Events

The idea of parties exchanging written statements in place of evidence-in-chief emerged first in English litigation in the 1980s. The aim of this development was to allow each party to know in advance the case against them and to promote settlement. In international arbitration today, such statements are sometimes lengthy documents that reflect not so much the recollection of a witness, but the industry of the parties’ legal teams to leave no evidential stone unturned, unaddressed or unpolished. In some cases, a witness statement is little more than a proxy for advocacy.

Furthermore, it turns out that memory can be fickle. Not only are we not very good at recollecting something, but how we remember (or misremember) events is influenced by the way in which we are asked about them. The steps taken by parties and their legal advisers to prepare a witness’s evidence can therefore have a significant impact on what the witness recalls.

Against this background, how should witness statements be prepared? What matters should be covered in them? What directions should arbitral tribunals give with respect to witness statements? Or should we dispense with them altogether?

We will explore these issues and more in an interactive seminar with Toby Landau KC and Anneliese Day KC in Singapore on 18 April 2023 at 5.30pm at NTUC Centre.

This session will be of interest to international arbitration lawyers, arbitrators and in-house counsel involved in disputes.

For event details, please click [here]
To register, please click [here]

Dispute resolution has gained renewed attention since the COVID-19 pandemic started. This event will see our panel of experts examining the trends and advancements in dispute resolution that took place in 2022 and anticipate what is yet to come. The panelists will also highlight the important changes in the recently updated ICDR Arbitration and Mediation Rules, with a specific emphasis on mediation. The panel will highlight the importance of staying up-to-date with the latest developments in dispute resolution and the role that education and training can play in promoting the growth of the field.

The speakers will discuss the benefits of the online case management system and its role in promoting more environmentally friendly arbitrations. The panel will address the challenges associated with the use of technology in dispute resolution, including issues of cybersecurity, data privacy, and fairness and will explore the measures to overcome these challenges.

Finally, the panel will discuss how COVID-19 has accelerated the adoption of online dispute resolution and the need for more flexible and accessible dispute resolution mechanisms like the hybrid hearing system which is being embraced by arbitral institutions.

For event details, please click [here]
To register, please click [here]

The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) Singapore Branch held the in-person seminar “The Mediation of Investor-State Disputes – What Does the Future Hold?”, jointly organised by the CIArb (Singapore Branch), the NUS Centre for International Law and International Law Association Singapore.

The event kickstarted with a hearty welcome speech by our Partner Matthew Koh, followed by a lively conversation between Regional Head of our Dispute Resolution Group Francis Xavier SC and Gabrielle Kaufmann-Kohler, Partner at Lévy Kaufmann-Kohler. The presentation sparked thought-provoking discussions with practitioners from various areas of legal practice exchanging experiences and ideas around the topic.

The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) Singapore Branch held the in-person seminar “Hot-tubbing of Expert Witnesses: Can the baby be saved from the bathwater?”, jointly organized by Hogan Lovells, Fountain Court and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Singapore Branch), with the opening remarks delivered by Sapna Jhangiani KC.

Featuring the highly-esteemed Stephen Moriarty KC, Amanda Lees and Delphine Ho, and moderated by Kent Phillips, the panel discussion served as a fantastic catalyst for lively (and at times humorous) debate and thought-provoking questions from the over 40 clients and industry peers who attended the event.

It was truly satisfying to see everyone so engaged, and the atmosphere maintained its high through to the post-seminar networking reception where there were opportunity to connect with both old friends and new. 

Huge thanks to everyone in attendance, and to our event partners who contributed immensely to the success of the event.

For photos of the event, please click [here]

The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) Singapore Branch held a panel discussion with over 200 registered to attend in-person and virtually. Our stellar panel of experts: Christopher Boog (moderator), Ban Jiun Ean, Cheng Tai-Heng, Mariel Dimsey, and Lucy Greenwood, explored a variety of practical steps that can be taken, from committing to the principles of the Green Pledge through firm action; to giving up hardcopy files in favour of electronic bundles; to setting off carbon emissions, with an in-depth look at the technical tools available to support the transition.

For photos of the event, please click [here]

CIArb Singapore Branch hosted a full-day training course designed to help men and women see the role played by biases and explore ways to address and overcome bias in order to make a difference to Diversity. The course is conducted by experienced trainers namely, Louise Barrington and Mary Thomson from ArbitralWomen.

The participants engaged in a day of mini-lectures, participatory exercises and guided workshops in order to: examine the value that diversity brings to international dispute resolution; see and understand bias-personally and in the workplace; explore what can be done to respond to bias and progress toward diversity and inclusiveness; and come away with practical tips and ways to promote diversity. The goal is for each person to leave the workshop with a personal diversity plan – a goal that is achievable in that person’s circumstances by a series of actions leading to behavioural change.

CIArb Singapore Branch hosted its annual Members’ Night at the Tower Club featuring the exclusive Singapore launch of “So, Now You Are an Arbitrator – The Arbitrator’s Toolkit“ by internationally renowned arbitrators Neil Kaplan CBE KC SBS and Chiann Bao, both of whom are CIArb Fellows and Chartered Arbitrators.

We are extremely privileged that our Branch Patron, The Honourable Justice Quentin Loh, Judge of the Appellate Division and President of the Singapore International Commercial Court, joined us on this lovely evening.

The CIArb Singapore Members’ Night is our way of showing appreciation to our members, as well as giving them an opportunity to meet and network with each other in relaxed, convivial surroundings.

The book is available for purchase by members on the evening at a special discount (courtesy of publishers Wolters Kluwer).

CIArb Singapore Branch hosted an in-person hub of Mediation Symposium at WongPartnership LLP with limited live web cast and a video on demand for virtual attendees, with Michael Peer (Partner, Control Risks) being the emcee for the event.

The first session was a Fireside Chat focusing on the future of mediation both in Singapore and internationally. The session was joined by leading international mediators, namely Professor Joel Lee (Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore) and Geoff Sharp (Commercial Mediator, Maxwell Mediators), which was moderated by Eunice Chua (CEO of Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre) and Sapna Jhangiani KC (CIArb Singapore Branch Chair)

The event then followed up with a panel discussion focusing on the contributions and discussion on what workability and sustainability mean at all levels and what practitioners can learn from each other. The experienced panellists were namely Josephine Choo (WongPartnership), Francis Goh (Harry Elias Partnership), Antony Lee (HSBC), and Ye-Min Wu (Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue), which was moderated by Aloysius Goh (Sage Mediation).

Jointly organised by Singapore International Arbitration Centre and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb), the SIAC-CIArb Debate was held on Thursday, 15 September 2022 at Maxwell Chambers.
 
Since 2016, this event has been a yearly event where debaters lock horns on some of the thorniest issues in arbitration. This year, the debaters took on the motion of “This House believes that parties should not be allowed to appoint their own experts and tribunal appointed experts are the way to go” and pressed their case before the audience both on-site and online.
 
The night was capped off with food and drinks from ‘The House’. We would like to thank all debaters, sponsors, and attendees of the SIAC-CIArb Debate 2022 and we look forward to your support for the upcoming debate in 2023!

For photos of the event, please click [here]
For recordings of the event, please click [here]

The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) Singapore Branch held a panel discussion with over 700 registered to attend in-person and virtually. Our stellar panel of experts: Kevin Kwek (moderator), Wee Meng Chuan, Ruth Stackpool-Moore, Benjamin Hughes, Hazel Tang, and Kevin Nash, all shared their in-depth experience and candid views on the topic “Arbitration and Mediation: Never the Twain shall meet?”, with fantastic participation from both our in-person and virtual audience.

For photos of the event, please click [here]

The Young Members Group (YMG) held an instalment of its YMG Supper Club series for CIArb members under 45. It provided an opportunity for young members to speak and interact with leading arbitration figures in an intimate setting over dinner and wine with a special guest, Judith Gill QC.

The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) Singapore and the ICC International Court of Arbitration (ICC Court) held the virtual event titled Fireside Chat with ADR Trailblazers – The ICC Court and the CIArb Presidents. The Fireside Chat provided the audience with an intimate and thought-provoking forum to listen to and engaged with Claudia Salomon and Jane Gunn on their thoughts on the institutions they helm, as well as the state of ADR and how ADR stakeholders can use all the tools in the ADR practitioner’s toolbox for dispute resolution that is suitable to cater to different parties’ objectives.

The Fireside Chat were moderated by Paul Sandosham, Immediate Past Chair of CIArb Singapore, and Sapna Jhangiani QC, Chair of CIArb Singapore.

For photos of the event, please click [here]

The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) Singapore Branch held a seminar on Res Judicata, Issue Estoppel and the Public Policy Exemption supported by Singapore International Dispute Resolution Academy (SIDRA) on Monday 23 May 2022 at the SMU Yong Pung How School of Law. After welcome remarks from Branch Chair Sapna Jhangiani QC, guests enjoyed an engaging panel discussion on res judicata and issue estoppel with experts Mark Dempsey SC, KC Lye and Stuart Isaacs QC, each reflecting on the approach in their jurisdiction, with Rachel Tan from the Singapore International Dispute Resolution Academy serving as moderator. We would like to thank all our guests who participated in the event and we look forward to seeing you at our next event.

For photos of the event, please click [here]

The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) Singapore Branch was proud to hold its inaugural thought leadership event on Thursday 28 April 2022 at the Conrad Centennial Hotel. The highlight of the event was a keynote address by the Honourable Minister Indranee Rajah SC, who shared Singapore’s perspective on climate change and sustainability. The address was followed by an engaging panel discussion with leaders and experts in the renewables space, Nitin Apte from Vena Energy, Luca Tonello from SMBC, Shamila Neelakandan and Kevin Slater from HKA, moderated by our branch Chair, Paul Sandosham. We would like to thank all our guests, those attending in person as well as virtually, and we look forward to seeing you at our next event.
 
To read Minister Indranee Rajah SC’s speech, please click [here]

To watch Singapore Green Plan 2030: City of Green Possibilities that was broadcast during the event, please click [here]

For photos of the event, please click [here]

Agenda
Join two leading arbitrators, Christopher Moger QC and Steven Lim for part two of a discussion around some of the more difficult questions that arbitrators have to face including:

Conduct of the proceedings
• To what extent should arbitrators raise possible questions of conflicts of law – for example whether there is, or might be, a difference between the law of the seat and the proper law of the contract in relation to the rules of evidence or the power to grant a remedy or the principles affecting the grant of a remedy – if the parties do not refer to them? If so, when and how?
• To what extent, if at all, is it appropriate for the Tribunal to propose preliminary issues, or bifurcated proceedings when the parties have not raised the suggestion?
• To what extent is it open to a Tribunal to override the parties’ agreed procedures on the grounds of efficiency, cost effectiveness, or fairness to a weaker party?

Conduct of the hearing
• Is hot-tubbing (aka witness conferencing) for expert witnesses a good idea always, sometimes, or never? Why? If it is a good idea how should it be conducted? What does it require of the arbitrator and of the parties? Should it ever be applied to witnesses of fact? If so, in what circumstances?
• To what extent should the arbitrator intervene to focus the arguments/cross examination of counsel at the hearing onto points that appear important to the Tribunal?
• What is the arbitrator’s proper response when neither party relies on an obviously important provision in the contract which appears to the arbitrator potentially to affect the outcome of the dispute?
• Would the answer be different if the point occurred to a party appointed arbitrator and was obviously [a] helpful or [b] unhelpful to his/her appointing party?
• What if it occurred to the arbitrator [a] at the outset of the arbitration or [b] only at the hearing and it related to the jurisdiction of the arbitrator?
• What are the respective pros and cons of oral and written closings or a mixture of both?

The Award
• As cases get more complex, what practical steps can be taken to ensure that the Tribunal does not overlook essential issues in the Award or decide on points not addressed by the parties?

Date: Thursday, 23 February 2022
Time: 5.00pm to 6.30pm (Registration starts at 4.45pm)
Venue: In Person in CBD Location To Be Advised upon Registration

For more details and registration, please click [here]

Agenda
– Why LinkedIn is the place for Executives
– Being Visible, Connected and Influential on the platform
– Profile tips and tricks

Date: Thursday, 17 February 2022
Time: 12.00pm to 1.00pm
Venue: [Virtual]

The session was recorded and can be viewed [here].

About The Event
Getting that first appointment is a big challenge for any arbitrator, let alone a young arbitrator. Getting the second appointment? That is an even bigger challenge. CIArb Young Members Group is pleased to present the second installment of our young arbitrator networking forum series where you will find out how to survive the long winter. Come join us for an in-person townhall event with Chiann Bao (Arbitrator, Arbitration Chambers), Kevin Nash (Registrar, SIAC), Foo Yuet Min (Director, Drew & Napier), Kate Apostolova (Senior Associate, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer) & Alessa Pang (Partner, Rajah & Tann) and other experienced arbitrators who will share their valuable tips and insights about starting out as an arbitrator and building a sustainable career as a young arbitrator.

Drinks will be served at the event.

Date: Monday, 29 November 2021
Time: 5.30pm to 7.00pm (Registration starts at 5.00pm)
Venue: Found8 @ Tanjong Pagar
79 Anson Rd, #23-01, Singapore 079906

For more details and registration, please click [here]

About The Event
On 11 November, CIArb Singapore Branch held its “Spotlight on Arbitration Advocacy” event at Raffles Hotel, coinciding with the launch of the Branch’s publication: “A View from the other Side: Advocacy Tips from Leading Arbitrators of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators”. The publication is a compendium of bite-sized tips on advocacy in international arbitration from esteemed arbitrators around the world belonging to the Institute. Our guest-of-honour at the event was The Honourable Justice Quentin Loh, the Patron of the Singapore Branch, who had kindly contributed the foreword for the publication.

We are delighted that 90 guests were able to join us at the event, including friends and representatives from professional bodies and institutions including the ICC, SCL, SCMA, SIArb and SIAC.

The event was welcomed by ‘MC’ Roger Milburn of LCM, who politely introduced the schedule for the night and reminded guests of the safety procedures – a very important topic for one of the first in-person events hosted by the Branch in Singapore in almost two years.

Roger’s introduction was followed by welcome speeches from Paul Sandosham, Chair of the Singapore CIArb Branch and Sapna Jhangiani QC, Vice Chair of the Branch. Both provided thanks to the 50 contributors of the book, the editorial staff and the CIArb organising committee for the event. The audience were then treated to a showreel video comprising clips from several of the book’s contributors based all around the world. The guests also took the opportunity to honour the late Vinayak Pradhan who had contributed to the publication. Vinayak was a friend and colleague to many in the arbitration community and served as global president of CIArb in 2013.

Justice Quentin Loh provided some remarks on the book, and presided over the cake cutting ceremony, which was followed by a wonderful three-course dinner accompanied by champagne and fine wine.

The final segment of the evening was a panel discussion with four giants of the arbitration world: The Honourable Justice Philip Jeyaretnam (who had contributed to the book when a Senior Counsel in private practice); Dr Michael Hwang SC, Chan Leng Sun SC and Chiann Bao, moderated by Branch Vice Chair, Sapna Jhangiani QC. The panelists discussed tips contained in the book – including their own – and provided their views on dos and don’ts for arbitration advocacy. The event was a highlight of the arbitration calendar in Singapore.

For photos of the event, please click [here]

You may find a copy of the book [here]

For video of the CIArb Arbitration Advocacy book, please click [here]

About The Event
After a hiatus in 2020, our flagship event, the Annual SIAC-CIArb debate was held virtually on Tuesday 13 July 2021. Nigel Blackaby QC with our fellow director Mahesh Rai (proposition) up were against Tai Heng Chen and Elaine Wong (opposition), debating the motion “This House believes that Arbitral Institutions must impose a limit on the number of Repeat Appointments from the Same Party.” More than 200 participants attended the event virtually. CIArb Singapore was well represented at the debate. In addition to Mahesh Rai, our vice-chair Sapna Jhangiani QC was a judge (together with Dana McGrath and Christopher Lau SC) and the debate was moderated by our chair, Paul Sandosham. We are delighted that Mahesh was chosen by the attendees as the best debater, with the proposition winning the debate based on the votes of the attendees.

For photos of the event, please click [here]

About The Event
A Webinar Co-organised by Singapore, Malaysia, East Asia, Thailand and Sri Lanka Branches

How do we ensure that the behavioural changes forced by Covid-19 result in greener, more sustainable arbitration in the future?

Join us as we talk to Lucy Greenwood and Kiran Sanghera from the Campaign for Greener Arbitrations in this webinar. Some of the topics we will cover in a fireside chat led by Crystal Wong Wai Chin include:

• The carbon footprint of an international arbitration;
• The impetus behind the Green Pledge and Campaign for Greener Arbitrations;
• How arbitral parties can integrate sustainability management into their arbitral practice;
• How arbitral institutions and law firms can incorporate the Green Pledge in practice;
• What practical steps arbitration parties, arbitration practitioners and arbitrators operating in Asia can take to make their next arbitration greener.

