Arbitration (International) | Asia-Pacific

Clifford Chance possesses one of the broadest geographical footprints in the region, backed by a global arbitration capability and regularly engaged by leading multinationals, Chinese state-owned enterprises and other major domestic businesses. The firm is especially renowned for its banking and finance expertise, and acclaimed for its handling of investment treaty-related disputes and those arising in the energy and resources and infrastructure sectors. It is fully equipped to provide its own advocacy, both in arbitration proceedings and in enforcement and other ancillary litigation. The team is also notably involved in commercial arbitrations, representing private equity firms and investors, and noted for its ability to coordinate effort across several offices, including its Perth branch, as well as for being prominent in India and Singapore.

Herbert Smith Freehills has standout arbitration capability coupled with an unrivalled breadth of regional coverage, including experience in handling matters involving Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, attracting custom from both blue-chip private sector players and governments. The firm is especially noted for its handling of investment treaty, energy and resources, and construction disputes. The team offers niche strengths in public international law and human rights issues, and is increasingly active in arbitrations involving allegations of fraud. It is further distinguished by its commitment to conducting its own advocacy.

Freshfields has a substantial and comprehensive commercial arbitration offering, growing in regional strength and drawing on the resources of a globally integrated practice to deliver the requisite expertise. The firm is especially sought after for investor-state arbitration mandates - where it often represents national governments - and regularly instructed in high-stakes energy, financial services and technology disputes. Its client base also includes private equity funds and construction sector clients. The team provides its own advocacy and maintains a particularly strong presence in Hong Kong and Singapore, plus a rising profile in relation to the handling of Indian disputes. It is notably developing its capabilities in the construction and general commercial arbitration spheres.

King & Spalding maintains a respected Singapore-headquartered practice, acting across the region in investment treaty disputes and conducting its own advocacy on complex mandates for both locally based US and European multinationals and state-owned entities, including major players in the oil, gas and construction sectors. The firm demonstrates an established presence in South and South-East Asia, particularly in Singapore and the Philippines, augmented by a rising profile where matters involving Australia and the Philippines are concerned.

A&O Shearman has a prominent, respected and fully integrated practice, especially noted for its handling of Indian disputes and for its growing profile in the management of arbitrations linked to Australia or the Philippines. The team acts for blue-chip multinationals, state governments and state-owned entities, with key areas of expertise including investment treaty, oil and gas, and financial services disputes. The practice's ability to draw upon in-house KCs to conduct its own advocacy is seen as an invaluable advantage, as is its ready access to expertise in A&O Shearman's offices throughout the region and around the world.

Renowned Singaporean dispute resolution specialists Drew & Napier are active on both commercial and investor-state mandates on behalf of a multinational clientele and increasingly sought after for the arbitration of matters of international public law. The firm's clients include prominent participants in the energy and construction sectors, leading financial institutions and government agencies. The firm is extensively engaged on arbitrations with connections to virtually all parts of the Asia-Pacific region, handling all stages of the arbitral process, including enforcement, and is extolled for intense preparation and powerful advocacy.

Mayer Brown has a highly regarded arbitration practice with notably strong benches in Singapore and South Korea. The team acts for clients from across the region, including prominent Japanese and South Korean companies. Its areas of expertise include construction, engineering and joint venture-related issues, especially those arising in connection with the development of energy projects. The team has recently been active in centres across the region, including HKIAC, SIAC and the ICC.

A leading Singapore firm, Rajah & Tann is highlighted for its specialist arbitration practice and impressive regional range, extending to the Middle East, including especially notable coverage of Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam and maintaining an acknowledged profile in Philippines-related matters. The firm is particularly noted for handling investor-state and energy cases, regularly instructed in matters involving the operations of Chinese companies in other Asian jurisdictions and highly active in disputes generated by regional construction projects. It is additionally well placed to act in arbitration-related litigation in the Singapore courts, where it often provides assistance to international firms.

Allen & Gledhill LLP has a substantial, specialised bench with a close focus on arbitrated commercial disputes arising in South and South-East Asia. It is frequently active on matters involving businesses headquartered elsewhere on the continent and particularly active on matters with Indian or Malaysian connections, in addition to those concerning Singaporean parties. The team is often instructed on cases relating to construction, power generation, oil and gas, and transportation issues, and is especially familiar with the SIAC and AIAC arbitral regimes. It is also active in arbitrations generated by projects and investments outside the region. The firm acts for both public and private sector clients, winning particular praise for its understanding of government agency perspectives.

DLA Piper LLP has a respected offering that is particularly admired for its impressive regional footprint and membership of a worldwide network, providing the capability to support arbitration mandates with teams based in Australia, China, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand. The team has recently witnessed an increase in activity involving the wider region, including Timor-Leste and Indonesia. The group is prominently active on the arbitration matters arising from the development of major construction, infrastructure, and energy and resources-related projects across the region, including a number linked to the aviation and shipping sectors. It is valued for its persuasive advocacy, excellent case management skills and sensitivity to local cultural considerations.

Hogan Lovells is a globally integrated practice, fully conversant with the procedures of all leading arbitral institutions, including the ICC, HKIAC and SIAC. The team is experienced in the management of complex, high-value arbitrations at all stages. It works with market-leading companies in, among others, the energy and resources, financial services, hospitality and leisure, and international trade industries, and is particularly well regarded for its handling of construction-related arbitrations. The firm also advises clients on disputes arising from alleged breaches of bilateral and multilateral investment treaty provisions.

