Tan & Tan Lawyers

About Tan & Tan Lawyers

This phrase summarises the powerful principal that has guided Tan & Tan Lawyers since its inception over two decades ago. We are one of the oldest Asian law firms in Perth and are pleased to offer our unique, multilingual law services to Western Australia and indeed worldwide. At Tan & Tan Lawyers we understand the concept of providing superior value and we are proud that our clients pay less fees while receiving higher quality services than many of our competitors are able to offer.

Our unique business model provides great value for our clients.

Our firm motto at Tan & Tan Lawyers has always been: “protecting your interest & saving you money.” This foundational imperative affects not only the spirit of our law firm but also the structure of our operations. The unique business model that we have developed ensures that you receive both the world-class legal services that you need and the affordable price that you deserve.

Teamwork fuels the effectiveness and efficiency of our client-service model. While there will always be a senior lawyer on every case, we leverage the knowledge and energy of our junior team members to provide various supporting portions of each project. Each and every aspect of the case is then meticulously assembled, tested and deployed by our senior lawyers that collectively have extensive experience in virtually all areas of the law. Our team of junior lawyers not only adds substantial benefits to each case, but they also reduce the fees for our client. Simply put, Tan & Tan Lawyers gives you more for less.

Complete legal services, locally and across the globe.

Tan & Tan Lawyers is a full service law firm providing virtually the entire spectrum of legal services to our clients in Western Australia and worldwide. We are big enough to handle the most complex local and international cases and at the same small enough to care about our client’s daily needs.

You can confidently leave your legal work with us.

Our extensive senior legal staff has sufficient distribution of expertise in all areas of the law yet is personable enough to assure you the careful attention on your matter that you value.

Lawyer´s Profile

From the streets of Tiong Bahru, Singapore to Perth , Western Australia, Who is Raymond?

The law practice of Tan and Tan Lawyers Pty Ltd have been around for over 25 years. The director, Raymond Tan took over the practice from his brother Charles Tan in July 2003.
Raymond and Charles come from a family of 10. They have a modest background. Mum was a seamstress while dad was a taxi driver.  Raymond is the youngest son of the Tan clan.

There was not much parental control as the result of the large family. Raymond spent much of his youth hanging around his neighbourhood in Tiong Bahru, Singapore. That was the equivalent of the slums in any country.

His youngest memories are of hanging around a banana warehouse that had bananas delivered in bulk for sale to marketstall holders. That was at a ripe age of 10 years.  Raymond and his young friends used to help the workers unload the bananas for distribution. The left over bananas were given to Raymond and his friends for them to sell at their discretion. Raymond would bring the bananas to the local market and sell them. He learnt a substantial amount of negotiation skills through those experiences. Those lessons in negotiations have helped him and his clients obtain the best possible results whenever negotiations are required.

Raymond has had experience working in numerous jobs including floral delivery man, teaching at a primary school, construction worker, office boy etc.   He did his “A” levels in “night school” while working full time as an office boy.  Those experiences have helped him to communicate easily with lay persons.

From a young age of 15, he wanted to be a lawyer as it meant helping the less fortunate who are unable to defend themselves. His brother Charles was already a lawyer and was instrumental in fostering in Raymond the love of the law.
Raymond was called to the English Bar at Inner Temple, UK in September 1988. He was called to the Western Australia bar in March 1990.

He became the first Asian Notary Public in 19 December 2003. He is currently an Honorary Legal Advisor to the Chung Wah Association, Perth WA which is the biggest association in Western Australia serving the needs of the Asian community.
Raymond believes that a lawyer must always look after his client’s interest first. To do that it is important that the lawyer stays objective.

His favourite analogy is that of a client swimming in the swamp full of crocodiles. The client does not want his lawyer with him in the swamp. He wants his lawyer on the riverbank and directing the client away from the danger. The lawyer can only do that if the lawyer   does not get emotionally involved with the client’s problems.

Tan and Tan Lawyers have a simple mission statement:
Protect our client’s interest and save them money.
To find out more about Raymond, read his blog at http://www.tanandtanlawyers.blogspot.com/

Raymond is such a keen golfer that he started a blog just to cover his golfing activities. Visit

http://perthgolfinglawyer.blogspot.com/ if you are a golfer. Raymond loves to catch up with clients over a golf game.

back to top

Wee Chong Tay

Born in Singapore and went to school at Maris Stella Primary School and Raffles Institution. He is bilingual in Mandarin and English. He graduated from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand in December 1992.

He was called to the bar at Lincoln’s Inn of Court, United Kingdom in July 1994. He was admitted as an advocate and solicitor in the Singapore Supreme Court in July 1995. He has practiced in Singapore as a lawyer in civil and commercial litigation as well as arbitration for 12 years. He was involved in several landmark cases reported in the Singapore Law Reports.

In 2007, he migrated to Perth and was admitted to practice in Western Australia in 2008.

back to top

Pierre S. Yang,

Pierre graduated from the University of Western Australia with a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts in 2007.

