Lynette Chew is a Partner in CMS Singapore and a Director of CMS Holborn Asia, the Formal Law Alliance with CMS Singapore and Singapore law practice, Holborn Law LLC. She is Co-Head of the Infrastructure and Construction practice in Singapore.

Lynette’s area of practice encompasses a wide range of contentious and non-contentious work in the infrastructure, construction and energy sectors in Asia. She specialises in high-value and complex projects in Singapore and Asia. 

On the contentious side, Lynette acts as lead counsel in complex domestic and cross border disputes at the highest levels of the Singapore Courts, in institutional arbitrations including under the arbitration rules of the Asian International Arbitration Centre (Malaysia) (AIAC), International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) and London Maritime Arbitrators Association (LMAA), before adjudication tribunals under Singapore’s Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 2004, and has extensive experience of mediation both as counsel and as mediator. With more than 25 years of experience, Lynette assists clients to identify and realise effective and commercial outcomes – she is recognised for her “insightful and honest” advice, and those who work with her have described her being "always well prepped on the issues and informed on what was happening at all times”.

On the non-contentious side, Lynette has been involved in building and infrastructure projects in Singapore and the Asia Pacific region, including greenfield developments of data centres, power plants, luxury hotels and integrated resorts, manufacturing facilities and commercial developments. Lynette is well versed in project and risk management issues that occur throughout the project cycle – including workplace safety, project insurance coverage and claims in builders and contractors risk policies – and regularly advises on tender and project documentation in domestic and regional construction, engineering and infrastructure projects. Lynette has been a recommended “Global Leader” for Hospitality in Who’s Who Legal since 2020. Among key representations, Lynette was project counsel to the Marina Bay Sands (Singapore) for its iconic integrated resort project from tender to completion, and in that role advised and drafted over 150 contract packages valued at S$6 billion. 

Lynette is recommended in legal directories for her expertise in construction, projects and energy work, including Chambers Asia-Pacific, Legal 500, asialaw and Asian Legal Business. She is the sole woman lawyer among 29 ranked individuals recognised for both contentious and non-contentious matters in the Chambers and Partners Asia-Pacific 2022 Guide for Construction in Singapore, and only 1 of 2 woman lawyers ranked for front-end work. She is also the only woman lawyer to be accredited by the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) as a Senior Accredited Specialist for Building and Construction Law. 

As Co-Head of the Infrastructure and Construction practice in Singapore, Lynette has been recognised as leading a “skilled, well managed team” that “has the ability to get things done” (Chambers and Partners Asia-Pacific) and as “part of a formidable global team, frequently landing major local and international engagements on front-end and contentious matters” (The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific).

She is a Fellow of the Singapore Institute of Arbitrators and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and is on the Asian International Arbitration Centre‘s Panel of Arbitrators. Lynette is an SMC Accredited Mediator, as well as a Specialist Mediator on the panel of the SIMC for Construction, Infrastructure and Energy. 

Lynette sits on the Law Society of Singapore’s Building & Construction Committee – a standing committee that addresses and provides guidance, provides feedback in public and other consultations on legislative and practice changes, and liaises with the Courts, relevant bodies and other stakeholders on building and construction law matters. Lynette also sits on the SAL’s Law Reform Sub-Committee for Building and Construction Law. She serves on the board of the Catholic Welfare Services, Singapore.