International Arbitration Update – Court of Appeal Holds that Commencement of Court Proceedings Per Se is Prima Facie Repudiation of Arbitration Agreement
19 Oct 2018 International Arbitration UpdatesWongPartnership is pleased to be recognised as "Best Domestic Arbitration Firm of the Year" out of a shortlist of firms from China, Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea at the recent Asialaw & Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific Dispute Resolution Awards 2018. Our Arbitration team’s work in the US$1.8 billion investment treaty arbitration award against the Kingdom of Lesotho was also recognised as one of the "Matters of the Year" (the only one from Singapore). The Awards celebrate the leading dispute resolution advisers in Asia.
Other updates:
• Koh Swee Yen, Partner in our International Arbitration and Commercial & Corporate Disputes Practices, has been appointed vice chair of the International Bar Association (IBA) Arbitration Committee with effect from 2019;
• Smitha Menon, Partner in our International Arbitration, Restructuring & Insolvency and Banking & Financial Disputes Practices, was appointed to the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Court of Arbitration, one of the world's leading arbitral institutions; and
• The Court of Appeal has, in a landmark decision, held that the commencement of court proceedings per se by a party bound by an arbitration agreement is prima facie repudiation of the arbitration agreement: Marty Ltd v Hualon Corp (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (receiver and manager appointed) [2018] SGCA 63. This update takes a closer look at the Court of Appeal's decision.