We Are A Leading Firm Of Corporate Lawyers With A Worldwide View
When your commercial and reputational interests are at risk, you will want lawyers who are able to give you a cost-effective and tactical plan, strategically navigate you through the process till a settlement is reached.
With close to 30 years serving the international business community as corporate and commercial lawyers, we are well placed to serve this community.
Challenges and opportunities are two sides of the same coin, which means the traditional legal service offerings need to transform to become an integrated solution. We have taken a more holistic approach when advising on challenges and opportunities, delivering solutions that intersects between your business and the law. Whether you have a dispute which you want to see closure or a business deal that you need to quickly secure down, these are our core expertise.
By disrupting the traditional law firm service offering model, we have reduced costs by breaking away from archaic fee-charging models, increased efficiency through unique and customised strategies (and all the while using the best talent and technology) to meet your business objectives and make your experience and interaction with the law less complex – in a PLAIN and SIMPLE way.
Our firm's success rate to a settlement is in excess of 80%, using a variety of methods to resolve the dispute. Going to court is not the only method.
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Practice areas
Lawsuits & Disputes
When your commercial and reputational interests are at risk, you will want lawyers who are able to give you a cost-effective and tactical plan, strategically navigate you through the process till a settlement is reached.
These are some of the building blocks we use to customize the plan for you :
- Negotiation
- Mediation
- Arbitration
- Court Litigation
CLIENTS' REVIEWS
I have entrusted all my legal affairs to Mark since 1997; from fundraising agreements in Singapore to litigation in the London Court of International Arbitration. He’s as quick off the mark in court as he is on his bicycle. Most importantly he takes a forensic evidence based approach which is in the interest of the small client, instead of burning fees on legal platitudes and litigation letters.
------- Jim Christopher James [EastWest PR]
Recently I won a case under the guidance and advice of Mark and got most of my legal fees and court fees reimbursed. I have engaged local heavyweight law firms before, and I can say that Mark and his associate Boon Chong’s client service and technical competence are parallel to, if not better, than them. Long before the pandemic, Mark has already adopted innovative technology to deliver legal services. While many law firms charge their clients on an hourly rate, they have taken a new approach by charging fixed fees for a defined scope of work. I would recommend Mark’s service to anyone who values customer service and wants to manage their fees on a no-surprise basis. ------------ Martyn Chew [GIC Group]
Business
As corporate lawyers, we are here to help business owners remove barriers to growth or mitigate the risks to such growth. You have set your sights on closing that deal which you have spent hours negotiating and (perhaps) you are now at the last step to seal the deal.
With more than 2 decades of experience in this field, our team of experts are able to meld creative thinking and the law to identify, protect the business relationships, commercialize your trademarks, patents and copyright materials through an integrated approach.
In today’s global marketplace, partnering up and collaborations are inevitable for business growth. With a worldwide view, we are your trusted partner to help you develop creative and constructive solutions to manage the risks and maximise growth, tax optimisation and minimising insolvency risks.
CLIENT'S REVIEW
It was great working with the team. They were commercial minded and gave us the legal advice candidly, while always keeping the ultimate goal of closing the deal in sight. We would work with the them again anytime! (It was a successful merger and acquisition).
------ Foo Chih Yuen [Image Engine Pte Ltd]
Media, Technology and Telecoms
At the forefront of legal technology, Mark is the architect of the world's first client-facing document assembly software, VanillaLaw Docs. The software has a subscriber base of more than 1500 global business owners. This project has given Mark an opportunity to understand the intricacies of software technology building, melding with the intellectual property rights and their protection and enforcement methods. Mark is also a certified Enterprise Architect [TOGAF]
In May 2017, VanillaLaw Docs was mentioned in the press release by Senior Minister of State for Law, Indranee Rajah, S.C. to launch “Tech Start For Lawyers”
In 2019, Mark was invited to participate in a 70 strong participant zoom event with Indranee Rajah and Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister for Law, Edwin Tong, S.C. in a dialogue “Emerging Stronger Together as One Legal Industry”. VanillaLaw LLC was one of 4 law firms invited to share how he transformed and digitised his law firm to enable it to go global.
REVIEW BY SENIOR MINISTER OF STATE FOR LAW [SINGAPORE]
Tech for more productive interaction with clients: A good example is VanillaLaw® Docs, an interactive web-based platform created by Singapore law firm, VanillaLaw® LLC. VanillaLaw® LLC developed their own online contract template which, when used together with this platform, allows their clients to insert relevant information to prepare the first draft of legal documents.