Date: Thursday, 8 July 2021
Time: 5.00pm (GMT +8)

For event details, please click [here]
To register, please click [here]

Post-Event Report
In the morning of 7 May in Singapore and the evening of 6 May on the East Coast, YSIAC and CIArb YMG jointly held a webinar discussing the diverse perceptions about arbitration practice in Singapore and in the US.

The webinar drew 59 attendees—including arbitrators, in-house counsel and legal practitioners—from 15 different countries.

Ms Adriana Uson, CIArb YMG and YSIAC committee member and the SIAC’s Head of Americas, moderated. The panel comprised Associate Professor Darius Chan (of Singapore Management University, Fountain Court Chambers and Breakpoint LLC) and Ms Samantha Tan (Senior Associate, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, and CIArb YMG committee member) both based in Singapore, Mr Justin Rassi (Associate, Debevoise & Plimpton, and YSIAC committee member) based in New York, and Ms Kirsten Teo (Special Legal Consultant, De Almeida Pereira DC, MCIArb, and Global Lead Ambassador, Arbitrator Intelligence) based in Washington DC.

The panellists discussed the differences they have observed in the levels of familiarity and comfort with the use of arbitration in Singapore and in the US. They shared ideas on how to make clients more comfortable with arbitration, and how alternative modes of dispute resolution, like mediation, could be used effectively. They also discussed how certain common law practices differ in the US and in Singapore, such as discovery, the use of depositions, and third party funding. The panellists also got personal. They shared about their lives and experiences in their respective arbitration fields and what about arbitration they are most passionate about (including, for one panellist, the bridge it provides to her (first) love of aviation!).

The session was recorded and can be viewed [here]. Photos of the event can be viewed [here].

About The Event
Join us for a rare, thought-provoking fireside chat with the new presidents of the ICC Court of Arbitration, Claudia T Salomon, and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Ann Ryan Robertson. They will share their plans for their respective institutions, how they intend to collaborate, and what their presidencies mean for the global arbitration community. We also probe them on hot topics confronting the arbitration community, including issues of ethics, conflicts, efficiency and diversity.

Date & Time: Thursday, 4 March, 8PM (EST) / Friday, 5 March, 9AM (SGT)
Venue: Virtual Webinar

For registration and other details, please click [here]

About The Event
Join us for the first of our Perspectives Webinar series in which we address cutting edge issues in international ADR with experts in the field. In this first webinar, moderated by Shaun Lee, Gerald Leong will conduct a question and answer session with Kathleen Paisley, co-chair of ICCA-IBA Taskforce on Data Protection in International Arbitration and a member of the ICCA-NYC Bar-CPR Working Group on Cybersecurity in Arbitration and leading arbitrator and mediator. Gerald and Kathleen will discuss the data protection and cybersecurity issues raised in international dispute resolution. They will discuss how these issues are addressed in the ICCA-IBA Roadmap on Data Protection and the Cybersecurity Protocol and how these tools can be used in international disputes.

For registration and other details, please click [here]

About The Event
The Virtual hearings have long been a feature of international arbitrations. The current lockdown in major economies worldwide has  accentuated the need for virtual hearings, even on the domestic dispute resolution front. During the pandemic, the Chartered Institute of  arbitrators responded promptly with its Guidance Note on Virtual Dispute Resolution Proceedings. The panel of speakers will introduce the CIArb’s Guidance Note and discuss key considerations in a virtual arbitration hearing. 

The Young Members’ Group (YMG) of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) held its final Supper Club of the year on 4 Dec 2019. The event was held at Kimme restaurant on Amoy St and graced by the inimitable Toby Landau QC and 22 guests. With Toby allowing guests to ask any question – but not promising to answer all of them – everyone engaged in free-flowing and engaging conversation throughout the evening. We would like to thank Toby Landau QC and all our guests for attending and we hope to see more of you at our next event next year.

For photos of the event, please [click here] 

One of the highlights of the Singapore branch calendar, the annual CIArb Member’s Evening was held at the picturesque Empress Place on Thursday 28 November. It was a perfect opportunity for members to meet with old and new friends (including many from overseas), celebrate the events of the past year and welcome our new members and fellows. The winners of the Singapore branch’s competition were announced with prizes for the winners being given out by Paul Sandosham, the branch chairman:

Winner: Gerald Leong
First Runner-up: Jared Tan Jun Hong
Second Runner-up: Ong Sin Yee

The Singapore branch expresses its congratulations to the prize winners. The Singapore branch also expresses its heartfelt thanks to Shaun Lee from Bird & Bird, Andrew G Moran QC from The Arbitration Chambers, Timothy Cooke from Stephenson Harwood and Katheleen Paisaley from Ambos for judging the competition.

For photos of the event, please [click here] 

Date: 20 November 2019
Location: Maxwell Chambers, Sinagpore

CIArb Singapore is pleased to be a Supporting Organisation in the upcoming YSIAC Conference 2019.

For registration and other details, please click [here]

Over 120 attendees were treated to an engaging debate at the Annual CIArb-SIAC Debate on the motion “This House Believes that the Days of the ‘’Arbitration Heavyweights’’ are Numbered’. Professor Bernard Hanotiau and Ms Swee Yen Koh spoke in support of the motion, while Mr Jaikanth Shankar and Professor Lucy Reed opposed the motion. The debate was moderated by Mr Paul Sandosham (Chairman of CIArb Singapore), and judged by Professor Jean Ho, Ms Amanda Lees (Board Member CIArb Singapore) and Mr Andrew Pullen. One of the key points of contention was the precise definition of an “Arbitration Heavyweight”, with the proposition and opposition advancing polar opposite definitions. The opposition gained favour with the audience with their argument that there is a new generation of “heavyweights”, that is individuals receiving their first few appointments and delivering robust, enforceable awards in an efficient manner.

At the end of the debate, the Judges decided unanimously in favour of the opposition. This matched the results of the audience online voting, with 60% voting in favour of the opposition.

Thanks go to Fountain Court and FTI for sponsoring the event, as well as to Clifford Chance for hosting the event at their offices.

For photos of the event, please [click here]

Date: 18 November 2019
Location: The Westin Brisbane

About The Event
The Australian Centre of International Commercial Arbitration (ACICA) and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators Australia (CIArb Australia) are pleased to invite you to their 2019 International Arbitration Conference: Building Bridges: Resolving Disputes through International Arbitration.  As international arbitration remains the preferred means for commercial and state entities to resolve disputes in the global economy, building bridges, and not walls, is key to maintaining good relationships to ensure growth, competitiveness and new opportunities. Hosted at This one-day conference is Australia’s premier international arbitration event and will launch the 2019 Australian Arbitration Week.  Supported by global institutes, government, industry associations, sponsors and media partners, it will bring together eminent speakers including The Hon Justice Patrick Keane AC, High Court of Australia, who will deliver the keynote address, and expert practitioners from five continents and 15 jurisdictions who will impart their knowledge and experiences in examining emerging trends in various key sectors. A Cocktail Networking Reception will follow proceedings featuring guest speaker, The Hon Yvette D’Ath, Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Queensland Government. 

For registration and other details including discount accommodation at The Westin Brisbane, please click [here]

The CIArb (Singapore Branch) Competition for 2019 pertains to concerns of personal data protection and cybersecurity in international arbitration and their implications on process as well as the rights and obligations of the participants, including the arbitral tribunal.

What procedural directions should the tribunal make on personal data protection and cybersecurity given the scenario attached?

Competitors must submit:

1. a draft document (procedural order, protocol or any other document competitors consider appropriate) on personal data protection and cybersecurity for discussion with your co-arbitrators; and
2. an explanatory note that sets out the reasoning for your procedural order (or other document) and addressing the issues identified in the competition pack.

Full details of the competition can be found in the competition pack which can be downloaded by clicking on the link below. Please contact competition@ciarb.org.sg if you have any difficulties accessing the document.

Click here to download the competition pack for the CIArb (Singapore Branch) Competition 2019.

About The Event
The Indian Arbitration and Conciliation Act 1996, which consolidated the Indian law on arbitration, was based on the UNCITRAL Model Law, there were significant lacunae in the 1996 Act, which were sought to be addressed by the Indian courts in an ad hoc manner. Consequently, there was a legislative rethink which led to a wide-ranging amendment by way of the Amendment Act 2015. A more controversial Amendment Act of 2019 has been passed and partially notified. The speaker will address the evolution of the Indian arbitral landscape, particularly in light of the 2015 and 2019 Amendments, with special focus on its implications for foreign lawyers and International Commercial Arbitration. 

The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session moderated by Sapna Jhangiani, Partner at Clyde & Co Clasis Singapore.

For more information and to register, please [click here]

A Chartered Institute Of Arbitrators (Singapore) event on was held on 24 October 2019 at the Singapore offices of Pinsent Masons LLP. The theme was “Injunctive and Emergency Relief in and for International Arbitration Proceedings”. The abstract of the event was as follows:

“Whereas the jurisdiction to grant anti-suit injunctions is an ancient one with roots in equity and the English Court of Chancery, the jurisdiction to grant urgent relief is of quite recent, statutory origins. Both procedural innovations were the handiwork of commercially minded lawyers, and, amid the current era of globalisation in the context of furthering international arbitral solutions, those remedies have gone global. Commercially minded courts, supporting the arbitral tribunals in the discharge of their entrusted missions, and the tribunals themselves, are devising, recognising or refining some very interesting further innovations.”

The seminar was attended by 56 attendees. Three distinguished members of the profession from Twenty Essex spoke at the event; Mr. Philip Riches, Mr. Paul Lowenstein QC and Sir Mark Havelock-Allan QC. Each gentleman presented insightful perspectives on the current principles and practices of injunctive and emergency relief, and some of the emergent strategies.

The event began with Mr. Nicholas Brown, a Singapore-based partner of Pinsent Masons LLP, giving opening remarks on the work of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, the importance of injunctive and emergency relief in and for international arbitral proceedings. He then introduced the panel members.

The first speaker, Mr. Riches, spoke on the topic of “Who to Ask for Urgent Relief. Practical ways through the barriers to injunctive relief: invoking the emergency relief jurisdiction; considerations in complex arbitrations”. Mr. Riches began by observing that there has recently been an arms race between the various institutions as to providing emergency relief and various other options for parties. He questioned whether it was a good thing that these institutions are issuing new rules and amendments with increasing frequency, with the aim of attracting business and outdoing each other. As a starting point, Mr. Riches noted that the main purpose of applying for emergency relief is to make the arbitration effective or to gain tactical advantage. On the point of tactical advantage, he noted that there is often a significant tax advantage to applying for emergency or urgent relief at an early stage. There are also examples where matters in the main arbitration quickly resolve themselves after an application for an emergency arbitration is made.

Mr. Riches then discussed the pitfalls of obtaining emergency relief and navigated through practical ways to address them. Mr. Riches identified urgency as the greatest pitfall. Emergency arbitrators in particular are more cautious when granting that urgent relief. How does one persuade the emergency arbitrator that the situation is so urgent that it cannot wait for the constitution of the tribunal? One practical way to get over this hurdle would be to write to the opposing party ahead of the application and request for A, B and C. The opposing party’s refusal is reason to think that it will do A, B or C and this would give reason for emergency arbitrators to grant the application.

The second speaker, Mr. Paul Lowenstein QC, spoke on the topic of “What to Ask for in Court. Using the English court to secure assets for the enforcement of international arbitral awards”. First, Mr. Lowenstein gave an overview of the long-arm freezing injunction jurisdiction in England to lock-down assets and force disclosure in aid of enforcement of court judgments. For the enforcement of English judgments, the English Court regularly issues post-judgment Worldwide Freezing Injunctions (WFO) in appropriate cases to allow the judgment creditor to trace and freeze assets amenable to enforcement. He noted that the test is less onerous than for pre-judgment WFOs and the exceptions available to the judgment debtor are more restricted. Such WFOs regularly include asset disclosure orders, which are often considered the most powerful element. To assist with the enforcement of court judgments of certain foreign states (for example the European Union, Lugano and Hague states), the English Court has a statutory jurisdiction to grant interim relief under section 25 of the Civil Jurisdiction and Judgments Act. This includes freezing injunctions and disclosure orders.

Second, Mr. Lowenstein addressed the question of what injunctive orders the English court would make to assist with the enforcement of arbitral awards. He discussed the scenarios of where the arbitration is proceeding in England and where the arbitration is proceeding (or took place) in another state. Section 44 Arbitration Act is instructive in the former scenario and the case of Rosseel N.V. v Oriental Commercial Shipping (U.K.) Ltd [1990] 1 WLR 1387 is instructive in the later scenario. Mr. Lowenstein observed that there was a continuing reluctance of the English court to make injunctive orders to assist with the enforcement of non-English arbitral awards. Nonetheless, courts have shown greater readiness to assist in international fraud cases – this is shown in the case of Arcelormittal USA LLC v Essar Steel Ltd [2019] EWHC 724.

The third speaker, Sir Mark Havelock-Allan QC, spoke on the topic of “Practical considerations arising on applications for emergency relief – The Arbitrator’s perspective.” As an experienced arbitrator, he shared on situations which qualify as emergencies, how an arbitrator decides whether to grant relief, considerations behind granting an Interim Award or an Order and how to ensure the ruling to have sufficient teeth. Mr. Havelock-Allan reminded the audience that the mere fact that the institution has accepted the application for a private emergency arbitrator and has appointed one does not mean that the emergency arbitrator does not have to address this question for himself/herself. The applicant must show that it has exhausted all remedies available to it. The emergency arbitrator is simply making an assessment entirely based on provisional findings at an early stage on whether provisional relief pending the award should be granted. Mr. Havelock-Allan noted that in Singapore, the definition of an arbitral tribunal under the Arbitration Act has been amended so that it expressly embraces emergency arbitrators. He felt this was a useful step and saw no reason why emergency arbitrators should fall outside the definition, as is the case in some jurisdictions.

Finally, Mr. Chen Han Toh, a Singapore-based partner of Pinsent Masons LLP, moderated the question and answer section of the programme. One of the questions was on whether there should be some preservation of the use of the Court in granting relief as parties preferred relying on the emergency arbitration procedure, for fear that the Court would not grant the party the relief needed. This concern was echoed by the panellists. The panellists also shared that there should be specialised training for emergency arbitrators to equip them to cope adequately or sufficiently with the demands of an emergency arbitration.

In summary, the seminar guests heard from three distinguished individuals in the field of their distinctive perspectives on the current principles and practices of injunctive and emergency relief, and some of the emergent strategies. With the thorough sharing and thoughtful questions posed, the event enabled participants to obtain a better understanding of injunctive and emergency relief. In addition, the event provided all participants with a platform and venue for sharing and networking.

Date: 17 September 2019, Tuesday
Location: The Pelican (1 Fullerton Road, #01-01, Singapore 049213)
Time: 6.30pm

About The Event
The Young Members Group is pleased to announce the next instalment in its series of YMG supper club events for CIArb members under 45. We will be joined at this exclusive supper by an honorary guest Nick Rowles-Davies from LCM. Places are limited and you are recommended to reply early to avoid disappointment.

For more information and to register, please [click here]

About The Event
Getting that first appointment is the biggest challenge for any arbitrator. CIArb Young Members Group is pleased to present a young arbitrators networking forum where you can find out how to survive the long winter.

Come join us for a town hall event with Judith Gill QC (Arbitrator Member, 20 Essex Street), Paul Sandosham (Partner, Clifford Chance), Kevin Nash (Deputy Registrar & Centre Director, SIAC), Hazel Tang (Counsel, ICC Court of Arbitration, Singapore) and Mahesh Rai (Director, Drew & Napier), who will speak about building a career as an arbitrator and the appointment of arbitrators by institutions. This will be followed by a networking session with senior arbitrators where food and drinks will be served.

For more information and to register, please [click here]

About The Event
Join two leading arbitrators, Christopher Moger QC and Steven Lim as they lead a discussion around some of the more difficult questions that arbitrators and arbitration practitioners have to face including:

Composition of the tribunal

• What can a candidate for appointment as an arbitrator discuss with a party regarding his/her potential appointment in advance?
• Should party-appointed arbitrators consult the parties about the choice of chair and how should they do so?
• When is it desirable to appoint a Tribunal Secretary?

Conduct of the proceedings

• Is it desirable to leave some or all matters of procedural or evidential directions in the hands of the chair?
• Does the Tribunal have a role in identifying a List of Issues?
• To what extent, if at all, is it appropriate for the Tribunal to propose preliminary issues, or bifurcated proceedings when the parties have not raised the suggestion?

