Singapore International Arbitration Academy 2015 (SIAA 2015)

Jointly organised by the National University of Singapore’s Centre for International Law (CIL) and the Faculty of Law, the 2015 Singapore International Arbitration Academy brought together some of the world’s leading experts in international arbitration for its annual programme aimed at government officials, private practitioners and legal academics.

The intensive programme blended together theory, substantive and procedural law, and skills training and was an opportunity for lawyers in the Asia Pacific region and from around the world to meet, interact with luminaries of international arbitration, and develop new professional relationships and friendships.

Highlights of the 2015 Academy included:

• The CIL Investment Law & Practice Conferences: a one-day conference on current issues in investment treaty-making and arbitration, followed by a one-day ICSID workshop led by ICSID’s Secretary-General, Meg Kinnear
• An arbitration based on disputes arising out of an investment in an offshore natural gas platform in a contested area of the continental shelf with the final day’s oral arguments before a tribunal chaired by Sir Bernard Eder
• Advocacy training sessions by leading London silks
• A full-day session on how governments can prepare themselves for complex international disputes
• An in-depth exploration of alternative ways of resolving complex disputes
• Theory and practice-based sessions
• In-depth dissections of cases by counsel in the proceedings

Hear from past participants and faculty of the Academy on their experience:

"The SIAA course is of the highest standard. Its teachers and speakers are first-rate specialists drawn from around the world. They provide participants with a deep and clear insight of "hot topics" concerning international arbitration through a variety of intensive lectures and interactive sessions with a particular focus on practical problems. The course culminates with a mock arbitration before a highly experienced tribunal which gives the participants an opportunity to analyse a series of difficult legal issues and to improve their written and oral advocacy skills. I highly recommend the course."
The Hon Sir Bernard Eder (London, The United Kingdom)
2015 Faculty

"The SIAA has been a great and very memorable experience I’ve learned more about investor-state arbitration than I could have from research or textbooks. The trainers were world-class and we were privileged to learn from them. Chris Thomas and his team have done an excellent job. I have little doubt that this is one of the best arbitration courses anywhere in the world."
Matthew Koh (Singapore)
2015 Participant (Advocate)

"You and your team have done such a wonderful job preparing for the program, I cannot thank you enough. Your attention to detail and your enthusiasm, kindness and consideration throughout the Academy made the experience much more meaningful for the participants."
Una Cho (Korea)
2015 Participant (Advocate)

"This programme is fantastic... The classes are well-organised. Every day is an eye-opener. We had a lot of fun times and obtained a lot of knowledge about investor-state arbitration."
Sophia Feng (Singapore)
2015 Participant (Advocate)

"Well organised. Well done! Learned a lot in a practical way. It’s very useful. Would definitely recommend to lawyers and people in the legal profession."
Sirikanya Kovilaikool (Thailand)
2015 Participant (Legal Academic)

