Azmi & Associates

Admiralty & Shipping, Insurance, Litigation and Arbitration

Philip Teoh has been in legal practice in Singapore and Malaysia for the past 31 years. He graduated with Bachelor of Laws (Honours) (2nd Class Upper) from National University of Singapore in 1989 and later obtained a Master of Laws from University of Malaya.

He is accredited arbitration with the major International Arbitration Centres and holds qualification at the Masters level in Building and Construction and Arbitration law, as well as Adjudication.

He chambered under the renowned litigator Mr Harry Elias in Singapore and then commenced his practice with the Shipping law practice of Koh & Yang.

Prior to joining the firm, he established and led Shipping practices in major Malaysian law firms.

He handles both contentious and non-contentious areas. He has written key Practitioners Texts used by the Industry, Judges, lawyers and Arbitrators. Malaysian lawyers use his precedent Agreements and Pleadings and his publications are referred in Court Judgments.

He has also published in Trade and Legal Journals and is a regular Speaker in the Industry in Malaysia and abroad.

He has represented parties and law firms as Counsel at all levels of Malaysian Courts up to the apex Federal Court and appears as Counsel in Arbitration, as well as Arbitrator. He argued and won the Inaugural Reported Decision of the Malaysian Admiralty Court in the case of The Istana VI and regularly appears in Admiralty Cases.

In 2016, he was shortlisted amongst the Top 5 Disputes Lawyers for Malaysia in the Asialaw Asia-Pacific Dispute Resolution Awards.

He argued the inaugural reported decision of the Malaysian Admiralty Court in 2010, and many other notable Shipping cases at Trial and Appellate level. He has authored key Practitioners Texts e.g., Halsbury’s Laws of Malaysia on Equity, Conflict of Laws, and the various Shipping Titles. He is also an Adjunct Lecturer in Brickfields Asia College (BAC), Malaysia’s largest law school.

He has acted in notable cases and transactions details upon request:

Handling both contentious and non-contentious areas in the shipping, insurance and international trade matters. Advising clients with respect to acquisition of insurance, shipping and transport companies and its regulatory requirements. Advising clients on the various aspects of the insurance, shipping and transport and logistics industries including risk and insurance coverage and liability, application for licences, marine and general insurance and reinsurance claims and recoveries. Where appropriate, appearing in all levels of Malaysian Courts (up to the Federal Court) and acting as Arbitrator and Counsel.

He argued and won the first reported decision of the Malaysian Admiralty Court in the case of ‘The Istana VI’. His cases have been reported in the law reports, many of which involved novel points of shipping law including:

The Istana VI [2014] 5 MLJ 124, Inaugural decision of the Admiralty Court. Ing Hua Fu Marine Line Sdn Bhd v Vitachem (M) Sdn Bhd [2013] 9 MLJ 825, only decision in the Commonwealth on the IMDG Code. Largest Oil & Gas Dispute in the Malaysian Courts. Successfully argued at the Court of Appeal major cases involving important Admiralty Law issues. AXA Affin General Insurance Bhd v Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance (M) Bhd – [2009] MLJU 888, case on Contribution / Double Insurance. Acted in various Reinsurance cases in Malaysian Courts and in Arbitration within and outside Malaysia. Pemilik Kapal ‘Luna Indah’ v Admiral Shipping Sdn Bhd – [2006] 4 MLJ 296, Court of Appeal case on limits of Bail for release of arrested vessel. Malaysia National Insurance Bhd & Anor v Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia & Anor – [2004] 4 MLJ 472, case of registrability of Reinsurance Assignments.

He has handled notable shipping incidents and transactions in the region:

Collision between the Nagasaki Spirit and Ocean Blessing. Collision between the Orakpin Global and Evoikos. Collision between the Maju Song and Jambo 90. Sinking of the An Tai. Explosion and sinking of the Ing Hua Fu No. 9. Acting in cases involving OW Bunkers and Hin Leong. Acted as Lenders Counsel in the Inaugural MISC LNG Puteri Fleet. Reorganization of operations of major Shipping lines Malaysian operations. Structuring joint-venture between International and Malaysian Shipping lines.

Philip other achievements throughout his practice years and associated credentials are better represented in the following:

Publications: Malaysian Encyclopaedia of Forms and Precedents – Shipping, Insurance Claims, Wills and Wills Trusts. Halsbury’s Laws of Malaysia –Shipping, Carriers (Land, Air and Sea), Marine Pollution, Bailment, Liens and Limitation of Liability, Sale of Goods, Conflict of Laws. Annotated Statutes on Merchant Shipping Laws of Malaysia- Merchant Shipping Ordinance, Merchant Shipping Oil Pollution Act, Collision Regulations and Sale of Goods Act. Bullen Leake & Jacob Malaysia Precedents of Pleadings Original & 2nd Edition: Carriage of Goods by Sea. Regular contributor to the Maritime Executive, US-based Maritime Journal. Regular contributor to The Impact Lawyers, European-base Law Journal. Presented Papers and Conducted Seminars at: Legal Education Extension Programme at the Faculty of Law, University of Malaya. ASEAN Shipper’s Council. Maritime Institute of Malaysia (MIMA). Malaysian Insurance Institute (MII). International Chamber of Commerce, Malaysian Chapter. PORAM Malaysia. Maritime Enforcement Coordinating Centre Residential Programme for Maritime Agencies. IOPC Fund and Malaysian Maritime Institute Seminar on Oil Pollution. Malaysian Institute of Arbitrators Qualification Course. Malaysian Maritime Institute. AMMSAT Malaysia Maritime Awareness Programme. Various Arbitration Conferences in Malaysia and abroad Specific Areas of Expertise: General Commercial and Corporate International Trade and Commerce Commercial Transactions and Sale of Goods Ship Finance Shipping and Admiralty Transport, Freight Forwarding and Logistics Insurance and Reinsurance Takaful and Retakaful Maritime and Commercial Arbitration Oil and Gas Environmental Laws

Philip Teoh joined Azmi & Associates in January 2015 as a Partner and heads the Admiralty & Shipping, Insurance, Litigation and Arbitration Practice Group.

English and Bahasa Malaysia

Advocate and Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya Advocate and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore

He is empanelled as Arbitrator with the key Maritime and International Arbitration Centres:

London Maritime Arbitrators Association (LMAA) Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration (SCMA) Emirates Maritime Arbitration Centre, Dubai (EMAC) Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC) International Chamber of Commerce Paris (ICC) London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) Brunei Arbitration Centre (AABD) Stockholm Chamber of Commerce Korean Commercial Arbitration Board (KCAB) Chinese Arbitration Association International (CAAI) (Hong Kong International Branch of Taiwan Arbitration Centre) Beihai Asia International Arbitration Centre (BAIAC) Fellow of Hong Kong Society of Construction Adjudicators Fellow of AIADR Asian Institute of Alternative Dispute Resolution

Philip Teoh also sits as a member of the Expert Advisory Panel of the Malaysian Competition Commission (“MyCC”).

He is also a member of Advisory Body on Legal Matters (“ABLM”), which is the Legal Sub-committee of FIATA International Federation of Freight Forwarders Association.

Master of Laws, University of Malaya Bachelor of Laws (Honours), National University of Singapore (1989)