Pierre has been working as an Articled Clerk at Tan and Tan Lawyers since graduation.  Originally from PR China, Pierre has been able to utilise his bi-lingual skills at work.

In his own time, he is undertaking an honours study in Political Science and International Relations at UWA and a Masters degree in Accounting at Curtin University of Technology.

Pierre has been actively involved in the community from a very young age.   Pierre is a member of the Australian Army Reserve, his local RSL, the Gosnells City Roadwise Committee and a number of other community organisations.

back to top

back to top

Annie Sim is the manager for Tan and Tan Lawyers. Her background includes an Arts degree from Monash University and a Diploma from the London Institute of Management.

She also has a diploma in Business Management/Real Estate.
She manages the settlement division of Tan and Tan Lawyers. She is also the licensee for www.realestateportfolio.com.au

back to top

Counsel´s Profile

Just like a medical practitioner who practises as a GP, if the case is complex, the GP may refer the patient to a specialist like a brain surgeon.

In the legal profession, the specialist is called counsel or a barrister.

I am sometimes asked what the difference is, between a Barrister and a Solicitor. In simple terms it dates back to the old London days. In England, a Barrister predominantly goes to court to argue cases. The Solicitor is not given the right of audience in the Courts other than the lower courts. Barristers therefore are instructed by Solicitors to represent the Solicitor’s clients when matters go to trial. The paperwork for preparing for trial is usually prepared by the Solicitor. Barristers do not see clients other than through a referral from a Solicitor.

In Western Australia, the legal profession is fused in that a lawyer like Raymond Tan can work as a Barrister or a Solicitor. Then you have lawyers like the counsel represented on this web page who decide they only want to do Barrister’s work. Hence they practise in an office called a Bar Chambers. (No, we are always informed that the Bar Chambers does not dispense alcohol though we have our suspicions).

Another snippet of legal history. The next time you see a lawyer in the courts wearing one of their black gowns and wig, you will notice a pouch like pocket at the back of their gowns. Traditionally, the pouch was used by the clients to place the Barrister’s honorarium (or fees) as it was beneath the Barrister to be handed money direct. The World has changed since those times. Nowadays the pouches are sealed as we expect cheques or cash.

The Counsel that we have a close working relationship with is listed here.

Anthony John Aristei

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Jurisprudence – University of Western Australia 1982
• Bachelor of Laws – University of Western Australia 1983
• Masters of Law with Distinction – University of Western Australia 1991
• Master of Studies in Law – Oxford University (England)

Admitted to Practice

• 5th March 1985 (Western Australia)
• 1986 (Victoria, New South Wales)

Profile

1985 – 1991 – practiced as a solicitor, and later partner of Messrs Hammond King, commercial lawyers – and was principally engaged in commercial, property and civil litigation, both as solicitor and counsel.

1991 – 1994 – Awarded Chevenning Scholarship to Oxford University, UK and completed post-graduate law qualifications.

1994 – 1996 – Practiced as an associate partner of Messrs Barker Gosling – as a commercial litigation lawyer.

1996 – Joined the West Australian Bar Association and has thereafter practiced principally in the areas of commercial, corporate and property litigation.

2003 – Joined John Toohey Chambers, Perth.

Currently practising as Anthony Aristei and Associates but still consulting to Tan and Tan Lawyers.

back to top

Admitted to Practice

• High Court of Australia (1995)
• Western Australia (1995)

Professional Appointments/Employment

• Tertiary Education at University of Zürich, Switzerland and University of Western Australia, LLM (UWA)
• Accredited Family Arbitrator
• Articled Clerk and Solicitor, Paterson & Dowding 1990 – 1997
• Partner, Paterson & Dowding 1997 – 1999
• Barrister, Wickham Chambers 1999 -
• Currently Stone Chambers.

Preferred Areas of Practice

Appeals / Arbitration/Mediation / Child Welfare / Civil Litigation / Coronial Inquiries / Equity & Trusts / Family Provision After Death / Family/De Facto / Immigration / Intellectual Property / International / Medical Negligence / Personal Injuries / Professional Negligence

back to top

back to top

Profile

Admitted to practice in 1993, Brian worked as a solicitor for 7 years principally in all aspects of law pertaining to personal injuries before joining the independent Bar in 2000.

Brian is a Past President of Australian Plaintiff Lawyers Association.

Membership of Professional Organisations

• Australian Lawyers Alliance
• Law Society WA

Principal Areas of Practice

• Appeals
• Asbestos litigation
• Criminal injuries compensation
• Fatal accidents
• Insurance ( including income protection & disability claims)
• Medical & Professional negligence
• Negligence
• Personal injuries litigation
• Torts
• Workers compensation law

back to top

Chambers : Sir Clifford Grant Chambers

Year admitted to practice : 1989 (WA), 1971 (England), 1982 (VIC, SA)

Year elected to WABA: 2000

Robert forms part of the team in the Tan and Tan Lawyers board of consultant barristers. Robert specialises in the field of criminal law, corporate fraud cases and migration law. He has practised in Fiji , Belize and the UK before migrating to Perth.

back to top