Adrian Tan
Adrian Tan | |
---|---|
President of the Law Society of Singapore | |
In office 1 January 2022 – 8 July 2023 | |
Preceded by | Gregory Vijayendran SC |
Succeeded by | Lisa Sam Hui Min |
Personal details | |
Born | Singapore | 4 February 1966
Died | 8 July 2023 Singapore | (aged 57)
Alma mater | |
Occupation |
|
Chinese name | |
Traditional Chinese | 陳錦海 |
Simplified Chinese | 陈锦海 |
Hanyu Pinyin | Chén Jǐnhǎi |
Adrian Tan Gim Hai (4 February 1966 – 8 July 2023) was a Singaporean lawyer and author. Known for writing the Teenage Textbook series of books in the 1980s, he was the 27th president of the Law Society of Singapore and a partner at TSMP Law Corporation.[1]
Early life and education
[edit]Tan was born in Singapore to an ethnic Chinese family of Hainanese descent. 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. Tan was later conscripted into the army as a writer for Pioneer, the MINDEF magazine.[3][4] After his A-levels, he was offered a teaching scholarship to study English at the University of East Anglia. 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.[5] He later completed a second, joint-honours degree in computer science and psychology from the Open University in 2004, while working as a lawyer.[6]
Career
[edit]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.[7][8] The Teenage Textbook was also made into a stage play by The Necessary Stage in 1997;[9] a film in 1998, which topped the box office in Singapore for four weeks;[10] a 2017 musical titled The Teenage Textbook Musical;[11] and a 2021 TV series on Channel 5.[12] In 2015, The Teenage Textbook was listed by The Business Times as one of the top 10 English Singapore books from 1965 to 2015.[13] Tan also was a consultant for the Channel 5 television legal drama The Pupil.[14] Tan was invited to a National Library Board festival but later boycotted it over the board's decision to withdraw from its libraries children's books that depicted same-sex families.[15]
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][16] In 1999, Tan left Drew for a two-year stint as general counsel of a technology firm, following which he returned to Drew.[16] 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][17] Tan practiced litigation, and specialised in intellectual property, information technology, real estate, and shareholder oppression disputes.[18] He was also the honorary counsel of the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped, where he advocated for voting rights for the blind.[19][20] He was also a member of the boards of the Law Society Pro Bono Services,[21] Maxwell Chambers,[22] and Arts House Limited,[23] and was a member of the Speak Good English Movement committee.[24]
From 2013 to 2021, Tan was a member of the Law Society Council, serving as treasurer in 2016 and vice president in 2017.[25][26][27] In 2022, he was appointed president.[2] As president of the law society, he was known for his public outreach on legal issues,[28] such as the HDB's ban on cats,[29] the 2022 bar exam cheating scandal,[2] and Richard Branson's comments on the death penalty in Singapore.[30] Tan gave his only Opening of the Legal Year speech as Law Society president in 2023, where he addressed attrition rates in the legal profession.[31]
Personal life and death
[edit]Tan was married without any children.[32] He was diagnosed with cancer in March 2022,[33] and died on 8 July 2023, at age 57.[34] At a memorial service celebrating his life, Tan was said to be someone who "had very little ego", was a champion of the legal profession and who "cared for the less fortunate."[35]
After his death, a collection of essays by Tan on the issues he cared about and commented on, was published in a book entitled, "If I were King of Singapore."[36]
Notable cases
[edit]- Wee Shuo Woon v HT S.R.L. [2017] SGCA 23[37]
- Turf Club Auto Emporium Pte Ltd v Yeo Boong Hua [2018] SGCA 44[38]
- Singsung Pte Ltd v LG 26 Electronics Pte Ltd (trading as L S Electrical Trading) [2016] SGCA 33[39]
- 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[40]
- Acted as counsel in proceedings concerning Gilstead Court,[41] Thomson View,[17] and Shunfu Ville[42] collective sales.
Publications
[edit]- "Dear Adam, Help!" (1988, Hotspot Books), ISBN 981-3002-35-2
- The Teenage Textbook (1988, Hotspot Books), ISBN 981-3002-21-2
- The Teenage Workbook (1989, Hotspot Books), ISBN 981-3002-28-X
- "What Practice Has Taught Me" Archived 8 July 2023 at the Wayback Machine in The Practice Of Law (2011, LexisNexis), ISBN 978-981-4753-48-7
References
[edit]- ^ 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 30 September 2022.
- ^ "PIONEER – To Enlighten and to Entertain". www.mindef.gov.sg. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
- ^ Giving Strength to Our Nation: The SAF and Its People (PDF). Ministry of Defence. pp. 344–347.
- ^ "Double honours for NUS team in Asean debate". The Straits Times. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ "Mr Adrian Tan". The Legal 500. Archived from the original on 14 June 2021. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
- ^ "He fries sushi..." The Straits Times. 5 June 1990. p. 3.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "The Teenage Textbook Musical". National Arts Council, Singapore. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Rebecca Lim Might Have Quit Showbiz If Not For The Pupil". 8days. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
- ^ "Writers boycott NLB event over book ban". The New Paper. 12 July 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
- ^ a b Hui, Eva Teh Jing (4 August 2022). "Both Sides Now: In Conversation with Mr Adrian Tan and Mr Anil Changaroth". The Singapore Law Gazette. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Minutes of the 67th Annual General Meeting held on 26 June 2021". Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
- ^ "Giving Starts with Awareness". www.psd.gov.sg. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
- ^ "Charity Info". Law Society Pro Bono Services. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
- ^ "Maxwell Chambers | Board of Directors". Maxwell Chambers. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
- ^ "Arts House Limited | About Us | Our Board". Arts House Limited. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Annual Report 2016" (PDF). The Law Society of Singapore. p. 4. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
- ^ "Annual Report 2017" (PDF). The Law Society of Singapore. p. 4. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
- ^ "'A true Renaissance Man': Shanmugam leads tributes to late Law Society president Adrian Tan". CNA. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
- ^ "Lawyer, advocate for cats: New LawSoc president Adrian Tan vows to remain vocal on public issues via social media". TODAY. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
- ^ "LawSoc president Adrian Tan calls out Richard Branson's 'feeble excuse' for declining debate on death penalty". www.singaporelawwatch.sg. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
- ^ "'Noticeable' rise in breaches of standards in legal profession: Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon". CNA. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
- ^ "The Multi-Hyphenate Holds Court". E-Magazine. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
- ^ "'Until the clock runs out': Law Society president Adrian Tan reveals he has cancer, says will fight illness and continue his work". CNA. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
- ^ "Law Society president Adrian Tan dies aged 57". CNA. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
- ^ Correspondent, Theresa TanSenior Social Affairs (31 July 2023). "Late Law Society president Adrian Tan had a 'good legal mind and a good heart': Shanmugam". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
{{cite news}}
:|last=
has generic name (help) - ^ "If I Were King of Singapore". Epigram. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- ^ 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