In celebration of Singapore Corporate Counsel Association’s 17th anniversary on 1 November 2019, a stylish crowd comprising some of the best of Singapore’s corporate in-house legal professionals gathered for the SCCA Annual Black Tie 2019 at the Capella Hotel on Sentosa Island.
The evening brought together about 400 guests in an atmosphere of with glamour, bubbles and excitement as friends and industry colleagues came together for the biggest night of the annual social calendar for Singapore’s in-house community.
Hosted in the Capella Grand Ballroom, filled with dazzling lights and an avant-garde glass-dome and a glass sculpture centre-piece, the event began centre-stage with The Princeton Nasoons, from Princeton University, who set the mood for the party by serenading the crowd with acapella covers of Too Good At Goodbyes by Sam Smith and other renditions of popular music.
SCCA President Wong Taur-jiun took a moment to reflect on the SCCA’s milestones and achievements for the year during his welcome speech. He covered the association’s pro-bono engagements, and shared plans from the PIER Counsel Project to match senior in-house counsel during career transitions and new graduates looking to gain industry experience with charities and NGOs requiring legal support. Together with SCCA Peers (a chapter for young, dynamic lawyers), Law Society Pro-Bono Service and NTUC U-associates, the Pier Counsel Project is ready to take off this year.
Wong committed the SCCA to support pro-bono services to charities, NGOs and community initiatives across Singapore and the region, tying back to the associations’ 2019 theme of “M.A.D. – Making A Difference”.
To finish his speech, Wong announced that he would be stepping down as president of the SCCA. In his place, he welcomed Vice President Dessi Berhane Silassie as the new incoming president. Silassie is general counsel for APAC and Global Head of IP at IHS Markit.
The highlight of the evening was the traditional “Roast” by guest of honour K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Law in Singapore. After a humorous recap of the year, the minister opened the session to a Q&A from audience, giving members a chance to hear some light-hearted views from the minister on love, life and politics.
Stanley T Park, SCCA executive committee member and managing director/head of legal – Asia-Pacific region, at Scotiabank Global Banking and Markets, also introduced the Singapore Chief Legal Officer Awards 2019. The SCCA awarded three general counsel: Charles Lim, managing director and general counsel of GIC, in the Government Entity category; Mark Tan, general counsel of GLP, in the Singapore Company category; and Jean Chong, VP and general counsel, assistant compliance and ethics officer, APAC, of ON Semiconductor, in the Multinational Company category.
