Sat Pal Khattar is the founding partner of KhattarWong, one of Singapore’s largest law firms, and chairman of private investment firm Khattar Holdings. Since retiring from the practice in 2007, the life trustee of the Singapore Indian Development Association has focused on leading his family company’s ventures in IT, logistics, finance, real estate and pharmaceuticals.

Indian-born Khattar moved to Singapore in the 1950s, helping his father with his business in his teens. He studied law at the then University of Singapore (now NUS) and graduated with an honours degree in 1966, attaining a Master’s degree four years later. He joined the civil service as a deputy public prosecutor and state counsel in the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

Khattar went on to work as a legal officer at the Inland Revenue Office., and departed the civil service in 1974 to establish his own legal firm—Sat Pal Khattar Co, which was later renamed Khattar Wong & Partners.

Khattar’s career also embraces chairmanships and directorships at Sembawang Corporation, GuocoLand, Gateway Distriparks and Dao Heng Bank, among others. He also served on the Presidential Council for Minority Rights for more than two decades, and is co-chair of the Singapore-India Partnership Foundation, which strengthens bilateral relations via economic, governmental, academic and cultural means.