Corporate social responsibility and pro bono work have always been at the heart of Dentons Rodyk. The firm’s pro-bono committee, headed by Senior Partner Christopher Chong and Partner Wen Jin Lau, supervises and spearheads many pro-bono initiatives with objectives such as furthering a particular public good, correcting a perceived injustice, or otherwise addressing issues that are of broad community concern. The intended beneficiaries of our pro-bono work are often people who are impecunious, marginalised, or disadvantaged. By providing pro bono legal services to the needy who require legal assistance, the firm aims to improve access to justice and ultimately leave a positive social impact on the local community. 

Pro Bono Initiatives

Legal Clinics by Law Society of Singapore

Dentons Rodyk is an anchor firm for the legal clinics organised by Pro Bono SG (formerly known as Law Society Pro Bono Services), and the firm is recognised for its efforts in this regard every year during the Law Awareness Weeks @ CDC. These community and civil legal clinics provide a platform for applicants to receive free legal advice on legal issues that they are facing, and our lawyers contribute by offering free legal advice to needy members of the public. 

In 2021, the firm was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation from the Law Society of Singapore for our support of the community and civil legal clinics. 

Dentons Rodyk also supports Pro Bono SG in its fund raising for such initiatives. Our firm was recently recognized for this at the inaugural Pro Bono SG Awards 2024.

Criminal Legal Aid Scheme

Dentons Rodyk is also a long-time supporter of the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme (“CLAS”) administered by Pro Bono SG. CLAS provides free legal representation for applicants who are unable to afford a lawyer and are facing charges in a Singapore court for certain offences. CLAS co-delivers criminal legal aid to Singaporean/Permanent Residents with the Public Defender’s Office and continues to assist foreign applicants. 

Our lawyers participate by representing accused persons, whether for plead guilty cases or claim trial cases, as their legal counsel in Court. To ensure the quality of the legal representation, junior lawyers, who take up such cases are supervised by more senior lawyers in the firm. Dentons Rodyk has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Pro Bono SG, committing to take on a minimum number of CLAS cases a year.

Besides encouraging active involvement in such cases, the firm also educates and trains our lawyers in particular our associates and practice trainees in pro bono cases, thereby instilling a culture of giving back to the public from the start of their legal careers. 

Pro Bono Highlights. 

• PP v Ab Rahman bin Setion (MAC-906123-2021): The client was a drums instructor in a music school and was charged for outrage of modesty under s 354 Penal Code of an adult student. The client’s defence was that he had sought the student’s permission to touch her back with the tip of his fingers to correct her posture in the course of the drums lesson, and the client did not intentionally touch the student inappropriately. The matter was set down for trial, and it was estimated that the trial would take 6 days. The Prosecution had 4 witnesses, and the defence was to call 6 witnesses. On the first day of trial on 17 August 2022, after much oral representations, the Prosecutors accepted the defence’s renewed request for composition of the offence by the client making payment of a sum of money to the complainant and giving a written apology to the complainant. As a result, the Court ordered that the client be given a discharge amounting to an acquittal. The Prosecution’s initial position as to sentencing was a global sentence of 21 months’ imprisonment and 1 stroke of the cane. Wen Jin Lau and Zi Cong Mok acted for the client in this case.
• PP v Rohim (SC-904885-2015): The client was a foreign worker charged under s 148 Penal Code for rioting with a deadly weapon. The client was on remand but adamant that he would claim trial. We wrote a letter of representations to AGC to explain that the client was not at the location where the riot took place, as he was at another location. The letter of representations also requested for tracking resources available to the police. After further investigations, the Prosecution applied for the accused to be given a discharge amounting to acquittal. Wen Jin Lau acted for the client in this case.
• PP v Harry Shawn Fernandez (SC-904586-2018): The client was charged under s 506 Penal Code for criminal intimidation and under s 323 Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt by punching the complainant's face. The client denied having committed these offences, and the matter was set down for trial. On the first day of trial, the Prosecution applied to have the charges withdrawn. Wen Jin Lau acted for the client in this case.   
• Assisted a global pro bono organisation with the Singapore-law review of a NGO questionnaire for company limited by guarantee (CLG).  CLGs would be a common corporate structure adopted by charities and non-profit organisations in Singapore, and we had provided detailed guidance on the pertinent legal issues such charities and non-profit organisations should be mindful about when setting up a CLG.
• Defended a former accounts clerk, who was accused of misappropriating S$1.2 million from her employer over a period of 10 years, and faced 11 charges under the Penal Code for criminal breach of trust. The accused was sentenced to imprisonment for 30 months and the prosecution appealed for a higher sentence, which was later withdrawn.
• Provision of Singapore regulatory and tax advice in respect of proposed management of social impact regional investments for an impact investing debt fund company
• Provided guidance and addressed the client's queries on applicable data privacy requirements; and assisted the client in reviewing and updating their online Privacy Policy to comply with local data privacy laws and regulations.
• Advised international NGO on their template donation agreement and a question on their ability to conduct their operations in a manner compliant under Singapore charities law.
• Assisted a global pro bono organisation with the Singapore-law review of a NGO

