Mitchel is currently Counsel (Co-Head, Dispute Resolution), in Gateway’s Dispute Resolution and Intellectual Property Practice Groups.

Mitchel was awarded the Vice-Chancellor’s Commendation for Academic Excellence from Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia, and thereafter graduated with his LLB(Honours) from the same. After completing his legal training and Bar examinations, Mitchel was then admitted to the Singapore Bar as an advocate and solicitor of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Singapore.

Mitchel started his legal career as an Associate at Gateway. During this time, Mitchel specialised in matters pertaining to litigation and intellectual property. Mitchel was also an enthusiastic pro bono volunteer and regularly attended community legal clinics and handled several criminal matters as well.

Mitchel then transitioned into various in-house positions and has worked in some of the most prestigious companies in luxury fashion and technology. During that time, Mitchel advised in all matters pertaining to employment, corporate, commercial, intellectual property (particularly investigations, anticounterfeiting, antipiracy and enforcement) and contentious disputes.

Mitchel has been recognised for his depth of knowledge in the area of Intellectual Property law throughout his career. He has been, on numerous occasions, independently engaged by various Korean Government agencies (such as KIPA and KDI), as an expert and consultant on several Knowledge Sharing Projects with ASEAN. In June 2022, Mitchel was identified by the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) as a key Intellectual Property Personality and was featured on their website and monthly newsletter.

In the areas of litigation and arbitration, Mitchel has assisted and/or led, amongst others, the following notable cases:

• Assisted a listed consumer electronics retailer to bring a claim against a competitor for the unauthorised use of its trade marks and for trade libel in a comparative advertising campaign ran by the competitor.
• Assisted in the defence of Singapore-based concerts organiser against a claim for trade mark infringement and passing-off. At the first instance of this matter, the client had succeeded in its reliance of the (then novel) “own name defence” under Section 28(1)(a) of Singapore’s Trade Marks Act.
• Led the defence and counter-claim of a listed technology and software company (in complex and high-stakes local arbitration proceedings) in a claim brought by a disgruntled sub-contractor arising from a Government tender/project.
• Led the suit for a large and renowned soya bean and bean curd chain of stalls in Singapore. The suit pertained to causes for trade mark infringement and passing-off. The matter was eventually settled in favour of the claimant prior to the commencement of trial.
• Led the arbitration for a large listed Malaysian entity against errant suppliers who had failed to deliver Covid-19 diagnostic kits, during the Covid-19 pandemic, despite payment for the same.
• Assisted an individual director of a technology company against a claim by a bank for the default and non-payment of overdraft facilities, thereafter also assisting to resist the bank’s originating application for the seizure of the company’s warehouse property and also the repayment of the said overdraft amount.

In his spare time, Mitchel is an avid Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Nogi grappling practitioner and attained his purple belt at the end of 2022. Mitchel has also recently taken up pickleball and plays socially with friends and fellow legal practitioners.

Gateway is proud and elated to have Mitchel return to its ranks, and for him to bring back his extensive knowledge and expertise from his time both in and out of practice.