Yang Ing Loong joined Heller Ehrman in 2005 and is a member of the Asia Dispute Resolution Practice. Mr. Yang has a thriving arbitration and litigation practice in Asia, particularly in disputes concerning the People’s Republic of China. He is a qualified arbitrator and accredited mediator and was a partner in the Dispute Resolution Department of a top Singapore law firm before joining Heller Ehrman.

Mr. Yang was awarded a prestigious Singapore Government Scholarship to read law at Cambridge University. Upon his return to Singapore, he served as a state counsel and deputy public prosecutor in the Singapore Attorney-General’s Chambers for five years before joining a private practice. During his tenure, he was involved in the prosecutions of many high-profile cases.

Experience

Mr. Yang has extensive experience acting for corporate and individual clients in complex commercial and corporate litigation, shareholders’ disputes, joint venture disputes, international arbitration and commercial crime cases. He has appeared as counsel in many complex trials and appeals, both civil and criminal, in the High Court and the Court of Appeal of Singapore. In the last 10 years, Mr Yang’s practice has focused on China-related dispute resolution.  Mr. Yang is recommended in Asia Pacific Legal 500 2007/08 as a “leading dispute resolution lawyer” in China, and is also recommended in The Dispute Resolution Handbook 2006/2007 and 2007/08 as a “highly recommended” dispute resolution lawyer in China.

Mr. Yang is fluent in English and is a native speaker of Chinese (Putonghua Mandarin, Cantonese, Chiu Chow, Fujian). He also has a good working knowledge of Bahasa Malaysia and Bahasa Indonesia.

Representative Engagements

Counsel Experience  

• Acting as counsel for several PRC parties in an USD 85 million international arbitration under the UNCITRAL Rules administered by HKIAC in Hong Kong against a US company concerning a complex web of investment-related agreements.
• Acting for the Cayman subsidiary of a listed PRC company in an international arbitration in Singapore with a group of defendants in relation to certain mineral mines in South Africa.
• Acting for a listed PRC company in an international arbitration with a European multinational company involving an agreement for the licensing of clean technology.
• Acting for one of the largest online game companies in the PRC in an ICC arbitration in Singapore concerning an IT and licensing dispute with Korean parties.
• Advised one of the largest online game companies in the PRC in a licensing litigation in New York.
• Advising a New York listed company on a criminal investigation in relation to one of its employees in the PRC.
• Advising the Malaysian subsidiary of a Singapore company involved in product liability litigation filed in the US.
• Advising a Singapore listed company in a joint venture dispute with its Japanese partner in Shanghai.
• Acting for the Singapore subsidiary of a German company in a CIETAC arbitration with a PRC company.
• Acting for a PRC company in antitrust class actions in the U.S. federal and state courts.
• Assisting a large PRC conglomerate in tracing the proceeds of a cross-border fraud in Hong Kong.
• Acting for a US company in a SIAC arbitration with an Indonesian company in a dispute related to a sale contract for mining equipments and system.
• Advising a Hong Kong company on the legality and enforceability of a CIETAC arbitral award.

Recent appointments as arbitrator

• Appointed as one of three arbitrators in an SIAC arbitration between a Candian company and a PRC company relating to disputes arising from a multi-million dollar film distribution agreement.
• Appointed sole arbitrator in an SIAC arbitration between a Singapore company and a PRC company relating to the sale of commodities.
• Appointed sole arbitrator in an SIAC arbitration between a US company and a PRC company relating to an equipment sale contract.
• Appointed as one of three arbitrators in a CIETAC arbitration between Singaporean parties and a PRC company relating to a joint venture dispute.

