The Supreme Court Bench and International Judges of the Singapore International Commercial Court (SICC) came together virtually on 11 and 12 January 2022 for the annual SICC Conference. In line with the theme, ‘Charting a Path Beyond the Pandemic’, they discussed and assessed legal developments and charted the course for the year ahead.
As part of the Singapore Convention Week 2022, the SICC organised a hybrid conference on ‘Best Practices in International Commercial Dispute Resolution’ on 31 August 2022, with the ‘live’ component held at Maxwell Chambers. Thought leaders from the legal industry formed an esteemed panel of speakers. They discussed aspects of international best practices which straddle international litigation and international arbitration. They also gave their take on the SICC’s innovative and flexible rules and procedural features, and recounted their experiences with the SICC.
At the SICC Conference 2022, the Supreme Court Bench and International Judges discussed trending commercial issues and challenges.
A new framework for conditional fee agreements, which applies to certain proceedings relating to the SICC, came into force on 4 May 2022. It was established through Part 8A of the Legal Profession Act and the Legal Profession (Conditional Fee Agreement) Regulations 2022. By extending conditional fee agreements to SICC proceedings, the SICC seeks to enhance its attractiveness as a dispute resolution hub, and provide international commercial claims with additional financing and risk management options.
(left to right) Mr Scott Atkins, Ms Corinne Ball, Justice Christopher Sontchi, Justice Kannan Ramesh, Mr Patrick Ang and Dr Tai-Heng Cheng shared their views during the SICC-INSOL conference.
The SICC and INSOL International’s Asia Hub jointly organised a conference titled ‘Debt Restructuring in the Asia-Pacific: Successes, Challenges and the Expanded Role of the SICC’ on 22 September 2022, in preparation for the launch of the new SICC Insolvency Rules. With the SICC’s jurisdiction being extended to hear cross-border corporate restructuring and insolvency proceedings, the event covered current perspectives and insights on the insolvency and restructuring landscape in the Asia-Pacific. It was held at the Supreme Court auditorium and attracted both face-to-face and Zoom participants.
On the lineup were eminent local and international speakers and panellists, including the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister for Law, Mr Edwin Tong, SC; Justice Kannan Ramesh; SICC International Judge, Justice Christopher Sontchi; and the President of INSOL International, Mr Scott Atkins. Together with leading lawyers Ms Corinne Ball (Jones Day), Mr Patrick Ang (Rajah & Tann Asia) and Dr Tai-Heng Cheng (Sidley Austin LLP), they exchanged in-depth views on the international debt restructuring landscape in the Asia-Pacific, the role of the SICC, and the future for nodal jurisdictions such as Singapore.
India was the location for a special SICC Asia Conference titled ‘The Era of International Commercial Courts’ on 8 October 2022. The event was hosted by Nishith Desai Associates and held in the coastal town of Alibag, just south of Mumbai. Panellists including SICC International Judge, Justice A.K. Sikri, and Senior Director (Business Development) for the SICC, Mr Laurence Wong, discussed the advent of international commercial courts and how they offer a unique forum for the resolution of international disputes.
A stellar panel of experts from Singapore and India, including Justice A.K. Sikri (fourth from left) and Mr Laurence Wong (third from left), gathered at the event in Alibag.
On 28 October 2022, a ‘Fireside Chat on Trends and Developments in the SICC and Third-Party Funding’ took place at the Supreme Court’s viewing gallery. The SICC, Clifford Chance, Cavenagh Law LLP and the United Kingdom-based Hereford Litigation jointly presented the event. It focused on recent developments in the SICC, including the new procedural rules in commencing claims before the SICC, as well as how third-party funding and conditional fee arrangements can help corporates manage litigation risk from commencement of claims to enforcement of judgments.
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Last updated on 21 September 2023.