Wendy LIN is the Deputy Head of the Commercial & Corporate Disputes Practice, and a Partner in the International Arbitration Practice.

Wendy has an active practice spanning a wide array of high-value, multijurisdictional and complex commercial, fraud and asset recovery disputes before the Singapore Courts, as well as in arbitrations conducted under various arbitral rules. She is presently serving her third term as Co-Chair of the YSIAC Committee, and is a member of the Singapore Academy of Law’s Law Reform Committee.

Wendy has consistently been recommended in legal publications for her dispute resolution work; with sources noting she is “a phenomenal and utterly compelling advocate who is in a class of her own”, " a first-class advocate, with the unparalleled ability to cut through numerous complex facts and legal arguments, extract the winning arguments, and to convey them effectively, with absolute charm and ease", "an extremely smooth and polished advocate with astounding intellect, determination and great client management skills"; "an extremely knowledgeable and a highly-strategic thinker unfazed by the pressures of high stakes litigation"; and "a very good strategist who always thinks several steps ahead".

Matters of significance which Wendy has been involved in include the following:

  • Three-related ICC arbitrations and related Singapore Court proceedings arising out of the sale and purchase of one of South East Asia's leading renewable energy companies based in Thailand involving claims of over US$1 billion.In the related court proceedings,Wendy achieved an unprecedented setting aside of an award worth over US$525 million.
  • Various heavily-contested Singapore Court proceedings concerning arbitral awards / claims valued in total at over US$1 billion, which arise from the misappropriation of gaming/casino investments in Laos,and which gave rise to numerous investment treaty arbitration issues decided for the first time before the Singaore Court.
  •  Succesfully acting for J&F Investimentos S.A. ("J&F"), Brazil's largest private economic group, as well as its ultimate shareholders in a complex multi-party purported derivative action arising from the proposed issuance of bonds in the amount of US$500 million in Singapore by Eldorado Intl. Finance GmbH, one of J&F's subsidiaries. The parties to the dispute are also involved in various related proceedings including proceedings in Brazil and the United States of America, as well as an ongoing ICC arbitration.
  • Successfully acting  for the Korean co-licensor / owner of an extremely popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game in a complex ICC arbitration against its Chinese licensee / other co-licensor, which involves multiple parties, multiple contracts as well as multiple legal issues under Korean law, Chinese law and Singapore law.
  • Successfully acting for a Cayman Islands hedge fund based in Hong Kong S.A.R. in an SIAC arbitration, obtaining the full return of a significant investment made in a blockchain and cryptocurrency business due to various false and misleading representations made as to the nature and financial viability of the business.
  • The liquidator of one of the largest steel manufacturers in South East Asia in a dispute with Indian purchasers involving claims of over US$600 million governed by Philippine law, and achieving a rare setting-aside of the arbitral award of over US$100 million, which gave rise to novel and complex issues as to the implications of this setting-aside (decided for the first time by the Court of Appeal).
  • The Independent State of Papua New Guinea ("PNG") in defeating the claim brought against it by the PNG Sustainable Development Program Limited ("PNGSDP") at the jurisdictional stage, marking the first win for a Singapore law firm in an ICSID arbitration, and in a parallel proceedings before the Singapore High Court concerning the management of PNGSDP's US$1.5 billion assets.

Related Practices

  • Commercial & Corporate Disputes
  • International Arbitration
  • Philippines
  • Thailand
  • Contributing Editor of the Singapore "White Book" (Singapore Civil Procedure) as well as to the Annotated Acts for the International Arbitration Act (Chapter 143A) and Arbitration Act (Chapter 10)
  • Enforcement of Arbitral Awards in Singapore - Pitfalls and Strategies

Wendy has earned the rare distinction since 2020 of being selected as a Global Leader by Who's Who Legal in three practice areas: Litigation, Arbitration and Asset Recovery, and as a Thought Leader in Commercial Litigation and Asset Recovery in 2022. This built on her achievement of being named as one of the four most highly regarded litigation partners in Asia Pacific under the age of 45 in the inaugural 2018 edition of Who's Who Legal: Litigation – Future Leaders.

In 2019, Wendy was awarded "Rising Star: Litigation" at the Euromoney Legal Media Group Asia Women in Business Law Awards. She was also the exclusive winner of the "Arbitration & Alternative Dispute Resolution" category for Singapore at the Client Choice Awards 2019.

Additionally, Wendy has been consistently recommended for her dispute resolution work in various legal publications, where she has received compliments such as being "a  masterful and smooth advocate with lightning quick reactions"; "a first-rate advocate: incisive, persuasive, quick on her feet and fiercely determined"; "a formidable cross-examiner, charming and a real pleasure to work with"; "a highly distinguished litigator who understands and is able to manoeuvre comfortably in commercial aspects that are highly technical and complex"; and having "a first-class legal mind with an outstanding sense of litigation strategy".

Contact Details

Career & Qualifications

National University of Singapore (LL.B., Hons.)

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