Page 108 - NYAA GAHA 30th Anniversary "Service Beyond Gold"

Darren Tan Tho Eng

Deputy Managing Director

Invictus Law Corporation
NYAA Gold Award Holder (2020)

Darren Tan Tho Eng’s story is one of remarkable Director at Tasek Academy and Social Services, sits on
transformation — from a youth caught in cycles of the National Committee on Preventing Offending and
crime to an award-winning lawyer and passionate Reoffending, and serves on the Advisory Committee
advocate for rehabilitation, justice, and community of North Spring Primary School. Darren contributes
service. His journey reflects the GAHA spirit of actively to the Taman Jurong Meet-the-People legal
‘Service Beyond Gold’, inspiring countless individuals desk and previously served on the Rehabilitation
to believe in redemption and renewal. Committee of Yellow Ribbon Singapore and as a
Council Member of the 13th National Youth Council.
Growing up in one of Singapore’s poorest
neighbourhoods, Darren joined a secret society at Darren’s advocacy has earned national and
the age of 14. He spent 16 years in and out of prison, international recognition. He received the JCI
serving nearly 11 years behind bars and receiving Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World
19 strokes of the cane for gang- and drug-related Merit Award (2013), was named among Prestige
offences. Determined to change his life, he pursued Magazine’s 40 Under 40 Young Professionals, as well
his education at the Prison School. He became as Singapore’s 70 most influential lawyers under 40,
the first individual with such a background to be Singapore Business Review, and was nominated
admitted into the National University of Singapore for Singaporean of the Year by The Straits Times. In
(NUS) Faculty of Law after his release in 2009. 2020, he was awarded the inaugural NYAA Honorary
Gold Award by the President of Singapore for his
After graduating, Darren trained under a Senior exceptional contributions to youth empowerment
Counsel and was retained as an associate in a and social reintegration.
boutique litigation firm before joining Invictus Law
Corporation in 2019. Today, he serves as the Deputy His commitment to giving back extends to pro bono
Managing Director and heads its Civil & Commercial legal work, regularly representing migrant workers,
Practice, handling complex commercial, construction, low-income families, and marginalised groups
and regulatory cases. Known for his versatility through collaborations with Pro Bono SG, CLAS, and
and multilingual ability, Darren has built enduring advocacy groups like MWC and TWC2.
relationships with clients ranging from multinational
and state-owned corporations and high-net-worth Darren’s journey from adversity to achievement
individuals to SMEs and marginalised communities. embodies the power of second chances and the
importance of uplifting others through service,
Beyond his legal career, Darren dedicates himself to mentorship, and advocacy.
rehabilitation and social impact. He serves on the
CSR Sub-Committee of the Singapore Academy of
Law, supporting the Yellow Ribbon SAL-STAR Bursary
that aided his own studies. He is also an Independent

106 30 Years of Service and Leadership