Who We are

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Sook Zhen is the founder and managing director of Zenbridge Law LLC, a boutique law firm focused on bridging legal and business opportunities across Singapore, Japan, China and ASEAN.

Prior to establishing Zenbridge Law, she practiced for more than a decade at leading international law firms in Singapore and Tokyo, where she advised clients on cross-border transactions, regulatory compliance, employment law, and dispute resolution matters.

She is uniquely positioned to assist clients with cross-cultural and cross-jurisdictional legal needs, having spent over a decade working with Japanese and Chinese clients - first in a large Japanese firm, and most recently in a big-five Singapore law firm.

Recognized as one of Singapore’s 18 most influential lawyers under 40 by the Singapore Business Review in 2021, Sook Zhen also serves as a panel arbitrator for the Japan Commercial Arbitration Association and Beihai Asia International Arbitration Centre, and as a specialist mediator with the Singapore International Mediation Centre.

She graduated from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and was called to the Singapore Bar in 2012.

At Zenbridge Law, she combines technical excellence with cultural fluency to deliver practical, strategic solutions for businesses navigating complex legal landscapes. 

General Corporate

• Japan Industrial Partners: Assisted in various Singapore law aspects of the acquisition of Toshiba Corporation, the largest M&A transaction in Japan in 2023.  Deal was also awarded as M&A Deal of the year (premium) for ALB Japan Law Business award 2024. 
• Mitsui & Co., Ltd: Acting as legal advisers to Mitsui & Co., Ltd ("Mitsui") for its investment in cancer diagnostics company MiRXES Holding Company Ltd’s Series D fundraising exercise. 
• Various clients: Assisted in multiple due diligence exercises, in Japan, Singapore and ASEAN.
• Large Japanese gaming and app companies: Assisted in licensing agreements, joint venture agreements and service agreements.
• Singapore-listed healthcare services and facilities provider: Assisted with the purchase of new healthcare facilities in Japan.
• Foreign clients: Assisted with the incorporation of new business entities in Japan.
• Japanese clients in Singapore: Assisted with general corporate matters.
• US MNC: Assisted regularly in regulatory and compliance matters.
• Crops Corporation: Acting in its acquisition of the Innovare group, for a confidential sum. The Innovare group, a workforce management group which provides business solutions to manage. compliance risk and payroll for contractors, is headquartered in Singapore and has 14 subsidiaries in 17 countries in the Asia Pacific region.
• Various Clients: Assisted in fundraising for Indonesian start-ups, assisting various funds in their investments into start-ups.

Dispute Resolution

• Capital World Limited: Successfully obtained approval on a scheme of arrangement for restructuring of the company’s debts.
• Lion Trust Singapore: Acting for the trustee of S$110,000,000 notes which was defaulted on by the Issuer.
• Commercial Bank: Successfully defended client in a negligence suit brought by a wealthy investor claiming alleged losses of US$8 million.
• Multi-national company: Defended the company against an arbitration claim under the ICC Rules.
• Confidential client: Defended client in a cross-border dispute against breach of trustee duties of an trust which was allegedly constituted.
• Commercial Bank: Successfully defended a large commercial bank brought by an ex-customer of a bank alleging breach of mandate.
• Confidential client: Applied for pre-action discovery in a cross-border dispute.
• Japanese investors: Representing clients in a breach of shareholders agreement in an arbitration under HKIAC rules.
• Japanese investor: Defended the client in a tracing action by another Japanese investor for shares in the operating company of a fine-dining Japanese restaurant.
• Japanese departmental store: Successfully defended client in a high-profile rental dispute.
• Chinese investors: Representing clients in a breach of shareholders agreement in a Singapore International Commercial Court matter.
• A listed education services provider: Acting in a SIAC arbitration against a vendor with claims and counterclaims amounting to S$15 million.
• A leading oily waste management company:  Acting in an ongoing High Court suit against a listed company’s subsidiary, where the counterclaim is more than S$8 million.
• Confidential client: Acting in an arbitration under SIAC Rules against a large listed Japanese beverage company.
• Various clients: Assisting in employment related disputes, termination of employment related matters.

• National University of Singapore (LL.B.)
• Kyushu University (LL.B. exchange)

• Member, Panel of Arbitrators, Japan Commercial Arbitration Association
• Member, Panel of Arbitrators, Beihai Asia International Arbitration Centre
• Member, Law Society of Singapore
• Member, Singapore Academy of Law
• Mediator, Singapore International Mediation Centre

• English (native)
• Chinese (native)
• Japanese (working proficiency, JLPT N1)

• Zenbridge Law LLC - Managing Director
• Dentons Rodyk & Davidson LLP - Partner and Head of Japan Desk (2017 - 2025)
• Anderson Mori & Tomotsune - Foreign Legal Associate (2014 - 2017)
• Drew and Napier - Associate (2011 - 2014)