31 March, 2020
The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) today announced the appointments of five distinguished legal and intellectual property (IP) professionals to its panel of IP Adjudicators, to hear IP disputes at IPOS, bringing the panel to a total of seven members. These appointments will take effect from 1 April 2020 for a term of two years.
2. The IP Adjudicators bring diverse experience to the panel, allowing disputing parties the opportunity to have their cases heard by legal experts with valuable commercial, legal and academic expertise and perspectives. Past IP Adjudicators have in turn found the experience helpful, as the role allows them to gain insights to better act for their clients.
IPOS Panel of IP Adjudicators 2020
3. Of the seven-member panel, three members were reappointed:
- Ms. Cheng Pei Feng, Senior Assistant Registrar, Supreme Court of Singapore,
- Professor David Llewelyn, Professor of Law (Practice), School of Law, Singapore Management University,
- Dr. Burton Ong, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore,
4. Two new appointees with vast private sector experience will join the panel:
- Mr. Adrian Tan, Partner, TSMP Law Corporation,
- Mr. Sheik Umar Bin Mohamed Bagushair, District Judge, State Courts of Singapore,
5. The panel also comprises two IP Adjudicators who have completed one year out of their twoyear
term:
- Mr. Jason Chan, Director, Litigation and Enforcement Group, Amica Law LLC,
- Mr. Tony Yeo, Managing Director, Intellectual Property, Drew & Napier LLC.
6. Mr Adrian Tan, a 29-year veteran recognised for his litigation work in technology, intellectual property, real estate and shareholder disputes, said: “Singapore is fast becoming a role model for other jurisdictions when it comes to innovative ways to resolve disputes. Businesses will benefit greatly from having their intellectual property disputes resolved by trained and experienced IP Adjudicators, in an environment that is efficient and transparent.”
7. Prior to his appointment to the bench, District Judge Sheik Umar Bin Mohamed Bagushir spent 12 years in private practice at some of the top law firms in Singapore including Allen & Gledhill, Rajah & Tann Asia and Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow, where he handled arbitration, building and construction, oil & gas, probate, IP and IT disputes.
8. The panel of IP Adjudicators will support Singapore’s efforts in maintaining its leading position as Asia’s IP hub, particularly as companies look to Singapore as an important venue for complex IP dispute resolution.
9. IPOS also extends its appreciation to the following members for their service and contributions. They will be stepping down upon completion of their term on 31 Mar 2020.
- Mr. Lam Chung Nian, Partner, Head, IP, Technology & Media, Telecommunications & Data Protection Practices, WongPartnership LLP.
- Ms. Lee Li Choon, District Judge, State Courts of Singapore.
9. A brief write-up on the new members is attached in Annex A.
ANNEX A: Brief Profile of New IP Adjudicators
Adrian Tan, Partner
TSMP Law Corporation
A litigator specialising in court disputes concerning technology, intellectual property, real estate and shareholder oppression, Adrian earned his IT chops as former general counsel at CrimsonLogic, a
Singapore government technology company that provides network services in the legal, healthcare and trade sectors. This background, plus a rare second degree in computer science and psychology, gives
this experienced courtroom lawyer the solid foundation to address technology disputes. These range from data centre construction, social media defamation, copyright infringement and passing-off in
relation to consumer electronics, and patent infringement of vaccines.
Sheik Umar Bin Mohamed Bagushair, District Judge
State Courts of Singapore
Sheik graduated from NUS in 2006 and practiced as a dispute resolution lawyer in Allen & Gledhill, Rajah & Tann and Baker & McKenzie. Wong & Leow. He practiced widely, and had been involved in arbitration, building & construction, oil & gas, probate and IP and IT disputes. He also volunteered as both a Criminal Legal Aid Scheme (CLAS) and Legal Assistance for Capital Offences (LASCO) lawyer. Sheik joined the Singapore Legal Service in July 2019 and was appointed a District Judge in the Civil Registry of the State Courts.
