ST/Statista 2026 top-rated lawyers: Daughter deferred law studies for two years to work in dad’s law firm

Some 15 years ago, Christine Low deferred her entry into law school by two years to work in the trenches of her father’s law firm, picking up lessons in high-profile cases, trial preparations and client stories. It was a decision she never regretted.

Her father, former Law Society president Peter Low, was both her mentor and mirror. “His red-ink mark-ups on my early drafts – I felt like I was back in school – grew fewer over time as I learnt from his meticulous and thorough approach,” she said.

The hard work and dedication paid off.

Both father and daughter were among the 15 named to the ST/Statista 2026 list of top-rated lawyers based on the recommendations of the respondents to the survey. 

The lawyers on the list had the highest overall number of recommendations from clients and peers, across multiple fields. The survey highlighted their strongest legal field and did not include every area in which they were recommended.

Participants are understood to have considered factors like competency skills, referrals by others while hiring lawyers, and affordability.

Mr Low earned recommendations for arbitration and dispute resolution, and criminal law, while Ms Low was recommended for family law.

Both were also recommended on the list of top lawyers last year.

“My father’s influence on my legal journey has been foundational. Those long hours, trial preparation and court attendances were both demanding and exhilarating, and they gave me a grounding in the realities of practice that law school alone could not provide,” said Ms Low.

She said her father remains as diligent as ever, poring over voluminous trial and arbitration documents with focus and energy. From him, she learnt the importance of listening to clients deeply and internalising their experiences so that she can represent them effectively.

“Above all, he taught me that being a good lawyer begins with why: The aim is not merely to win cases but to uphold justice, serve clients with empathy, and guide them through some of the most difficult chapters of their lives,” she noted, adding that this ethos shapes the practice and culture at their firm, Peter Low Chambers. 

Ms Low’s sister, Elaine, is also one of the 11 lawyers at the firm, which specialises in criminal defence, matrimonial litigation and commercial disputes, in keeping with its tradition of providing access to justice. 

“This model allows us to render legal services in a holistic and comprehensive manner,” said Mr Low.

Ms Low admitted that for years, she struggled with being known as “the daughter” of a former Law Society president and renowned legal professional, feeling that the shoes she had to fill were very large indeed. 

“But a senior lawyer once told me, ‘What matters most is that your father is a good man – now that’s something to be proud of.’” That perspective has stayed with me, and today, I wear that connection with pride,” said Ms Low, who has been a lawyer now for 11 years. 

She added that her father has also shaped her view of mentoring, noting that he has made time not just for the firm’s lawyers but also every intern on attachment to the firm.

Their firm, she said, is more than a workplace – it is also a community. Former clients have become lifelong friends – sometimes even godparents – while interns return year after year.

Asked what it takes to be a top-rated lawyer, Mr Low said: “To always act in the best traditions of the Bar, to give voice to the voiceless, to the financially disadvantaged, to the marginalised and always to do so whilst acting ethically and fearlessly.”

The year’s list of best lawyers range from specialists in arbitration and criminal law to intellectual property and family law. They include Senior Counsel Davinder Singh, who is currently defending former Hyflux chief executive officer Olivia Lum in a high-profile court case, intellectual property lawyers Lam Chung Nian and Mark Teng, as well as Mr Anthony Wee, named for his expertise in negligence (professional/accidents/personal injuries). 

Mr Wee, who is managing director of Titanium Law Chambers, also sits on various committees including the clinical ethics committee of Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, and served as a member of the law reform committee to review the law on damages for personal injury and death (2014). 

Mr Wee said: “It is important to give recognition to lawyers from smaller firms who do good work for SMEs and ordinary people on the ground. It will enable the SMEs and ordinary people to obtain committed and good legal representation at reasonably affordable prices. Access to justice can only be had when David is able to properly fight Goliath.”

He added: “Unlike my corporate clients, the SMEs and especially the man on the street have little to no access to reliable information on who may be suitable to represent them. I am of the view that this yearly publication by The Straits Times helps to address this information gap.”

The second of the two women on the list, Ms Viviene Sandhu, is co-managing partner at Clifford Law and received recommendations for employment, family and negligence areas of practice. 

She said: “Being recognised in this way is a humbling reminder that the work I do is not just about winning cases, but about standing alongside clients through their most challenging moments.” 

Ms Sandhu, who is also a Law Society Pro Bono Ambassador 2025, added: “The recognition strengthens my resolve to uphold the highest professional standards and to continue shaping the law in ways that serve both justice and community.”

Like his peers on the list, senior lawyer Suresh Damodara, director at Damodara Ong, believes that being a lawyer is not so much a profession as it is a calling.

“It is indeed a privilege to be professionally recognised by one’s peers and clients,” he said, attributing his success in arbitration and dispute resolution and criminal law to teamwork.

“In modern legal practice, it is critical to have a support structure from a team of competent and diligent lawyers.”

In November 2024, he successfully appealed against a corruption conviction by challenging the lower court’s failure to provide a reasoned decision on key aspects of the case.

“The appellant was convicted and sentenced by the lower court to six weeks’ imprisonment. As counsel, I argued that the lower court had failed in its duty to properly evaluate the evidence and provide a reasoned decision on key aspects of the case,” he said.  

“The case represents the principle of accountability in that every decision from the court needs to be reasoned and there are no exceptions to this. Every accused person is entitled to know the reasons (both factual and legal) for any decision arrived at by the court,” he said, adding that the High Court judge took pains to enunciate this principle at the appeal.

Another lawyer on the list, Mr Winston Wong, is director at Flint & Battery, a small full-service practice specialising in funds, commercial deals/disputes and family law. The firm topped the inaugural list for technology, media and telecommunications in 2021.

Mr Wong is also a board member of the Cicero League of International Lawyers. Cicero is a tight-knit network of owner-driven law firms spanning North America, Asia and Europe.

In addition, he is the ombudsman for the Singapore Cycling Federation and the Singapore Ice Skating Association, investigating whistle-blowing allegations and ensuring accountability in sport governance. He has also served on selection committees for regional competitions, including the Asian Winter Games and the SEA Games.

Mr Wong’s dedication to sport is personal. As a former executive committee member and audit chair for Netball Singapore, he helped secure Singapore’s hosting of the 2011 World Netball Championships. 

His wife, Ms Pearline Chan, captained Team Singapore in both 2007 and 2011. Their teen sons, Tyler and Noal, now carry on the family’s sporting legacy, representing their school rugby teams.

“Serving in all of the above capacities is my small way of giving back to the sports community in Singapore. It was sports that taught me the value of hard work, integrity and pursuing excellence in everything I do – my job and my family. Living by these values makes everything I do meaningful. I insist on the same values for my boys,” said Mr Wong.

“I am grateful for being included in ST’s top-rated lawyers list.”

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