Conduct of the hearing

• To what extent should the arbitrator intervene to focus the arguments/cross examination of counsel at the hearing onto points that appear important to the Tribunal?
• How to handle various issues in relation to an absent party?
• What is the arbitrator’s proper response when neither party relies on an obviously important provision in the contract which appears to the arbitrator potentially to affect the outcome of the dispute?

For more information, please [click here]

About The Event
Our CIArb Young Members Group (YMG) is pleased to present “Breakfast Chats on the Singapore Convention on Mediation”.

The United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation has been named the “Singapore Convention on Mediation”, making it the first UN treaty to be named after Singapore. This recent development cements Singapore’s place on the world map as a hub for international dispute resolution and demonstrates the country’s commitment to fostering international trade, commerce and investment.

How the Singapore Convention will change the dispute resolution landscape in Singapore is now the next question. An important contributing factor will perhaps be how quickly the legal and business communities adopt and incorporate mediation proceedings in accordance with the Singapore Convention as part of the accepted dispute resolution norms and practices.

Hear the views of our distinguished panellists mediators, institutions, and corporate counsel as they discuss their experience, views, challenges and predictions on the post-Singapore Convention future of mediation in two simultaneous breakout sessions over breakfast.

For more information on post-event, please [click here]

About The Event

Paul Sandosham (Chairman of Singapore branch) and Chou Sean Yu (Chairman Professional Development Committee) conducted a workshop on International Arbitration Agreements in Ho Chi Minh City on 23 July 2019 at the invitation of VIAC.

For photos of the event, please [click here]

About The Event
Our CIArb Young Members Group (YMG) is pleased to present again, our hugely popular roundtable event with a panel of various members of the international arbitration community, to discuss “How to Develop a Career in International Arbitration”. Participants are invited to send in questions in advance of the roundtable event as well as join in the networking evening tea reception. We will be happy to answer any questions on how to join CIArb.

Who Should Attend
Open to all – law undergraduate / graduate students, legal trainees and junior practitioners would find it most useful.

For more information, please [click here]

About The Event

Paul Sandosham was invited to speak at the AIAC Asia ADR week conference in Kuala Lumpur from 27-29 June 2019. During the conference, Paul took the opportunity to meet with the chairs of the other CIArb branches in the region.

For a photo of the event, please [click here]

About The Event

The CIArb Singapore branch held its 6th annual CIArb golf day on Saturday, 1 June 2019, at the Marina Bay Golf Course, in conjunction with the 6th Asean Law Association(S)-CIArb-Singapore Corporate Counsel Association Triangular Golf Game. Some 10 CIArb members and guests took part in this annual competition which had 24 golfers taking part, including Justice Lee Seiu Kin and Justice Chua Lee Ming, representing their respective associations to compete for the ALA(S)-CIArb-SCCA Triangular Challenge Cup.

We are delighted to announce that the CIArb (which won the Inaugural Challenge Cup in 2014) managed to wrest the trophy back from the ALA (winners over the past 4 years) this year! The victory was by the slimmest of margins and very hard fought on a wonderful balmy morning against the impressive skyline of the Marina Bay. The event was thoroughly enjoyed by all participants from the associations and celebrated over post-golf lunch and drinks, and a prize presentation ceremony.

Congratulations to the winners of our own CIArb Golf Day: Kevin Nash (first prize winner), Yong Eng Wah (second prize), Alban Kang (third prize), Chou Sean Yu (nearest the pin) and Alban Kang (longest drive). We would also like to thank our sponsors for their generous donation of the prizes, which included 2 nights’ staycation and breakfast packages at the Hotel Fort Canning (donated by Hotel Fort Canning), an Omakase and Wine-pairing dinner for two at Morsels @ Dempsey (donated by Morsels, WGS Best Restaurant of the Year 2017), luxury gift sets by Burberry, Ferragamo and Elizabeth Arden (donated by Luxasia Asia’s Beauty Omni Leader), and goodie bag items donated by WE Cinemas, Luxasia and others. Unfortunately, as there were no lady CIArb members taking part this year, we (generously) donated the prize reserved for the CIArb Ladies’ winner to the ALA’s lady winner! We look forward to next year’s event, when we hope to see everyone and our friends from the other associations again, and to retaining the Challenge Cup! Please remember to book your places early for next year’s competition and as a reminder, the event is open to all members of the CIArb, not only from the Singapore Branch but also from other branches around the world.

For photos of the event, please [click here]

About The Event

The CIArb Young Members Group (“YMG”) was delighted to organise the inaugural YMG Pub Quiz held at Privé, Clarke Quay. The YMG Pub Quiz was jointly presented with LCM and ICC Young Arbitrators Forum.

The Quiz was attended by around 40 participants who are all part of arbitration community in Singapore, including young arbitrators, counsel, corporate counsel, and experts. Eight teams of four to six participants competed to be crowned as the first ever winner of the YMG Pub Quiz. The Quiz Masters and sub-committee members of the CIArb YMG, Roger Milburn, Angela Yap and Chia Shi Jin led the teams in four rounds of challenging pub quiz style questions. The participants racked their brains to answer questions such as “how many stations are currently in operation on the Singapore MRT” and “name one of Beyonce and Jay-Z’s children”. Four competitive rounds and a tie-breaker question later, the open team named “Tom and Jeremy” emerged as the champion of the YMG Pub Quiz and took home the grand prize of Privé vouchers worth $350.

Beer, wine and bar snacks were served throughout the night. Overall the young and senior members of the arbitration community had a good time mingling and getting to know one another.

For photos of the event, please [click here]

About The Event
“The Future of International Dispute Resolution: Innovation and Insights from the Asia-Pacific Region”, a one day conference, was held on 23 April 2019.

Asia is at the crossroads of common and civil law jurisdictions with multiple legal systems and cultures. The interaction and intersection between different legal norms leads to a dynamic dispute resolution landscape. The conference will feature thought leaders and in depth provocative panel discussions that will celebrate the ways in which the Asia-Pacific region is creating innovative solutions to resolving disputes and the region’s power to influence the global development of international dispute resolution.

The conference examined Asia’s role in shaping the future of international alternative dispute resolution, from the development of the arbitral institutions and arbitrators needed for the future, to procedural innovations such as witness conferencing, and the use of the Prague Rules in civil and common law jurisdictions. The conference explored the use of alternative dispute resolution such as dispute boards in construction and infrastructure projects, including China’s One-Belt One Road initiative, and mediation in international disputes. The conference also launched the Chartered Institute of Arbitrator’s Guidelines on Witness Conferencing in International Arbitration.

Two special sessions will bookend the conference. The conference started with a breakfast session featuring the thoughts of in-house counsel on how dispute resolution needs to develop. The conference closed with a spotlight for younger voices in the region to present their ideas on the future of dispute resolution in the Asia-Pacific.

Hosted by the Singapore CIArb branch in conjunction with the Australia, East Asia, Malaysia and Thailand CIArb branches, this conference brought together CIArb members and other international arbitration practitioners from across the Asia-Pacific Region.

For photos of the event, please [click here]

About The Event

Mediation, international arbitration and adjudication are all relatively recent entrants in the history of dispute resolution for construction and engineering contracts. Their evolution (and that of other dispute resolution methods) to become an everyday part of construction and engineering practice is a consequence of a world obsessed with speed and efficiency.

This talk addressed the factors behind this evolution, the current cycles of change within dispute resolution methods in construction and engineering contracts and a view of the future of dispute resolution in the construction world.

As a dispute resolution hub in a region of rapidly growing economies, Singapore is increasingly called upon to meet the expectations of parties from the civil law tradition. With the introduction of the Prague Rules, parties and tribunals may well be encouraged to venture beyond the conventional approaches of the IBA Rules on the Taking of Evidence to explore new options for pro-active case management and cost-containment in arbitration. Professor Walker assesses the promise of the Prague Rules to diversify the arbitrator’s toolkit and meet the challenges of Asian-centred dispute resolution.

For photos of the event, please [click here]

About The Event

The recent emergence of FinTech has disrupted and sought to improve the delivery and use of traditional financial services worldwide. As businesses try to adapt to an evolving landscape of innovative modern technology integrated with financial services, the question is not if, but how extensively this will lead to complex and novel disputes. Join us at our upcoming ” Joint WIPO CIArb SFA Fintech & Arbitration Seminar 2019″ to find out more about the current issues and opportunities in FinTech, the challenges that might arise and how parties can seek to effectively resolve their disputes.

For photos of the event, please [click here]

State-owned enterprises are increasingly crucial in the global economy. There are thousands of State-owned corporations operating transnationally. For example, the Chinese central government owns more than 50 000 enterprises, valued at US$2+ trillion and employing over 9 million people. Given the number of State-owned companies operating in the investment field, it is hardly surprising that there has been a marked rise in investment disputes involving State owned enterprises, either seeking to take advantage of investor protection in respect of their commercial interests in foreign States, or through their contractual relationships and other activities impacting on foreign investors in their State of nationality.

In light of these developments, this seminar will focus on State owned enterprises as claimants in investment arbitrations, looking at recent cases where jurisdictional challenges were made on the basis of the characteristics and functions of such enterprises. It will provide an up-to-date analysis of the existing case law and provide practical guidance as to the issues that are likely to arise in these cases in the future.

For photos of the event, please [click here]

CIArb (Singapore branch) is proud to offer a series of three workshops on Distributed Ledger Technology, Smart Contracts and Cryptocurrencies. For the second workshop, we are delighted that David Weill, Chairman of Patrimoine Asia, Jonathan Agmon, Founder and Head of the Singapore office of Soroker Agmon Nordman, Ashish Chugh, local principal of Baker & McKenzie.Wong & Leow and Olivier Marquais, Attorney-at-law in the Litigation and Risk Management Practice Group of Loyens & Loeff, will discuss smart contracts in relation to contracts law and intellectual property, the boom of ICOs and the recent emergence of STOs.

For photos of the event, please [click here]

About The Event
Central to preventing catastrophic failures in the construction sector is a knowledge of their underlying causes. But because construction is a technical profession, there can be a temptation to blame these failures on purely technical causes.

But is this the case? Or do human beings play a bigger role?
This presentation examines the interaction between technical and human factors in failure causation, and concludes that while failures stem from technical issues, it is human fallibility that allows these issues to culminate in catastrophe.

The Singapore Branch of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (“CIArb”) invites arbitrators, private practitioners, in-house counsel, expert witnesses and other users of international arbitration to provide comments, corrections and other feedback on draft Guidelines for Witness Conferencing in International Arbitration. The Guidelines are intended to be adopted or used as guidance by parties and tribunals in proceedings where witness conferencing is being contemplated or agreed.

For more information, please [click here]

About The Event
Since the Inaugural Annual Construction Law Updates seminar in January 2011, SCL (Singapore) has organised an annual update which has been well-received as a key landmark in each year’s construction law-related training calendar. SCL (Singapore) is pleased to present its must-attend annual overview of key legal issues affecting the construction law industry in Singapore this past year.

Our distinguished speakers, Mr. Ho Chien Mien and Ms. Monica Neo, will discuss the recent developments in adjudication under the Security of Payment (SOP) Act and other developments in construction law and recent cases in Singapore.

Location: FTI Consulting
Time:5.30pm

About The Event
CIArb and FTI Consulting are delighted to invite you to a training and networking session on “Understanding
Capital Markets: Getting to Grips with Financial Instruments”

In this session, Financial Markets experts from FTI Consulting’s Global Capital Markets practice will cover the ‘needto‐
know’ concepts for capital markets, specifically aimed at knowledge required by litigation and arbitration
lawyers. The session will be followed by networking drinks.

This session will:
– Develop a practical knowledge and understanding of the general concepts underpinning the structuring,
trading, valuation and risk measurement and risk management of financial instruments.
– Provide an overview of the market information, tools and valuation methodologies typically used in special
situations such as contentious valuation disputes.

This will be a highly interactive presentation using case studies to demonstrate how concepts are put into action
in the context of transactions, litigations, arbitrations, mediations and investigations. Participants are invited to
send in questions in advance.

For photos of the event, please [click here]

Location: To-be-confirmed
Time: 5.30pm

About The Event
CIArb (Singapore branch) is proud to offer a series of three workshops on Distributed Ledger Technology, Smart Contracts and Cryptocurrencies. For the first workshop, we are delighted that David Weill, Chairman of Patrimoine Asia, Ashish Chugh, International Arbitration Partner at K&L Gates and Olivier Marquais, Associate in the Litigation and Risk Management Practice Group of Loyens & Loeff, will demystify the essential aspects of the functioning of blockchains and distributed ledger technology, and examine any related legal and dispute resolution issues.
The first workshop, which will take place on 22 November 2018 at 5.30pm, will provide a basic introduction to the distributed ledger technology.

For photos of the event, please [click here]

Location: 1 Empress Place, #01-03 Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore 179555
Time: 6.30pm-10.00pm

About The Event
The CIArb Members Evening is a time for Members to come together, to build and strengthen the bonds that have been instrumental to the growth of our organisation. We will be presenting the winners of the CIArb (Singapore Branch) Competition, celebrating the events of the past year, welcoming our new Fellows, and much more.

For photos of the event, please [click here]

Date: 13 November 2018, Tuesday
Location: Maxwell Chambers (32 Maxwell Road, #03-01, Singapore 069115)
Time: 8.30am-5pm

About The Event
Arbitration as an ADR mechanism has been steadily gaining traction across the Asia Pacific region. This is in particularly accelerated by the several recent legal developments and regulatory changes such as Third Party Funding legislations and Investment Treaties. In addition, the quality of arbitration centres in the Asia Pacific region have been constantly improving and being extensively promoted both directly and indirectly through arguments that arbitration is a much more cost and time effective way of resolving disputes as compared to traditional ways such as litigation which can at times prove to be costly.

Asian Legal Business is proud to present the 3rd edition of Asia Pacific Arbitration and Dispute Resolution Forum 2018. ALB’s signature annual summit gathers together international and regional arbitrators, in-house counsels, legal practitioners and industry experts to discuss recent developments in Asia Pacific’s arbitration practices and key drivers behind the growing trends in the establishment of new arbitration centres and increasing competition between existing ones, hot pressing legal issues and best practice solutions in the region.

For more information, please [click here]

We are pleased to announce the winners for the CIArb Singapore Branch Competition 2018.

• Winner: Rachel Tan Xi’en (Centre for International Law, National University of Singapore)
• First Runner Up: Alexander G. Leventhal (Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan)
• Second Runner Up: Shaun Lee Wei Han (Bird & Bird ATMD LLP)

The winners were announced at the CIArb Singapore Member’s Evening on 21 November 2018. The guest of honour was our Patron, the Honourable Justice Quentin Loh, who presented the prize to the winner.

Date: 8-9 November 2018, Thursday-Friday
Location: Leisure Lodge Hotel, Diani-Mombasa

About The Event
The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) is a leading professional membership organization representing the interests of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) practitioners’ worldwide. The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Kenya Branch), will hold its third International Conference on 8th to 9th November 2018 at the Leisure Lodge Hotel, Diani- Mombasa.

The Theme of the Conference is “ADR Trends in a Dynamic Legal Environment”.

The forum will bring together Practicing Arbitrators, stakeholder and consumers of Alternative Dispute Resolution Services and offer an opportunity to network and create valuable synergy required to promote, profile and celebrate Africa’s International Arbitration and Arbitrators.

Further details will be available on the conference portal on www.ciarbkenya.org.

For more information and to register, please [click here]

CALL FOR PAPERS

The Branch is also calling on members and practitioners of ADR to contribute their articles toward the Conference souvenir under the Theme “ADR Trends in a Dynamic Legal Environment”.

The deadline for submission is 31st July 2018 at 5.00pm.

For more information, please [click here]

Date: 7 November 2018, Wednesday
Location: Orchid Ballroom, 6 Eu Tong Sen Street, #04-86/87, The Central (Clarke Quay), Singapore 059817
Time: 5pm-7.15pm

About The Event
At this seminar, our speaker will look at some of the challenges faced in setting up and conducting a construction mediation, and ways of improving the chances of settlement. The talk will cover the following issues:
1.Getting a mediation going
2.Getting the right mediator
3.Getting the right people there
4.Proper preparation
5.Getting off to the right start
6.Requests for evaluation
7.The absence of negotiation.

For more information and to register, please [click here]

Location:168 Robinson Road, Capital Tower, FTSE Room, Level 9, Singapore 068912
Time: 5PM-7.15PM

About The Event
The Changes Clause is said to be the most significant legal innovation that distinguishes the construction contract from other forms of contract. Understanding the Clause’s purposes and objectives, together with its 20th century judicial additions of five concepts of “constructive” change as well as “cardinal” change, will be the focus of this presentation.

