Event Report

The Legal 500’s Asia-Pacific Disputes Summit gathered leading legal professionals at Amara Hotel Singapore for a day of engaging panel discussions and meaningful networking opportunities. Offering practical insights into the evolving challenges faced by general counsel and in-house legal teams across the region, the summit focused on dispute resolution strategies, regulatory developments, and the transformative role of technology in legal practice.

The opening keynote, delivered by Samuel Huen, Global Head of Legal and Regulatory Compliance at Bank of Singapore, set the stage for a day of expert discussions.

Kicking off the panel discussions, Tom Bennett-Mitrovski of EPIQ, Rakesh Kirpalani of Drew & Napier, Shu Min Ho of Sidley Austin, and Lily Tsen of Amcor explored how legal teams can leverage technology to enhance corporate investigations. The discussion highlighted advancements in automation, AI-driven analytics, and cost-effective tools for managing compliance and risk.

The conversation then shifted to cross-border disputes and the growing role of litigation funding. Moderated by leading industry experts, including Irene Lee of Deminor, Swee Siang Boey of RPC Premier Law, Rohan Harith of StoneX Financial, Soumava Chatterjee of Bank of America, Edouard Fremault of Deminor, and Joseph Lee of LVM Chambers, the panel examined enforcement challenges, asset tracing, and strategies for securing third-party litigation funding in high-stakes disputes.

Directors’ duties, corporate governance, and boardroom diversity were the focus of the next session, featuring Mark Lee and Sarah Yeo of WMH Law Corporation, Kay Pang of Grand Banks Yachts, and Owen Hawkes of KPMG Singapore. The panel provided insights into the evolving responsibilities of board members, regulatory expectations, and best practices for fostering effective leadership within corporate structures.

A key highlight of the summit was the discussion on regulatory investigations and enforcement strategies. Shashi Nathan of Withers KhattarWong, Audra Balasingam of StarHub, and Rishi Ganiswaran of Yinson shared best practices for engaging with enforcement authorities, navigating cross-border regulatory challenges, and implementing proactive compliance measures.

The afternoon sessions delved into dispute resolution strategies, beginning with a session on managing contentious counterparties. Clarence Lun of Fervent Chambers, Yanci Hong of ASM International, and Davis Tan of Incisive Law provided practical insights on navigating acrimonious disputes and ensuring effective collaboration with external counsel.

A discussion on eDiscovery followed, with Damon Goduto of Lineal Services and Jay Chong of Lineal Services addressing the impact of data-driven approaches on legal investigations. The panel highlighted the shift from document-centric to data-centric review processes, emphasizing the importance of AI and advanced analytics in managing vast datasets.

The final discussions of the day covered collaboration with external investigators and key updates to the SIAC Arbitration Rules 2025. King Chan of Nardello & Co and Yeo Shi Yuan of the Singapore Corporate Counsel Association examined best practices for working with investigative professionals to strengthen dispute resolution strategies. Vicky Huili Zhao of JunHe and Vivekananda Neelakantan of SIAC then outlined the upcoming changes to the SIAC rules, including streamlined procedures, emergency arbitrator provisions, and expedited arbitration mechanisms.

The summit concluded with closing remarks by Ritankar Sahu, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at TLC Industries, followed by an engaging networking session.

We extend our sincere gratitude to our esteemed speakers and partners – Deminor, EPIQ, Fervent Chambers, JunHe, Lineal Services, Nardello & Co, Withers KhattarWong, WMH Law Corporation – for their invaluable contributions to the event’s success. We look forward to welcoming attendees once again for the next edition of the Asia-Pacific Disputes Summit.

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