Representative Engagements: (prior to joining Heller Ehrman)

Some of the cases in which Mr. Yang has acted include:

• Prosecuted many high-profile cases and appeared in criminal appeals on behalf of the Attorney-General.
• Acted for a Hong Kong client in a complex case for alleged breach of joint venture agreement relating to real estate developments in Shanghai.
• Acted for two directors of a major Singaporean oil and soap manufacturing group valued at more than S$100 million in a petition for just and equitable winding-up.
• Acted for a director of a company in defending a Companies Act section 216 petition for oppression. The petition was dismissed.
• Acted for an italian bank Banco Ambrosiano Veneto in defending a US$15 million claim on standby letters of credit which were fraudulently issued.
• Acted for Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank in a landmark litigation involving the legal effects of a letter of comfort.
• Acted for a large shipping company in a novel e-mail defamation action filed by Bangladesh companies.
• Successfully defended the president of an unincorporated association in a claim that he held real property on trust for the association.
• Successfully defended the managing director of a Singaporean listed company who faced charges of criminal breach of trust involving S$8 million.
• Successfully defended a client in a landmark drug trafficking case in Singapore in which the court accepted that the use of opium for medicinal purposes did not constitute drug trafficking.
• Represented a patient in an action against an obstetrician and a hospital for medical negligence relating to childbirth. The claim was settled by the defendants.
• Acted for a large PRC conglomerate in a pre-trial application for discovery in the Singapore courts in respect to a letters of credit fraud.
• Assisted Hong Kong solicitors in evidence-taking in the Singapore courts in connection with a high-profile criminal case in Hong Kong.

Publications

• Recognition and Enforcement of SIAC Awards in the PRC  Asian Legal Business  01.31.2007
• An Intellectual Property Project  Financial Times  06.14.2006
• Approach to the Anti-Monopoly Law of the PRC  CCH China Law Express  03.2006
• Contributed the Chapter "Civil Litigation in the People's Republic of China"  China Business Law: A Guide for Lawyers and Entrepreneurs, published by Sweet & Maxwell Asia  2003
• Contributed the Chapter "General Overview of the Singapore Legal System"  Medical Mapractice in Singapore  2002

Speaking Engagements

• Spoke on “Drafting Effective Arbitration Clauses” at Juris Conference, “Resolving Business Disputes in Today’s China,” Stockholm, April 18, 2008.
• Spoke on “Provisional Remedies in the context of the proposed amendments to the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules,” ICCA Conference 2008, Dublin, June 8-10, 2008
• Moderated at a seminar delivered by Mr Yu Ning, president of the All China Lawyers Association, titled “Developments in the Legal Profession in the PRC and the impact on doing business in China”, Singapore, October 2007.
• “Effective Management of Arbitral Proceedings,” Hong Kong International Arbitration Commission: ADR in Asia, Hong Kong, September 2006.
• Speaker and panelist, “Investment Treaty Discipline: Is China Ready for it?” and “Arbitration – Mediation Process Design in Comparative Perspective – How far may/should the arbitrator go to promote settlement?,” 2006 Annual Meeting of the American Bar Association, Honolulu, August 2006.
• “The Challenges and Opportunities of Doing Business in China,” Heller Ehrman Seminar, San Diego, Silicon Valley, Seattle, May 2006.
•  “A Bridge for China, Application of Singapore Law - Sowing the Seeds of Cooperation between China and Singapore,” Singapore Academy of Law, Singapore, May 06.
• “International Commercial Disputes Arising in Asia, Commencement of Arbitration: Procedures and Issues,” SIAC - CIETAC, Singapore, April 2006.
• “Workshop on Dispute Resolution in China,” Singapore Business Federation - SIAC, Singapore, March 2006.
• “The Challenges and Opportunities of Doing Business in China,” Heller Ehrman Seminar, New York, March 2006.
•  “Tackling Dispute in China,” Fortress Intelligence Pte Ltd, Singapore, February 2006.
• “Competition Law – How it Affects Your Business: China’s Anti-Monopoly Law,” Asian Legal Business - In-House Congress, Beijing, November 2005. 
•  “Arbitration in China: Recent Developments and Prospects,” CIETAC and HKIAC, Hong Kong, November 2005.
• “Anti-dumping Actions Against Chinese Exporters: Defence and Strategy,” CIETAC and AAROC – Legal Protection in International Trade, Hangzhou, China, October 2005.
• “How Should One Resolve International Commercial Dispute Effectively - Managing Commercial Arbitrations in the Mainland of China, “ HKIAC and HKCCA, Hong Kong, September 2005.
• “Application of U.S. Patent Law to Asian Companies and Patent Protection Issues in China,”` Asian Legal Business - In-House Legal Summit 2005, Hong Kong, September 2005.