Panel 1

Ms LEE Huay Leng
Editor-in-Chief, Chinese Media Group, SPH Media

Huay Leng is the Editor-in-Chief of the Chinese Media Group of SPH Media. The Chinese Media Group includes Lianhe Zaobao, Shin Min Daily News, Student Publications, the digital platforms zaobao.sg, zaobao.com, ThinkChina.sg and radio stations UFM100.3 and 96.3 Hao FM.

Huay Leng started her journalistic career in Lianhe Zaobao in 1994 upon graduation. She was with the paper for 20 years in different roles as sports reporter, political reporter, Hong Kong Correspondent, Beijing Bureau Chief, China Editor, News Editor and Deputy Editor. In January 2014, she took the helm of Lianhe Wanbao and was appointed concurrently as Senior Vice-President (New Growth) of Lianhe Zaobao in November 2015.

For public service, Huay Leng currently serves as a member of the Public Transport Council and Founders’ Memorial Committee. She is a board director at the National Kidney Foundation and Governor at the Singapore International Foundation.

She graduated from the National University of Singapore in 1994 with an honours degree in Chinese Studies, and a Masters of Arts degree in Southeast Asian Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. She was an Asian fellow with Ash Center at Harvard Kennedy School in 2010.

Dr LIU Jingdong
Director of International Economic Law Department, the Institute for International Law of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; Member of the International Commercial Expert Committee of the Supreme People's Court of China

Dr LIU Jingdong, Professor of International Law. He served as Vice-Chief Justice of No.4 Civil Tribunal of Supreme People’s Court of China (April, 2015-December, 2017), and works as Director of International Economic Law Department, the Institute for International Law of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; Vice President of WTO Law Research Society of China Law Society, Vice President of China’s Arbitration Law Society. He is member of first-round International Commercial Expert Committee of China International Commerce Court(CICC), and Special Counselor of Supreme People’s Court of China, Arbitrator of China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission, Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration, Shanghai International Arbitration Center, Singapore International Arbitration Center, etc. Vice-Chairman of Commercial Mediation Center of China Chamber Of International Commerce.

He has obtained Paper’s Reward of China ‘Society of International Law in 2012, and Paper’s Reward of WTO Law Research Society of China Law Society in 2014 and 2015 respectively. “Research on the Necessity of WTO Reform and the Design of Reform Issues” written by Professor Liu has been awarded 2019 Top 10 Paper for “Global Economic Governance”.

Mr TAN Ken Hwee
Chief Transformation & Innovation Officer (Judiciary), Supreme Court of Singapore

As Chief Transformation and Innovation Officer (Judiciary) at the Supreme Court, Ken Hwee looks after the transformation, digitalisation, innovation and technology plans of the Supreme Court, the State Courts and the Family Justice Courts. He has also been involved in related law reform work like the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020 and the Courts (Civil and Criminal Justice) Reform Act 2021. He manages the Courts of the Future workplan for the Judiciary.

Before taking on this role, Ken Hwee was the Chief Prosecutor in charge of the Financial and Technology Crime Division of the Attorney-General's Chambers. FTCD handled white-collar crime cases in Singapore, including cheating, criminal breach of trust, corruption, cybercrime, money-laundering and terrorism financing, and Securities and Futures Act and Companies Act offences.

Ken Hwee has also been a Senior State Counsel advising on Public International Law and a Senior Assistant Registrar in the Supreme Court. As State Counsel he also assisted in the development of key legislation like the Electronic Transactions Act 1998 and the Internet Code of Practice 1996 and various iterations of the Computer Misuse Act.

He has held appointments as Chief Information Officer at the Attorney-General’s Chambers and at the Supreme Court. He has been involved in legal technology in Singapore since 1990.

Dr HUANG Huikang
Former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to Malaysia, Member of the United Nations International Law Commission

HUANG Huikang, LL.D and Professor, is an outstanding expert of international law with profound knowledge and rich experience both in the practice of international law and diplomatic activities. After joining the Foreign Ministry of China in 1995, Dr HUANG served successively as Deputy Consul General of China in New York, Minister Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Canada, Legal Counsel of the Foreign Ministry, Special Representative for Climate Change Negotiation, Director General of the Department of Treaty and Law and the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of China to Malaysia, representing the Chinese Government at many important international conferences as well as bilateral and multilateral negotiations on legal affairs. He was elected to the UN International Law Commission in 2010 and re-elected in 2011 and 2016.

Mr Gilbert LEONG
Senior Partner, Dentons Rodyk

Gilbert has extensive experience in negotiating and drafting commercial agreements in relation to distribution of goods/services, procurement and tenders, manufacturing arrangements, acquisition of hardware, software development, licensing, maintenance, acquisition of intellectual property such as trademark and patents, computer turnkey projects, consultancy services, IP structuring, Internet related transactions cloud computing and E-commerce. Gilbert also provides advice on aspects of joint ventures, alliances and mergers & acquisitions.

He has also been counsel to parties involved in the telecommunication industry. In particular, he has advised on disputes arising as between telecommunication licensees, application for licences, market access and infrastructural issues. Gilbert has also been very active in the field of data privacy/protection and cybersecurity matters, having acted for large financial institutions, healthcare providers, and industrial companies. He has also written and spoken widely on the area.

Gilbert is recognised as a leading lawyer for his expertise in many notable publications, including Chambers Asia-Pacific, The Legal 500 Asia Pacific and Who's Who Legal. Gilbert's IP litigation experience includes copyright (software) suits, patent infringements as well as obtaining and executing search & seizure warrants. Additionally, he has prosecuted parties under a fiat from the Attorney General for offences under both the Trade Marks Act and Copyright Act. Gilbert also attends to hearings before the Trade Mark registry.

Gilbert Leong is Head of Dentons Rodyk's Intellectual Property & Technology department (which encompasses the Technology, Media and Telecommunications practice group).