Faculty

Dr. Yas BANIFATEMI Partner Shearman & Sterling LLP View profile	Prof. Robert BECKMAN Director NUS Centre for International Law View profile	Professor Chester BROWN University of Sydney / 7 Wentworth Selborne Chambers / Essex Court Chambers View profile
Mr. Rodman BUNDY Director Eversheds LLP View profile	Ms Cindy BUXTON Legal Presentation Consultant Z-Axis International, LLC View profile	Mr. Jansen CALAMITA Director, Investment Treaty Forum Senior Research Fellow British Institute of International and Comparative Law (BIICL) View profile
Mr. Robert J.C. DEANE Partner Borden Ladner Gervais LLP View profile	Sir Bernard EDER Essex Court Chambers, London View profile	Professor Mark FELDMAN Associate Professor of Law Peking University School of Transnational Law View profile
Mr. Alastair HENDERSON Managing Partner, Singapore Head of International Arbitration Practice in Southeast Asia Herbert Smith Freehills LLP View profile	Ms. Daphne HONG Deputy Director-General International Affairs Division Attorney-General's Chambers, Singapore View profile	Ms. Meg KINNEAR Secretary-General International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) View profile
Mr. Edmund KRONENBURG Braddell Brothers LLP View profile	Mr. Jonathan LEACH Partner Hogan Lovells Lee & Lee, Singapore View profile	Professor Joel LEE Associate Professor, Faculty of Law National University of Singapore View profile
Mr. Gavin MACLAREN Partner Head, Asia-Pacific Energy and Natural Resources Practice Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP View profile	Mr. David OWEN QC Arbitrator and Mediator 20 Essex Street View profile	Dr. Eun Young PARK Partner Kim & Chang View profile
Mr. Hugo PEREZCANO DIAZ Independent Consultant iIuris View profile	Mr. Nandakumar PONNIYA Principle Baker & McKenzie.Wong & Leow View profile	Ms. Lucy REED Partner Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, Singapore View profile
Ms. Gitta SATRYANI JUWITA Senior Associate Herbert Smith Freehills LLP View profile	Mr. Matthew SECOMB Partner White & Case Ptd. Ltd, Singapore View profile	Mr. Nish SHETTY Partner Head, International Arbitration & Dispute Resolution (S.E.Asia) Clifford Chance View profile
Ms. Marion SMITH QC Barrister 39 Essex Chambers View profile	Mr. Paul TAN Partner, International Arbitration, Construction & Projects Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP View profile	Ms. Charis TAN Senior Associate Eversheds LLP View profile
Mr. J Christopher THOMAS QC Senior Principal Research Fellow NUS Centre for International Law View profile	Mr. Alan TREIBITZ Z-Axis Corporation View profile	Mr. Stephen TROMANS QC Barrister 39 Essex Chambers View profile
Mr. Romesh WEERAMANTRY Foreign Lawyer Clifford Chance LLP View profile	Mr. Francis XAVIER SC Senior Counsel Regional Head Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP View profile	Mr. Alvin YEO SC Senior Counsel Chairman & Senior Partner WongPartnership LLP View profile

[button_round color="blue" url="https://cil.nus.edu.sg/events/2015-siaa-profiles#facilitators"] View Facilitators' Profiles [/button_round]

Photo Gallery

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Programme

The 2015 programme is available for download here.

Specialised Tracks

Participants were divided up into: (1) Advocates and (2) Government Lawyers / Non-Private Practitioners / Legal Academics.

ADVOCATES – These participants attended advocacy skills training sessions with video recording when they started and completed the programme. This was a major opportunity for up and coming lawyers to showcase their skills before their peers, view themselves and get immediate feedback from a distinguished Tribunal.

GOVERNMENT LAWYERS / NON-PRIVATE PRACTITIONERS / LEGAL ACADEMICS – This track was reserved specially for government officials, in-house corporate counsel and legal academics. They were provided with foundational sessions and took part in practical simulations.

SIAA Supporters

SIAA 2015 Host

VENUE SPONSOR

SUPPORT FROM MINISTRIES

LEGAL NEWS MEDIA SPONSOR

Asian Legal Business (ALB), owned by Thomson Reuters, comprises of Asia’s leading legal magazine titles ALB Asia and ALB China. We deliver cutting-edge online offering (www.legalbusinessonline.com) and the latest legal jobs, from a raft of events across Asia, including law awards, in-house legal summits, conferences, masterclasses and custom events. To receive the latest legal industry news, analysis or jobs, you can turn to ALB for its authoritative insights and unmatched business development opportunities. For more information, please contact Amantha Chia at (65) 6870 3917 or amantha.chia@thomsonreuters.com, or visit www.legalbusinessonline.com today.

REALTIME TRANSCRIPTION SPONSOR

Planet Depos is a worldwide realtime transcription company with registered offices throughout Asia. Our reporters and support team have vast experience providing services for arbitrations and judicial proceedings in Singapore. Planet Depos' stenographers utilise the latest technology for expert wireless realtime setup and quick delivery of final transcripts, with an unwavering commitment to accuracy, even in highly technical or complex matters. Planet Depos is a family-owned company with deep roots in the legal industry.

CONFERENCE LAW FIRM SPONSOR

Hogan Lovells is one of the world's largest global law firms, with over 2,500 lawyers operating out of more than 40 offices globally. Established in 1998, our Singapore office is the gateway for our firm's activities in South East Asia. Since establishing our joint venture with leading Singapore firm Lee & Lee in 2001, we have been able to provide clients with international and Singapore law advice on all areas of dispute resolution, in particular international arbitration.

Our International Arbitration practice brings extensive experience to the resolution of complex, high-value international business disputes through commercial or investment treaty arbitration. We are familiar with the major arbitration tribunals of the world, represent a wide variety of clients, and understand parties and witnesses from various legal and commercial cultures.

