COMING SOON

Mark Lee

Mark Lee

Managing Director

Qualifications (LLB., Hons.)

Admissions; Singapore Bar

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Mark Lee is the Managing Director of Mark Lee Chambers Law Corporation (“ML Chambers”), an independent Singapore boutique law firm focused on shareholder, boardroom and joint venture disputes and corporate governance.

Prior to founding ML Chambers, Mark practised at one of the Big Four law firms in Singapore and later co-founded a Singapore boutique disputes law firm. For nearly a decade, he served as its Joint Managing Director and established and headed its boardroom practice group, which led the firm’s boardroom, shareholder and joint venture practice.

At ML Chambers, Mark continues to focus his practice on corporate law, corporate governance, joint ventures, and shareholder and boardroom disputes. He acts for listed and private companies, founders, directors, and majority and minority shareholders, in the Singapore Courts and in international arbitration, and most of his matters are cross-border in nature.

In 2026, ML Chambers was ranked a “Firm to Watch” by two leading legal publications for the same specialisation: Legal 500, Asia Pacific Guide and Thomson Reuters, Asian Legal Business. Its boardroom practice group is also ranked in The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2026.

At the 22nd Asian Legal Business South East Asia Awards 2026, ML Chambers was shortlisted as a finalist for Rising Law Firm of the Year, and Mark was a finalist for Dispute Resolution Lawyer of the Year.

Mark writes prolifically and is regularly invited to speak on shareholder rights, directors’ duties and corporate governance (see Publications and News & Events).

AREAS OF FOCUS

Mark advises and acts in:

RECOGNITION & RANKINGS

Mark has been routinely recognised and shortlisted as a finalist by the Annual Asian Legal Business South East Asia Awards (“Awards”):

  • Young Lawyer of the Year (in 2019 and again in 2024)
  • Managing Partner of the Year (2022)
  • Dispute Resolution Lawyer of the Year (2026)

The Awards recognise the excellence and outstanding performance of South East Asia’s leading law firms (and lawyers) that have significantly contributed to the evolving legal landscape of the region and is hailed as “the pre-eminent legal awards in Asia”.

Firm recognition (ML Chambers):

Mark is also regularly invited to speak at various regional and international forums and cited for his expertise in corporate governance, shareholder and boardroom related matters, including The Legal 500, Chambers and Partners, Lexology Panoramic Guide (LexisNexis), the Global Arbitration Review, the SMU Law Academy (Yong Pung How School of Law), and others (see Publications and Speaking Engagements below).

REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE

Mark is engaged in trial and appellate advocacy and has represented clients at all levels of the Singapore Courts. Mark has been commended for his “clear” arguments and “effective” cross-examination.

Mark also acts for clients as counsel in international arbitrations across a range of industries and sectors (shareholder disputes, construction, commodities, infrastructure, shipping, oil and gas). Mark was a speaker and Steering Committee member of the Global Arbitration Review (GAR) Live: Asia-Pacific International Arbitration Conference 2026.

Mark routinely advises high value companies, shareholders and directors in complex, multi-party shareholder disputes, breach of director duties claims and minority oppression claims. He deals with an international client base with most matters / deals being multi-jurisdictional in nature.

