International Arbitration

International Arbitration, Handled With Precision

Yuen Law’s international arbitration lawyers act for businesses and individuals in SIAC arbitrations and other arbitral proceedings in Singapore. Our dispute resolution team is recognised by Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific for commercial and construction arbitration work, and clients value the direct involvement of senior lawyers at every stage of their case.

Arbitration proceedings can be complex and costly. Clients come to us because they want experienced international arbitration lawyers who will work closely with them from start to finish, without the overhead of a large firm.

Yuen Law’s International Arbitration Practice is dedicated to guiding clients through every facet of their dispute resolution journey. Our team of skilled international arbitration lawyers excels at crafting effective strategies, providing counsel through pre-arbitral procedures, advising on the type and seat of arbitration, including proceedings governed by the International Arbitration Act (IAA) and the Arbitration Act (Cap 10), tribunal formation, appointment of international arbitrators, conduct of arbitral proceedings, and enforcement of arbitral awards, all while maintaining a commitment to competitive legal fees.

Our international arbitration lawyers are well-versed in navigating the intricacies of the arbitration rules and have represented clients in hearings with the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) and Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA).

What is Arbitration?

Arbitration is an alternative dispute resolution method in which parties agree to have a neutral tribunal, typically composed of one or three independent arbitrators, make a binding decision on their dispute. It offers parties a private and confidential way to resolve conflicts instead of going to court.

In Singapore, domestic arbitration is governed by the Arbitration Act (Cap 10), while international arbitration falls under the International Arbitration Act (IAA). Parties typically agree to arbitrate under a set of institutional rules when they enter into a commercial contract.

Arbitration vs Litigation

Arbitration allows parties to uphold the confidentiality of their dispute, with private hearings held at neutral venues, and final awards remaining undisclosed to third parties. In contrast, litigation court decisions are made available to the public.

Moreover, arbitration grants parties substantial control, permitting them to choose rules and procedures. Arbitration results in legally binding and enforceable decisions. Arbitral awards are enforceable across more than 170 jurisdictions under the New York Convention, giving them wider international recognition than most national court judgments. For businesses with cross-border operations, this makes arbitration a practical and preferred choice for resolving commercial disputes.

Arbitration vs Mediation

Mediation involves both parties striving to reach a settlement with the assistance of a neutral third party, known as the mediator. The mediator’s role is to facilitate negotiations rather than impose a decision on the parties. If either party decides to discontinue mediation, they have the option to pursue their dispute in court or arbitration. This differs from arbitration, where an arbitrator renders a legally binding decision on the matter.

Why choose Singapore and SIAC?

Singapore is widely acknowledged as one of the world’s premier centres for dispute resolution, thanks to its robust legislation and a judiciary that strongly supports arbitration. Singapore’s adoption of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law, giving it the force of law, demonstrates Singapore’s commitment to adhering to internationally recognised arbitration standards.

SIAC sets the gold standard for arbitration worldwide and possesses an extensive global reach. It is fully equipped to handle complex, cross-border disputes across a wide array of industries. The SIAC annual report 2025 states that SIAC handled 886 new cases, its second-highest annual caseload on record, involving a total of US$14.53 billion in disputes.

89% of SIAC cases in 2025 were international in nature, with parties drawn from 79 jurisdictions. Singapore law governed 52.1% of disputes, followed by English law (28.4%) and Indian law (5.0%). The top foreign user jurisdictions were Mainland China, Vietnam, India, Thailand and the United States. Trade disputes accounted for 39% of new filings, followed by commercial disputes (20%), corporate disputes (10%), maritime and shipping (10%), and construction, infrastructure and engineering (9%).

The SIAC Rules 2025, which replaced the SIAC Rules 2016 and took effect on 1 January 2025, prioritise flexibility, transparency and efficiency. Parties enjoy complete freedom in selecting their legal representatives for arbitration proceedings.