For more information and to register, please [click here]

Date: 31 October 2018, Wednesday
Time: 2pm-6pm

About The Event
SCMA Distinguished Speaker Series 2018 will be titled “China As An Economic Superpower & Singapore’s Role In The Belt & Road Initiative” and will feature Dr Yu Jianlong, Secretary General of China Chamber of International Commerce (CCOIC). Dr Yu will share on the Chinese experience in dealing with the associated commercial and legal risks, and the role of Singapore as a dispute resolution centre for disputes arising from the Belt & Road Initiative. After his speech, there will be a panel discussion.

For more information and to register, please [click here]

Date: 25-27 October 2018, Thursday-Saturday

About The Event
AIJA’s International Arbitration Commission will celebrate the tenth anniversary of its Annual Arbitration Conference and has prepared an exciting programme to mark the happy occasion. From 25 to 27 October 2018, you will have the opportunity to meet with other international professionals, such as practising lawyers, corporate counsel, arbitrators, mediators, business professionals and academics.

You can take part in highly interactive workshops and panels where we will reflect on the most profound transformations that have taken place in the practice of international arbitration in the past ten years. The last decades have seen a worldwide trend of increased transparency which impacted the arbitration process. The programme will consider the role of transparency in international arbitration, highlighting the main challenges and developments. The participants will discuss the role of third-party funding, as well as whether this is fundamental for the survival of the arbitration process.

Together with a select group of forward-looking moderators and panelists, the conference will also explore the future of international arbitration. Once considered a remote posibility for a futuristic tomorrow, advancements in artificial intelligence are changing the current arbitral framework. The event will highlight various areas of innovation, technological advances and future trends that will impact the practice.

These discussions will be complemented by an amazing social programme that will bring the very best of the AIJA spirit and the multicultural and vibrant city of Singapore.

For more information and to register, please [click here]

Location: Orchid Ballroom, 6 Eu Tong Sen Street, #04-85, The Central (Clarke Quay), Singapore 059817
Time: 6.45pm-9.30pm

About The Event
This course is designed for practitioners in the construction industry interested in the basic principles of construction law. It will review general rights and obligations of contractors and employers, as well as time, payment, SOP and dispute related issues in construction contracts. It is principally designed for non-lawyers in the construction industry but lawyers seeking an introduction to this area may also be interested. It will be taught in 4 evening classes. A Certificate of Attendance from the SCL (Singapore) will be issued to all attendees who fully attend and successfully complete the Course.

For more information and to register, please [click here]

Date: 13 September 2018, Thursday
Location: Clyde & Co (12 Marina Boulevard #30-03, Tower 3, Marina Bay Financial Centre, Singapore 018982)
Time: 5.30pm-8.30pm

About The Event
ICC Young Arbitrators Forum (ICC YAF) and CIArb Young Members Group (YMG) are organising a debate for young practitioners on whether party appointments should be a thing of the past and institutional appointments should be the way forward for international arbitration.

The arbitration community has been debating the merits of party versus institutional appointments of arbitrators. In this debate, young practitioners give their take on the topic and showcase their advocacy skills.

Who Should Attend?
This conference is aimed at young arbitration practitioners of approximately 40 years and under: counsel, arbitrators, corporate counsel, experts or academics. Both ICC YAF and CIArb YMG offer a platform for young practitioners to exchange thoughts on international arbitration, and to enrich their network in the region.

For more information and to register, please [click here]

Date: 12 September 2018, Wednesday
Location: Hotel Fort Canning, Singapore
Time: 9am-7pm

About The Event
Technology is disrupting a wide range of industries, and the construction industry is no exception. This year’s SCL (Singapore) Annual Conference will explore the impact of technology to date, as well as consider possible transformations that are still to come. It will discuss how forms of contracting are adapting to change through a move to more collaborative models, and – by popular demand! – include a recap of key legal developments from the past year.

This Conference will feature 4 main sessions:
• Technology in Construction Practice
• Collaborative Contracting – Aspiration, Myth or Reality?
• Updates on Developments in Construction Law in Singapore
• Use of Technology for Construction Dispute Resolution

This Conference aims to bring together legal practitioners and construction industry stalwarts from around
Asia to discuss the changing face of the construction industry.

Date: 29 August 2018, Wednesday
Location: M Social Singapore
Time: 7pm-9.30pm

About The Event
SCL(S) members (and their guests) and members of our reciprocal partners are warmly invited to the Society’s 10th Annual Dinner, Wednesday, 29 August 2018, 7.00pm-9.30pm at Beast & Butterflies.

Date: 5 July 2018, Thursday
Location: FTI Consulting, Singapore
Time: 7pm-9pm

About The Event
The Young Members Group (YMG) was pleased to present a roundtable event with a panel of international arbitration practitioners to discuss the topic on “How to Develop a Career in International Arbitration”.

Panellists
Amanda Lees, Partner at Simmons & Simmons JWS Pte Ltd
Amanda specialises in cross border dispute resolution through international arbitration and complex multi-forum litigation. She sits as an arbitrator and is listed in Best Lawyers International for international arbitration. Over the last 15 years Amanda has acted in a broad range of commercial disputes in a number of industries, including the Apple v Samsung proceedings and other telecommunications disputes, large energy and mining disputes in Singapore, India, Indonesia and Australia, and commodities disputes globally. Amanda has acted in complex litigation, international arbitration and related court applications (stay, interim measures, anti-suit and anti-arbitration) in Asia and Australia.

June Yeum, Partner at Clyde & Co
June is a partner at Clyde & Co specialising in cross-border dispute resolution and international arbitration. As a member of Clyde & Co’s Global International Arbitration Group, she represents blue-chip Asian and multinational companies on doing business around the world. June’s practice focuses on representing clients in complex cross-border disputes involving infrastructure, licensing and sales contracts, energy, construction and joint ventures.

Richard Hayler, Senior Managing Director at FTI Consulting
Richard Hayler is a Senior Managing Director at FTI Consulting and is based in Singapore. Mr. Hayler is in the Economic & Financial Consulting segment. Mr. Hayler specialises in the assessment of quantum, financial and accounting issues in contentious matters. Before joining FTI Consulting, Mr. Hayler spent eight years in the audit, corporate finance and financial advisory groups of two big four accountancy firms. Mr. Hayler was also formerly the Technical Director of a Life Science consultancy company. During the course of his career, Mr. Hayler has directly advised or led teams for ten globally recognised expert witnesses, as listed in “Who’s Who Legal”, for some of the largest and most complex cases in the last decade.

Kevin Nash, Deputy Registrar & Centre Director at SIAC
As Deputy Registrar & Centre Director, Kevin assists the Registrar in the administration of all cases filed with SIAC, and the supervision of SIAC’s multinational Secretariat. Kevin holds a B.A. from Mount Allison University and a J.D. from Osgoode Hall Law School. Kevin worked at one of Canada’s prominent ‘Seven Sister’ law firms and then went on to study an LL.M. in International Commercial Arbitration at Stockholm University. He is qualified as a Barrister and Solicitor with the Law Society of Upper Canada. Kevin speaks English and French.

Chow Wen Si, Legal Counsel at Mott MacDonald
Wen Si’s area of practice has focused largely on construction arbitration – which is an area of particular focus in Southeast Asia. Her work has also included alternative dispute resolution, such as adjudication under local statutory security of payments processes and mediation. Prior to joining Mott MacDonald as its Legal Counsel for the Asia-Pacific region in 2016, Wen Si worked for pre-eminent construction practices based in both local and offshore firms. Her time in-house has extended her repertoire to providing advice in technical advisory transactions and engineering consultancy work. Wen Si has assisted in the review of several construction law publications, and she is also the co-author of Adjudication – Case Law Principles (LexisNexis, 2015).

For photos of the event, please [click here]

Date: 17 May 2018, Thursday
Location: St. Regis, Singapore
Time: 08:00 – 22:00

About The Event
The Future of International Arbitration is now. As a premier, global arbitral institution, at the forefront of cutting edge developments in the law and practice of international arbitration, SIAC has embraced its role as a key stakeholder in international arbitration. The SIAC Congress 2018 brings together the judiciary, distinguished members of the SIAC Board and SIAC Court of Arbitration, and other eminent members of the international arbitration community, to discuss future directions for international arbitration. In the course of the conference, we will discuss SIAC’s innovative cross-institution consolidation protocol, critically examine SIAC’s track record in delivering on its mission to ensure that the awards rendered by tribunals are valid and enforceable, and engage in a robust debate on whether arbitral institutions are best placed to chart the future of international arbitration.

Date: 16 May 2018, Wednesday
Location: Sofitel Singapore City Centre, 9 Wallich Street, Singapore 078885 (SG).
Time: 19:00 – 21:30

About The Event
Arbitral institutions, as independent and neutral bodies that formulate the arbitral rules, administer the arbitrations and manage the financial matters of the arbitral process, are in a unique position of something of a regulator, and are able to hold Tribunals and Parties accountable for delays and actions that increase the costs of the arbitration. They should exercise their powers for the benefit of international arbitration.

For photos of the event, please [click here]

For video of the event, please [click here]

Date: 10 May 2018, Thursday
Location: Dentons Rodyk & Davidson LLP, Singapore
Time: 6pm-8pm

About The Event
London has traditionally been an attractive and popular centre for international dispute resolution. However, it is facing increasing competition, particular from South East Asia, including Singapore and Hong Kong.

How will Brexit affect this? As negotiations continue towards Brexit, there are now some known knowns but still many known unknowns and even unknown unknowns. This seminar will consider the possible “shape” of UK dispute resolution post-Brexit (particularly as regards, jurisdiction and arbitration and enforcement of UK judgments and awards), what impact that might have upon the Asia Dispute Resolution scene and how Asian practitioners might seek to exploit Brexit so as to benefit their clients.

Speaker
Sara specialises in all areas of commercial law. She has a particular interest in jurisdictional disputes, including jurisdictional issues in arbitration and in cross-border litigation and also in private international law. She has extensive experience in EU law, particularly competition law and the impact of commercial sanctions, and advises and lectures upon the impact of Brexit. Her practice also encompasses insurance, sale of goods, shipping (including ship-building and ship sale disputes) and commodities, construction and energy.

Sara is registered to appear before the SICC. She also appears frequently before arbitrators in a broad range of disputes both in the UK and abroad.

Sara has a growing practice as an arbitrator both in ad hoc and institutional reference, and has conducted arbitrations subject to both the SCMA and SIAC Rules, she is also a member of the CIETAC panel.

For photos of the event, please [click here]

Date: 23 April 2018, Wednesday
Location: Hogan Lovells Lee & Lee (50 Collyer Quay #10-01 OUE Bayfront, Singapore 049321)
Time: 12:00pm-2:00pm

About The Event
CIArb (Singapore branch) is proud to partner with the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) to offer a series of three workshops on arbitration proceedings at the SIAC. For the third and final workshop, we are delighted that the Deputy Registrar & Centre Director, Mr. Kevin Nash, and Associate Counsel of SIAC, Ms. Khyati Raniwala and Ms. Qian Wu, will discuss the various applications that may be made under the SIAC Rules 2016.

WORKSHOP 3: APPLICATIONS UNDER THE SIAC RULES 2016
In this final workshop, we will look at:
a. Expedited Procedure – Rule 5, SIAC Rules 2016
b. Objections to jurisdiction – Rule 28, SIAC Rules 2016
c. Joinder of additional parties – Rule 7, SIAC Rules 2016
d. Multiple Contracts and Consolidation – Rules 6 and 8, SIAC Rules 2016
e. Emergency Arbitrator proceedings – Rule 30.2 and schedule 1, SIAC Rules 2016

Our Distinguished Speakers
1. Kevin Nash, Deputy Registrar & Centre Director, SIAC
2. Khyati Raniwala, Associate Counsel, SIAC
3. Qian Wu, Associate Counsel, SIAC

Moderator
Timothy Cooke, FCIARB

For photos of the event, please [click here]

Date: 17 April 2018, Tuesday
Location: Sabai Fine Thai on the Bay (70 Collyer Quay, #01-02 Customs House, Singapore 049323)
Time: 7pm

About The Event
The CIArb Young Members Group was delighted to welcome Ms Anneliese Day QC and Ms Leigh-Ann Mulcahy QC to the April Supper Club held at the mezzanine dining area of Sabai Fine Thai on the Bay.

Leigh-Ann Mulcahy QC is “an incredibly good appellate advocate”, ranked by legal directories as a Leading Silk in four fields and also a Deputy High Court Judge. Anneliese Day QC is an “outstanding lawyer of her generation”, the winner of the “Barrister of the Year” title at The Lawyer 2014 Awards and the winner of the “Energy and Construction Silk of the Year” award at the 2018 Legal 500 UK Awards.

The evening’s introductory topics for discussion were confidentiality and conflicts of interest in international arbitration, and the fifteen or so lawyers and experts that had gathered had a lively time sharing their experiences in these two areas with one another.

The conversations naturally took their own course as the supper went on, ranging from one of our honorary guest’s recollection of her first time appearing in court, to debate on what the strange appendage at the back of a barrister’s gown is for (some say it’s for money to be slipped in because it would be beneath the dignity of learned counsel to handle money).

A delicious supper, a drink or two and good conversation rounded off a lovely evening.

For photos of the event, please [click here]

Date: 5 April 2018, Thursday
Location: FTI Consulting (8 Shenton Way, #12-02, AXA Tower, Singapore 068811)
Time: 6:00pm-8:00pm

About The Event
What is and how can a tribunal control the use of guerrilla warfare in arbitration? This discussion will encompass a global analysis of what has been occurring in international arbitration, especially where a State or State agency is involved, including the following topics:
• States have greater means and incentive to engage in illegitimate tactics during the arbitral process: Given that States exercise sovereign powers, they have the ability to potentially engage in a wider range of tactics to disrupt arbitration proceedings than do commercial parties. This can manifest itself through influence in judicial proceedings in the State or the use of enforcement and police powers of the State to disrupt proceedings or intimidate the parties or arbitrators.
• Counsel’s responsibility/duty – to whom, how and by what rules are they bound;
• Conduct on the spectrum between permissible (eg rules of procedure permit it) and bad behaviour/misconduct/taking every point to wear down the other party/putting the spanner in the works/ corruption & fraud
• How do those new to the field of international dispute resolution distinguish an illegitimate tactic from a cultural difference?

Our Distinguished Speaker
Rashda Rana SC (QC)

For photos of the event, please [click here]

Date: 7 March 2018, Wednesday
Location: Clyde & Co (12 Marina Boulevard, #30-03 Marina Bay Financial Centre Tower 3, Singapore 018982)
Time: 12:00pm-2:00pm

About The Event
CIArb (Singapore branch) is proud to partner with the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) to offer a series of three workshops on arbitration proceedings at the SIAC. For the second workshop, we are delighted that the Registrar of the SIAC, Ms. Delphine Ho, and Associate Counsel of the SIAC, Mr. Kendista Wantah and Ms. Allison Goh, will offer a behind-the-scenes view on the commencement of arbitral proceedings at SIAC.

WORKSHOP 2: STARTING AN ARBITRATION
We will look at common issues that arise when arbitration proceedings are commenced:
a. Date of commencement of arbitration – R3.3 SIAC Rules 2016
b. Determining amount of deposits payable; stages of deposit payment
c. Provisional estimates of costs of arbitration – R34.3
d. What to do about ambiguous arbitration agreements?
e. Ad hoc appointments

Our Distinguished Speakers
1. Delphine Ho, Registrar, SIAC
2. Allison Goh, Associate Counsel, SIAC
3. Kendista Wantah, Associate Counsel, SIAC

Moderator
Timothy Cooke, FCIARB

For photos of the event, please [click here]

Date: 30 January 2018, Tuesday
Location: National University of Singapore (NUS)
Time: 7pm-8.30pm

About The Event
The Young Members Group (YMG) is pleased to present the next roundtable event with a panel of international arbitration practitioners, to discuss the topic on “How to Develop a Career in International Arbitration”.

Our Distinguished Panellists
Paul Tan, Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP
Paul is a Band 1 leading individual for international arbitration (Legal 500). He is called to the Singapore and English bars and is admitted before the courts of the Dubai International Financial Centre. His “impressive commercial disputes practice” includes instructions as lead counsel before international arbitral tribunals, the Singapore International Commercial Court, and arbitration-related litigation. His cases often involve complex issues of private and public international law. He was named the “most highly regarded” arbitration practitioner in Asia by Who’s Who Legal – Future Leaders (2018). He is also co-author of the forthcoming edition of Mustill & Boyd’s treatise on commercial and investment arbitration, and other forthcoming books on arbitration in Singapore.

