is the right thing to do to move on. I am also very blessed to be able to do that at a time of my choosing."
Senior Counsel Cavinder Bull, who was appointed CEO in August 2017, will continue in the role, assisted by deputy CEO Sushil Nair.
Mr Bull expressed the firm's gratitude to Mr Singh, Mr Shankar and Mr Khosa. "They will always count as our closest and dearest friends and we wish them the very best in the next stage of their careers," he said.
Mr Singh, who was in the pioneer batch of senior counsel appointed in 1997, is widely considered Singapore's top litigator.
He was once described by Asia Pacific Legal 500 as being "without peer at the bar".
Mr Singh is known for representing founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew and scoring court victories against opposition politicians Tang Liang Hong and Chee Soon Juan and foreign media outlets such as The Economist, Bloomberg and The New York Times.
Mr Singh also defended Singapore Press Holdings in a lawsuit brought against the newspaper publisher by Mr T.T. Durai, then CEO of the National Kidney Foundation, for defamation in an article that said he had a gold-plated tap installed in his office.
Mr Durai threw in the towel on the second day of the trial.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now