Key changes from the SIAC Rules 2016 include a new Streamlined Procedure for disputes up to S$1 million, with awards to be issued within three months and fees capped at 50% of standard rates. The Expedited Procedure threshold has been raised from S$6 million to S$10 million, with awards targeted within six months. The Rules also strengthen emergency arbitrator provisions, allowing applications to be filed before a Notice of Arbitration and introducing Protective Preliminary Orders, under which an emergency arbitrator can be appointed within 24 hours to grant urgent relief on an ex parte basis.

Furthermore, SIAC permits third-party funding for arbitration and arbitration-related court proceedings, provided that these funding arrangements are disclosed and taken into account when allocating costs.

To enhance transparency regarding its fee structure, SIAC has published a comprehensive fee schedule that outlines the fees payable by arbitration parties. These fees are calculated based on the total claim amounts of the involved parties. Parties can easily estimate arbitration costs with the SIAC fee calculator, which provides both average and maximum fees for all involved parties in the arbitration process.

Singapore is one of the most popular seats of arbitration globally. Choosing Singapore as the seat means that the Singapore International Arbitration Act (IAA) governs the arbitration and Singapore courts have supervisory jurisdiction. In practice, this gives parties access to a neutral legal framework with minimal judicial intervention in the arbitral process.

Enforcment of Arbitral Award

An arbitral award is the final decision of an arbitration tribunal. To enforce such an award, one typically registers it with the relevant court in the jurisdiction where the losing party’s assets are located. This process follows the court’s rules and procedures and usually takes place smoothly, especially in jurisdictions that have ratified the New York Convention. In Singapore, international arbitral awards are enforced under the IAA, while domestic awards fall under the Arbitration Act. Under this convention, courts generally enforce the award without delving into the arbitration tribunal’s reasoning or procedures, except for a few specific technical exceptions that can vary by jurisdiction. Since over 120 countries, including major trading nations, have signed the New York Convention, arbitration awards generally receive more international recognition than many national court judgments.

SIAC Model Clauses

Parties wishing to refer future disputes to SIAC should include an arbitration clause in their contract. The SIAC Model Clause, found in the Arbitration Rules of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (7th Edition, 1 January 2025), offers a well-defined framework for incorporating SIAC arbitration into commercial agreements. It designates SIAC as the administering institution and Singapore as the seat of arbitration. Our lawyers regularly advise on drafting and adapting arbitration clauses to fit the commercial context of the transaction, including provisions for multi-party disputes and consolidated proceedings.

International Arbitration

International arbitration lawyers handle disputes where the parties, the contract, or the subject matter involve more than one jurisdiction. Much of this work arises from construction projects, commercial supply arrangements, and joint ventures with a cross-border element. We act in arbitrations administered by SIAC and have experience with ad hoc proceedings under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules.

Our Arbitration Experience

We act for a diverse clientele, encompassing both international and local entities. Our specialized expertise spans a broad spectrum of cases, with a particular emphasis on commercial arbitrations and disputes within the construction and engineering sector. As a commercial litigation and arbitration law firm, we also act in shareholder and joint venture disputes, as well as supply chain and distribution disagreements that proceed to arbitration.

We represented a prominent building and construction company in a SIAC arbitration against a main contractor concerning unpaid sums for contracted work and additional works performed, as well as a wrongful call on our client’s performance bond. We defended against counterclaims filed by the respondent for alleged failure to provide certain goods and rectification of defects, and successfully negotiated a settlement for the parties involved.

Client Reviews

“Yuen Law offers practical and realistic advice with regard to courses of action and possible outcomes. They provide detailed legal documentation, closely follow up on matters relating to our case, have dedicated staff assigned to our cases, and the assigned partner is experienced in dealing with construction industry cases.”

– Construction client 

“They are meticulous in all details. They also are very prompt in their responses, and they also give very sound and practical legal advice.”

– Commercial and transactions disputes client