The Singapore Law Gazette

Law Society Annual Dinner 2025

On 24 October 2025, the Law Society of Singapore held its Annual Dinner at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore. We welcomed approximately 350 guests, embracing the theme Local Classicus to commemorate Singapore’s 60^th birthday. The evening aimed to create a fun and relaxed atmosphere where everyone could let their hair down and enjoy themselves.

Members arrived in their best costumes as we celebrated everything uniquely Singaporean. Some came dressed as their favourite local icons, such as Phua Chu Kang, while others showcased our rich multicultural identity in kebayas, cheongsams, sarees, and other traditional attire.

To enhance the kampung spirit, we set up a photobooth complete with fun accessories, creating a lively atmosphere for guests to capture memories of the evening. Each table featured local snacks from Golden Duck and goodies from PHS Science.

Not to be forgotten was our lucky draw segment, where winners walked away with exciting prizes, including a one-night complimentary stay at The Fullerton Hotel (sponsored by the hotel itself), wellness hampers from The Purest Co., and more.

The evening also included our award segment, showcasing the prestigious C. C. Tan Award, which recognises a member of the Bar who upholds the highest ideals of the legal profession. We also presented the Pro Bono Ambassador Award, celebrating exceptional commitment to pro bono service, and the Sports Personality Award, which honours exemplary sportsmanship and contributions to the sporting fraternity for at least 10 years.

Mr Naresh Mahtani had the honour of receiving the C. C. Tan Award. We also celebrated the unwavering spirit of volunteerism of Mr PO Ram, our Pro Bono Ambassador Award recipient for 2025/2026, and the exemplary sportsmanship of Ms. Vivienne Lim, the recipient of the Sports Personality Award 2025. Huge congratulations to Mr. PO Ram and Vivienne for their well-deserved wins!

The night featured a best-dressed award for both males and females, with nominees taking a catwalk to showcase their outfits. We applaud them for their spontaneous participation!

Finally, we would like to extend our appreciation to our emcee, Emcee Javier, as well as to our wonderful guests and generous sponsors, silver sponsor Success Wealth Management and bronze sponsor Acutus LLP. A big thank you also goes to our Social and Welfare Committee for organising and making our Annual Dinner an unforgettable event.

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Citation for the Recipient of the C C Tan Award 2025

Mr Naresh Mahtani

The C C Tan Award, named after the first President of the Law Society of Singapore, Mr Tan Chye Cheng, recognises a member of the Bar who upholds the highest ideals of the legal profession, namely honesty, fair play, courtesy and personal integrity. The Award honours a practitioner who exemplifies the highest ideals of our profession over a long and distinguished career—honesty, integrity, fair play, courtesy, and an abiding spirit of service and camaraderie. Mr Mahtani’s close to four decades of contribution to the Bar embody these attributes to an extraordinary degree.

Mr Mahtani has practised for more than thirty-five years in dispute resolution, construction, oil & gas, and commercial work, both as counsel and, increasingly, as a neutral. He is currently recognised in Chambers Asia-Pacific (Most in Demand Arbitrators 2023–2025) and Who’s Who Legal (Construction 2023) and is widely appointed across ICC, SIAC, AIAC, SMC and ad hoc tribunals. Parties and co-arbitrators consistently commend his “exemplary” professionalism, “deep experience,” and ability to “arrive at fair judgments,” describing him as “a fair and trusted pair of hands” whose determinations are “well-thought through and carefully reasoned.” Such peer assessments speak directly to the C.C. Tan values of integrity, fair play and impartiality.

He has served the profession with conspicuous courtesy and collegiality. He was Chief Executive Officer of the Law Society of Singapore (1999–2001), stewarding the regulatory, disciplinary and welfare functions of the Law Society during that time. He later chaired the Society of Construction Law (Singapore) (2006–2008) and served eight years as Honorary Secretary and Course Director of the Singapore Institute of Arbitrators, mentoring scores of younger practitioners. His voluntary leadership on the Council for Estate Agencies Appeals Board, the Singapore Mediation Centre, and multiple arbitral panels reflects an unwavering commitment to public service and the advancement of Singapore as a dispute-resolution hub.