Kim & Chang has a pre-eminent Korean practice, representing both domestic and offshore clients in a variety of locations around the world, and offering specialist teams focused on discrete Asian regions. The group handles construction, engineering and shipbuilding issues as well as high-profile investment treaty arbitrations, and fields lawyers with experience in the USA and several European jurisdictions as well as across Asia, making it a particularly popular choice for foreign clients. The firm is notably active in the arbitration of disputes arising out of cross-jurisdictional M&A transactions and in those concerning the construction of complex offshore facilities.

Norton Rose Fulbright offers broad regional coverage, anchored by a respected team in Singapore and backed by an integrated worldwide network. The firm is noted for its expertise and experience in the energy, infrastructure, pharmaceutical and technology spaces. It is known for its particularly deep knowledge of the workings of HKIAC, SIAC and the ICC, and also offers a noted ad hoc arbitration capability. The practice is additionally developing its capabilities to handle matters originating in Australia, the Philippines, India and North Asia. In Singapore it is also especially well versed regarding arbitration supported by third-party funding.

Peter & Kim is a dedicated international arbitration specialist practice. The firm has an on-the-ground presence in Seoul, Singapore and Sydney, as well as two further offices in Switzerland. The team is respected for its broad range of expertise, including construction, investor-state and commercial proceedings. It has seen recent activity in manufacturing, real estate and cryptocurrency sectors, among others.

The arbitration arm of specialist disputes firm Quinn Emanuel has a global presence with regional offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo, Sydney and Perth. It has a particularly high profile for dispute resolution relating to the Chinese and South Korean markets. The team members offer extensive familiarity with the processes of a comprehensive range of arbitral regimes, both within the region and in Europe and the USA. The firm is notably experienced in the handling of investment treaty claims against national governments and the arbitration of disputes arising from M&A transactions and of those generated by the financial services sector. It also maintains a noteworthy IP-related capability.

International law firm Reed Smith has respected regional coverage within the international arbitration sphere, advising domestic and multinational corporations, as well as state-owned enterprises. The firm regularly appears in key regional centres such as SIAC and HKIAC, as well as appearing in proceedings involving Asian parties elsewhere in the world, including cases before the LCIA. It is able to leverage its international network to assist in major international cases. The firm's recent clientele have been from the media, maritime, education and energy sectors.

White & Case has a Singapore-based offering with full access to talent across the firm's worldwide chain of offices. It is particularly distinguished for its expertise in matters with an Indian or South Korean dimension. The firm is also especially noted for its mastery of construction sector disputes and frequent involvement in oil and gas and other natural resources sector arbitrations.

WongPartnership has an impressive regional presence, led from Singapore, extended by offices in China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar and the Philippines, and enhanced where appropriate by collaboration with other regional and extra-regional international firms. The practice is regularly engaged by leading regional and global corporates in high-stakes disputes in the energy and resources, construction and general commercial spheres, and noted for regular appearances in India and Korea-related disputes and increasing prominence in investment treaty cases, where the firm's clientele has included both international companies and a number of national governments.

Baker McKenzie fields a globally resourced practice with impressively broad regional coverage, combining a solid presence in the primary hubs with notable niche offerings in such jurisdictions as Kazakhstan, Vietnam and the Philippines. The practice regularly engages in cross-practice group collaboration to provide supporting expertise for disputes in the joint venture, energy, construction, technology and intellectual property spheres, acting for both multinational companies and state-owned entities. The team is also a significant contributor to thought leadership on international arbitration through the agency of yearbooks, primers and online knowledge platforms.

Clyde & Co LLP has a substantial regional offering, anchored by the Beijing, Hong Kong and Singapore offices and closely connected to the practices in Australia, Greater China, India, Indonesia and Mongolia and a readily accessible global network beyond. The firm is particularly noted for its expertise in the construction, shipping and energy sectors and for the smooth coordination of work between offices and practice groups. The Singapore office offers a prominent and respected capability for the handling of South Korea-related arbitrations. The team also has experience acting for companies and state-owned entities operating across the region, particularly those based in China and India.

Japanese law firm Nishimura & Asahi has a renowned international disputes practice that is regularly instructed by household-name domestic and foreign multinationals and is attracting increasing attention for its work in the international arbitration sphere. The firm is notably active on behalf of leading players from the automotive, construction, pharmaceutical and telecommunications sectors in the arbitration of disputes with both regional and extra-regional parties, in accordance with the rules of such bodies as BANI, the ICC, the JCAA and SIAC. It is readily able to draw upon the resources of the wider, full-service firm for relevant specialist expertise.

Sidley Austin is a practice with a broad Asian presence, anchored by offices in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Australia, Japan and Singapore, and is also notably active on disputes with Indonesian, Korean, Indian and Taiwanese connections. The firm acts for both regional and extra-regional clients from a wide range of industry and business sectors, notably including the energy and resources, pharmaceutical and real estate spheres. It is particularly noted for its handling of China-related disputes and of cases arbitrated under HKIAC and CIETAC rules, and for the Chinese language capabilities of its lawyers, including both Mandarin and Cantonese speakers.