Alexandria, Va.— ABI announces that Darius Tay of BlackOak LLC (Singapore) has been selected as one of ABI’s “40 Under 40,” ABI’s award program that recognizes 40 of the top insolvency industry professionals under the age of 40. The honorees will be recognized at a special ceremony on Dec. 13 during ABI’s 2024 Winter Leadership Conference at The Phoenician Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Tay is a director and co-founder of BlackOak LLC in Singapore, and his work focuses on special situations, including both contentious and noncontentious aspects of corporate restructuring and insolvency, banking and finance, and mergers and acquisitions for special situations. A key component of his practice is advising various fund managers on both compliance and regulatory matters, as well as on issues arising from their investments and portfolio companies and working with various debtor companies. As a separate component of his practice, Tay works closely with various start-ups, especially those in the logistics field, advising them on all aspects of their business including regulatory and business contracts, and assisting them with corporate governance and fundraising. He was appointed to the Singapore Supreme Court’s Young Amicus Curiae Scheme in 2014. Tay acted as amicus curiae in the only reported Singapore judgment on the issue of testamentary capacity regarding the disposal of one’s Central Provident Fund (Singapore’s national retirement savings plan) monies and was also part of the Insolvency Practitioners Association of Singapore’s working committee on their amicus brief in Kao Chai Chau Linda v Fong Wai Lyn Carolyn and Others [2016] 1 SLR 21, a landmark Singapore decision on insolvency practitioners’ remuneration.

A recognized rising star of the local corporate restructuring and insolvency scene, Tay has been ranked in such leading publications as Asia Law, Chambers Asia Pacific, The Legal 500 Asia Pacific, The Best Lawyers in America and IFLR 1000. He also was recognized as an Asia Law “Profile’s Rising Star” in 2022, IFLR “Futures Leader” in 2021, and a Euromoney Expert’s Guide “Rising Star” in 2021. He served as co-chair of the Young Insolvency Practitioner Committee of the Insolvency Practitioners Association of Singapore from 2020-22, is a founding member of the Turnaround Management Association NextGen Singapore and is an International Insolvency Institute NextGen Programme member. In addition, Tay was co-chair of the Singapore Insolvency Conference from 2021-23, and he was named a Top 40 under 40 by Benchmark Litigation Asia Pacific and listed in The Best Lawyers in Singapore for Insolvency and Reorganisation Law from 2023-25.

Tay teaches at his alma mater on the subjects of equity and trust, company law and corporate law. He also has tutored students who were studying for their bar exams in corporate insolvency. Through the firm, which Tay co-founded in 2016, he has participated and organized various programs for law students and young legal professions on a yearly basis, including an annual negotiation competition and a training workshop.

“We are honored to celebrate the exceptional leaders within the 2024 class as they continue to make a significant impact both in their practice and in their communities,” said ABI Executive Director Amy Quackenboss. “As bankruptcy practice continues to evolve, this diverse collection of honorees will propel ABI and the insolvency community forward.”

The “40 Under 40” winners are distinguished by professional achievements and service and were selected by a group of experienced professionals from ABI’s current leadership. Now in its eighth year, the goal of ABI’s “40 Under 40” award program is not simply to create a one-time ceremony, but to fully engage those selected as future leaders in the insolvency profession and to build on the initiative each year.

Click here to view the full list of the 2024 “40 Under 40” honorees.

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ABI is the largest multi-disciplinary, nonpartisan organization dedicated to research and education on matters related to insolvency. ABI was founded in 1982 to provide Congress and the public with unbiased analysis of bankruptcy issues. The ABI membership includes nearly 10,000 attorneys, accountants, bankers, judges, professors, lenders, turnaround specialists and other bankruptcy professionals, providing a forum for the exchange of ideas and information. For additional information on ABI, visit www.abi.org. For additional conference information, visit http://www.abi.org/calendar-of-events.