Shareholder, Boardroom & Joint Venture Disputes

  • Joint venture dispute (listed company): Represented a public listed construction company vis-a-vis its shareholder/director dispute in the context of its joint venture with a leading property development company in Singapore. The share quantum in dispute exceeds $600 million.
  • Shareholdings in matrimonial proceedings: Represented a senior banker in matrimonial proceedings involving assets in excess of $30 million (made up mostly of various shareholdings spanning across corporations in and beyond Singapore, including a Family Office).
  • Cross-border share sale dispute: Represented a foreign corporate shareholder (entity incorporated in Thailand) in respect of a dispute over the sale of shares of a Singapore incorporated company worth in excess of $5 million.
  • SIAC arbitration – shareholders’ agreement: Represented shareholders in a dispute over a shareholder’s agreement between foreign shareholders (German nationals) and a local incorporated joint venture company. The matter was adjudicated at an arbitration seated in Singapore under the SIAC Rules.
  • Minority oppression (s 216) – defence: Represented shareholders of a three (3) decade old boutique construction company in Singapore in defending a minority oppression claim (section 216, Companies Act 1967), including arguments on quasi-partnership.
  • Oppression and derivative action (ss 216 and 216A): Represented minority shareholders in a minority oppression claim (section 216, Companies Act 1967) and derivative action (section 216A, Companies Act 1967) in the context of a corporate group in the food and beverage industry.
  • Shareholder exit and valuation: Represented shareholders in negotiations for the exit of a certain class of shareholders and the valuation of the company (and its shares).
  • Directors’ duties – defence: Represented directors in defending claims (of alleged breaches of directors and/or fiduciary duties).
  • Derivative action (s 216A) – defence: Represented directors in defending claims (of alleged breaches of directors and/or fiduciary duties) filed by a shareholder vide a derivative action (section 216A, Companies Act 1967).
  • Relief for directors (s 391): Represented directors in an application to the High Court for relief under Section 391, Companies Act 1967.
  • Director’s inspection of records (s 199(5)): Represented a company in resisting a director’s application in the High Court to inspect the company’s accounting and other records under Section 199(5), Companies Act 1967.
  • Contentious winding-up: Represented shareholders in a contentious company winding-up application involving a group of companies.
  • Personal guarantees and bankruptcy: Represented directors in resisting bankruptcy applications filed by the company’s corporate debtor (seeking to enforce personal guarantees in respect of a corporate debt) for debts in excess of $15 million.
  • Cross-border boardroom dispute: Represented the CEO of a public listed company in a shareholder / director dispute in the context of a corporate group spanning various jurisdictions, including Singapore, Malaysia, and the British Virgin Islands.
  • Forced share transfer: Represented a shareholder of a company incorporated in Cambodia but whose shares were forcibly transferred (by the majority shareholders/directors) to a company incorporated in Singapore. The share quantum in dispute is approximately USD 50 million.
  • Wrongful termination, oppression and derivative action: Represented a minority shareholder and director in an action for wrongful termination, minority oppression (section 216, Companies Act 1967) and derivative action (section 216A, Companies Act 1967) in the context of a corporate group spanning across India, Singapore, and Malaysia with an annual turnover in excess of $30 million.
  • Fraud and conspiracy – shareholder dispute: Represented the founder and majority shareholder of a Singapore incorporated company trading in iron ore with an annual turnover exceeding $1 billion (at its height). The dispute (involving fraud, conspiracy to defraud, etc) revolved around a group of companies (across Australia, Hong Kong, China and Singapore) and between the shareholders of the Singapore incorporated head office.
  • Minority oppression – board monopoly: Represented the founding shareholder of a Singapore incorporated company (part of a larger corporate group with subsidiaries in Malaysia and Philippines) in a minority oppression court suit against the majority shareholders (who had monopoly of the board). The matter involved tracing nearly two (2) decades worth of historical director dealings and financial records to piece together the misconduct of the errant directors.
  • Founder ouster – start-up: Represented a Canadian national, the co-founder (and 30% shareholder) of a unicorn start-up in a dispute centered around how our client was ousted from the company by the majority bloc after he had helped build its infrastructure and secured from investors a USD100 million capital injection.
  • Dilution through capital calls: Represented the founder, COO and shareholder of a luxury apparel manufacturing corporate group headquartered in Singapore but with its main manufacturing plant located in Cambodia. The majority bloc sought to dilute our client’s shareholding by repeatedly calling for unjustified capital injections.
  • Evasion of service – multi-jurisdiction: Represented the director and shareholder of an international corporate group with the majority bloc residing and spread across the USA, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Thailand who tried to evade the service of court papers.
  • Diversion of corporate opportunities: Represented a minority shareholder in an oppression and derivative action claim against his fellow founders of a corporate group in the oil and gas industry (across Singapore and Malaysia). The matter involved the majority bloc’s marginalisation of our client at the board level and deprivations of his statutory rights as shareholder as they surreptitiously diverted SGD35 million worth of business opportunities to a newly incorporated entity of their own.
  • Hostile EGM – cross-border joint venture: Acted for a co-founder, director and minority shareholder of a Singapore joint venture company (with manufacturing operations overseas) when the listed majority shareholder called an EGM to wind up the company and sell its key assets. Blocked the winding-up resolution by relying on the reserved matters in the shareholders’ agreement, and secured a fair-value buy-out of the client’s shares, release from personal bank guarantees and mutual releases, without court proceedings (
  • “Reverse oppression” – majority shareholders: Advised the founder and CEO (51% shareholder) of an SGX-listed company who was outnumbered on the board, and the 70% majority shareholder of a private group with a deadlocked board, on remedies against boardroom manoeuvring by minority shareholders (read the case highlight).

