Ann Liang has an active practice across a broad spectrum of commercial disputes, in both litigation and international arbitration.
He has appeared as counsel across all levels of the Singapore courts and has also acted for clients in international arbitration in institutions such as the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA). He also has significant experience defending arbitration awards and enforcing foreign judgments in court.
Ann Liang has particular expertise in advising on and enforcing (or resisting enforcement of) restrictive covenants including non-competes and non-solicits. In this regard, he has successfully enforced a 2-year non-compete, which is one of the longest non-competes to be upheld in Singapore. Ann Liang also frequently acts in employment disputes involving breaches of confidentiality, personal data breaches, wrongful termination, employee investigations (including for harassment and corruption), remuneration disputes (salary, commissions, bonuses) and breach of employee duties. He has also advised on complaints and appeals to the authorities on issues such as discriminatory hiring practices.
Aside from employment law, Ann Liang also has a busy litigation and arbitration practice across a wide range of industries and subject matters. He acts for both international and local companies, and individuals. He also acts in a variety of commercial and criminal matters.
Prior to joining CHP, Ann Liang practised for several years in a Singapore Big Four Law Firm, where he represented various high profile and high net worth clients.
In his spare time, Ann Liang practices Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, a cerebral combat sport which he enjoys alongside the strategic practice of law and dispute resolution. Ann Liang also serves as a legal advisor to the Singapore Foochow Association and the Nanyang Ang Clan Guild, and is a trainer in the advocacy module of the SILE Part B Course.
Matter Highlights
- Obtained various injunctions in the Singapore High Court to enforce employment restrictive covenants, including one of the longest ever international non-compete injunctions in Singapore (24 months) (Tan Kok Yong Steve v Itochu Singapore Pte Ltd [2018] SGHC 85).
- Obtained worldwide asset freezing injunctions against former senior employees arising out of the collapse of Singapore commodities firm Agritrade International (HC/S 189/2020).
- Successfully resisted emergency arbitration proceedings to enforce restrictive covenants in the SIAC (2024).
- Acted for various businesses in defending claims of over US$50million for fraud by state entities in international arbitration, with related Court proceedings in and outside of Singapore.
- Acted for an AI company against a former employee for breach of confidence / employee duties. Successfully transferred proceedings from the Employment Claims Tribunal to the High Court, in the first reported decision of its kind (Rida Global Pte Ltd v Jonathan Lim Chuan Ren [2023] SGHC 21).
- Acted for a leading international interdealer brokerage in various High Court Suits against former senior employees, and achieving successful settlement outcomes for the client (HC/S 615/2016; HC/S 810/2016, HC/S 157/2017, HC/S 221/2016, HC/S 498/2019).
- Obtained injunctions to restrain anticipatory breaches and termination of a cooperation / distributorship agreement between a Japanese and Australian company (HC/S 839/2019).
- Acted for a leading MNC in successfully defending two ICC arbitration awards, involving complex issues on sale of goods and quantification of claims (CNQ v CNR [2021] SGHC 287; CNQ v CNR [2022] SGHC 267).
- Successfully enforced an Indian Court judgment for S$23 million in the Singapore Courts, and obtained an asset freezing injunction in support thereof (HC/OS 1087 and 1089 of 2018).
- Successfully acted in Singapore’s first civil action under the Personal Data Protection Act 2012 in relation to the client’s former employee (Michael Reed v Alex Bellingham [2022] SGCA 60).
- Acted in arbitration, litigation and insolvency proceedings relating to Babel, a multinational cryptocurrency entity (Re Babel Holding Ltd and other matters [2023] SGHC 98; Parastate Labs Inc v Wang Li & Ors [2023] SGHC 48).
