Events

This is a sponsored event for in-house lawyers only.

Event Overview

On behalf of KPMG, Singapore and Clyde & Co Clasis Singapore, we are pleased to invite you to join us for a breakfast briefing on Thursday, 17 October.

The conduct of internal investigations has always been important. The organization’s need to find facts and take prompt action must be balanced with its responsibilities to employees, to protect confidential and personal data and to comply with law. In the current age of regulatory and prosecutorial oversight, these needs have taken on a new importance.

In order to effectively manage allegations of fraud, bribery & corruption and other misconduct, internal investigations must take account of practical issues and the legal implications that can arise from them. How these pitfalls are handled can have a significant impact on the outcomes of an investigation.

Through case studies, we will examine common issues in internal investigations and consider their legal implications. We will also discuss what organizations should do to investigate misconduct effectively.

Key topics include:

• Key steps in a corporate internal investigation
• Common practical issues in investigation
• Legal challenges and options
• Potential disclosure obligations

The event imparts useful guidance on how to carry out corporate internal investigation. Participants will leave the seminar with advice and guidance on how to prepare for said investigation, what to do and look out for during said investigation, and what remedial actions / recourses a company has after concluding the said investigation.

AGENDA FOR EVENT  ( Provide start and end time)

Registration and breakfast: 8:45 am – 9:15 am

Seminar followed by Q&A: 9:15 am – 11 am

Speaker Profile

Prakash Pillai

Partner, Clyde & Co Clasis Singapore

Prakash leads the insolvency and fraud and investigations practices of the Singapore office of Clyde & Co.

Prakash’s experience includes top tier insolvency, related contentious work and litigation. He has advised and acted for liquidators, companies and insolvency professionals in complex local and regional insolvencies, focusing mainly on the contentious aspects, including financial investigations into suspected fraud, tracing and recovery of assets, and claims against directors of the insolvent company and/or third parties. 

Prakash has also advised and represented financial institutions, traders and investors in various disputes involving insider trading, suspected fraud, trading regulations, licensing issues, and breach of fiduciary duties.

Prakash also specialises in international commercial arbitration and has appeared before various arbitral tribunals in both ad-hoc arbitrations and arbitrations governed by the leading institutional rules.

Described as “measured and strategic” by Chambers Asia Pacific 2018, Prakash is recognised as a leading lawyer for his expertise in international arbitration. Leading industry journals such as Chambers Global, Chambers Asia Pacific and Global Arbitration Review and Legal 500 have commended his knowledge and expertise consistently.

Prakash speaks regularly in conferences and seminars. He is the chairman of the Public and International Law Committee of the Law Society and an adjunct Associate Professor at the National University of Singapore’s Law faculty teaching international arbitration law and practice. Prakash is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. He is an established legal author and writes and publishes regularly. Prakash graduated from Queen Mary College, University of London and further obtained a Master’s degree in law from Cambridge University.

Prakash is qualified as a Barrister-at-law at the Middle Temple in London and as an Advocate and Solicitor in Singapore.

Owen Hawkes

Partner

Forensic KPMG in Singapore

Owen is a Partner in KPMG’s Forensic practice with 20 years of investigation and regulatory litigation experience. He has qualified and practiced both as an accountant and a lawyer. Prior to joining KPMG, Owen practiced as a barrister for eight years, six of which was at the British Government’s Serious Fraud Office – the United Kingdom’s lead agency on financial crime and international corruption. Owen joined KPMG Forensic in 2007. At KPMG, Owen has been involved in numerous fraud, corruption and anti-trust investigations. He has also undertaken a variety of fraud, bribery and regulatory risk management engagements assisting clients with assessing and upgrading their organizational readiness and controls for fraud and regulatory non-compliance. Who’s Who Legal lists him as a leading expert in Investigations, Forensic Accounting and Asset Recovery, adding that he is “an impressive practitioner who draws widespread praise from peers this year and is listed as a Global Elite Thought Leader. He provides a wealth of expertise on contentious matters, with a particular focus on the life sciences sector.”

Junxiang Koh

Legal Director

Clasis LLC, Singapore

Junxiang is a Legal Director at Clasis LLC, Singapore. Junxiang’s main areas of practice are litigation and arbitration disputes, with a focus on shareholder disputes, financial fraud, and regulatory investigations.

He has advised and represented forensic accountants, the Singapore Stock Exchange and the Singapore government in forensic investigations into suspected cases of commercial fraud, accounting irregularities and breaches of listing regulations. Highlights include investigations into the affairs of several publicly-listed companies in Singapore during the S-Chip scandal of 2010, investigating the affairs of a well-known Singapore charity (which resulted in a set of high-profile criminal proceedings against the founders), and acting for the former independent director and audit committee chairman of a public company in his dealings with various regulatory authorities. He has also worked with specialists in the fields of private investigations and computer forensics to trace and recover assets in difficult jurisdictions.

Junxiang’spractice also extends to corporate insolvencies and restructuring. He has acted for creditors, companies and insolvency professionals in numerous high-profile insolvencies, particularly in the resources and shipping sectors, in both contentious and non-contentious matters. Matters of significance include successfully acting in a landmark case involving the novel question of arbitrability of claw-black claims; successfully representing a Hong Kong based investment bank in enforcing its security over the assets of the Singapore property developer, involving injunctions, committal proceedings and a landmark decision on directors’ personal liability for costs of litigation.

Junxiang tutors aspiring lawyers in Civil Procedure and Insolvency as part of the preparatory course leading to Part B of the Singapore Bar Examinations.