Good Showing by SMU Mooters at International Arbitration Moot Competitions
Singapore, 19 May 2015 (Tuesday) – In developing Singapore as a dispute resolution hub, one of the government’s strategies is in developing Singapore’s international arbitration, alongside the development of litigation and international mediation. Singapore is now the third most preferred arbitration seat in the world after London and Geneva, and the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) has also seen an exponential increase in cases in the last 14 years, with the total value of disputes heard by the SIAS in 2014 being more than S$5 billion1.
At the Singapore Management University (SMU), through a structured moot training programme, talented young mooters are being trained in critical arbitration knowledge and skills. The programme which was rolled out since Academic Year 2009-10 is yielding results – in the last two months, SMU reached the final of three major international arbitration moot competitions:
- Champions at the Willem C. Vis (East) Commercial Arbitration (or Vis East) Moot, held in Hong Kong (15 – 22 March 2015)
- First runner-up at the Willem C. Vis Commercial Arbitration (or Vis) Moot, held in Vienna (28 March – 2 April 2015)
- First runner-up at the Frankfurt Investment Arbitration Moot, held in Frankfurt (9 – 14 March 2015)
Vis and Vis East Moots
The annual Vis and Vis East moot competitions are sister moots organised in Vienna and Hong Kong respectively. The goal of the Vis and Vis East moots, which are into their 22nd and 12th editions this year, is to foster the study of international commercial law and arbitration for the resolution of international business disputes through its application to a concrete problem of a client, and to train law leaders of tomorrow in methods of alternative dispute resolution.
This year, SMU had sent a combined team to both the Vis and Vis East moots. The Vis East team comprising Eden Li (year 4), Jason Lim (Juris Doctor), Nicolette Oon (year 3) and Jerald Soon (year 4) made history by becoming the first Singapore team to win the moot competition, after nine rounds of intense competition between 15 and 22 March 2015.
The strong competition began in the preliminary rounds, where SMU faced Wuhan University (China), Waseda University (Japan), former Vis winner Monash Law School (Australia), and Symbiosis Law School (India). The team then met former Vis East winner Tsinghua University (China) in the Round of 32, National Chiao Tung (Taiwan) in the octofinal, University of Denver (USA) in the quarterfinal, and former Vis winner West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (India) in the semi-final, before facing off against Arizona State University (USA) in the final on 22 March to win the championship.
[Photo: Jason Lim (far left), Eden Li (2nd from left), Jerald Soon (2nd from right), Nicolette Oon (far right), with José Feris, Deputy Sec-Gen of the ICC International Court of Arbitration, who was one of the judges in the final of the Vis (East) moot competition.]
In Vienna, the Vis team comprising Bethel Chan (Juris Doctor), Grace Sim (year 4), Alvin Tan (Juris Doctor), and Tan Jun Hong (year 3) also did the University proud by reaching the Vis final on 2 April. After 10 intensive rounds, the team accomplished first runner-up position, and also won an Honourable Mention for Best Memorial and two Honourable Mentions for Best Oralist – Bethel Chan and Tan Jun Hong.
With these victories, SMU became the first university ever to reach both the Vis East and Vis finals in the same year. As the world's second and third largest international moot competitions, the Vis and Vis East moots saw a record turnout this year with 299 teams from 65 countries, and 109 teams from 29 countries respectively.
[Photo: (Front row, L-R) Bethel Chan and Tan Jun Hong; (back row, L-R) Alvin Tan and Grace Sim.]
Frankfurt Investment Arbitration Moot Court
In March, another SMU team comprising Benjamin Bala (Juris Doctor), Eugene Neo (year 3), Jeremy Tan (Juris Doctor) and Tiffany Tseng (Juris Doctor) was named first runner-up at the 8th Frankfurt Investment Arbitration Moot Court competition, following a face-off with Jindal Global Law School (India). The Frankfurt moot saw more than 50 teams from 21 different countries participating, with 29 teams making it to the finals held in Frankfurt on 13 March.
The Frankfurt Investment Arbitration Moot Court, which focuses on investment protection, is significant in that the law on foreign investment protection is presently the most innovative, fastest developing and intellectually challenging branch of international law with high practical relevance. The number of investment disputes before international arbitral tribunals has also increased significantly over the last decades and reflects the notable preferences of the international business community for resolving international investment disputes.
[Photo: Tiffany Tseng (far left), Eugene Neo (2nd from left), Benjamin Bala (3rd from right), Jeremy Tan (2nd from right)]
SMU’s international mooting achievements
Professor Yeo Tiong Min, Dean of SMU School of Law, said, “With continued efforts by the Singapore Government to support the development of the country’s arbitration sector, and a growing interest for multi-tier dispute resolution, arbitration will only become more important. Through the SMU moot training programme, we train students in critical knowledge and skills which will be valuable in their future careers. We are also mindful of the need for a pipeline of skilful practitioners to support the sector, which will see greater complexity and volume of cross-border disputes.”
With these recent results, SMU mooters have won 12 international moot titles in 25 championship finals, a significant achievement for the young law school, which was established in 2007 and had graduated its first batch of students in 2011.
Assistant Professor of Law Chen Siyuan, who heads the SMU International Moots Programme, said, “This is our best season yet in international moots, and builds on our recent back-to-back final appearances in the Philip C. Jessup moot. The students were well-trained by the alumni mooters as well as senior members of the legal fraternity who took time off to coach them. If we are to have a world-class dispute resolution scene, we must start with the students.”
[Featured photo: Jason Lim (far left), Eden Li (2nd from left), Jerald Soon (2nd from right), Nicolette Oon (far right), with José Feris, Deputy Sec-Gen of the ICC International Court of Arbitration, who was one of the judges in the final of the Vis (East) moot competition.]
Enclosure:Presss release, including Annex on List of international moot competition achievements by SMU School of Law.
