Press Release: Singapore International Mediation Centre (SIMC) Announces New Board Member

Singapore, 28 April 2017 – The Singapore International Mediation Centre (SIMC) is delighted to announce the appointment of Mr Davinder Singh, SC, to its Board of Directors.

Mr Singh is the Chairman of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) and the Chief Executive Officer of Drew & Napier LLC. Internationally respected as one of Asia’s leading disputes lawyers, Mr Singh’s appointment to the SIMC Board reinforces the contribution that the former SIAC Chairman and current Attorney-General Mr Lucien Wong made to establish the close working relationship between the SIMC and the SIAC to position Singapore as a centre for world-class alternative dispute resolution services.

Mr Singh’s appointment comes at an exciting time for the international private dispute resolution sector. Asia has witnessed a rise in commercial transactions, and Singapore, with its strong reputation for neutrality, highly efficient infrastructure, and stable rule of law, has become the venue of choice for international parties to resolve their complex cross-border disputes. Recent statistics published by the SIAC and the Singapore Mediation Centre have shown the number of case filings in both institutions growing by more than 50% year-on-year in 2016. SIMC’s caseload has similarly experienced steady growth, with case filings from more than 22 different jurisdictions since its launch in November 2014.

SIMC works with the SIAC jointly to offer the Arbitration-Mediation-Arbitration Protocol. Under this protocol, parties are able to convert their settlement agreement into a consent arbitral award enforceable in more than 150 jurisdictions under the New York Convention. This unique protocol addresses one of the perennial and widely voiced criticisms of the mediation process for production of an outcome which can be difficult to enforce in a different jurisdiction from where the mediation was conducted. It also allows parties to save substantial time and cost of going through a full arbitration hearing.

Mr George Lim, Chairman of SIMC said, “We are delighted to welcome Davinder to the SIMC Board. His making time to take on this additional role is an important signal of mediation’s role in the international dispute resolution landscape.”

Mr Edwin Glasgow, the former Chairman of SIMC said, “I am very pleased, and SIMC is honoured, that Davinder has accepted the invitation to serve. His presence highlights the strategic relationship between SIMC and SIAC. I look forward to serving together with him to strengthen the collaboration between the SIMC and SIAC so that both institutions may continue to offer innovative solutions to complex cross-border disputes.”

Mr Singh said of his appointment, “It is an honour to be appointed to the SIMC Board. Mediation is a critical component of commercial dispute resolution. It will grow in importance as more decision makers understand the immense value of resolving disputes by finding solutions. I look forward to working with my fellow Board members. They have contributed a great deal to SIMC’s growth and success.”

Congratulating Mr Singh on his latest appointment, Chief Justice Mr Sundaresh Menon said, “I am delighted that Davinder has accepted the invitation to join the SIMC Board. I am certain that he will inspire, lead, and challenge the SIMC to continually stay ahead of the best practices and emerging trends in the field of alternative dispute resolution, even as it strives to ensure that its services are aligned with commercial realities and the needs of its users.