Asya Jamaludin, Cousel at CMS Singapore
Asya is a Counsel with CMS Singapore. Her main practice areas are in the construction, oil & gas/energy and shipbuilding sectors, where she provides dispute resolution as well as front-end advice on engineering, procurement and construction projects. Asya also practices in the general commercial, international trade and commodities sectors.
Asya is primarily a dispute resolution practitioner, advising and acting for clients in international commercial arbitrations, subject to various arbitral rules, including ICC, SIAC, LMAA, UNCITRAL, LCIA and SCMA. She also sits as an arbitrator, having been appointed as arbitrator by the SIAC. Asya is also a member of the KLRCA panel of arbitrators.
Asya is admitted in Malaysia and Singapore. She is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

Jonathan Lim, Senior Associate at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP
Jonathan has experience with commercial and investment arbitrations under all major arbitration rules in disputes across Africa, Asia, Europe and South America. Jonathan has also advised governments in Africa and Asia on public international law and WTO issues and international arbitration law reform. In addition to his practice as counsel, Jonny has a developing practice as arbitrator and has received appointments as sole and party-appointed arbitrator in proceedings seated in Europe and Asia. He also teaches a 3-week intensive international arbitration course at the National University of Singapore. He is one of the youngest persons (at age 30) listed by Who’s Who Legal 2018 as a Future Leader in International Arbitration, and is described as “a very smart all-round lawyer with a strong work ethic,” and “able to digest and master a large amount of material very quickly.”

Sapna Jhangiani, Partner at Clyde & Co Clasis Singapore Pte. Ltd.
Sapna is recognised as a leader in this field, having recently been named by Who’s Who Legal in their list of future leaders in international arbitration under the age of 45. She has been described by Chambers and Partners as “up-and-coming”, and praised for her “wonderful work and a creative mind”. She was also recommended in the International Arbitration, Singapore category in Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2017.

For photos of the event, please [click here].

Date: 24 January 2018, Wednesday
Location: Simmons & Simmons JWS Pte. Ltd. (168 Robinson Road, #11‐01 Capital Tower, Singapore 068912)
Time: 12:00pm-2:00pm

About The Event
CIArb (Singapore branch) is proud to partner with the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) to offer a series of three workshops on arbitration proceedings at the SIAC. For the first workshop, we were delighted that Mr. Gary Born, the President of the SIAC Court of Arbitration, Mr. Kevin Nash, the Deputy Registrar & Centre Director, and counsel from the Secretariat offered a behind-the-scenes view on the workings of the Secretariat of the SIAC, and examined a wide variety of topics covering every aspect of the administration of an arbitration under the SIAC Rules.
The first workshop took place on 24 January 2018, and looked at the workings of the SIAC Court and the SIAC Secretariat. The second and third workshops will look at different aspects of the SIAC Rules, including issues surrounding commencement of arbitration and the various applications that may be made under the SIAC Rules.

WORKSHOP 1: THE SIAC COURT AND THE SIAC SECRETARIAT
The first workshop looked at the workings of the SIAC Court and the SIAC Secretariat:
a. Interactions between the Court and the Secretariat
b. Role of the Secretariat
c. Case management process – from appointment of tribunal to final award
d. What is scrutiny?

Our Distinguished Speakers
1. Gary Born, President of SIAC Court of Arbitration
2. Kevin Nash, Deputy Registrar & Centre Director
3. Aliona Bitkivskaja, Associate Counsel
4. Christopher Bloch, Associate Counsel

Moderator
Timothy Cooke, FCIARB

For photos of the event, please [click here].

Date: 29 November 2017, Wednesday
Location: Singapore

About The Event
The CIArb Singapore branch is pleased to invite its members and guests to its annual gathering. The Members’ Evening is the perfect occasion for members and guests in the arbitration community to meet and interact. It is also an opportunity for us to welcome our new members and Fellows, as well as for the Board and Committees to express their appreciation to our members and supporters from Singapore and overseas who made this year’s events so successful. We will also be announcing and presenting the winners of our inaugural Witness Conferencing Competition.

The Members’ Evening was held at Empress (1 Empress Place, #01-03, Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore 179555)

For photos of the event, please [click here].

Date: 22 November 2017, Wednesday
Location: Singapore
Time: 1pm-6pm

About The Event
CIArb Singapore is proud to be a supporting organisation for the upcoming In-House Counsel Seminar: IP Contracts and Disputes in Life Sciences – Problems and Solutions, which will take place on November 22, 2017 in Singapore.

Program and registration information is available at http://www.wipo.int/export/sites/www/amc/en/docs/2017_singapore_lifescience.pdf.

The Seminar will provide an overview of the contractual framework of collaborations in the pharmaceutical, BioTech and MedTech sectors, relevant IP matters, actual and potential disputes, and options to resolve such disputes. Experienced in-house and external counsel will present techniques and strategies for using Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) procedures, including mediation and arbitration, for disputes arising in the Life Sciences area.

The Seminar is organized by the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center, Bird & Bird, Schellenberg Wittmer, Sidley Austin, Yusarn Audrey and supported by Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Licensing Executives Society (LES), Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC), CIArb Singapore, Singapore Corporate Counsel Association (SCCA) and Swiss Arbitration Association (ASA).

Please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Olivier Marquais (email: olivier.marquais@wipo.int) if you have questions on the Seminar.

To register and for more information, please click here.

Date: 22 November 2017, Wednesday
Location: Singapore
Time: 7pm

About The Event
The Young Members Group is pleased to announce the next instalment in its series of YMG supper club events for CIArb members under 45. We will be joined at this exclusive supper by an honorary guest, and leading international arbitrator, Judith Gill QC. Places are limited and you are recommended to reply early to avoid disappointment.

About The Guest
Judith is recognised as one of the leading practitioners in the field of international arbitration. She has conducted cases under various sets of rules and subject to many different systems of law. In particular she has experience of arbitrations under the rules of, amongst others, the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC), International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC), American Arbitration Association (AAA), United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), Hungarian Chamber of Commerce, Federal Economic Chamber in Vienna, and German Arbitration Institute (DIS) with seats including Singapore, Hong Kong, Paris, London, New York, Dubai, Geneva, Zurich and Budapest. She has particular experience of projects (particularly in the energy and infrastructure sectors), joint ventures, distributorships, investor protection disputes, insurance claims and construction disputes.

She regularly acts as lead advocate in arbitration cases.

She also sits as an arbitrator, both sole and as a member of a panel of three arbitrators, in a variety of arbitrations on matters involving construction disputes, energy contracts, manufacturing, distributorship agreements and other commercial agreements.

Judith is currently the President of the LCIA, the first female to be appointed to the position. She was only the second female solicitor-advocate to be appointed QC and the first with an international arbitration practice.

Date: 6-7 November 2017, Monday-Tuesday
Location: Singapore
Time: 8am-6pm

About The Event
SIAC Academy is SIAC’s latest initiative to provide practical,’hands on’ training for arbitration practitioners and arbitrators. The teaching faculty will be chaired by Mr Gary Born, President of the SIAC Court of Arbitration,and will include SIAC Board and Court members, other leading international arbitration practitioners and arbitrators, as well as the SIAC Secretariat. Over the course of an intensive two-day programme, participants will test and refine their skills on Emergency Arbitration, Expedited Procedure and Early Dismissal.

Time: 6.45pm-9.30pm

About The Event
This course is designed for practitioners in the construction industry interested in the basic principles of construction law. It will review general rights and obligations of contractors and employers, as well as time, payment, SOP and dispute related issues in construction contracts. It is principally designed for non-lawyers in the construction industry but lawyers seeking an introduction to this area may also be interested. It will be taught in 4 evening classes over 3 weeks. A Certificate of Attendance from the SCL (Singapore) will be issued to all attendees who fully attend and successfully complete the Course.

Witness Conferencing in International Arbitration
The CIArb Singapore Branch is proud to announce the format for its 2017 competition, based around witness conferencing in international arbitration.

Witness conferencing has been described by the ICC Commission Report: Controlling Time and Costs in Arbitration as “a technique in which two or more fact or expert witnesses presented by one or more of the parties are questioned together on particular topics by the arbitral tribunal and possibly by counsel”. Witness conferencing, sometimes referred to as hot-tubbing, stems from inquisitorial processes in the civil law system and gained popularity particularly in Switzerland from the early 2000s. Hot-tubbing is frequently encountered when taking expert evidence and to a lesser extent evidence from witnesses of fact in arbitration proceedings.

Despite its popularity, there is surprisingly little formal guidance on witness conferencing in institutional rules or from other arbitral bodies or national legislation. It is not a defined method of taking evidence, save that it involves hearing and testing evidence from more than one witness at the same time. The process may be led by the tribunal, by the experts or by counsel, or by a mixture of some or all of these. Other issues that may need to be considered include whether experts will give presentations at the start of their evidence, whether counsel will be given an opportunity to cross examine the witnesses and, if so, at what stage of the process.

The Competition
The competition is focused around a fictional ad hoc arbitration. You are the chair of the tribunal. The evidentiary hearing is due to take place soon. At a pre-hearing conference call to discuss the issue of witness evidence, the members of the tribunal and the parties’ representatives have different views on and cannot agree how evidence should be taken.

As the presiding arbitrator, you have to rule on the procedure to be adopted. You will need to prepare a draft order for discussion with your co-arbitrators, and some notes so that you can explain your order and persuade your co-arbitrators to adopt it.

Full details of the competition can be found in the competition pack which can be downloaded by clicking here.

Date: 24 October 2017, Tuesday
Location: TBC
Time: 5pm-7pm

About The Talk
Technology plays an essential part in almost all disputes in building a solid case and in complying with discovery rules. Getting it right the first time and understanding the ways in which information can be stored and retrieved is essential.

Looking for a specific entry or a single email can be daunting but critical. An entire business dispute or multimillion dollar claim/arbitration may hinge on the data – when it was generated, altered, deleted by whom and under what circumstances.

Today’s businesses generate vast amounts of data and information; the key to managing that data for a forensic investigation and extracting meaningful information is using the right experts at the right time.

In this talk, real world examples of cases and the best strategy to ensuring being data ready for proceedings, were discussed.

For photos of the event, please [click here].

Date: 20 October 2017, Friday
Location: CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang (Singapore) LLP (7 Straits View, Marina One East Tower, #19-01, Singapore 018936)
Time: 12pm-2pm

About The Talk
It is said that the differences between the civil law and common law legal systems become most acute during the taking of evidence. Could the IBA Rules, which are used in most international arbitration proceedings, be the bridge that joins the divide? At this event, eminent arbitrator Professor Hilmar Raeschke-Kessler discussed on the IBA Rules on the Taking of Evidence and in particular on the different approaches in civil law and common law jurisdictions.

This event was organised by the Young Members Group of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Singapore and hosted by CMS Singapore.

About The Speaker
Professor Hilmar Raeschke-Kessler (LLM, FCIArb) practises law as Rechtsanwalt beim Bundesgerichtshof (of which there are only 41 at the Bar of the German Federal Court of Justice). Since 1985, he has acted regularly as chairman, arbitrator and counsel in numerous international and national arbitrations (ICC, DIS, PCA, LCIA and others, ad hoc) and has been appointed as Presiding Arbitrator by the PCA. Prof. Raeschke-Kessler is currently a member of the Review Committee of the DIS Arbitration Rules 1998, and a member of the Review Committee of the German Federal Ministry of Justice on Arbitration Law in the German CCP. He was a member of the IBA working groups on the 1999 IBA Rules of Evidence in International Arbitration, their 2010 review, and on Conflicts of Interest in International Arbitration. Prof. Raeschke-Kessler is honorary professor at the University of Cologne, lecturing on International Arbitration.

For photos of the event, please [click here].

Date: 4 October 2017, Wednesday
Location: Hogan Lovells Lee & Lee, 50 Collyer Quay #10‐01 OUE Bayfront, Singapore 049321
Time: 5pm-7pm

About The Talk
Many disputes involve claims for losses which have occurred, or are expected to occur, at a point in time far removed from the date on which the cause of action arose or on which the hearing takes place. It is widely accepted that in these cases an adjustment may be made to reflect the benefit that the claimant will receive through the accelerated receipt of their relief.

In practice, differing approaches are often taken to the calculation of these losses and disagreements between experts are common. The talk included a recap of the fundamental and less contentious aspects of applying discounts for accelerated receipt and explored some of the disputed aspects, including:
• What discount rates other than WACC might be applied and why;
• A comparison of the ex ante and ex post approaches to loss quantification; and
• How issues arising in cases from Bwllfa to Bunge v Nidera can impact on the work of financial experts and affect the instructions they require from counsel.

For photos of the event, please [click here].

Date: 28 September 2017, Thursday
Location: TBC
Time: 6.30pm

About The Event
The exclusive supper was joined by an honorary guest, and leading international arbitrator, Dr Michael Hwang SC.

About The Guest
Dr Michael Hwang currently practices as a Barrister and Arbitrator, with his main focus on international arbitration and mediation. Michael has over 40 years of experience in the legal arena. Since he was called to the Singapore Bar in 1968, when he joined Allen & Gledhill and helped to build it into Singapore’s largest law firm, Michael has gone on to have a distinguished and illustrious career which includes the appointment as Judicial Commissioner of the Supreme Court of Singapore in 1991, the appointment as one of the first 12 Senior Counsel of the Supreme Court of Singapore in 1997, election as a member of the American Law Institute, service as a Commissioner of the United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC) based in Geneva, a body set up under the Security Council to assess claims against Iraq arising from the First Gulf War, between 2000 and 2003, as well as service as a Visiting Professor to the National University of Singapore teaching advocacy and commercial arbitration.

He has held office as: Vice President of the International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA), Vice Chair of the International Bar Association’s (IBA) Arbitration Committee, Vice Chairman of the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), a Court member of the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), a Trustee of the Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC), a Council Member of the International Council for Arbitration for Sport and a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (The Hague)

Chambers Global 2017 lists him as within Band 1 of “Most in Demand Arbitrators – Singapore” and describes him as ” “everyone’s favourite Singapore arbitrator” “, that he “stands out for his charismatic manner” and is “still as sharp and bright as a tack” in proceedings.

Date: 14 September 2017, Thursday
Location: Legends Ballroom, Hotel Fort Canning, 11 Canning Walk Singapore 178881
Time: 9am-7pm

About The Conference
Construction Law is in an era of turbulence – impacted by changes in the construction industry, in the legal profession, and in the law itself.

This year’s SCL (Singapore) Annual Conference looked at developments that have already occurred and explored possible transformations that are still to come.

This Conference featured 4 main sessions:
• Deep Dive into Delay
• A Discussion on Current Issues with Defects
• Updates on Developments in Construction Law
• ‘Speaking of Change’: A Dialogue between Leading Practitioners

This Conference aims to bring together legal practitioners and construction industry stalwarts from around Asia to discuss the changing face of the construction industry.

Date: 5 September 2017, Tuesday
Location: SMU School of Law Building, Seminar Room 2.05
Time: 7pm-8.30pm

On 5 September 2017, CIArb organised a Young Members Group (“YMG”) roundtable event at SMU School of Law on “How to Develop a Career in International Arbitration”.

The event panel was made up of international arbitration practitioners with diverse backgrounds in international arbitration. It comprised of Koh Swee Yen of WongPartnership LLP, Gitta Satryani of Herbert Smith Freehills, Kevin Nash of Singapore International Arbitration Centre, and chaired by Benson Lim of Hogan Lovells Lee & Lee.

It was a lively and candid panel discussion which was well-attended by mostly law students and junior legal practitioners. Participants could choose to submit their questions ahead of the roundtable event or raise them during the panel discussion.

The panel first spoke about the various possible ways to start a career in international arbitration. The panel explored the different roles available in arbitral institutions and private legal practice in various practice areas.

The discussion turned to how each choice nevertheless led to the same guiding principle of building sound foundational skills fundamental to international arbitration practice.
Further, the panel addressed the queries on the advantages of overseas stints and dual-language capabilities in international arbitration.

While most of the discussion related to junior lawyers aiming to start their arbitration careers, the panel also shared their views on how non-lawyer arbitrators can look to maximise their chances of landing the first arbitrator appointment.

Following the roundtable discussion, the participants enjoyed the opportunity of interacting closely with the panel members over a networking evening tea. A student participant commented that “[t]he panel discussion was engaging but I found the chance to chat with arbitration practitioners even more useful.”

CIArb is pleased to announce that a similar YMG roundtable event will be held at NUS Faculty of Law in January 2018.

For photos of the event, please [click here].

Date: 30 August 2017, Wednesday
Location: VLV Singapore
Time: 7pm-9.30pm

About The Event
SCL(S) members (and their guests) and members of SCL’s reciprocal partners were warmly invited to the Society’s 9th Annual Dinner, 30 August 2017, Wednesday, 7.00pm-9.30pm at VLV Singapore.

Date: 20 July 2017, Thursday
Location: TBC (private dining)
Time: 6.30pm

About The Event
This exclusive supper was joined by an honorary guest, and leading international arbitrator, Mr Christopher Lau SC.

About The Guest
Christopher Lau is a Chartered Arbitrator and Senior Counsel of the Singapore Supreme Court. He has been in practice for over 30 years having been called to the Bar of England & Wales in 1972. After his return to Singapore in 1975, Christopher soon became best known for his role in shipping, construction and commercial disputes. He was appointed a Judicial Commissioner of the Singapore Supreme Court in 1995.

