Description

Synopsis

So what exactly does a public international lawyer do? What does it take to succeed, and is this the career for you? Come join us for this panel discussion and hear from experienced professionals about their exciting career journeys since graduating from law school, as well as the various challenges and opportunities in the practice of public international law.

About the Speakers

Luke Tang
Director
International Legal Division,
Ministry of Law

Luke is currently the Director of the International Legal Division at the Ministry of Law, where he deals with matters relating to Singapore’s international legal policy in the fields of both public and private international law. He has an LLB from NUS and an LLM from LSE. He joined the Singapore Legal Service in 2006 and spent the early years of his career as a Deputy Public Prosecutor, before being posted to AGC’s International Affairs Division. Prior to joining the Ministry of Law, he spent over three years at the Permanent Mission of Singapore to the United Nations in New York, where he represented Singapore primarily on legal matters under the purview of the United Nations General Assembly, including the work of the Sixth Committee as well as the intergovernmental negotiations concerning the
conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas
beyond national jurisdiction. During his time in New York, he was also
coordinator for two General Assembly resolutions on (a) Crimes against
Humanity and (b) Strengthening and Promoting the International Treaty
Framework.

Toh Shin Hao
Senior State Counsel
International Affairs Division,
Attorney-General’s Chambers,
Singapore

Shin Hao is Senior State Counsel in the International Affairs Division of the Attorney-General’s Chambers, Singapore, where he advises on international trade and investment law matters.

After obtaining his Bachelor of Laws (Honours) degree from the National
University of Singapore in 2004, he commenced his legal career as a
Deputy Public Prosecutor in the Attorney-General’s Chambers, Singapore, where he prosecuted a wide variety of offences in both the trial and appellate courts of Singapore from 2005 to 2011.

He was awarded the Singapore Legal Service Commission Scholarship in
2008 to pursue postgraduate law studies in the London School of
Economics and Political Science, and graduated in 2009 with a Master of
Laws (Corporate and Securities Law) with Distinction, having also been
awarded the Rouse Legal Prize for best performance in information
technology law.

In 2011, he was posted to the International Affairs Division of the Attorney-General’s Chambers, Singapore as State Counsel. He was Singapore’s legal adviser for the Investment chapter negotiations in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and lead negotiator for legal matters in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) negotiations.

He recently completed a 3½-year diplomatic stint (from 2017 to 2021)
as Counsellor (Legal) at the Permanent Mission of Singapore to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva, with principal responsibility for WTO dispute settlement matters.

In the 2014 Singapore National Day Honours, he was awarded the Commendation Medal.

About the Moderator

Kristi How
State Counsel
International Affairs Division,
Attorney-General’s Chambers,
Singapore

Kristi is a State Counsel in the International Affairs Division of the Attorney-General’s Chambers where she provides legal advice to the Singapore Government on public international law issues with a particular focus on international economic law. She also represents Singapore in bilateral and multilateral negotiations and international disputes. Prior to joining AGC, she was in private practice and acted in commercial disputes before the
Singapore Courts and international arbitration tribunals. Kristi is an
Adjunct Lecturer at the NUS Faculty of Law where she co-teaches a
module on international law-making (Singapore at the UN – A Clinical
Externship).

Kristi holds law degrees from New York University School of Law and the
National University of Singapore. She is dual-qualified in Singapore and New York.