Singapore Arbitration Dialogue 2025

Singapore Arbitration Dialogue | 25 August 2025

Our Singapore Arbitration Dialogue series aims to highlight rising and distinguished Asian figures in the international arbitration community.

Synposis

We are honoured to be joined by distinguished jurists, Justice Philip Jeyaretnam and Honourable Geoffrey Ma – who have each played key roles in shaping the arbitration landscapes of Singapore and Hong Kong, respectively.

In this dialogue, we will take a closer look at the intersection of the judiciary’s role in international arbitration, with a particular focus on the Asia-Pacific region. The session will be moderated by Sheila Ahuja KC.

Please RSVP by 17 April 2023. We look forward to having you join us!

Honourable Geoffrey Ma

The Hon Geoffrey Ma is the former Chief Justice of Hong Kong, having retired from that position in January 2021. He accepts appointments as an arbitrator and a mediator.

Prior to joining the Hong Kong Judiciary, he was in private practice as a barrister at Temple Chambers. He practised mainly in commercial, company and public law, including arbitrations. He was Head of Chambers before his appointment as a Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court in 2001. He was elevated to the Court of Appeal in the following year, and appointed Chief Judge of the High Court in 2003. He served as the Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal from 2010 to 2021.

He is the Editor in Chief of Arbitration in Hong Kong: A Practical Guide (1st to 5th editions). He is also a member of the International Advisory Board of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, on their Panels of Arbitrators and Mediators, and is also on the Panel of Arbitrators of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre. He is also a door tenant of Brick Court Chambers, London and has offices in Singapore.

Justice Philip Jeyaretnam

Justice Philip Jeyaretnam is the President of the Singapore International Commercial Court. He was appointed Judicial Commissioner of the Supreme Court on 4 January 2021 and High Court Judge on 1 November 2021. His focus on the Bench has been in complex commercial cases, arbitration law, building and construction, company and trust law. He is also a member of the Judicial Service Commission, and the Presidential Council for Minority Rights. In June 2022, he was appointed by the Chief Justice as the co-chair of the Commercial Practice Panel of the Supreme Court, to develop best practices for the management of commercial cases.

Justice Philip Jeyaretnam SC graduated with First Class Honours in Law from Cambridge in 1986 and was called to the Singapore Bar in 1988. Appointed Senior Counsel in 2003 at the age of 38, he is recognised for his expertise in commercial litigation, arbitration, and construction law. He was Managing Partner of Rodyk & Davidson LLP and later ASEAN CEO of Dentons. Justice Jeyaretnam served as President of the Law Society (2004–2007), founding Chair of the Society of Construction Law (Singapore), and was a Public Service Commission member for over a decade. An award-winning author, he received the SEA Write Award and Young Artist Award for Literature.

Sheila Ahuja KC

Sheila Ahuja KC is a distinguished legal professional currently serving as a Partner at A&O Shearman, based in Singapore. Sheila co-leads the Asian arbitration practice and is joint chair of the firm's India Group. She is one of the foremost arbitration practitioners in the Asia-Pacific region. She was appointed King’s Counsel in March 2025.

Sheila advises clients on complex international commercial arbitrations and investor-State disputes across the Asia Pacific region. She has particular expertise in disputes arising from joint ventures, distributorship arrangements, complex financial products, and energy and infrastructure projects. As an experienced advocate, Sheila regularly appears as lead counsel before courts and tribunals and sits as arbitrator under various rules. Her experience spans SIAC, HKIAC, ICC, UNCITRAL, ICSID, LCIA and DIAC arbitrations.

Sheila is the highest-ranked female arbitration counsel in Singapore by Chambers Asia Pacific 2025 and is one of only three individuals ranked Band 1 for Indian Disputes (Expertise Based Abroad). She is also the sole individual recommended by Chambers Global 2025 for Dispute Resolution in Malaysia. With over two decades of experience, Sheila is a trusted advisor to Fortune 500 companies, private equity firms, governments, and state-owned entities, and is widely recognised as an internationally renowned arbitration specialist and thought leader.

Category	Fee (SGD)
YouTube Livestreaming Ticket	Free
Zoom Webinar Ticket	$30*

Attendance Policy

Participants who wish to obtain CPD Points are reminded that they must comply strictly with the Attendance Policy set out in the CPD Guidelines. For participants attending the face-to-face activity, this includes signing in on arrival and signing out at the conclusion of the activity in the manner required by the organiser, and not being absent from the activity for more than 15 minutes. For those participating via the webinar, this includes logging in at the start of the webinar and logging out at the conclusion of the webinar in the manner required by the organiser, and not being away from the activity for more than 15 minutes. Participants who do not comply with the Attendance Policy will not be able to obtain CPD Points for attending the activity. Please refer to https://www.silecpdcentre.sg for more information.

Practice Area: Alternative Dispute Resolution

Training Category: General

Earn 1 Public
CPD Point

Terms & Conditions

1) Registration – Limited slots are available on a first-come-first-served basis.

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The Organiser reserves the right to cancel or alter the content and timing of the programme or the identity of the speakers. In the event that the webinar is cancelled by the Organiser, the participants will be notified prior to the webinar.