On stepping down from the Bench in 1998, Christopher has served as an arbitrator in major international cases conducted under ICC, HKIAC, KLRCA, LCIA, SCMA, SIAC and UNCITRAL arbitration rules in many countries worldwide. He sits in both ad hoc and institutionally administered arbitrations involving maritime, construction, commercial, oil & gas, infrastructure and investment disputes conducted under all major arbitration rules. Christopher is a member of ICC Commission on Arbitration, an Alternate Member ICC International Court of Arbitration, an Advisory Board Member IBA Asia Pacific Regional Forum, a member IBA Task Force on Professional Conduct in International Arbitration, Former Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Singapore) Limited and Former Member General Committee of the Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration (SCMA).

Chambers Global 2017 lists him as within Band 1 of “Most in Demand Arbitrators – Singapore” and describes him as “one of the big names”. He is further characterised as “wonderful – statesmanlike, personable, diligent and serious.”

Date: 11 July 2017, Tuesday
Location: 168 Robinson Road, Capital Tower, FTSE Room, Level 9, Singapore 068912
Time: 5pm-7.15pm

About The Seminar
In this seminar, the speakers discussed Legal Professional Privilege with an emphasis on how it applies to the Construction industry:

1. Introduction to Legal Professional Privilege
(a) Legal Advice Privilege
(b) Litigation Privilege
2. Application of Legal Professional Privilege
(a) For in-house counsel of Employers, Contractors and Sub-Contractors
(b) For Construction Professionals and Consultants
3. “Without prejudice” and other types of privilege
4. When can privilege be lost
5. Practical steps to improve protection

Date: 27 June 2017, Tuesday
Location: 9 Battery Road, 21st Floor, MYP Centre, Singapore 049910
Time: 5pm-7pm

About The Talk
CIArb Singapore had the privilege of hosting leading international arbitrator, Professor Janet Walker, as she delivered a talk challenging the conventional approach to managing the arbitration through a comprehensive plan fixed at the outset. While the first case management conference is an important opportunity to establish many key features of the procedure, (some of which are commonly overlooked) there are many other features that are best addressed at other stages. Which potential controversies over procedure should be tackled as the arbitration gets underway – which should be left for consideration as the procedure develops? How should these later steps in the arbitration be managed so to as to foster a productive working relationship with counsel, experts, and witnesses and maximize efficiency in the process? Can the approach counsel take to subsequent case conferences and procedural orders have a strategic impact on the outcomes and improve the value proposition for the parties?

About The Speaker
Professor Walker has served as arbitrator in numerous ICC, ICDR, DIAC and ad hoc arbitrations in seats in North America and Europe. Professor Walker is also a founding member of key dispute resolution institutions in Canada, including ICC Canada, Toronto Commercial Arbitration Society, and CIArb Canada. She authors the main private international law treatise in Canada and has served as consultant and expert on numerous significant transnational disputes. She is Professor of Law and past Associate Dean of Osgoode Hall Law School and common law advisor to the Federal Courts Rules Committee.

For photos of the event, please [click here].

Date: 9 June 2017, Friday
Location: Maxwell Chambers
Time: 8.30am-6pm

About The Conference
Evolution and Innovation: Keeping Pace with the Future of Arbitration
.

Date: Thursday, 8 June 2017
Location: The Westin Singapore
Time: 7.10pm-8.10pm

The SIAC-CIArb Debate was held on 8 June 2017 in a packed ballroom of 256 delegates at The Westin Singapore. Opening remarks were delivered by Mr Gary Born (President, SIAC Court of Arbitration) and Mr Chou Sean Yu (Chairman, Board of CIArb Singapore), and the Debate featured Mr Toby Landau QC, Mr Darius J Khambata SC, Mr Emmanuel Gaillard and Ms Judith Gill QC, titans of international arbitration.

The Debate motion was “This House Believes that the Practice of Party-Appointed Arbitrators is a Moral Hazard in International Arbitration and Should Be Abolished”. Arguing for the proposition, Mr Khambata SC observed that the “veil of secrecy shadowing the confabulations of arbitrators” could make it difficult to draw the “fine line between a doctrinally and culturally sensitive arbitrator and a committed or partial one”, while Mr Landau QC cautioned against the “danger of dysfunctional deliberations” that could arise where party-appointed wing arbitrators “jockey” for the attention of the tribunal president in polarised deliberations.

The motion was met with an equally-spirited opposition by Ms Gill QC and Mr Gaillard. Mr Gill QC argued that the motion was flawed for contemplating an “extreme and excessive response” to perceived issues which have not been fully explored or evidenced, and in circumstances where checks and balances already exist in the arbitral process to guard against the risk of arbitrator bias. Mr Gaillard rounded up the opposition’s case by highlighting that “what makes arbitration great” is the ability of parties to make choices (including the right to choose their arbitrators), and that this gives parties a sense of ownership in the process that in turn feeds into a willingness to satisfy the outcome of the arbitration.

The arguments on both sides were so compelling that the Judges (Mr Born, Professor Lucy Reed and Ms Ariel Ye) did not reach a clear verdict. The votes by the audience (103 in favour of the proposition, and 118 in favour of the opposition) which were announced by the moderator, Mr Francis Xavier SC, would however suggest that the opposition carried the motion for the day!

– Monica Chong Wan Yee, Senior Associate, WongPartnership

A similar report can be found on the CIArb London website.

For video of the event, please [click here].

For photos of the event, please [click here].

Date : Thursday, 1 June 2017
Location : Lake Course, Raffles Country Club
Time : 12.30pm

Over the last four years, this friendly annual triangular golf challenge tournament has helped to forge stronger ties among the ASEAN Law Association (Singapore), the CIArb Singapore Branch and the Singapore Corporate Counsel Association and to provide a platform for members of these associations to interact with one another. The 5th ALA(S)-CIArb-SCCA Friendly Triangular Golf Game was held on 1 June 2017 at Raffles Country Club.

Triangular challenge winner: ALA
Winner of the 2017 CIArb Golf Challenge: Yong Eng Wah
Nearest the pin winner: Yong Eng Wah
Nearest the line winner: Tan Tee Jim
Longest drive winner: Leon Koh

For photos of the event, please [click here].

Date: 26 April 2017, Wednesday
Location: RPC Premier Law, 12 Marina Boulevard, #38-04, MBFC Tower 3, Singapore 018982
Time: 5pm-7pm

About The Talk
An opportunity to hear from the experts themselves! Jon Prudhoe and Garry Crossley of Navigant’s Global Construction Practice are both highly sought after Delay and Quantum experts, with extensive experience of consulting and giving evidence on construction, energy and oil & gas matters. They spoke on the all essential topic of how to marshal and presented expert evidence for optimal results. The talk encompassed the duties and role of experts in disputes of various natures and complexities; how experts work and interact with counsel/clients; and the effective presentation of evidence, including cross-examination strategies, the utility of joint testimonies, and “hot-tubbing” the experts.

Date: 20-21 April 2017, Thursday-Friday
Location: Marina Bay Sands, Sands Expo and Convention Center
Time: 9am-6.30pm

About The Conference
The Litigation Conference 2017 is proudly presented by the Civil Practice Committee of The Law Society of Singapore. In commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of The Law Society of Singapore, the theme for this year’s conference was 50 Years On, Thinking Forward.

International and local speakers were invited to take part in various panel discussions on the changing landscape of litigation and what the future holds for litigation lawyers, during the two-day conference (20 & 21 April 2017).

“The Honourable Chief Justice at the Opening of the Legal Year 2017, announced the Specialist Accreditation scheme designed to give due recognition to those who are experts in their field – starting with building and construction lawyers.”

Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Tharman Shanmugaratnam on 30th October 2014 (then also the Minister of Finance) at the Inaugural Singapore Productivity and 20th Business Excellence Awards Ceremony said:

“…. as a country, we have to place much greater importance on continuous learning and the development of deep expertise, in every trade.”

SCL(S) embarked on a new programme ‘Construction Expertise 101’ as an expansion and diversification from its highly successful Engineering 101 course (2010-2015) to provide basic understanding and appreciation of the key disciplines in the Singapore construction industry.

Date: 28 March 2017, Tuesday
Location: Hong Kong International Arbitration Center
Time: 9.30am-5.30pm

About The Workshop
Costs continue to dominate the legal landscape and with continued pressure on legal budgets in 2017, it is vital to understand and control all aspects of costs and time, including those for arbitrations.

CIArb’s Costs in Arbitration Workshop 2017 delivered first-hand and practical insight into how arbitral tribunals approach the issues relating to costs in arbitration. Combining the expertise of leading law firms, a recognised arbitrator and an experienced funder, the workshop offered a 360- degree view of the cost landscape with a focus on five main areas:
-Costs of arbitration proceedings
-Practical cost budgeting
-Security for costs
-Third party funding
-The award and assessment of costs

Date: 15 March 2017, Wednesday
Location: One Marina Boulevard, NTUC Centre, Level 8, Room 801, Singapore 018989
Time: 5pm-7.30pm

About The Seminar
Engineering experts are often engaged in construction disputes involving defects and collapses to opine on both the cause of a failure and the technical aspects relating to whether or not the structure was designed and constructed in compliance with the relevant legal requirements.

Sean Brady explored the material and processes typically utilised by experts in reaching such opinions and discussed why addressing the causation question requires forensic expertise, while the compliance question requires design expertise, both of which are quite distinct

Sean concluded with practical advice on how to ensure expert witnesses are approaching their brief in a manner that is independent, transparent, and forensically sound.

Date: 15 March 2017, Wednesday
Location: Maxwell Chambers, Level 3
Time: 8.30am-8.00pm

About The Conference
SCMA conference has long been an industry marque event where the industry’s outstanding practitioners were gathered to share their experiences with the audience. For the 2017 conference, Sir Bernard Rix was the Guest of Honour and keynote speaker. Sir Bernard Rix recently retired from the Court of Appeal of England and Wales after twenty years as first a High Court Judge and then a Lord Justice of Appeal. As member of the Court of Appeal, he delivered a wide range of judgments on commercial disputes and shipping arbitrations. He was recently appointed as Professor of International Commercial Law at Queen Mary, University of London.

SCMA Conference 2017 “Making Maritime Arbitration Work for you” featured a mix of speaker presentations and panel discussions to showcase how maritime arbitration can be done more efficiently in an industry that continues to experience difficult headwinds.

Date: 22 February 2017, Wednesday
Location: Hogan Lovells Lee & Lee, 50 Collyer Quay, #10-01 OUE Bayfront, Singapore 049321
Time: 5pm-7.30pm

About The Seminar
The construction industry in Vietnam is currently booming, and foreign construction companies enjoy an active share in this market. Vietnam is nonetheless a highly regulated, Civil Code, based jurisdiction. The seminar was a discussion of the legal considerations and best practices in implementing a construction project in Vietnam, which will span licensing and regulatory aspects, as well as the enforceability of typical contractual protections.

Date: 8 February 2017, Wednesday
Location: Maxwell Chambers, 32 Maxwell Road, 069115 Singapore
Time: 2pm-6pm

About The Seminar
Alternative Dispute Resolution for IP and Technology Disputes
Recent Developments

Date: 18 January 2017, Wednesday
Location: Royal Palm, 6 Eu Tong Sen Street, #04-86/87, The Central (Clarke Quay), Singapore 059817
Time: 5pm-7.30pm

About The Event
Since the Inaugural Annual Construction Law Updates seminar in January 2011, SCL (Singapore) has organised an annual update which has been well-received as a key landmark in each year’s construction law-related training calendar. SCL (Singapore) is pleased to present its annual overview of key legal issues affecting the construction law industry in Singapore this past year.

We were delighted to have Mr David Bailey QC, a commercial law specialist from 7 King’s Bench Walk, London, to give a talk at Maxwell Chambers. He has a substantial international arbitration practice and has been involved in some of the most significant cases dealing with anti-suit injunctions.

About The Talk
Crescendo Maritime v Bank of Communications [2016] 1 Lloyd’s Rep. 414 is the latest decision to address the problem of direct and collateral attacks on arbitration agreements and awards. The case concerned an arbitration claim by a buyer on a refund guarantee issued in connection with a ship building contract. Having lost the arbitration, the refund guarantor commenced proceedings in China against the buyer and a third party alleging fraud. The question for the court was whether those proceedings amounted to a ‘collateral attack’ upon the arbitration and the award and, if so, what remedies should be granted to the buyer and the third party.

For photos of the talk, please [click here].

Having gained more and more support from governments across numerous Asian countries, arbitration as an ADR mechanism has been steadily gaining traction. This is in particularly accelerated by the current global economy slowdown which has impacted upon both domestic and cross-border transactional works has slowed, and picked up the pace in disputes cases significantly. In addition, the quality of arbitration centres in the Asia Pacifi c region have been constantly improving and being extensively promoted both directly and indirectly through arguments that arbitration is ament much more cost and time effective way of resolving disputes as compared to traditional ways such as litigation which can at times prove to be costly. Singapore in particular is seen as a rising star in the arbitration fi eld. The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has ranked the city-state as the number one seat of ICC arbitration in Asia for the last five years, as well as in the top five most preferred seats of ICC arbitration in the world for the last ten years. On top of that, there are now more arbitrations filed before the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC) and the HKIAC as compared to those filed in traditional arbitral centres like the ICC in Paris and the LCIA.

Arbitration as a choice in resolving international disputes will likewise continue to gain momentum and sour further grow as Asia continues to expand its international business reach. This conference gathered together international and regional arbitrators, in-house counsels, legal practitioners and industry experts to discuss recent developments in Asia Pacific’s arbitration practices and key drivers behind the growing trends in the establishment of new arbitration centres and increasing competition between existing ones, hot pressing legal issues and best practice solutions in the region.

Location : Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre

The Summit was jointly organized by the Beijing Arbitration Commission / Beijing International Arbitration Center (BAC/BIAC) and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (East Asia Branch)(CIArb (EAB)). The purpose of the Summit was to create a platform for arbitration practitioners and users to discuss and exchange views on the impact of the recent Belt and Road Initiative development strategy on the international dispute resolution.

Location : 1 Altitude, Level 62, 1 Raffles Place, Singapore 048616

Supported by global arbitral bodies including ICC Asia, Permanent Court of Arbitration, UNCITRAL, CIETAC and SIAC, the course attracted students from across the Asia Pacific region and beyond. Held at the exclusive 1 Altitude, the event was joined by Honorary Guests, Faculty Members and the Class of 2016.

Date : Friday 19 August 2016
Location : Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre of Arbitration, Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia
Time : 9.00am – 5.30pm

Conference Sessions: 

• Plenary Sessions

Plenary speakers covered critical themes and ‘hot’ issues in international arbitration. A selection of visionary speakers delivered challenging ideas to the entire floor, probing minds with their experiences, research and insights of significant global concerns.

• Breakout Sessions

Breakout Sessions were led by expert speakers from the region and beyond. Each Breakout Session covered a specific topic. Topics were related to construction, maritime, investment arbitration and commercial arbitration.

• Networking tea-break and lunch sessions throughout the conference.

• Post-conference Drinks Reception at the end of the conference for all delegates and speakers.

• Optional Pre/Post-Conference City Tour was offered and arranged for delegates who wished to combine attendance with a short break.

Date : Tuesday 19 July 2016
Location : Hogan Lovells Lee & Lee
Time : 5.00pm – 7.00pm

About The Talk

One of the perceived disadvantages of arbitration as against Court litigation is that the party which chooses to be uncooperative can delay an arbitration to a greater extent than would be possible in Court litigation. Non-cooperation can manifest itself across a broad spectrum from merely playing hard ball to what are often described as guerrilla tactics, that is extreme behaviour which can sometimes amount to criminal behaviour. The speaker looked at some of the ways this non- cooperation can manifest itself and how arbitral tribunals can deal with it.

Date : Wednesday 29 June 2016
Location : TBC (private dining)
Time : 6.30pm

We were delighted to welcome honorary guest, and leading international arbitrator, Professor Doug Jones AO to the first ever Singapore YMG Supper Club.

This exclusive event was held in a private room at the prestigious Tower Club in the Republic Plaza building, Raffles Place.

Professor Jones introduced the topic for the evening, “the role of the tribunal secretary” before inviting discussion over supper. The debate was lively and covered a range of angles and opinions. A delicious supper, great views and good company rounded off a fantastic evening.

By popular demand the YMG will be holding further Supper Clubs, with notable speakers at great locations.

