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Entrustment

About SoYang Advisory

The Strategic Engine for
APAC Scale-Ups

At SoYang Advisory, we believe that the traditional legal model is broken. In a world of high-speed innovation and cross-border complexity, the “billable hour” is a relic of the past that incentivizes friction over flow.

SoYang Advisory was founded with a singular purpose: to provide the strategic legal infrastructure that allows APAC scale-ups to move faster, grow smarter, and scale without limits.

We are a boutique, AI-augmented consultancy that sits at the intersection of Elite Legal Logic and Cutting-Edge Technology. We don’t just “give advice”, we build the repeatable systems that turn legal and compliance from a cost center into a competitive advantage.

MISSION STATEMENT

To empower ambitious businesses

We partner with APAC enterprises by providing legal infrastructure and solutions that allow our clients to grow and not just to maintain compliance.

With smart, strategic and scalable legal expertise

We go beyond legal documentation to critical strategy, enabling our clients to move faster, grow smarter and scale without limits by solving their future problems today.

Turning legal complexity into a growth advantage

We work closely with our clients, shifting their perception of legal services as a necessary cost or barrier to a powerful enabler of business efficiency, attainment of commercial objectives and means to scale up.

VISION STATEMENT

To become the leading fractional legal and strategic advisory partner for high-growth businesses across the APAC region, synonymous with proactive risk management and agile corporate governance

Most firms sell time. We sell Outcomes, Velocity, and Peace of Mind. Our existence is defined by three core mandates:

Eliminating Uncertainty: Through fixed-fee transparency and predictable, subscription-based models, we remove the “budget anxiety” that hampers executive decision-making.

Augmenting Intelligence: By leveraging Private AI Agents and a proprietary Knowledge Library, we deliver senior-level strategic insights with the speed of a digital native.

APAC Expertise, Global Standards: We navigate the unique regulatory “nail-biters” of the Singapore and wider APAC landscape with the sophistication of a global powerhouse and the agility of a startup.

FOUNDERS

Led by founders who turn legal complexity
into a strategic advantage for growing businesses.

BERNARD LIEW – CEO

LLB (Hons), Barrister (England & Wales), Advocate & Solicitor (Singapore), CIPP/E, CIPP/A, CIPM

JASMINE FOONG – COO

LLB (Hons, Dean’s List), Advocate & Solicitor (Singapore), AIGP, CIPP/E, CIPP/A, CIPM

BERNARD LIEW – CEO

LLB (Hons), Barrister (England & Wales), Advocate & Solicitor (Singapore), CIPP/E, CIPP/A, CIPM

Bernard is a corporate commercial and technology lawyer with 33 years of experience, specializing in complex cross-border transactions, corporate governance, contract negotiation, regulatory compliance, and dispute resolution. As Founder & CEO of SoYang Advisory, Bernard delivers fractional legal services that provide strategic, cost-effective legal expertise to businesses seeking flexibility and efficiency.

Signature Achievements:

Corporate Governance Leadership

  • Oversaw 300+ subsidiary entities in APAC Region as a board member and corporate secretary.
  • Developed regional legal teams across APAC, establishing legal centres of excellence in China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia, Malaysia, and Singapore.
  • Served as Global Legal Adviser for a leading Cloud SaaS Business Unit, shaping legal frameworks for SaaS licensing and international expansion.

Cross-Border & Complex Transactions Expert

  • Led negotiations for multi-million-dollar satellite agreements, including a $200M deal for Japan and an $80M contract with an Australian defence agency.
  • Successfully structured and negotiated 30+ M&A transactions, including the $365M acquisition of NatSteel Broadway Ltd.
  • Advised on finance transactions, compliance, and corporate restructuring for leading multinational corporations.

Regulatory Compliance & Risk Mitigation

  • Led whistleblower investigations and resolved employee harassment claims across multiple APAC markets.
  • Reduced external legal spend from $1M to below $250K per year while managing legal operations for companies generating $5B+ in annual revenue.
  • Developed and implemented corporate policies on anti-bribery, trade compliance, and export control, ensuring regulatory adherence in high-risk jurisdictions. 

