Sinagapore's Chor Pee & Co divides

LEADING Singapore firm Chor Pee & Company has split up following a management dispute between the partners.

The 28-fee-earner firm broke into two camps following the dispute and auditors from Deloitte & Touche have been called in to establish who owns what. Lim Chor Pee, one of the founders of the firm, has become managing partner of a new practice, Chor Pee & Partners, taking 20 of the 28 lawyers from the original firm with him.

Meanwhile, three of the original firm's equity partners - Kelvin Chia Hoo Khun, Cheah Swee Gim and Sia Moon Joon - are setting up another practice with the remaining lawyers currently operating under the name Kelvin Chia Partnership.

Neither side was willing to detail fully the reasons behind the split. Lim Chor Pee put the break-up down to "fundamental differences in the management of the company". Cheah Swee Gim, of the Kelvin Chia Partnership, said "there were many reasons, including some sensitive management differences".

For the moment both firms are sharing premises and it has not yet been decided who will take over the original firm's foreign offices in Myanmar and Vietnam.

The Kelvin Chia Partnership is contesting the opposing group's right to use the name Chor Pee & Partners, which is says is too similar to the original firm's name.