The law firm reviews this and focuses on issues requiring legal advice and drafting amendments. The end product is still cleared by qualified lawyers but this technology enabled process cuts down the need for multiple or long meetings to take instructions. This saves time and costs for the firm and clients.
-------------- Indranee Rajah, Senior Counsel Senior Minister of State for Law [Singapore]
Employment & Labor
Talented people are integral to the business growth, but managing people is not without its challenges. With digitisation and an increasing mobile workforce, whether they are your employees, freelancers or service providers, you need to be able to harness the best in them wherever in the world they may be working from. But you will also need to consider the potential breach of confidentiality at the work place. Such breaches have far reaching consequences to the business and it needs to be mitigated and contained.
The people who work with you on projects are often given sensitive or confidential information (including trade secrets, copyrighted materials etc). Despite having the best practices in the sharing of such materials and information, how can a business owner mitigate this (very real) potential risk?
Where confidential breaches and disputes arise, you will want lawyers who are able to give you a cost-effective and tactical plan, strategically navigate you through the process till a settlement is reached.
Our Partners and Associates
Mark Goh
Founder | Entrepreneur | Advocate & Solicitor | Negotiator | Mediator | Entreprise Architect
Mark started his law practice very shortly after he was admitted to the Singapore Bar in 1994. The law firm, VanillaLaw® LLC, now spans more than 2 decades. Through the decades, Mark has singlehandedly and successfully steered the firm through 5 global recessions.
Mark began his professional practice as a litigator in commercial, civil and criminal law. At the age of 29 years old, he was one of the youngest lawyers to be appointed as Lead Counsel in capital cases, having led no less than 30 capital cases within a 10 year period. He had the opportunity to work alongside prominent senior criminal lawyers, observing their court craft but all the while developing his own voice and advocacy style.
Having cut this teeth as a dispute resolution lawyer in the early days of his career, this has given him deep insights into how contracts (its structure and clauses) are being stress tested in the courts.
As an entrepreneur and business owner, coupled with his personal connection with the global business community, he is well place to fully understand the challenges and triumphs faced by any SME (small and medium enterprise). Being an entrepreneurial lawyer, he has always been fascinated with the intricacies of running a business in all its aspects including marketing and sales, human resource, operations (not forgetting law and business structuring). Mark has unparalleled knowledge and working theories on how small businesses can endure and flourish (just like the larger organisations).
Download Mark's CV from this link : https://www.vanillalaw.law/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Mark_Goh_CV.pdf
Call / Whatsapp / Telegram Us : +65 8308 7997
Email : [email protected]
Tomoka Sakamaki
Japanese Foreign Lawyer
Tomoka deals exclusively with the firm's Japanese clients. Having lived overseas for many years, she is comfortably fluent in both Japanese and English. Tomoka is passionate about bridging the local and Japanese communities wherever she resides. She has been residing in Singapore for more than 8 years
Call / Whatsapp / Telegram Us : +65 8308 7997
Email : [email protected]
ONG Boon Chong
Legal Associate
Boon Chong joined the firm as a Practice Trainee and is now its Legal Associate. With a penchant for self-determination and having previously set up a niche import & sale businesses, he understands the difficulties and risks associated with running SMEs. He strongly believes that law, when done right, will be the chisel that shapes, structures and grows a business
Call / Whatsapp / Telegram Us : +65 8308 7997
Email : [email protected]
Case results
Dispute Resolution Options For You
ADR Mediation & Arbitration
The Difference Between Negotiation, Mediation, Arbitration And Court Litigation
As a dispute resolution lawyer of more than 26 years, the most common question which I get asked is the difference between negotiation, arbitration, litigation and mediation. I understand why such a question may be important. Knowing the answer helps my client decide which option to choose. I must admit there is no easy answer to such a question. Why is this the case?
It is likely historical on account of traditional law school training systems. I recall my training as a barrister in the UK was mainly to teach me court litigation skills. This is the traditional method by which disputes are resolved. Through the years, alternative forms of dispute resolution mechanisms have developed. Negotiation and mediation skills were mainly taught either in Business Schools or Schools of Social Sciences. Much has now changed. I am glad to see that many law schools, especially here in Singapore, have incorporated mediation skills into their curriculum. I am confident that in the years to come, negotiation skills will come to be taught as well.