Mr Mahtani’s personal qualities mirror the humane ideals of the late Mr C.C. Tan. In his December 2024 Law Gazette reflection “Of People, Paper (Lots of!) and Practice,” he espoused the virtues that have guided his practice—hard work, humour, perspective, courage, forgiveness, and the power to accept change while “just moving forward.” Those sentiments are not mere rhetoric; they resonate with generations of practitioners who have encountered Mr Mahtani as a mentor, opponent, or tribunal member. He is renowned for extending courtesy to junior counsel, encouraging settlement where appropriate, and treating all participants—parties, witnesses, and support staff—with dignity and respect.

Mr Mahtani has advanced the rule of law beyond his formal roles in practice through scholarship and education. He has authored numerous articles on contracts, dispute resolution, and construction law and lectured numerous times for SIArb, SMC, and other institutions. His efforts have deepened professional competence while fostering the camaraderie and sharing of knowledge that the Award seeks to celebrate.

Mr Naresh Mahtani’s career reflects sustained professional excellence and, equally important, the gracious spirit, generosity and integrity that define the legacy of Mr C.C. Tan.

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The C C Tan Award 2025

Mr Naresh Mahtani – Acceptance Speech

Dear Honourable Justices, Honourable Ministers, representatives from the Ministries, and all “brothers and sisters in Law”, which includes my wife Jacinta who is here tonight and who has been in the legal fraternity for many years, for about as long as I have.

I thank Council of the Law Society for kindly conferring this high award to me. It is indeed an honour for me and deeply appreciated. I thank the President for the many kind things said in the Citation she just delivered.

When I did the things mentioned in the Citation and other things over the years, I did what I did out of the love and excitement of doing so, and did not expect any award, much less an award as esteemed as the CC Tan Award. All the more, therefore, I am deeply honoured and humbled by the being the lucky recipient of this Award. 

There are many others who deserve this Award, many with whom I have enjoyed sharing the camaraderie of practice during the past over 44 years or so, many of whom are also in this room. I was wondering what I else should say in this acceptance speech, which I will seek to keep light and concise, at this time of night, during the LS’s Annual Dinner 

Firstly, I wish to say, upon reflection, I feel I am blessed to have had an unusually varied practice – I’ve savoured them all – small, medium, large firms, group law practices, and even a stint in the Law Society itself some years ago. In the course of all of it, I have met many people, through whom I learned a lot from.

Going a bit back, during law school, I almost left law studies a couple of times to start work as a journalist, for economic reasons, and also because just observing things and writing has been and still is one of my hobbies. But some things always pulled me back to law school – maybe Providence kept me on course to get a law degree and do some work as a lawyer.

After I started work as a lawyer in 1981 up to now, I have been blessed with a variety of roles. My first boss, the late great Mr Leo Fernando was to me a towering figure during my early years as a criminal lawyer from who I learned the values of three things which I have remembered through the years: (1) hard work (which includes preparation and attention to details in every case) (2) Courage (before tribunals, adversaries and clients) and (3) A sense of humour (to survive the stress and see things in human perspective).

Then during the many years of work in civil litigation in a much larger firm (in fact the local offices of the world’s largest firms at that time) and in subsequent firms of various sizes, I found the same three values, (plus being organized) had become helpful traits and habits. All very useful in dealing with the mountains of paper, facts and law, which was an essential part of civil litigation, construction law and arbitration. Which became my main areas of practice after being thrown in the deep end of construction law in my early 30s onwards. 

And these three things, still remain very important, in spite of technology and AI. These things, which I learned from the first day of practice till now, will never go away as life goes on, with or without technology. The increasing use of Technology only changes some things, not all.

Plus, one more thing I’ve tried to remember – i.e. a bit of kindness, to yourself and others. For everyone you deal with is fighting one battle or another inside, which we usually know not of.

But of course, even now, I’m not your infallible expert. Far from it. I still make mistakes and continue to learn something new from everything and everybody, every day. I have learnt and continue to learn from my many mentors.

My many mentors are actually ALL the people and situations I’ve encountered, including the many lawyers, judges and colleagues I’ve encountered in practice, 

Which brings me finally to the topic of one of my favourite 4 letter words – i.e. Work – i.e. specifically how I have been blessed to enjoy and not suffer from work.

