K. Shanmugam

Kasiviswanathan Shanmugam (Tamil: காசிவிஸ்வநாதன் சண்முகம்; born 1959), better known as K. Shanmugam, is a Singaporean politician and lawyer. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he is the country's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Law, and a Member of Parliament (MP) representing Nee Soon Group Representation Constituency (Nee Soon GRC).

Career
After being admitted to the Singapore Bar as an advocate and solicitor in 1985, Shanmugam went into private practice and became a Senior Partner and Head of Litigation and Dispute Resolution at the Singapore law firm Allen & Gledhill.

Shanmugam had a successful practice and was consistently recognised in various international publications as one of the top litigation, arbitration and insolvency counsel in Asia. While he was in private practice, he regularly handled trial work in major corporate, commercial, insolvency disputes for private and public listed companies, major international and Singaporean banking and financial institutions, multinational corporations and professional practices.

In 1998, Shanmugam became one of the youngest lawyers to be appointed a Senior Counsel of the Supreme Court of Singapore at the age of 38.

Political career
Shanmugam became a Member of Parliament (MP) in 1988 when he was elected as a member for the Sembawang Group Representation Constituency. He served as an MP and continued to practise law until 2008, when he was brought into the Cabinet to replace S. Jayakumar as Minister for Law. He was concurrently made the Second Minister for Home Affairs in 2008, and succeeded Wong Kan Seng as Minister for Home Affairs in 2010.

Following the 2011 general election, Shanmugam relinquished his portfolio as Minister for Home Affairs and was made the Minister for Foreign Affairs, while continuing to serve as Minister for Law.

Shanmugam is currently an MP for the Nee Soon Group Representation Constituency.

Education
Shanmugam was educated in Raffles Institution from 1972 to 1977, before going on to study law at the National University of Singapore where he graduated with a First Class Honours degree in 1984.

Personal life
A Tamil Indian, Shanmugam is married to Dr. Seetha Shanmugam. His previous marriage was to Jothie Rajah.