Charles Yeo’s Law Firm, S K Kumar Law Practice, Apparently Didn’t Have a Valid Law Practice Licence

By
Valerie Chua
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While many remember Charles Yeo as that one politician forced to speak in less-than fluent Mandarin during his party’s broadcast for Ang Mo Kio GRC, the former Reform Party Chairman (and internet meme) has since gained notoriety for being subject to numerous criminal charges.

These charges involve three counts under the Protection from Harassment Act (POHA) for posting Instagram Stories with threatening, abusive and insulting remarks and another three counts for wounding the religious feelings of Christians. 

He was also accused of making abusive, insulting and threatening communications against a police officer on his Instagram page in November 2020 and January 2021.

Charles Yeo’s crimes are not limited to just spewing insults on Instagram. 

As a formal criminal defence lawyer, Yeo was arrested in 2022 for criminal breach of trust and forgery while working for Whitefield Law Corporation. 

Now, it seems like the company he worked for before he fled Singapore is also in trouble.

Law Society of Singapore Issues Warning Against S K Kumar Law Practice, Charles Yeo’s Previous Law Firm

Before leaving the country to seek asylum in the UK (where he since remains at large), the Ministry of Law listed Yeo as a legal assistant at S K Kumar Law Practice LLP.

Now, it seems that S K Kumar Law Practice LLP is also coming under fire for its unprofessionalism, as the Law Society of Singapore warns potential clients to stay away from the law firm as it does not have a valid law practice licence.

The Law Society also added that the firm does not have lawyers who hold the necessary certificate that allows them to practise in Singapore.

Current clients of the firm are also advised to approach other reputable firms to ensure that legal matters are handled in a proper manner. 

Founder S K Kumar Was Disbarred in 2017, Veteran Lawyer of Firm Fined for Breaching Rules

S K Kumar Law Practice had already seen its fair share of misadventures and mishaps, even before the Law Society of Singapore issued a warning against it. 

S K Kumar, whom the firm is named after (many law firms, even bigger ones, are named this way), was himself disbarred in 2017 for misconduct, examples of which included misleading the court and wasting its time through being absent from hearings or seeking unnecessary adjournments.

Veteran Lawyer Dhanwant Singh, who worked for the law firm, was fined $50,000 in 2019 for breaching rules that safeguard monies held by law firms on behalf of the parties in property transactions.

He had deposited $100,000 paid by an interested buyer of a property into the account of his firm’s client rather than its conveyancing account. Conveyancing accounts ensure the proper legal transfer of the title of a property from a person to another. 

Past Clients Share Unsavoury Experiences of S K Kumar Law Firm

While the S K Kumar Law Practice is still up and running, it might not be for much longer as numerous clients have stepped up to complain about their unprofessionalism.

Taxi driver Cheng Hoe Soon filed a negligence suit in 2008 to the High Court because of the “irresponsible and lackadaisical conduct” of his lawyers from S K Kumar Law Practice.

His lawyers, including Charles Yeo, had repeatedly failed to attend pre-trial conferences on his behalf, and while Yeo attended two hearings, he did not have a valid practising certificate when he did so.

The law firm’s reviews on Google are also less than stellar, with a dismal 2.6 star ranking and numerous complaints from netizens about their legal services. 

Image: Google Review

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Valerie Chua
Email: [email protected]