Nowadays, there’s a lot written and spoken about stress at work. Having been in all sizes of firms the past over four decades, I can attest that a lot of what’s said is true. A lot of our work is not easy. The reason our work is not easy is that no two cases are alike, be it civil, commercial or criminal. There’s often a twist or a curved ball in every case to test our minds, patience and endurance.  There is often some suffering at work, especially when you’re ploughing through fields of facts and law.

But if I may impart one trick I have been blessed to learn that’s kept me going (and still is, as I don’t intend to retire).

The only trick I know of to fall back on – the trick is to try to enjoy it, like one might try to enjoy solving a mystery or puzzle or enjoy painting, writing, or anything that is one’s hobby.

I’ve learnt never to do anything just for the money or fame or pride or glamour or meeting the expectations of others or impressing others, or any of those things. That’s where the stress comes from, in my humble opinion, not from the work itself. Also, it’s good to have hobbies outside of work to ease the stress, whatever the hobby is, and I have been blessed to have a few.

As the great Mahatma Gandhi said, treat every day, even a workday, as a holiday. i.e. what I think he also meant is, to throw in something to delight yourself, be it a drink or just breathing or listening to music or a walk in the park. That way you might even enjoy life or anything thrown at you or encountered along the way.

So once again, thank you Everyone. Thank You God, who I feel has always been there, for Everything. And I also wish to thank my beautiful long-suffering wife, Jacinta, whose birthday is today, for being with me over the past 4 decades, and who is here with me tonight. 

Naresh Mahtani
October 2025 

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Citation for Pro Bono Ambassador Award 2025/2026

Mr Periowsamy Otharam

The Pro Bono Ambassador Award, inaugurated in 2009 by the Council of the Law Society, recognises exceptional commitment and dedication to pro bono service, honouring individuals with an established track record of providing pro bono services for at least five years.

The Pro Bono Ambassador for 2025 / 2026, Mr Periowsamy Otharam.

Mr Periowsamy Otharam, better known as P O Ram, has dedicated over five decades to the law, public service, and justice. Beginning in 1969 as a Deputy Public Prosecutor and State Counsel, he went on to serve as Deputy Director of Legal Services at the Ministry of Defence and Deputy Director of the Legal Aid Bureau, before a decade as Clerk of Parliament and Secretary of the Presidential Council for Minority Rights.

A strong advocate of Pro Bono SG’s mission and as head of Pro Bono at K&L Gates Straits Law, he has handled 75 CLAS cases since 2008, supported the Paris Bar Support Centre in 2022, and mentored several young lawyers for CLAS cases. He is also on the panel of lead counsel in the Legal Aid Scheme for Capital Offences.

His service has earned him Top Volunteer Awards from Pro Bono SG from FY21/22 to FY23/24. He has also obtained multiple national honours, such as the Public Service Medal, Public Service Star and the Public Service Star (Bar) in the area of drug rehabilitation and the Public Administration Medal (Silver) for his service in the government.

Author of Law and Practice of Tribunals in Singapore, a plain-language guide to tribunal law, PO Ram’s leadership, generosity, and steadfast belief in service embody the heart of Pro Bono SG’s work and continue to inspire the legal community.

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Citation for Sports Personality Award 2025

MS Vivienne Lim Hui Bian

The Sports Personality Award aims to recognise members of the legal fraternity who have demonstrated exemplary sportsmanship and contributed both qualitatively and quantitatively to the sporting fraternity for at least 10 years.

The winner of the Sports Personality Award for 2025 is Ms Vivienne Lim Hui Bian.

Vivienne Lim has been a steadfast member of the Law Society Ladies’ Football team since its inception in 1996. The team has an unbroken record at the annual Bench and Bar games. Over the past 29 years, she has been supporting and helping to sustain the team, often behind the scenes. The arrival of her four children did not stop her from returning to the pitch every time to continue to play with the team at the annual Bench and Bar Games.

Vivienne’s contributions also extends beyond the pitch, demonstrating her leadership and service to the fraternity at large. She served as council member of the Law Society of Singapore and is currently the Deputy Chairperson of Pro Bono SG. In the national sporting scene, Vivienne was also a member of the Disciplinary Committee and a member of the Women’s Committee of the Football Association of Singapore.

Her commitment to the Law Society’s sporting community continues to inspire young lawyers and the next generation, encouraging them to give back and actively participate in building a supportive legal community.