The firm was involved in a case that saw the UK High Court recognising Singapore’s moratorium law for the first time
Rajah and Tann Singapore has cleaned up at the Benchmark Litigation APAC Awards 2021, nabbing several awards at the Thursday ceremony.
The firm picked up its second straight win for Firm of the Year, as well as Shipping Firm of the Year and two Impact Case awards – one of which was won for a landmark case that saw the High Court of England and Wales acknowledge Singapore’s moratorium law for the first time.
“The Impact Case award for securing the first-ever recognition of Singapore’s moratorium law by the UK court was particularly significant as it highlighted the strength of our restructuring regime and the talent pool we have in corporate restructuring,” said Patrick Ang, Rajah and Tann Singapore’s managing partner.
The case, which commenced in 2019, involved the grant of a moratorium relief by a Singapore court to H&C S Holdings Pte Ltd, which Rajah & Tann Singapore was representing. The UK High Court recognised the decision made “as foreign main proceedings under the UNICITRAL Model Law,” the firm said.
The case boosted “debt workouts across different jurisdictions and Singapore’s ambition to become Asia’s debt restructuring hub,” Rajah & Tann Singapore said.
The firm nabbed its other Impact Case win for a cross-border arbitration matter involving Laos-based parties. The firm was able to secure what it said was a rare decision by the Singapore Court of Appeal involving a “wrongly-seated arbitration.”
“It is expected that the seminal decision will provide helpful guidance to courts around the world when faced with a similar issue,” Rajah & Tann Singapore said. “Parties to commercial arbitrations are also now apprised of the significance of their choice of seat, and arbitral tribunals around the globe have now been advised that wrongly seating an arbitration will result in an award that cannot be enforced.”
The Benchmark Litigation APAC Awards 2021, which recognises achievements in disputes and litigation within the APAC region held a virtual ceremony to announce the winners.
Indonesian firm Assegaf Hamzah & Partners, which is a member of the Rajah & Tann Asia Network, was named Indonesia Firm of the Year for the second year running.