Disputes Management & Resolution

  • Led legal efforts to recover $9M+ in an embezzlement case in China, achieving a 60% financial recovery.
  • Successfully defended a Chinese subsidiary against customs evasion charges, securing a favourable resolution.
  • Managed high-stakes legal disputes, resolving employment and commercial conflicts across APAC.

Bernard’s strategic legal leadership and innovative approach to corporate governance have helped businesses navigate legal complexities efficiently, making SoYang a trusted partner for businesses seeking flexible, high-impact legal solutions.

JASMINE FOONG – COO

LLB (Hons, Dean’s List), Advocate & Solicitor (Singapore), AIGP, CIPP/E, CIPP/A, CIPM

Jasmine is a one of the founders of SoYang Advisory and she leads the company as its Chief Operating Officer. Jasmine is an accomplished legal professional adept at providing strategic advice to Chief Executive Officers, Chief Operating Officers, General Counsels and other senior stakeholders. The depth of her expertise has been honed over more than 16 years, spanning across commercial contract negotiation, regulatory compliance, corporate governance, policy planning and law reform, government relations and dispute management.

Signature Achievements:

Corporate Governance Leadership

  • Headed ASEAN and Singapore legal teams and as part of senior leadership, provided strategic advice and support from a legal perspective for APAC and Singapore business units and other stakeholders, spanning commercial, corporate, disputes, regulatory, compliance and employment matters.
  • As lead lawyer for Global Accounts in the APAC region, collaborated closely with legal teams and business and operational stakeholders globally to provide underlying frameworks and corporate strategy for effective and sustainable engagement with Global Account customers.


Regulatory Compliance and Policy planning

  • Formulated, reviewed and updated policies and guidelines on intellectual property management, contract negotiations, confidentiality processes and other risk and liability issues, such as export control laws and anti-corruption laws and regulations.
  • Conducted regular in-house training to promote greater understanding of commercial contract negotiation strategies, application of polices and guidelines at working level, and critical risk and liability issues.
  • Leveraged on technology to expedite work processes, such as conceptualising and actively working with IT personnel and end-users to develop an online portal for moving certain escalation and approval processes from manual to electronic platform.


Complex Transactions Expert across both Private and Public sectors

  • Led negotiations for multi-million dollar deals between a Fortune 500 multinational technology corporation and customers in both public and private sector for provision of critical digital infrastructure, technology products including mainframe computers and supporting software and consulting services.
  • Structured multi-year strategic agreements for supply of industrial software products (both on-premise and Cloud/SaaS products), maintenance services and design, configuration and installation services to APAC customers across industries such as oil and gas, mining, agriculture, energy infrastructure, food and beverage, maritime and chemicals.
  • Led negotiations for master research collaboration and technology transfer agreements between public research agencies and private sector enterprises covering diverse areas of intellectual property ranging from high performance computing resources to biological research materials and devices.   


Law Reform and Government Relations

  • Represented private sector technology companies in constructive dialogue with Government agencies relating to legislation, regulations and guidelines on areas of interest such as Cybersecurity Act and Model AI governance framework.
  • Contributed to establishments of national-level policy initiatives and partnerships between public agencies, such as the recommendations of the Committee on the Future Economy regarding a National IP Protocol and a Public Sector Master Research Collaboration Agreement. Advised on agreements involving research and development work for Singapore’s SMART Nation programmes.
  • Represented the views of the Law Society’s Council, practice Committees and the wider Bar in both public and closed consultations, new initiatives/regimes introduced by the relevant ministries and the Courts and issues of impact of legal practice.


Disputes Management & Resolution

  • Managed disputes with customers and suppliers by providing timely legal analysis and evaluation of merits, as well as instructing and supervision of external lawyers.
  • Acted for litigation clients in complex and high-stakes disputes before the Singapore High Court for a wide range of claims including breach of directors’ fiduciary duties, assessment for account of profits for patent infringement, breach of contract, delivery of goods, fraudulent transactions, tenancy agreements, employment contracts, recovery of debt and partnership disputes.


As co-founder and COO of SoYang Advisory, Jasmine works closely with clients and business stakeholders to appreciate their real needs, formulate strategies and delineate solutions and fractional services that are legally-sound and commercially viable.

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