Adrian Tan
Singaporean lawyer and writer (1966–2023)
Adrian Tan
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President of the Law Society of Singapore | |
In office
1 January 2022 – 8 July 2023 |
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Preceded by | Gregory Vijayendran SC |
Personal details | |
Born |
(
1966-02-04
)
4 February 1966
Singapore |
Died |
8 July 2023
(2023-07-08)
(aged
57)
Singapore |
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
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
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
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]
Notable cases
- Wee Shuo Woon v HT S.R.L. [2017] SGCA 23 [35]
- Turf Club Auto Emporium Pte Ltd v Yeo Boong Hua [2018] SGCA 44 [36]
- Singsung Pte Ltd v LG 26 Electronics Pte Ltd (trading as L S Electrical Trading) [2016] SGCA 33 [37]
- 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 [38]
- Acted as counsel in proceedings concerning Gilstead Court, [39] Thomson View, [17] and Shunfu Ville [40] collective sales.
Publications
- "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
- ↑ Quah, Michelle. "New Law Society president to help lawyers feel inspired again, prevent exodus of talent" . The Business Times . Retrieved 23 November 2021 .
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "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.
{{ cite news }}
: CS1 maint: url-status ( link ) - ↑ "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
.
{{ cite web }}
: CS1 maint: url-status ( link ) -
↑
"The Teenage Textbook Musical"
.
National Arts Council, Singapore
. Retrieved
23 November
2021
.
{{ cite web }}
: CS1 maint: url-status ( link ) - ↑ "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 .
- 1 2 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 .
- 1 2 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
.
{{ cite web }}
: CS1 maint: url-status ( link ) -
↑
"Minutes of the 67th Annual General Meeting held on 26 June 2021"
.
Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped
. Retrieved
23 November
2021
.
{{ cite web }}
: CS1 maint: url-status ( link ) - ↑ "Giving Starts with Awareness" . www.psd.gov.sg . Retrieved 17 January 2023 .
-
↑
"Charity Info"
.
Law Society Pro Bono Services
. Retrieved
23 November
2021
.
{{ cite web }}
: CS1 maint: url-status ( link ) -
↑
"Maxwell Chambers | Board of Directors"
.
Maxwell Chambers
. Retrieved
22 November
2021
.
{{ cite web }}
: CS1 maint: url-status ( link ) -
↑
"Arts House Limited | About Us | Our Board"
.
Arts House Limited
. Retrieved
22 November
2021
.
{{ cite web }}
: CS1 maint: url-status ( link ) - ↑ 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
.
{{ cite web }}
: CS1 maint: url-status ( link ) -
↑
"Annual Report 2016"
(PDF)
.
The Law Society of Singapore
. p.
4
. Retrieved
23 November
2021
.
{{ cite web }}
: CS1 maint: url-status ( link ) -
↑
"Annual Report 2017"
(PDF)
.
The Law Society of Singapore
. p.
4
. Retrieved
23 November
2021
.
{{ cite web }}
: CS1 maint: url-status ( link ) - ↑ " '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 .
- ↑ 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
External links
- Adrian Tan at TSMP Law Corporation
- Internet Movie Database profile of The Teenage Textbook Movie
- The World According to Adrian Tan – Inkpot Interview
International | |
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National |