Hogan Lovells is one of very few law firms to have developed a specialist investment arbitration practice. We frequently advise on the protections afforded by bilateral and multilateral investment treaties and have acted both for sovereign States and investors in contentious and non-contentious matters across a wide spectrum of industries in relation to disputes under ICSID, the Energy Charter Treaty, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), and ad hoc investment disputes under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules.

EVENING RECEPTION SPONSOR

ISLG is the leading online research database for investment treaty law. It knits together case law, treaties and other relevant materials in ways that allow users to access relevant information faster and with more precision. Users benefit from a knowledge transfer resulting from thousands of hours of analysis performed by a dedicated team of experienced practitioners, arbitrators and academics. ISLG has set the standard for research in the area, and is used by the leading law firms, governments, academic institutions and international organizations. For more information visit www.investorstatelawguide.com.

WELCOME DINNER SPONSOR

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer advises global businesses on their most critical matters, wherever in the world they arise. In the past three years we’ve helped our clients do business in more than 150 countries, and in the past five years have advised on cross-border deals worth a combined $890bn, more than any other firm.

Finding the right solution requires more than the capacity to advise in multiple jurisdictions, it requires the ability to see how international issues fit together, and a deep understanding of our clients’ commercial goals.

Our experience and excellence in cross-border work – combined with trusted local law advice from our network of more than 100 relationship firms around the world – delivers the best outcomes for our clients in any country.

NETWORKING EVENT SPONSOR

Herbert Smith Freehills is a leading global law firm with over 2,800 lawyers in 23 offices worldwide and is the largest fully integrated law firm in the Asia Pacific. We have been in Singapore for over 20 years and our office here is the centre of the firm’s South and Southeast Asia practice. Ranked in Band 1 by Chambers for both International Arbitration and Energy and Natural Resources across Asia Pacific, Herbert Smith Freehills is the only top-tier firm in Southeast Asia to have a dedicated contentious energy practice, which combines technical expertise and in-depth industry knowledge to address the problems that can arise in all types of energy and natural resources projects and transactions. Operating across the region from offices in Singapore, Bangkok and Jakarta (through our associated firm Hiswara Bunjamin & Tandjung), our contentious energy practice has unparalleled expertise and experience. We represent many of the major corporations in the energy sector along with governments and state-owned entities in complex, high-value disputes. Our team of arbitration specialists acts as counsel and advocates before tribunals across the region and under various institutional rules including ICC, SIAC, BANI, KLRCA, ICSID, and UNCITRAL, to name a few. Members of the team also serve as arbitrators in regional and international cases. For more information, click here.

MEDIA PARTNER

Transnational Dispute Management (TDM, ISSN 1875-4120) is a comprehensive and innovative information service on the management of international disputes, with a focus on the rapidly evolving area of investment arbitration, but also in other significant areas of international investment (such as oil, gas, energy, infrastructure, mining, utilities etc). It deals both with formal adjudicatory procedures (mainly investment and commercial arbitration), but also mediation/ADR methods, negotiation and managerial ways to manage transnational disputes efficiently. See http://www.transnational-dispute-management.com/. For more information. You can apply for a free OGEMID trial membership and students can sign up for Young-OGEMID (which is free).

INSTITUTION PARTNERS

Founded in 1985, the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC) is one of Asia’s oldest and most prestigious international arbitration institutions, offering efficient and cost effective arbitration administration services, in addition to mediation, adjudication and domain name dispute resolution. According to Global Arbitration Review, "No regional institution has been running so successfully for so long." With its multinational and multilingual Secretariat consisting of lawyers from around the world and a Panel Arbitrators comprised of leading arbitration experts with wide ranging expertise and experience from over 40 jurisdictions, HKIAC is Asia's premier arbitration institution. The preeminence of HKIAC as a venue for resolving international and domestic disputes is bolstered by its spacious state-of-the-art hearing facilities in central Hong Kong and is reflected in its diverse caseload, of which more than 75% of disputes were international and featured parties from more than 30 jurisdictions including the People’s Republic of China, the United States of America, the BVIs, the United Kingdom, Korea, the Philippines, the Netherlands, Australia, and Singapore.

PARTICIPATING LAW FIRMS

Past Academy – 2012, 2013 and 2014 Academy

Our past three sessions were consistently rated as "excellent" by its participants! Click on the following links for more information about our 2012, 2013 and 2014 Academy.

Speakers and Participants Portal

Click here.