Kenneth Lim

Partner

Kenneth’s main areas of practice are litigation, restructuring and insolvency, and international arbitration. He has substantial experience representing clients in complex contentious matters involving contractual claims, property disputes, shareholder disputes, banking claims, trust disputes, directors’ duties, technology, media and entertainment disputes, and employment. Kenneth also regularly represents lenders, borrowers and insolvency professionals in relation to liquidation, judicial management, receivership, schemes of arrangement, and complex multi-jurisdictional restructurings.

Kenneth has been consistently recommended for his expertise in restructuring and insolvency, as well as disputes work. Chambers Asia-Pacific notes his “substantial experience in a range of contentious matters, acting for both domestic and multinational clients”. Kenneth is recognised as a Future Star in International Arbitration and Commercial and Transactions by Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific, and is cited as a Notable Practitioner by IFLR1000. In The Legal 500 Asia Pacific, Kenneth is recognised as a “seasoned restructuring and insolvency expert” who is “noted for the restructuring of distressed companies in the shipping and oil and gas sectors”, and is praised by clients as “brilliant and quick” and for providing “practical advice, taking into account the commercial reality and business needs.”

Kenneth graduated from the National University of Singapore with an LL.B. (Hons) degree (First Class), where he was awarded a number of academic prizes and scholarships, and represented NUS at the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court competition. He was awarded the Hauser Global Scholarship to study at the New York University School of Law where he obtained an LL.M.

Prior to joining Allen & Gledhill, Kenneth served as a Justices’ Law Clerk with the Supreme Court of Singapore, and as a Legal Counsel with the Competition Commission of Singapore.

Kenneth has appeared as amicus curiae under the Supreme Court’s Young Amicus Curiae scheme on novel matters concerning constitutional protections, criminal procedure and sentencing. He has contributed to a number of leading publications, including The Restructuring Review, Singapore Civil Procedure, ICLG Corporate Recovery & Insolvency and Leniency Regimes.

Kenneth is the Chairman of the Advisory Committee to the Professional Conduct Council established under the Legal Profession Act. He is a Fellow of the Insolvency Practitioners Association of Singapore, a member of the Admissions Committee and Insolvency Practice Committee of the Law Society of Singapore, and an accredited Associate Mediator with the Singapore Mediation Centre. He is also the Co-Chair of the Professional Standards & Ethics Working Group, Singapore Academy of Law.

Work Highlights

• Acted for a Singapore government statutory board in SIAC arbitration proceedings involving cross-border claims against a number of media and film production companies in connection with the financing of at least US$200 million in film production and related work, successfully obtaining worldwide mareva injunctions / freezing orders in the Singapore High Court against the defendants’ assets, and successfully obtaining a winding up order against the defendant companies.
• Advised the Agent and Syndicate Lenders to PT Berlian Laju Tanker Tbk (“BLT”) under a secured and guaranteed US$685 million facility in the Restructuring Deal of the Year (IFLR Asia Awards 2016). BLT, an Indonesian company dual-listed on the Singapore and Indonesian Stock Exchanges had total liabilities in the region of US$2.4 billion and was successfully restructured by way of Singapore Schemes of Arrangement, US Chapter 15 proceedings, and Indonesian PKPU proceedings. 
• Acted for the liquidators of Parakou Shipping Pte Ltd in a successful clawback action in the Singapore High Court against its former directors and shareholders for unfair preference transactions and breaches of fiduciary duties, and in obtaining worldwide mareva injunctions / freezing orders in the Singapore High Court against the defendants’ assets.