Date : Friday 24 June 2016
Location : Tampines Course, Tanah Merah Country Club
Time : 12.30pm

Over the last three years, this friendly annual triangular golf challenge tournament has helped to forge stronger ties among the ASEAN Law Association (Singapore), the CIArb Singapore Branch and the Singapore Corporate Counsel Association and to provide a platform for members of these associations to interact with one another. The 4th ASEAN Law Association-Singapore Corporate Counsel Association Golf triangular challenge together with the CIArb Singapore Branch’s annual golf tournament was held on 24 June 2016 at Tanah Merah Country Club. Boosted by a strong team, ALA retained the trophy for the triangular challenge which they won last year. The winners were:

Best-score (stableford) : Tan Liam Beng

Ladies Champion : Kalyani Rajendran

Winner : Joseph Liow

1st Runner-Up : Chiam Tao Koon

2nd Runner-Up : Tito Issac

Low Gross : Leon Koh

Date : Monday 20 June 2016
Location : Maxwell Chambers
Time : 6.00pm

On the occasion of the launch of its South-East Asia Chapter, the Swiss Arbitration Association cordially held a discussion on: “Arbitration in Switzerland and Singapore: exchange of best practices”

Date : Thursday 26 May 2016
Location : Raffles Hotel Singapore, Casuarina Suite B (Level 3)
Time : 6.15pm – 8.15pm

There has been a consistently inconsistent approach in the enforcement of arbitral awards that have been set aside at the seat. One of the advantages that has often been said of arbitration is that the national courts of New York Convention states should enforce an arbitral award unless one of the limited grounds for refusal is met. There are differing views amongst a number of ‘pro-arbitration’ states as to whether or not an arbitral award that has been set aside by the national courts at the seat of the arbitration can then be enforced in another jurisdiction.

YSIAC Lunchtime Talk with Toby Landau QC

Date : Wednesday 25 May 2016
Location : Clifford Chance, Marina Bay Financial Centre, 25th Floor, Tower 3, 2 Marina Boulevard, Singapore 018982
Time : 12.00pm – 2.15pm

The lecture analysed and criticised recent developments in the law of apparent bias and conflicts of interest in England and Singapore, and its application in the fields of international commercial and InvestorState arbitration. Comparisons were drawn between the treatment of this topic as between court and arbitration, and as between conventional law and soft law.

SIAC – CIArb Debate

Date : Thursday 26 May 2016
Location : Raffles Hotel Singapore, Casuarina Suite B (Level 3)
Time : 6.15pm – 8.15pm

There has been a consistently inconsistent approach in the enforcement of arbitral awards that have been set aside at the seat. One of the advantages that has often been said of arbitration is that the national courts of New York Convention states should enforce an arbitral award unless one of the limited grounds for refusal is met. There are differing views amongst a number of ‘pro-arbitration’ states as to whether or not an arbitral award that has been set aside by the national courts at the seat of the arbitration can then be enforced in another jurisdiction.

SIAC Congress & Charity Gala Dinner 2016

Date : Friday 27 May 2016
Location: St Regis Singapore
Time: 8.00 am – 10.30pm

This was a special event as we celebrated our Silver Jubilee, and the Congress coincided with the global launch of our new SIAC Arbitration Rules. Following the Congress was a Gala Dinner, which was a charity event in support of the Community Justice Centre (www.cjc.org.sg).

The Congress programme focused on the new provisions to be included in the revised Arbitration Rules, such as procedures for investment arbitration, joinder, consolidation and multiple contracts, as well as revisions to our existing Emergency Arbitrator and Expedited Procedure provisions. Our line-up of eminent panellists included distinguished members of the SIAC Court of Arbitration, other leading arbitration practitioners and senior in-house counsel, who shared their collective insights and views on current hot topics, recent global trends and developments and what lies ahead in the complex world of multi-jurisdictional disputes. The Congress was a landmark event for practitioners and in-house counsel alike, as it provided them with the unique opportunity to be the first to learn about the new SIAC Rules which was unveiled at the Congress.

 

Date : Tuessday 10 May 2016
Location : Ashurst LLP, 12 Marina Boulevard, Level 24, Marina Bay Financial Centre Tower 3, Singapore 018982
Time : 05:30pm – 07:30pm

About The Talk

Project management skills have become an essential requirement for arbitrators. In this seminar, Ben Giaretta discussed the project management tools and techniques that can be used by arbitrators in order to ensure that arbitration proceedings are conducted expeditiously and economically.

About The Talk

“There is a great deal to think about as the sun rises over this glorious golden age of arbitration. But the time has come to reflect on what we must do to ensure the arbitration industry remains sustainable for the next generation.” – Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon ICCA 2012.
Singapore-based arbitrator, David Bateson gave a critical review of the current state of international arbitration, covering areas of both growth and improvement, concern and complaints. What does the future hold?

The Global Pound Conference (GPC) is the place for you to meet like-minded and passionate individuals and stakeholders to discuss the future of dispute resolution and access to justice.

Launched in Singapore in March 2016 and ending in London in 2017, the GPC series will convene all stakeholders in the field of dispute resolution around the world to expound upon key challenges in Appropriate Dispute Resolution (ADR) of interest and relevance to all.

The exciting 2-day inaugural GPC Singapore 2016 held at the Supreme Court of Singapore from 17 to 18 March 2016 provoked debate on existing tools and techniques, stimulated new ideas and generated actionable data on the needs of corporate and individual dispute resolution users, both locally and globally.

There was also networking opportunities to interact with local and international stakeholders through panel discussions, interactive sessions and informal engagements.

Date: Wednesday 24 February 2016
Location :Intellioffices, Level 3, 146 Robinson Road, Singapore 068909
Time: 05:00pm – 07:30pm

The talk focused on pacing of delays, a prevalent occurrence on construction projects both in Singapore and abroad. There is unfortunately little literature, and a paucity of legal authority on this difficult subject. Employers and contractors thus often find themselves at odds with one another over the practical effect of pacing in the context of delay claims. In this presentation, the speakers explained:

1. what constitutes pacing

2. when contractors might pace on account of an employer delay

3. the practical impact of pacing delay, both on the project and on delay claims

The talk aimed to create a better understanding of pacing and how it may be dealt with by both employers and contractors.

5.30pm – 7.30pm, Monday 23 November: Welcome Reception, Sydney Harbour Cruise
9.00am – 5.30pm, Tuesday 24 November: 3rd International Arbitration Conference, Sofitel Wentworth
7.00pm – 11.30pm, Tuesday 24 November: Black Tie Gala Dinner, Harbourside Room, MCA

CIArb Australia was on the countdown to celebrate the CIArb Centenary Celebrations Australia events which took place from 23 – 24 November 2015 during Sydney Arbitration Week. This was a unique opportunity to show case the Institute and its work in the promotion of arbitration and other forms of dispute resolution on a global scale.

The Herbert Smith Freehills-SMU Asian Arbitration Lecture was delivered on Tuesday, 24 November 2015, by eminent arbitration practitioner and scholar, Professor Gabrielle Kaufmann-Kohler. The lecture, an SILE Accredited CPD Activity, took place at the Mochtar Riady Auditorium, Singapore Management University, from 5pm to 6.30pm, followed by a reception. The lecture opened to the legal community in Singapore interested in international law and international arbitration. For further details on past and upcoming lectures, please click here.

CIArb Singapore was a supporting organisation of the 5th SCMA Annual Conference 2015: Maritime Dispute Resolution In The Lion City – The Next 50 Years. The conference, which was held on 23 October 2015, from 8am – 8.30pm, at Maxwell Chambers, Level 3, took stock of Singapore’s maritime dispute resolution landscape in recognition of our nation’s 50th anniversary. Focus was directed on its evolution in the last 50 years, where we are headed and how SCMA can best position itself to benefit from these changes. The conference background was set against:

– Asia’s economic growth
– Asian strength in shipping
– A default Asian arbitral seat for Singapore in BIMCO and NYPE forms

Attention was also paid to an undercapitalized shipping market responding to ADR mechanisms such as mediation and neutral evaluation as tools to achieve early and cost-efficient resolution of maritime disputes.

The conference also featured mock sessions on mediation and arbitration together with supporting panel discussions. For more details, please click here.

Many conferences focus on the important question of what to expect next in international arbitration in Asia. In the 4th Singapore International Arbitration Forum, we propose to go beyond that question. We propose to go beyond Asia, to go beyond arbitration, to look beyond the horizon. We propose to explore what the winds of international dispute resolution are bringing our way and, despite oft-repeated predictions, might well not be bringing our way.

Leading practitioners and academics will use both their intellect and experience to look beyond the standard conversations about investment treaty arbitration, “Asian international” commercial arbitration, and mediation of cross-border disputes.

Turning first to investor-state dispute resolution, why is the common assumption that ISDS is bearing down on Asia like a storm? Do the much-feared investor-state arbitration mechanisms in Asian FTAs and BITs even matter in practice? Will disputes, and arbitration of those disputes, be different with or without treaty ISDS mechanisms in place? Can and will Asia, as a “late mover”, benefit from the last two decades of investment treaty arbitration “jurisprudence”– will Asian parties follow the leader, avoid the pitfalls, ignore the outliers? Is there real cross-pollination between the anticipated practice of investor-state arbitration and the established practice of international commercial arbitration?

And just how established is “international” commercial arbitration in Asia? To be blunt, is Asia part of “international” or is it not? As foreign investment increases in Asia, there is much talk about how Asia needs increasing expertise in international commercial arbitration. The talk tends to ignore underlying questions, some of them inconvenient. How and when will Asian law societies, bars and courts be really open to international expertise? How and when will the “international arbitration community” be really open to Asian arbitrators and advocates, for non-Asian disputes? In the context of reciprocity, are leading international arbitrators and practitioners overlooking the growing reality that they need Asia as much as (they think) Asia needs them? In pushing against this horizon, how do we walk the fine line between cultural differences, cultural sensitivities and political correctness?

Finally, can we see beyond the fixed horizon of arbitration-litigation to successful mediation of international disputes? With the launch of the Singapore International Mediation Center, can Singapore make progress toward the so-far elusive goal of early mediation of complex international commercial and investor-state disputes? Thinking more ambitiously, could Singapore be an “early mover” and leader here? What legal and practical infrastructure is necessary? Who and what might work to change defeatist and negative attitudes, especially involving investor-state mediation? Is there hope of breathing life into the “cooling off” negotiation period before investors can initiate ISDS cases?

Click here for the full brochure on SIAF 2015.

The CIArb Singapore Centenary Celebration Conference held on 3 & 4 September 2015 at Marina Bay Sands was a resounding success, with over 320 delegates, comprising of senior judges and judicial officers, international arbitration counsel, representatives of arbitral institutions, in-house legal counsel, arbitrators, industry professionals and law students attending the Conference. The highlight of the Conference was the keynote address entitled “Standards in need of bearers: Encouraging reform from within” by the Honourable the Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, Chief Justice of Singapore and Patron of CIArb. The Conference also saw the global launch of the CIArb Guidelines with three panel sessions dedicated to discussing some of the more widely used guidelines.

A copy of the Chief Justice’s keynote address can be found here and an overview of the panel sessions by the President of CIArb, Charles Brown can be found here.

Click here for photographs of the Conference.

The CIArb Singapore Branch International Arbitration Essay Competition 2015 was conducted this year in conjunction with the CIArb Singapore Centenary Conference. The title for the 2015 Essay Competition was: “Innovation in international arbitration: does the Emperor need new clothes?” Entries were invited for this Essay Competition from persons below the age of 45 working or resident in Asia at the date the entries were submitted. Attractive cash prizes were awarded to the winner and the runner up, both of whom were also invited to the Centenary Conference Gala Dinner held on 4 September 2015. We congratulate the winners for this year’s competition:

1st Prize – Junianto James Losari (cash prize of S$2,000)
2nd Prize – Ranjeeta Kaur (cash prize of S$1,000)

The 3rd CIArb-ASEAN Law Association-Singapore Corporate Counsel Association Golf triangular challenge together with the Singapore Branch’s annual golf tournament was held on 25 June 2015 at the tough but picturesque Seletar Country Club.

Boosted by a strong team, ALA retained the trophy for the triangular challenge.

The winners in the Singapore Branch’s tournament were:

Champion: Lee Ah Teng (Stableford Points: 35)
1st Runner-Up: Richard Tan (Stableford Points: 34)
2nd Runner-Up: Simon Sloane (Stableford Points: 34)

This intensive half-day workshop featured SIAC’s innovative arbitration training video to demonstrate the workings of an emergency arbitrator procedure under the latest edition of its Rules – The SIAC Rules (5th Edition, 1 April 2013).

During the course of this workshop, our highly distinguished and experienced panel and moderators , with the aid of various case scenarios, took participants through the very many complex issues that are likely to arise during the course of an emergency arbitrator procedure.

The workshop also featured a mock Emergency Arbitrator hearing to provide practical hands on experience to attendees of the issues that are likely to be encountered.

This year’s CIArb Singapore Branch Mid-year Members’ Evening was held at the Raffles Hotel on 30 July 2014.

Some 80 members and guests attended, from Singapore and abroad, for an informal evening of drinks and canapés as well as a chance to catch up with friends and colleagues.

We were privileged to have Justice Quentin Loh attend the Member’s Evening as the Guest of Honour.

Members and guests were welcomed by the Chairman of the Branch, Mr Richard Tan, who welcomed new members, spoke briefly about the activities of the Singapore Branch for the past year and acknowledged the members of the Branch who had assisted with its activities.

Plaques of appreciation were presented to Ms Jessica Park of the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center and Ms Lim Seok Hui of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre for the support and assistance of those institutions, particularly for the Intellectual Property, Technology, Media and Technology Arbitration Symposium (IPMTAS) 2014 which had been held earlier in the year.

Justice Quentin Loh then announced the winners of the CIArb Singapore 2014 Essay Competition and presented the prizes. This year’s topic was “Asia’s diversity: the strength of Asia’s arbitration centres lies in their differences not in their similarities”.  This year the competition was open to all persons under the age of 40 working or resident in Asia and a record number of entries was received, with six countries represented.

The essays were judged by a panel consisting of Justice Quentin Loh, Richard Tan as well as Neil Block QC, Edwin Glasgow QC, Peter Rees QC and David Brynmor Thomas from Thirty Nine Essex Street Chambers, which sponsored the competition.   Justice Loh made a short address about the entries, noting their high quality and his difficulty in separating the top candidates despite several stages of review and re-review.

We warmly congratulate the winners of the essay competition who were:

First prize: Mr Benson Lim You Yu

Second prize: Ms Debby Lim Hui Li

Third prize: Mr Gerald Leong

The generous cash prizes for the competition and the drinks for the evening were kindly sponsored by Thirty Nine Essex Street Chambers. The winning essay will be published in a forthcoming issue of the CIArb’s journal Arbitration -The International Journal of Arbitration, Mediation and Dispute Management and will be uploaded to this website when published.

After the formalities, members and guests mingled over canapés and free flow of wine and drinks until late into the evening.

For photos of the Members’ Evening, please [click here].

Friday, 27 June 2014

The second edition of the friendly triangular golf game, which was held at the Keppel Club, helped to forge stronger ties among the ASEAN Law Association (Singapore), The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Singapore) and The Singapore Corporate Counsel Association and to provide a platform for members of the associations to interact with one another. Congratulations to ALA(S) who were the winners on this occasion!

The CIArb Singapore Branch in conjunction with Thirty Nine Essex Street Chambers held the 2014 CIArb Singapore Young Members Group Essay Competition. The Essay Title was “Asia’s diversity: the strength of Asia’s arbitration centres lies in their differences not in their similarities”
The competition was open to below the age of 40 working or resident in Asia at the date the entry is submitted. They need not be members of the CIArb.  Attractive prizes will be awarded to the winners and the winning essay published.

The essays were judged by a panel consisting of Justice Quentin Loh, Richard Tan as well as Neil Block QC, Edwin Glasgow QC, Peter Rees QC and David Brynmor Thomas from Thirty Nine Essex Street Chambers, which sponsored the competition.  The winners were announced by Justice Quentin Loh at the 2014 Members’ Evening, where Justice Loh noted the high quality of the entries and his difficulty in separating the top candidates despite several stages of review and re-review..

We warmly congratulate the winners of the essay competition who were:

First prize: Mr Benson Lim You Yu
Second prize: Ms Debby Lim Hui Li
Third prize: Mr Gerald Leong

Wednesday, 28 May 2014

At this talk, we examined the pros and cons of combining mediation with arbitration, as well as the great care has to be taken when combining these two processes, so as not to water down the efficacy of these two entirely different techniques.

It is often said that there are many advantages of combining mediation with arbitration, whether this be with the same individual acting first as arbitrator, turning into a mediator and then back to an arbitrator, should the mediation not be successful, or with a separate arbitrator and mediator.  Arbitration legislation, not only in Singapore but elsewhere in the world recognises the former technique, notwithstanding criticisms, particularly from a common law perspective.  On the other hand, certain civil law jurisdictions and the People’s Republic of China endorse the concept of an arbitrator turned mediator.

