Mastering the Role as a Junior Advocate: Guidance from the Bench

The Honourable Mr Justice Michael Soole 
Treasurer 2024 
The Inner Temple

Michael Soole was born in 1954. Awarded an Open Scholarship to University College, Oxford to read PPE (Philosophy, Politics and Economics), he took his BA in 1975. In 1974 he served a term as President of the Oxford Union debating society. 

From 1975 to 1977, supported by a grant from the Inner Temple, he took the law conversion and Bar vocational courses at the Inns of Court School of Law. He was called to the Bar by Inner Temple in July 1977. 

Following pupillage at 1 Harcourt Buildings (3rd floor), he joined that set in 1978 and built up a wide-ranging junior practice in general common law work, including some criminal work. He then developed a specialisation in professional negligence claims. In 1998 he joined 2 Crown Office Row (2nd floor) (subsequently at 4 New Square, Lincoln's Inn), a set specialising in professional negligence litigation. In 2002 he took Silk. His practice increasingly focussed on the work of the TCC (Technology and Construction Court). He served as Chair of TECBAR (the Technology and Construction Bar Association). 

While in practice he sat part-time as an Assistant Recorder of the Crown Court (1998-2000) and Recorder (2000-2015: criminal and civil). 

At Inner Temple he was elected a Bencher in 2008 and its Treasurer for 2024. His principal contribution has been to the Inn's advocacy training programme for pupils and New Practitioners. He has also taught advocacy at the UN, The Hague, Florida Bar, Sierra Leone, Ghana and Mauritius; and helped train the Ukraine judiciary in Odessa. 

In 2015 he was appointed to the High Court bench (King's Bench Division). Since 2022 he has been Judge in charge of the King's Bench Division Civil List. 

His recreations include conversation, long rail journeys, brisk walks and live classical music. 

Mr Damien Chng 
Associate
Cavenagh Law LLP 

 
Damien graduated from the Singapore Management University’s Yong Pung How School of Law. He started his legal career in 2018 as a Justices’ Law Clerk in the Supreme Court of Singapore. Since leaving the Supreme Court, Damien has worked in boutique dispute resolution firms where he has been involved in a variety of complex, high value, civil and commercial cases. He has practice experience across domains such as banking and finance, construction, credit and security, digital and technology services, employment, international arbitration, insolvency, investigations, shareholder disputes, trusts, public law, and international commerce. Outside of work, Damien enjoys being out at sea, whether in a boat or underwater. 

Mr Tan Jun Hong 
Advocate 
Duxton Hill Chambers

Jun Hong has a broad commercial practice. He acts for a range of clients in complex international disputes and high-stakes cases. He has represented clients at all levels of the Singapore courts, including as lead counsel in the Singapore Court of Appeal, as well as in international arbitrations. 

Jun Hong has experience in a wide range of matters, including arbitration-related litigation, civil fraud claims, technology and licensing disputes, construction claims, and disputes relating to extractive industries. 

Jun Hong previously worked at leading international arbitration practices in London and Singapore. Before private practice, he served as a Justices’ Law Clerk, where he clerked for the Chief Justice and Judges of the Singapore Supreme Court. Jun Hong is qualified in Singapore, New York and England & Wales (solicitor). He is a native speaker of Mandarin. 

Mr Raeza Ibrahim 
Director & Head of Commercial Dispute Resolution 
Salem Ibrahim LLC 

Raeza specializes in commercial and corporate litigation, particularly in shareholder and company disputes. Before joining SILLC, he was a director at Drew & Napier LLC, working with an eminent Senior Counsel. Raeza graduated with an LLB (Hons) from the University of Bristol in 2010 and became an Advocate & Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore in 2012. 

He has extensive experience in disputes across sectors like construction, telecommunications, energy, and real estate, handling complex proceedings such as freezing orders (Mareva Injunctions), search orders (Anton Piller orders), and adjudications under the Security of Payment Act. Raeza has appeared at all court levels in Singapore and in international arbitration. 

With a background in mediation, he advises clients on alternative dispute resolution for cost-effective solutions. His principal clients include prominent individuals, regional corporations, and MNCs. Committed to access to justice, Raeza also serves as pro bono defense counsel under the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme and takes on “low bono” engagements where appropriate. 

Since 2015, he has handled cases involving doxxing or other forms of online harassment, achieving positive outcomes for his clients while maintaining optimum privacy. Raeza is available for mediation appointments and instructed counsel roles. 

Ms Rebecca Chia
Senior Associate
Allen & Gledhill LLP

Rebecca is a Senior Associate with Allen & Gledhill LLP. Her main areas of practice are in commercial litigation and international arbitration. She regularly acts in complex contentious matters, with a particular interest in technology-related disputes (involving payment services, crypto exchanges and digital banking services). She often acts and advises in contentious corporate commercial matters including in various shareholder and directors’ disputes.

She graduated from the University of Oxford with a B.A. (Hons) in Law (First Class). She spent some time with Google’s legal team during a secondment and was involved in a range of legal work including on payment services, advertising and procurement. She was appointed as a Young Independent Counsel in 2024 to assist the Singapore judiciary with novel or important points of law. She is a co-author on the publication Lexology In-Depth: Asset Tracing and Recovery (12th Ed, 2024).

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