Commercial Litigation, Insolvency & Enforcement

As part of his broader commercial disputes practice, Mark also advises both individuals and corporations in contractual disputes, debt / asset recovery, bankruptcy and corporate insolvency matters; in moratorium applications and judicial management applications under the Insolvency, Restructuring & Dissolution Act 2018.

  • Moratorium applications – listed group: Acted in concurrent moratorium applications under sections 64 and 65 of the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 for an SGX-listed company and its operating subsidiary, after a boardroom power struggle led an ousted faction to issue statutory demands and winding-up applications (read the case highlight).

Mark has also been involved in a variety of complex litigation, including:

  • Enforcement of an English (UK) judgment in respect of assets worth more than USD 17 million against foreign state-owned entities.
  • Represented a remisier in a multi-party suit involving a prominent Singapore-based trading house and a foreign claimant incorporated in the British Virgin Islands.
  • Represented a South Korean company (part of a public listed South Korean conglomerate) in a commercial contract dispute against a US-based entity.
  • Represented the Management Council of a commercial building in a multi-party negligence suit against a public listed construction company and a Singapore statutory board.
  • Represented an Indian public listed company in a multi-jurisdiction dispute in relation to two competing deeds of assignment in respect of the assignment of a debt in excess of EUR 117 million.

Joint Venture, Shareholder Agreement & Transactional Advisory

Mark’s disputes experience informs his deal and transaction advisory work on joint ventures, shareholders’ agreements and share transactions, including:

  • Represented a minority shareholder in respect of the transfer of shares and the termination of an existing shareholder agreement (which formed part of larger share sale negotiations in excess of $360 million) and in resisting the company invoking a drag-along clause.
  • Represented and advised minority shareholders with an aggregate secured shareholding of approximately USD 103 million in the restructuring of a public-listed entity.
  • Represented a Singapore incorporated company in respect of a cross-jurisdiction joint venture governed by the laws of Singapore for the development of solar powered generation plants in Myanmar (in particular advising on the rights of the shareholder and corresponding board rights).
  • Represented a renowned home-grown food and beverage brand (with more than 50 outlets island-wide) in connection with convertible note negotiations (for shareholding) for investments exceeding $5 million.
  • Advised on a share call option agreement valued in excess of $10 million between a Singapore incorporated company, a Dubai based intermediary and a Europe based entity.
  • Advised on structuring a joint venture company (in the energy sector / industry) to be incorporated in Singapore between a Singapore based shareholder and a public listed company in Thailand.
  • Advised a corporate group (medical-tech industry) in respect of its share capital increase exercise and re-negotiating the shareholding structure of the corporate group between dissenting groups of minority founding shareholders and between different classes of shareholders.
  • Represented a boutique surgery practice (and its founder doctor/shareholder) in a multi-million dollar acquisition by and joint venture with a public listed health group, dealing with the acquisition of shares and the structuring of the joint venture.
  • Advised a German-based European ship management conglomerate and a Singapore incorporated company (marine and offshore supply solutions provider) in a cross-border joint venture focusing on shareholding and board structure advisory and intra-group transfer / conveyance of rights and assets.

PUBLICATIONS

Mark writes regularly on Singapore company law, shareholder rights, directors’ duties and corporate governance. Selected publications are listed below (see all Publications).

