Johannes is “highly recommended” by clients as a “top notch” litigator who has a “persuasive way with words” and is “always well-prepared”.

He is a disputes specialist, focusing on civil and commercial litigation, criminal litigation, and contentious investigations. He has been successful at all levels of the courts up to the Court of Appeal, from high profile acquittals at first instance to landmark appellate decisions in novel or publicly important areas of the law.

His civil and commercial practice centres on banking and financing disputes, employment disputes, shareholders and directors’ issues, and enforcement of creditors’ rights. He recently acted as lead counsel for a private investor in a High Court investment dispute arising from the initial public offering of GoTo Group, a merger between Indonesian ride-hailing giant Gojek and e-commerce company Tokopedia, and successfully obtained judgment against the defendant company for the entire claim of S$1.5 million.

His criminal practice covers complex international fraud, corruption and money-laundering, and other serious crimes like murder, sexual assault and drug trafficking. His cases are frequently reported in the law reports and the press.

He recently advised a director of a local company in investigations by the Commercial Affairs Department into fraud allegations involving more than US$1 billion, in what was described as the “highest-profile corporate investigation under way” in Singapore at the time. He has also successfully guided clients through investigations and disciplinary proceedings by bodies such as the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA), Council for Estate Agencies (CEA), Singapore Medical Council (SMC), and CPA Australia (formerly known as the Incorporated Institute of Accountants in Australia).

Johannes read law at University College London (UCL) where he won the inaugural inter-university Human Rights Moot 2014. He then topped his cohort in several classes at the London School of Economics (LSE), where he graduated with a Master of Science (Distinction) in political theory.