12th Asia Pro Bono Conference

Dentons Rodyk was one of two local Singapore law firms that participated in the 12th Asia Pro Bono Conference (“12APBC”) “The Evolution of Empowering Pro Bono and Access to Justice”, held from 1 to 3 December 2023, in Cebu City, the Philippines. The Asia Pro Bono Conference is the largest annual gathering of individuals supporting or engaged in access to justice, pro bono, and public interest law in Asia. The conference gives stakeholders the platform to develop, explore and share pro bono and access to justice initiatives and projects that strengthen justice and the Rule of Law in Asia and internationally. Partners Terence Wah and Ling Yi Quek from the firm’s pro-bono committee represented the firm at this conference.

Ad Hoc Pro Bono Projects

Besides legal clinics and CLAS, Dentons Rodyk also routinely helps with ad hoc pro bono projects. 

For instance, our lawyers have assisted Pro Bono SG with their Project Law Help (by providing corporate law advice and assistance to non-profit organizations) and Project Schools (by providing legal education to students and youths). Our lawyers have also worked with the non-profit organizations directly.

In March 2024, as part of our efforts to continue, and to scale our pro bono efforts, our firm hosted Justice Without Borders (a regional non-profit organization that focuses on improving cross-border access to justice for migrant domestic workers) for a lunch-and-learn session at our office to get to know their work and to discuss potential pro bono opportunities with them. Following the lunch-and-learn, our lawyers had helped out with some of their capacity building workshops, and connected them to our other regional offices so they can collaborate with our partners in our countries that they are also based in. 

Awards Recognition

The Singapore’s Best Law Firms survey by The Straits Times and Statista

Dentons Rodyk was recognised in the Charities & Pro Bono category in the 2023 and 2024 editions of the Singapore’s Best Law Firms survey by The Straits Times and Statista. The firm was also featured in The Straits Times for its exceptional contributions to pro-bono work.

The annual survey, conducted jointly by Singaporean daily The Straits Times and international market researcher Statista, identifies Singapore’s best law firms in 18 areas of legal practice.

Outstanding Contribution Large Firm (Bronze) award in 2023 from the Legal Aid Bureau Singapore

The firm received an Outstanding Contribution Large Firm (Bronze) award in 2023 from the Legal Aid Bureau Singapore. This award recognises law firms that actively encourage their lawyers to volunteer with the Legal Aid Bureau, and who exhibit exceptional dedication by helping LAB on non case related matters. The award was received by Senior Associate, Alwyn Tan, on behalf of the firm.

The Legal Aid Bureau ensures equal access for justice to persons of limited means, by providing them legal aid, advice and assistance in civil matters. This includes representing applicants in many kinds of court proceedings, as set out in the Legal Aid and Advice Act. LAB cases are handled by LAB’s in-house lawyers and assigned solicitors.

Company of Good

Dentons Rodyk was one of only four law firms in Singapore to receive the Champions of Good award in 2022. Senior Partner and Co-head of the firm’s pro-bono practice, Christopher Chong, attended the ceremony on 1 September 2022 and received the award on behalf of the firm from then-Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Lawrence Wong. This accolade underscores the firm’s steadfast commitment in Singapore to integrate social responsibility into its business practices.

Co-head of Pro-bono practice and Senior Partner Christopher Chong receiving the conferment award from Ms Chong Ee Rong, Vice Chairman of National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC)

In 2024, Dentons Rodyk was once again recognised as a Company of Good. Partner Terence Wah represented the firm and received the award from Minister for Social and Family Development, Sun Xueling at the award ceremony held on 18 July 2024. This recognition reaffirms the firm’s ongoing dedication and commitment to social responsibility initiatives.

Partner Terence Wong receiving the conferment award from Sun Xueling, Minister for Social and Family Development of Singapore

The Company of Good recognition is organised by the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC), which engages organisations to adopt corporate purpose and demonstrate impact across people, society, governance, environment, and economic dimensions. NVPC serves as the steward of the City of Good vision for Singapore, where individuals, organisations, and communities contribute their best for the greater good.

Certificate of Distinction by The American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore CARES Award, 2023 – 2024

Dentons Rodyk was presented with a Certificate of Distinction by The American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore (AmCham Singapore) CARES Awards in 2023 and 2024.

This award recognises firms that have demonstrated a strong understanding of the link between responsible business operations and positive societal impact, and that conduct business in a way that creates both long-term economic and social value for Singapore.

The award was presented by then-President of Singapore Halima Yacob in 2023 and by Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore Seah Kian Peng in 2024.