WIPO Workshop for Mediators in Intellectual Property Disputes
May 22 to 23 May 2014, Geneva, Switzerland

This intensive two-day workshop was presented by Professors Robert H. Mnookin (Harvard Law School) and Gary J. Friedman (The Center for Mediation in Law, Mill Valley, California) to lawyers, business executives, patent and trademark attorneys, and others who wished to familiarize themselves with the mediation process and to receive training as mediators. The Workshop included lectures and simulated mediation exercises related to intellectual property disputes, and gave participants an opportunity to speak directly with WIPO Center senior staff.

CIArb Singapore was a Supporting Organization of the DRBF 14th Annual International Conference – 16-17 May 2014

Dispute Boards (DBs) are recognized worldwide for their effectiveness in the real time avoidance and resolution of disputes on major projects. Embraced by government agencies, private owners, and multilateral development banks, DBs ensure project success through significant decreases in costs and time overruns.

This DBRF annual International Conference was hosted for the first time in Asia, in Singapore.  It attracted top Dispute Board practitioners, employers, funding institutions, contractors, legal professionals and consultants all active in alternative dispute resolution.

Day one offered full-day interactive training, with an introductory level workshop for those new to the process, and an advanced level workshop for experienced Dispute Board practitioners. The two-day conference featured engaging presentations and lively panel discussions about the latest developments and issues facing the alternative dispute resolution community worldwide. Case studies, insight from the international financing institutions, and cost benefit analysis was presented, along with insight on the future prospects for expanding the Dispute Board process in Southeastern Asia and beyond.

Asian Maritime Law and Arbitration Conference – 10 to 11 April 2014

The Asian Maritime Law & Arbitration Conference (“AMLAC”) took place from 10 to 11 April 2014 at the Supreme Court Auditorium, and CIArb Singapore was a Supporting Organisation.  It featured significant legal and dispute resolution topics drawn from milestones in a ship’s life cycle on issues commonly faced by a shipowner, shipyard, financier and other relevant parties during the construction, trading and conversion phases.

CIArb-WIPO-SIAC Intellectual Property, Media & Technology Arbitration Symposium 2014 (13-14 March 2014)
Innovation Under The Global Spotlight – Overcoming Challenges, Changing Mindsets

The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Singapore Branch), in association with the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center and the Singapore International Arbitration Centre, successfully organised the CIArb-WIPO-SIAC Intellectual Property, Media & Technology Arbitration Symposium 2014, at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre, Singapore.

The Senior Minister of State for Law & Education, Ms Indranee Rajah was the Guest of Honour and Keynote Speaker.

IP, technology and innovation are key drivers of economic growth globally and in Asia. The astonishing speed at which new ideas, products and technologies are being introduced into the world marketplace, coupled with the need to compete, create and innovate in the converging areas of Intellectual Property, Media and Technology, carries however risks and new challenges. What are those risks and challenges and how should businesses, innovators and their advisers deal with them? What mechanisms are currently in place to diffuse, avoid and resolve conflicts and what new measures and solutions should be considered?

Under the Singapore IP Hub Master Plan, Singapore aims to become a global IP hub with a world-class infrastructure and eco-system where businesses and investors are secure in protecting their rights, transacting deals across borders and resolving their disputes.

The views of leading IP, arbitration and ADR experts and business leaders from around the world were canvassed, discussed and debated during the 2-day symposium as they discussed their experiences and addressed the key issues, best practices and new solutions.

Monday, 10 February 2014

There are many different ways of presenting a party’s case to an arbitral tribunal. Our distinguished speaker, Neil Kaplan shared his insights and provided practical tips on how parties should approach this all important aspect in the context of an international arbitration where parties may come from different backgrounds and the case conducted under different arbitration rules, beginning from the road map that might be laid down at the first procedural meeting when directions are given through to the evidential hearing and post-hearing briefs.  He discussed how party representatives should generally present submissions, arguments and evidence to arbitral tribunals, what arbitral tribunals generally expect and what parties and their party representatives should – and should not – do, in order to achieve the best and most cost-effective result for their clients.

Force Majeure, Delay and Termination: the Perils and Pitfalls to Watch Out For” by Adam Constable QC
Monday, 16 September 2013
In this talk, Adam Constable QC Spoke on the perils and pitfalls associated with delays to projects and the effect of certain contractual clauses dealing with delays and termination, including:

• the interpretation of Force Majeure clauses which parties may seek to rely upon to extend the delivery or completion date; key aspects of the approach to construing such clauses in standard form contracts, such as the SAJ form (and what constitutes “Permissible Delays” and “beyond the control” of a party); and the identification and resolution of areas of ambiguity.

• when delay to construction may be a basis for contractual termination by an owner; how these issues should be approached from the owner’s and builder’s perspectives; the interrelationship with common law repudiatory breach, and election between contractual and common law remedies.

The talk was especially relevant in the light of the recent Singapore cases involving the ban of sand exports such as Holcim (Singapore) Pte Ltd v Precise Development Pte Ltd and another [2011] SGCA 1 and Alliance Concrete Singapore Pte Ltd v Sato Kogyo (S) Pte Ltd [2013] SGHC 127.

Supporting Organization of CIArb 2013 International Arbitration Conference
Thursday, 22 August 2013 to Saturday, 24 August 2013
About 300 people attended the CIArb 2013 International Arbitration Conference “Tapping Asia’s Growth” in Penang from 22-24 August 2013. The Chief Justice of Malaysia, Tun Ariffin Zakaria, gave the Opening Speech and the Chief Justice of Singapore, Sundaresh Menon, gave the Keynote Address. The speakers and panellists included judges from many different countries, including Singapore’s Justice Judith Prakash, and representatives from many arbitral institutions. Participants at the 3-day conference discussed the growth of arbitration in countries in Asia and its leading arbitral institutions, the challenges and risks facing the arbitration community and users and many other topical issues. The highlight of the conference would have been Chief Justice’s Sundaresh Menon’s Keynote Address “Some Cautionary Notes For An Age of Opportunity”, in which he spoke on various issues that the international arbitration community needed to address in order to better respond to challenges to a changing environment. Importantly, his cautionary tales included his views on possible responses to those challenges.

Strategies for managing risks and resolving disputes involving Chinese parties in International Arbitrators by Ruth Stackpool-Moore & Lim Seok Hui
Monday, 22 July 2013
An increase in the number of cross-border disputes involving Chinese parties is inevitable as inbound and outbound investment in China continues to surge. Parties doing business with Chinese parties need to be aware of the risks and challenges they face, including different avenues for resolving disputes, drafting effective dispute resolution clauses and enforcing awards.

Our distinguished speakers from two leading arbitration institutions shared their views and perspectives on this important subject. Ruth Stackpool-Moore, the Managing Counsel of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC), examined the precautionary steps businesses may take to successfully manage their risks in the course of such dealings, including what measures they should take to ensure the effective resolution of disputes and in what areas HKIAC Rules can assist any party dealing with Chinese entities.  Ms Lim Seok Hui, Chief Executive Officer of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), discussed SIAC’s recent experience with arbitrations involving Chinese parties from a variety of industry sectors and common issues including drafting contracts with Chinese parties, language of contracts and the arbitration, the effect of Chinese legislation, numbers of arbitrators and enforcement requirements in China.

ALA-CIArb-SCCA Triangular Golf Game (See Photos)
Friday, 31 May 2013
The inaugural friendly triangular golf game between the ASEAN Law Association (Singapore), the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Singapore) and the Singapore Corporate Counsel Association was played at the Island Course of the Singapore Island Country Club. Save for the interruption by adverse weather towards the end, the event proved to be most enjoyable and memorable for the 45 participants who sweated and put in their best efforts for the associations they were representing in vying for the challenge trophy. In the end, Team CIArb won the challenge trophy but just by one Stableford point ahead of Team ALA. All the same, hip-hip-hooray Team CIArb!

The CIArb golf tournament that took place concurrently with the friendly triangular saw keen competition amongst CIArb members. This tournament was won by Lee Ah Teng. Yong Eng Wah took the second placing and the third placing went to Carl Wong. Congratulations to the winners! The sumptuous buffet dinner with its generous spread after the golf game was equally enjoyable. The evening presented a splendid opportunity for participants to mingle and get to know each other. Speeches in the form of golf jokes by Justice Lee Seiu Kin, Richard Tan and Chua Lee Ming provided the laughter that made the event completely memorable. We would like to express our thanks and gratitude to the main sponsor – Thirty Nine Essex Street Chambers, and to the subsidiary sponsors – Rajah & Tann and Merrill Corporation, for their generous contributions. Last but not least, special thanks to Justice Lee Seiu Kin, Richard Tan and Chua Lee Ming for donating the challenge trophy for the triangular golf game.

Essay Competition & Singapore Branch Members’ Evening
Thursday, 30 May 2013
The Branch held its mid-year Members’ evening on 30 May 2013. Almost a hundred members and guests attended the event at the Ritz Carlton hotel. We were also privileged to have Senior Minister of State for Law and Education, Ms Indranee Rajah, attend as our guest of honour and to announce the winners of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators Singapore 2013 YMG essay competition jointly organized with Thirty Nine Essex Street Chambers and present the prizes.

The curtain raiser for the evening was a talk by Neil Block QC of Thirty-Nine Essex Street Chambers on privilege in international arbitrations and the recent English Supreme Court decision in R (on the application of Prudential plc and another) v Special Commissioner of Income Tax and another [2013] 2 WLR 325, which held that legal professional privilege did not attach to legal advice given by accountants in relation to their clients’ tax affairs. Mr Block discussed the reasoning of the majority and dissenting opinions in that case, and suggested that the decision may not be followed in other jurisdictions. He then went on to examine the difficulty of determining what rules should be applied where the parties have different expectations as to the scope (if any) of the law of privilege in international arbitration proceedings. Mr Block discussed solutions to this problem including the adoption of a ‘most favoured nation’ approach, where parties and the tribunal might rely on the national law of the party which offered the broadest scope of privilege.

The Chairman of the Branch, Richard Tan, gave a speech to welcome members and guests, some of whom travelled from overseas. He spoke on the recent work of the Singapore Branch in conducting talks, training seminars and workshops on arbitration for members of the Institute and members of the public, organizing various activities for the Branch, including networking and social events, and importantly, its initiatives encouraging thought leadership and creative thinking, such as the recent essay competition, all of which were geared towards the further development of international arbitration, best practices and the promotion of the objectives of the Chartered Institute, which now had more than 12,500 members around the world. He observed that the ranks of the Singapore branch were rapidly expanding and warmly welcomed the new members who had recently joined the Singapore Branch through the various pathways programmes offered by the Institute and congratulated them on their success. He expressed grateful appreciation for the contributions of the volunteers on the main committee and sub-committees, all of whom were busy professionals and called for more members to step forward. The Singapore Branch was particularly glad to have worked and collaborated with many arbitral institutions in holding workshops and seminars not just in Singapore but in neighbouring countries and as an expression of its appreciation for their contributions and support during the past year, the Chairman presented plaques of appreciation to representatives of the SIAC, ICC, AAA/ICDR, the CIArb Malaysian Branch and the CIArb Philippines Chapter. Individual tokens of appreciation were also given to certain members and to speakers and tutors involved in the courses and workshops in recognition of their special contributions.

Senior Minister of State, Ms Rajah gave a short address to the audience in which she noted the Singapore Branch’s work in training on arbitration and highlighted Singapore’s continued upward trajectory as a centre for international arbitration and which has led to many international law firms setting up practices here to support the growing numbers of international arbitrations using Singapore as a seat and venue for international cases. She also identified certain areas including intellectual property disputes for further development in future.
The evening was particularly special as it served as the occasion for the Senior Minister of State to announce the winners of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Singapore branch) YMG essay competition jointly held with Thirty Nine Essex Street Chambers on the topic “A regulatory framework for arbitrators and increased arbitral accountability: ideas to reinvigorate arbitration or stifle it?”, a topic that was inspired by the Chief Justice’s recent talks. The judging was conducted by a panel from Thirty Nine Essex Street Chambers and the CIArb Singapore Branch. The results were announced with great anticipation and suspense, and the prizes presented by the Senior Minister of State to the three best entries. We warmly congratulate the following winners of the competition.

First Prize: Ms. Harpreet Kaur Dhillon
Second Prize: Ms. Aurora Villacellino
Third Prize: Ms. Sapna Jhangiani

The generous cash prizes for the essay competition and the drinks for the evening were sponsored by Thirty Nine Essex Street Chambers. The winning essay will be published in a forthcoming issue of the CIArb Journal and will be uploaded to this website when published. After the formal announcements, members and guests mingled over canapés and free flow of wine and drinks late into the evening of what was a highly enjoyable and prestigious event. We are very grateful to Thirty Nine Essex Street Chambers for its sponsorship and especially to Mr David Barnes.

Talk on the Jackson Reforms and how they can be applied to International Arbitrations: A Talk by the HON. Mr. Justice Vivian Ramsey
Saturday, 18 May 2013
The Hon. Mr. Justice Vivian Ramsey has been instrumental in implementing the reforms recommended in Lord Justice Jackson’s Report on Civil Litigation Costs in England. They involve a new approach to managing the costs of civil litigation in the courts. On 18 May 2013, the Branch was honoured to have Sir Vivian speak to the Branch about those reforms and how certain techniques could be applied in an international arbitration context.

Sir Vivian explained some of the more significant changes to the procedural rules in England introduced on 1 April 2013 that seek to maintain control over time and costs in litigation. One of the new approaches was to focus on cost management using a number of techniques. The parties are to prepare and obtain court approval of a costs budget for their dispute, they may select from a range of disclosure options, from old-fashioned Peruvian Guano-style trail of enquiry discovery to the limited production of only those documents on which a party wishes to rely and in certain cases without any discovery. The court will also exercise increased scrutiny over the use of expert witnesses, including cost capping. Sir Vivian proposed that these cost control mechanisms could be adopted by tribunals in an international arbitration setting to address the sustained criticism by many users of the spiralling costs and length of time to reach a final award.

The talk was chaired by the Chairman of the Singapore branch, Richard Tan, and in the lively discussions that followed, some members queried whether imposing some of them could extend beyond an arbitral tribunal’s ordinary mandate or under certain institutional rules and could give grounds for setting aside an award made against such a procedural background. Solutions were offered and discussed and overall, it was felt that the mechanisms introduced in England were clearly in the right direction and some of the techniques could usefully be applied to international arbitrations and would benefit users if used correctly and properly case-managed. The session was extremely informative and thought-provoking. We are very grateful that Sir Vivian Ramsey could take time on a Saturday morning to speak on this important topic, and to Stamford Law for the use of its offices to hold the talk. After the talk, members were invited to join a lunch with Sir Vivian at the Fullerton Bay Hotel.

Arbitration Surgery Workshop on Emergency Arbitrator Relief and Networking Dinner in Manila
Friday, 15 March 2013
The Singapore Branch held an Arbitration Surgery Workshop on Interim Measures and Emergency Arbitrator Relief in association with the Philippines CIArb Chapter. Representatives from the ICC, SIAC, AAA/ICDR and the CIArb Branches and Chapters spoke at the workshop. A networking dinner followed the workshop and a golf game the following day.

Arbitration Surgery Workshop in Malaysia
Friday, 01 March 2013
Arbitration Surgery Workshop on Interim Measures – Malaysia 1 March 2013, Prince Hotel – Following the successful Singapore arbitration surgery workshop in October 2012, the Singapore Branch held jointly with the Malaysian Branch and the KLRCA, a similar workshop on Interim Measures and Emergency Arbitrator relief in Kuala Lumpur on 1 March 2013. The distinguished speakers were Mr Minn Naing Oo, Ms Khong Cheng Yee, Mr Michael Lee, Ms Rammit Kaur and Mr Richard Tan. The workshop was led by Richard Tan, and moderated by Jonathan Choo.

The workshop was attended by about 40 participants who went through various case scenarios on interim relief measures. The emergency arbitrator procedures under the latest ICC, SIAC and the ICDR/AAA Rules were discussed, as well as the KLRCA Rules. The workshop was followed by a networking dinner attended by participants from Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and other countries. There was a golf game the next day at the Tropicana Golf Club. Our thanks to the KLRCA, SIAC, ICC and ICDR/AAA for supporting this workshop and for taking part in it, and also to the Malaysian branch for their hospitality.

CIArb Singapore members’ lunch with Lord Saville
Saturday, 02 February 2013
The Singapore Branch was pleased to organize an informal lunch at the Tanglin Club on Saturday, 2 February 2013 for its members to meet Lord Saville (the principal draftsman of the English Arbitration Act 1996), who was visiting Singapore to give a keynote address at the Law Society Litigation Conference. A small group of members who signed up for this event enjoyed a delicious lunch and had the opportunity to chat with Lord Saville on a wide range of topics. The wine was sponsored by the Branch Chairman.