Practice Guides & Book Chapters

Articles & Case Commentary

MEDIA & INTERVIEWS

Mark is regularly invited to give live interviews on current affairs and high-profile cases, including on Channel NewsAsia, Mediacorp Capital 95.8FM and MoneyFM 89.3. Recent features include:

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

Earlier & In-House Seminars

  • “Directorship Fundamentals”, “Debt/Asset Recovery” and “Company Law Series” – in-house seminars for large and medium enterprises and trade associations in Singapore
  • “Planning for Perpetuity: Company Succession for Business Owners” – guest speaker, Infinity Financial Advisory
  • “Law For All” – Singapore Management University’s inaugural seminar series
  • Justice Without Borders – civil claims identification and evidence gathering for foreign domestic workers in Singapore, and the 3rd Annual Workshop “Employing Legal Solutions for International Migrant Workers: A Legal Education Workshop on Cross-Border Civil Litigation”

CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

  • “Very professional … [Mr Mark Lee] helped us in solving an international commercial dispute and we could not be more satisfied with their legal help and professional attitude. …”
  • “… An astute lawyer… keen grasp of the law … able to very swiftly discern the underlying issues of a dispute. Mark’s keen strategies and wealth of experience have been great assets to my company.”
  • “… excellent lead and guidance from Mark throughout our entire case in the High Court. It was our company’s first legal dispute and we were glad to have Mark in our corner. Great professionalism.”
  • “… helpful and extremely competent …[in dealing with] inter-jurisdictional matters … . Mark completed the job with outstanding competence … extensive legal knowledge. He is a credit to the Singapore legal profession.”
  • “… professional, effective and I can always count on him to deliver top-notch service.”
  • “a very effective litigator who delivers results for his clients. He is precise with his advice and surgical with his approach and strategy to complicated issues. … very impressed with his professionalism … .”
  • “… professional and yet approachable style that make us feel so comfortable. … great passion and commitment …”
  • “… driven and motivated and worked tirelessly to fight for the best outcome … deeply impressed by his professionalism.”
  • “Working with Mark Lee … has been a highly valuable experience. Mark’s exceptional leadership, strategic insight, and innovative approach to dispute resolution distinguish him from his peers. His deep expertise and pragmatic mindset consistently lead to effective and efficient outcomes for clients.”[collated independently by the Legal 500 research team (Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2026 Guide)]
  • “Mark Lee stands out for his confidence, deep understanding, and extensive experience. From the very first interaction, he demonstrated a clear grasp of the situation and provided guidance that was both practical and reassuring. What sets him apart from competitors is his ability to combine technical legal expertise with a personal, client-focused approach, making complex issues easy to understand and instilling confidence throughout the process. I have particularly valued his clarity, responsiveness, and the way he consistently puts the client’s best interests at the forefront.”[collated independently by the Legal 500 research team (Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2026 Guide)]

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What does Mark Lee specialise in?

Mark Lee is a Singapore litigator specialising in shareholder disputes, minority oppression (section 216, Companies Act 1967), derivative actions (section 216A), boardroom and directors’ duties disputes, and joint venture disputes. He also advises on corporate governance, shareholders’ agreements and joint venture structuring. See Specialised Corporate Law Litigation.

Does Mark Lee handle cross-border shareholder and joint venture disputes?

Yes. Most of his matters are multi-jurisdictional, involving parties, companies and assets in jurisdictions including Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, India, Hong Kong, China, Australia, the British Virgin Islands, Germany and the United States, in the Singapore Courts and in international arbitration.

Can a shareholder oppression claim be arbitrated in Singapore?

In general, yes. The Singapore Court of Appeal has held that minority oppression claims under section 216 of the Companies Act 1967 are arbitrable in principle, although an arbitral tribunal cannot grant certain remedies that only a court can order, such as winding up the company. Mark has spoken on this topic (Arbitrability of Shareholder Oppression and Derivative Claims).

Who does Mark Lee act for?

Listed and private companies, founders, majority and minority shareholders, directors, investors and joint venture partners, both claimants and respondents.

How do I contact Mark Lee?

Contact ML Chambers to discuss a shareholder, boardroom, corporate governance or joint venture matter. Mark’s full CV is available here (PDF).

Topics

All Topics
Specialised Corporate Law Litigation
Corporate Investigations & Regulatory Advisory
Arbitration
Appellate Advocacy
Debt / Asset Recovery & Insolvency
Deal / Transaction Advisory
General Commercial Litigation