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Meet our regional team of experienced lawyers
Our integrated Regional Shipping & International Trade Group stands ready to serve you throughout Southeast Asia and beyond.
Combining the expertise of commercially and technically experienced lawyers based in our 10 offices: Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, strategically located throughout the region, and with a longstanding tradition in this specialised field, we can support your business needs whether you require local expertise or cross-border advice.
The group is also equipped to advise on English law and able to handle arbitrations across major centres around the world including Badan Arbitrase Nasional Indonesia (BANI Arbitration Centre), Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC), Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration (SCMA), Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC), and China Maritime Arbitration Commission (CMAC), in addition to acting in specialist industry arbitrations such as LMAA, LCIA, GAFTA and Palm Oil Refiners Association of Malaysia (PORAM) proceedings.
We are also the only shipping practice with a qualified Brunei legal practitioner, and we have advised extensively on shipping, maritime and international trade matters in the jurisdiction.
Featured insights
First Cross-Border Paperless Trade between China and Singapore Successfully Piloted
On 19 October 2023, the first live digital trade between China and Singapore was completed by Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (“IMDA“) and the Beijing Two-Zone Office (comprising the Office of the Leading Group for the Work of the China (Beijing) Pilot Free Trade Zone and the Integrated National Demonstration Zone for Opening up the Services Sector).
Our Singapore office continues to dominate the Singapore maritime scene, consistently placing in the “top tier” and still ranked as a “band 1” shipping firm by multiple independent legal directories. We have, by far, the largest number of Senior Accredited / Accredited Specialists for Maritime and Shipping Law by the Singapore Academy of Law’s Specialist Accreditation Scheme.
Our Indonesian office, Assegaf Hamzah & Partners, is the largest domestic law firm in Indonesia, with two offices including one in the shipping hub of Surabaya. Led by seasoned practitioners, we are widely recognised as a leading full service maritime and shipping firm providing advice on all aspects of shipping law, regulatory matters, and related arbitration work.
Consistently ranked as a leading firm in shipping work by independent legal directories, the Vietnam office, Rajah & Tann LCT Lawyers, boasts capabilities in both contentious and non-contentious work. The firm’s leading dispute resolution practice is particularly active in wet shipping matters, covering areas such as vessel arrests, salvage, collisions and cargo damage claims.
Our Malaysia office is consistently recognised as a leading shipping firm and best known for our expertise in handling a full range of services extending to collisions and other casualties, cargo disputes, marine insurance claims, ship arrests, as well as ship finance.
Our Cambodian office has a multitude of experience in providing insightful advice in relation to vessel registration, mortgage and ship arrests under the Cambodian law.
Our Philippines office offers invaluable insights and case-handling capabilities for International Group P&I Club members in the Philippines maritime labour courts, and regulatory advice for operating specialised vessels particularly for the oil and gas sector in the country.
We are proud to say our shipping law practice has come of age over the past decade. The practice is active across contentious work including conduct of collision actions in the local courts and security arrest work. It also has a vibrant shipping transactional portfolio that is known amongst Thai shipowners.
Our Myanmar office has the expertise to advise on a variety of trade-related disputes, regulatory issues and marine casualties, including collisions, berth contacts, groundings, and wreck removal.
We are highly adept in both the non-contentious and contentious shipping matters. Our strength in shipping and commodities is backed by institutional clients such as banks (both local and foreign) and an international clientele made up of P&I Clubs, shipowners, charterers and commodity houses.
Related Links
Recognition
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9th time Winner – Maritime Law Firm of the Year (Singapore)ALB SE Asia Law Awards (2024, 2018, 2013, 2012, and 2009 to 2005)
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Top Firm in Shipping & Maritime (Vietnam)Asia Business Law Journal Vietnam (2024)
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Top Firm in Shipping & Maritime (Malaysia)Asia Business Law Journal Malaysia (2024)
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Band 1 – Shipping: Domestic (Singapore)Chambers Asia Pacific (2024)
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Tier 1 – Shipping (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia)The Legal 500 Asia Pacific (2024)
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Tier 1 – Shipping & Aviation (Vietnam)The Legal 500 Asia Pacific (2024)
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Tier 1 & Highly Recommended – Shipping (Singapore, Malaysia)Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific (2024)
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Outstanding, Recommended – Aviation & Shipping (Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand)asialaw (2024)
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Band 2 – Shipping (Malaysia)Chambers Asia Pacific (2024)
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Highly Recommended – Shipping (Malaysia)asialaw (2024)
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Band 3 – Shipping: Finance (Singapore)Chambers Asia-Pacific (2024)
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Band 3 – Shipping: Litigation (Singapore)Chambers Asia-Pacific (2024)
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"Renowned for the size and strength of its litigation team. The firm covers the full range of contentious matters... with clients benefiting from its regional network of offices in South-East Asia. The firm frequently advises international banks and commodity houses, as well as ship owners and judicial managers."Chambers Asia-Pacific (2024) (Singapore)
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"Christopher & Lee Ong offers significant cross-border capability owing to its membership of the Rajah & Tann Asia network. The team frequently represents clients in litigation and arbitration proceedings, as well as handling ship arrests."Chambers Asia-Pacific (2024) (Malaysia)
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"Assegaf Hamzah & Partners provides a complete service for its clients in the shipping sector... The firm’s membership of the Rajah & Tann Asia network allows it to draw legal expertise and resources from other Asian jurisdictions, enabling a seamless service for its clients in shipping matters that are frequently multi-jurisdictional."The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific (2024) (Indonesia)
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"Noted for its ‘in-depth knowledge of the field’. The team holds impressive capabilities handling both wet and dry shipping work for key domestic and international clients."The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific (2024) (Malaysia)
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"Experienced in representing its clients in contentious matters, such as complex ship-arrest proceedings."The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific (2024) (Malaysia)
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"Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP’s well-established shipping practice advises on the gamut of matters across the maritime space... The team is well-versed in complex cross-border and multi-jurisdictional matters."The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific (2024) (Singapore)
A Seamless Service…
With our unique Regional Shipping & International Trade Group, we are confident that our combined international and local expertise is unrivalled by our competitors and our ability to deliver seamless advice in an integrated fashion across the region is unparalleled.
Whatever your need may be (across the contentious and non-contentious spectrum, be it collisions and marine casualties, international trade and cargo claims, transportation, sanctions, mortgage enforcement, marine insurance, charterparty and shipbuilding, to ship finance, trade finance and corporate shipping, we have the expertise that you need for an efficient and cost-effective solution.
Provides a complete service for its clients in the shipping sector... The Rajah & Tann Asia network allows it to draw legal expertise and resources from other Asian jurisdictions, enabling a seamless service for its clients in shipping matters that are frequently multi-jurisdictional.”
Our Shipping Team
Head, Brunei Business Unit
Partner, Christopher & Lee Ong, Malaysia
Director, Rajah & Tann Myanmar Company Limited
