Police investigating entertainment lawyer after ex-staff allege physical and verbal assaults

SINGAPORE — A police report has been filed against high profile lawyer Samuel Seow by a former employee alleging physical and verbal assaults on multiple occasions.

Mr Seow, 45, the managing director of Samuel Seow Law Corporation, is well-known in the local entertainment scene for defending celebrities in legal cases. He also runs artiste management firm Beam Artistes.

According to the report filed on Saturday (May 12) and seen by TODAY, Mr Seow had allegedly grabbed and pushed the former Beam Artistes employee to the ground, flung a metal stapler at her, splashed cold water on her, or threatened to “take a knife and kill her” – among other allegations – on at least three occasions over March and April.

Mr Seow declined comment when contacted by TODAY.

The former employee, who is in her late teens, also claimed that there was a fourth incident on April 17 allegedly involving an employee from Mr Seow’s law firm who reportedly got into a dispute with him “over some work-related issues”.

An audio file of the alleged incident, which is making its rounds online, recorded a commotion lasting over 10 minutes at Samuel Seow Law Corporation. Several parties were also heard urging him to “cool down” in the recording.

A secretary who tried to intervene was also allegedly shoved to the ground by Mr Seow, said the police report.

TODAY understands that the law firm employee, who has since left the company, had sought medical attention after the incident.

The police confirmed on Tuesday (May 15) that investigations are ongoing. Some witnesses have been asked to provide their statements over the past two days, TODAY has learnt.

Former employees TODAY contacted confirmed the alleged incidents, but did not want to elaborate for fear of reprisal.

Mr Seow founded Samuel Seow Law Corporation in 2005. He had previously represented former actress Michelle Saram when she was sued by her Taiwanese management agency for breach of contract in 2001, and assisted singer-songwriter Tanya Chua in her court case against her former music publisher Music & Movement for the rights to her songs.

In 2015, his firm was engaged by the producers of several Hollywood films — including Dallas Buyers Club, Fathers & Daughters, and Queen of the Desert — to go after Internet users here for illegally downloading the movies. In a landmark decision last year, the High Court dismissed their applications on grounds that the law firm did not submit “sufficient evidence” to show a link between the IP addresses and alleged illegal downloaders.

Mr Seow’s artiste management company Beam Artistes, whose roster includes actor Paul Foster, also organises annual beauty pageant Manhunt Singapore.