Adrian Tan
Adrian Tan Gim Hai | |
|---|---|
| President of the Law Society of Singapore | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Gregory Vijayendran SC |
| Personal details | |
| Education | |
| Occupation | |
Adrian Tan Gim Hai (born 1966) is a Singaporean lawyer and author. Known for writing the Teenage Texbook series of books in the 1980s, he is the current president of the Law Society of Singapore and a partner at TSMP Law Corporation.[1]
Early life and education
Tan was born in Singapore to a Hainanese family. His parents were both teachers, and he grew up in a Housing Development Board (HDB) flat.[2]
As a child, Tan attended the Anglo-Chinese School and Hwa Chong Junior College. After his A-levels, he was offered a civil-service scholarship to study English in Britain, which would've required him to work as a civil servant after graduation. He turned down the scholarship to study law at the National University of Singapore (NUS).[2] While in university, Tan represented NUS as a debater in international competitions and televised debates in Singapore.[3] He later completed a second, joint-honours degree in computer science and psychology from the Open University in 2004, while working as a lawyer.[4]
Career
While an undergraduate law student at NUS, Tan wrote the novels The Teenage Textbook (1988) and The Teenage Workbook (1989), which became bestsellers that sold over 50,000 copies.[5] The Teenage Textbook was also made into a stage play by The Necessary Stage in 1997;[6] a film in 1998, which topped the box office in Singapore for four weeks;[7] a 2017 musical titled The Teenage Textbook Musical;[8] and a 2021 TV series on Channel 5.[9] In 2015, The Teenage Textbook was listed by The Business Times as one of the top 10 English Singapore books from 1965–2015.[10]
After graduating from NUS with a Bachelor of Laws degree, Tan began his legal career in 1991 at Drew and Napier, a large Singaporean firm. He initially practiced conveyancing law, but switched over to litigation thereafter, where he worked under Davinder Singh.[2][11] In 1999, Tan left Drew for a two-year stint as general counsel of a technology firm, following which he returned to Drew.[11] Eventually, after 22 years at Drew, Tan left to work for Stamford Law (now Morgan Lewis Stamford) in 2013. In 2018, Tan resigned from Stamford to work at TSMP Law.[2][12] Tan practices litigation, and specialises in intellectual property, information technology, real estate, and shareholder oppression disputes.[13] He is also the honorary counsel of the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped,[14] a member of the boards of the Law Society Pro Bono Services,[15] Maxwell Chambers,[16] and Arts House Limited,[17] and was previously a member of the Speak Good English Movement committee.[18]
From 2013 to 2021, Tan was a member of the Law Society Council, serving as treasurer in 2016 and vice president in 2017.[19][20][21] In 2022, he was appointed president.[2] As president of the law society, he is known for his public outreach on legal issues, such as the HDB's ban on cats,[22] the 2022 bar exam cheating scandal,[2] and Richard Branson's comments on the death penalty in Singapore.[23]
Notable cases
- Wee Shuo Woon v HT S.R.L. [2017] SGCA 23[24]
- Turf Club Auto Emporium Pte Ltd v Yeo Boong Hua [2018] SGCA 44[25]
- Singsung Pte Ltd v LG 26 Electronics Pte Ltd (trading as L S Electrical Trading) [2016] SGCA 33[26]
- Y.E.S. F&B Group Pte Ltd v Soup Restaurant Singapore Pte Ltd (formerly known as Soup Restaurant (Causeway Point) Pte Ltd) [2015] SGCA 55[27]
- Acted as counsel in proceedings concerning Gilstead Court,[28] Thomson View,[12] and Shunfu Ville[29] collective sales.
Personal life
In March 2022, Tan was diagnosed with cancer.[30]
Bibliography
- "Dear Adam, Help!" (1988, Hotspot Books) ISBN 9813002352
- The Teenage Textbook (1988, Hotspot Books) ISBN 9813002212
- The Teenage Workbook (1989, Hotspot Books) ISBN 981300228X
References
- ^ Quah, Michelle. "New Law Society president to help lawyers feel inspired again, prevent exodus of talent". The Business Times. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f "Profile: Law Society President Adrian Tan's First Media Interview after Cancer Diagnosis - Dare to be your truest self". www.singaporelawwatch.sg. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
- ^ "Double honours for NUS team in Asean debate". The Straits Times. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ "Mr Adrian Tan". The Legal 500. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Second Teenage book proves a fast-selling winner". The Straits Times. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
- ^ "The Teenage Textbook". The Necessary Stage Archives. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
- ^ "The Teenage Textbook Movie | Singapore Classics Reignited". Peatix. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "The Teenage Textbook Musical". National Arts Council, Singapore. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Mui Ee, Sissy and Tom are back: Teenage Textbook TV series to premiere in March". CNA Lifestyle. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
- ^ Yusof, Helmi. "Tomes that show us how we live". The Business Times. Singapore Press Holdings. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
- ^ a b Hui, Eva Teh Jing (2022-08-04). "Both Sides Now: In Conversation with Mr Adrian Tan and Mr Anil Changaroth". The Singapore Law Gazette. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
- ^ a b Quah, Michelle. "Law firm sharpening its edge in digital age". The Business Times. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
- ^ "Adrian Tan". TSMP Law Corporation. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Minutes of the 67th Annual General Meeting held on 26 June 2021". Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Charity Info". Law Society Pro Bono Services. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Maxwell Chambers | Board of Directors". Maxwell Chambers. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Arts House Limited | About Us | Our Board". Arts House Limited. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Lim, Paul. "'Speak Good English' campaign to focus on common mistakes". Today. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
- ^ "Media Release - Law Society of Singapore Election 2022" (PDF). Retrieved 23 November 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Annual Report 2016" (PDF). The Law Society of Singapore. p. 4. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Annual Report 2017" (PDF). The Law Society of Singapore. p. 4. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Lawyer, advocate for cats: New LawSoc president Adrian Tan vows to remain vocal on public issues via social media". TODAY. Retrieved 2022-07-28.
- ^ "LawSoc president Adrian Tan calls out Richard Branson's 'feeble excuse' for declining debate on death penalty". www.singaporelawwatch.sg. Retrieved 2022-11-05.
- ^ Wee Shuo Woon v HT S.R.L [2017] SGCA 23
- ^ Turf Club Auto Emporium Pte Ltd v Yeo Boong Hua [2018] SGCA 44
- ^ Singsung Pte Ltd v LG 26 Electronics Pte Ltd (trading as L S Electrical Trading) [2016] SGCA 33
- ^ Y.E.S. F&B Group Pte Ltd v Soup Restaurant Singapore Pte Ltd (formerly known as Soup Restaurant (Causeway Point) Pte Ltd) [2015] SGCA 55
- ^ Lim Li Meng Dominic and others v Ching Pui Sim Sally and another and another matter [2015] SGCA 54
- ^ Ramachandran Jayakumar and another v Woo Hon Wai and others and another matter [2017] SGCA 36
- ^ "'Until the clock runs out': Law Society president Adrian Tan reveals he has cancer, says will fight illness and continue his work". CNA. Retrieved 2022-07-28.
External links
- Adrian Tan at TSMP Law Corporation
- Internet Movie Database profile of The Teenage Textbook Movie
- The World According to Adrian Tan - Inkpot Interview
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