Having the formal training in all the 3 skill sets, I now offer an explanation of their differences. For arbitration and litigation, it is the art of presenting evidence and the law to a judge or decision maker. Arbitration is usually a selected choice where one of the parties is foreign and/or parties desire to keep the contents of the dispute confidential
Negotiation is the art of communicating with the other side so that a mutually acceptable outcome can be achieved. Mediation take place when the parties appoint a neutral third party to facilitate the negotiation process.
What is Mediation And Its Process?
The Mediation Process is like a confidential meeting between disputing parties with the assistance of a neutral third party (who is also known as the “Mediator”). The Mediator will not be involved in later court proceedings should mediation fail. Unlike a court setting, mediation is less formal and is conducted in a more informal setting. The role of the Mediator is not to determine who is right or wrong. Instead, the Mediator’s job is to facilitate the meeting and help parties to uncover the root causes of the problem. Hopefully, parties will voluntarily and by themselves come to an agreement.
I have often been asked whether parties themselves can try to negotiate themselves without a Mediator? After all, many would say the ability to negotiate is instinctive and we are born to negotiate. While seeminly so, the actual process and skills are not instinctive. A trained Mediator, using formal techniques and following a process will likely yield a better result than someone who is doing this instinctively.
Typically, the mediation process involves 4 parts. The initial steps are to identify the issues, explore and generate options. At the same time, the Mediator will also encourage parties to communicate with each other. The final part is where the Mediator will facilitate parties to voluntarily arrive at a settlement.
Cost Differences Between Mediation, Arbitration and Court Litigation
In terms of cost, it is plain to see that negotiation is the least costly way to resolve a dispute. Moving up the scale will be mediation and lastly arbitration and court litigation. Ironically, in my experience, nearly all of my clients come to me asking for assistance in arbitration or court litigation. They make the assumption that the other party (or their lawyers) are “bad people” with “bad motives”, therefore negotiation and mediation are not possible.
Usually, parties will share the cost of a private mediation session. The cost includes the mediator’s fees, as well as rental fees for the meeting room.
Why Choose Mediation Over Court Litigation
Statistics have shown that normally people are not “bad” or harbour “bad motives”. It is a cognitive bias to think so. More often than not, it is because they themselves are poor negotiators or they have appointed poor mediators.
As the financial crisis deepens due to the covid-19 pandemic, many SMEs will likely face conflicts. Some of these conflicts may even involve people or entities in power positions. It is becoming important that SMEs learn to negotiate and to consider alternatives like mediation. It is never the interest of business owners to drag out a dispute. On the contrary, you should choose the most cost effective and time saving option to put an end to the dispute.
Online Mediation Trumps All – High Chance Of Success And More
The recent covid-19 pandemic has accelarated virtually working methods, online mediation included. This process can be conducted using digital platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and the various breakout room functions within each platform. This method of conducting the mediation allows parties to come together virtually from different time zones and from across the world. The outcome of this method is no less effective than a physical one.
Small business owners often tell us that they try to reach a settlement through informal discussions with the other party, before going to trial as a last resort. However, and as can be seen in the above diagram, mediation is both a cost-effective and principled manner (provided it is done in a formal way) in ending a dispute early, without sacrificing the commercial interests of all parties to the disputes.
You pay much less than you would for bringing the suit to trial. On a conservative estimate, it will cost you 5 x more to litigate than to mediate. Of course, this depends on the complexity of your case and the lawyers you chose to hire.
You spend much less time and effort on the dispute on the whole. This also means less stress of having to create a better case for trial by sorting out your documents and finding reliable witnesses and also waiting to find out whether the judge will rule in your favour. It also frees up time and head space for you to do what actually matters to you – including running and expanding your business.
You have the opportunity to create an agreement that addresses other issues and concerns and to create an outcome which the court may not have the power to order. It is more than just compromise or meeting each other in the middle. For example, the court cannot order someone to apologise to you for making defamatory remarks, but mediation gives you the opportunity to raise such concerns and find a way for the other party to recognise that your feelings have been hurt.
With more than 26 years of experience in dispute resolution, we dare say we have more than 90% success in resolving cases by mediation (whether physically or virtually conducted)