Summary
Rebecca is dual qualified – a Barrister called to the English and Welsh Bar by Gray’s Inn, and an Advocate & Solicitor of Malaysia. She is a highly experienced international arbitrator and arbitration counsel and she is also an accredited Certified Sanctions Specialist with technical and legal expertise in complex sanctions matters particularly related to the sanctions by the USA, EU, UK, UN and Singapore.
Rebecca specialises in sanctions, international trade, commodities trading (particularly trade terms under INCOTERMS), maritime, oil and gas (EPCIC, from upstream to downstream oil and gas including oil trading), technology (particularly Artificial Intelligence, fintech and blockchain) and general commercial disputes. Rebecca had served as arbitrator, counsel, advocate and adviser in numerous high-profile and complex international commercial disputes.
Rebecca has the advantage of a combined expertise in both legal and commercial-technical expertise in the trade sectors of oil, gas, commodities trading and maritime industries – an added benefit in arbitration as well as litigation in today’s complicated and technical business environment. She had served as General Counsel, Director of Legal, Compliance & Head of Sanctions in multinational corporations in Singapore as well as Kuala Lumpur for many years which established her strong business acumen in these fields. Rebecca used to sit in the board of directors of an oil and petrochemical company which has a sister company that owns a world class oil refinery in Brunei.
Rebecca is also academically inclined and she lectures part-time at universities in England on Commercial Law (including international trade and carriage of goods by sea), Company Law and Arbitration to undergraduate students.
On arbitration, Rebecca accepts both party and institutional appointments as an arbitrator. She also accepts appointment as counsel in arbitrations. She has been appointed as arbitrator by the LCIA and SIAC. She used to sit on the panel of arbitrators under the ICC National Committee in Singapore.
She is listed as an arbitrator by the LCIA, ICC UK, Maxwell Chambers Directory of Singapore, the European Chinese Arbitrators Association, the SCC Arbitration Institute (Stockholm), the Danske Advokater, the Arbitral Women and the Worshipful Company of Arbitrators (London). She is on the panel of arbitrators of the SIAC (Reserved Panel), AIAC, AIADR and the Vietnam Traders Arbitration Centre (VTA). She is also a supporting member of the LMAA who accepts appointment as an arbitrator under the LMAA terms.
Rebecca is a Fellow of the Singapore Institute of Arbitrators (“SIArb”), the MIArb and the AIADR. She sat in the Council of the SIArb for four consecutive years (2018-2022). She had been appointed by the Benchmark Chambers International, the Base of the Supreme People’s Court of the People’s Republic of China, as a Legal Expert.
Education
- LL.M. with a specialisation in International Business Law (Merit), University of London (Queen Mary University of London & University College London).
- PG Dip in Law with a specialisation in International Business law (Merit), University of London (Queen Mary University of London & University College London).
- PG Cert in Law with a specialisation in Computer & Communications Law (Merit), University of London (Queen Mary University of London & University College London).
- LL.B., University of South Wales, Wales, UK
Areas of Expertise in Arbitration
- International Trade, Commodities Trading and INCOTERMS.
- Sanctions Compliance and Regulations.
- Maritime and Shipping Law.
- Oil & Gas and Energy.
- Full entire value chain of the oil and gas industry that spans from Upstream (Exploration, Procurement, Construction, Installation and Commissioning), Midstream and Downstream (Refining and Trading).
- Production Sharing contracts, Joint Operating contracts, Consortium contracts, focusing on risk management, regulatory compliance, and minimizing disputes.
- Expertise in upstream and midstream energy contracts, including EPCIC agreements, joint ventures, and regulatory compliance for energy projects.
- Information Technology (IT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI):
- Extensive experience advising on IT governance, data protection, cybersecurity, e-commerce regulations, intellectual property and technology contracts.
- She worked on the legal complexities of software development, cloud computing, and digital platforms.
- She is presently conducting research on Artificial Intelligence and its impact on arbitration and trade, she has developed advanced knowledge of AI technologies and their legal implications strengthening her ability to address complex legal issues in IT and AI.
- Fintech and Blockchain
- Substantial expertise in fintech and blockchain, developed through her work experience as General Counsel for a Finnish technology-focused organisation and her academic research on emerging technologies.
- Well-versed in the legal and regulatory frameworks governing digital assets, payment systems, and decentralized technologies.
- Her experience includes advising on blockchain-based smart contracts, and anti-money laundering (AML) regulations and she possessed in-depth knowledge of the technological principles underpinning distributed ledger systems, enabling her to address the legal complexities of Fintech innovations.
- Derivatives (ISDA Master Agreement), White collar Crimes & Financial Crimes, Compliance (Anti-Bribery, Corruption, Anti Money Laundering, FCPA):
- Extensive expertise in derivatives, including drafting and negotiating ISDA Master Agreements and managing regulatory compliance for complex financial transactions.
- Skilled in addressing white-collar and financial crimes, such as fraud, insider trading, and embezzlement, with a strong track record in internal investigations and collaboration with enforcement agencies.
- Proficient in global compliance frameworks, including Anti-Bribery and Corruption (ABC), Anti-Money Laundering (AML), and FCPA compliance, with experience in developing policies, conducting risk assessments, and delivering targeted training programs to ensure organizational adherence to international regulatory standards.
Arbitration Memberships
Panel Memberships:
- Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) (Reserve Panel)
- London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA)
- ICC National Committee in Singapore (listed on ICC Case Connect Database)
- Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC)
- Asian Institute of Alternative Dispute Resolution (AIADR)
- Maxwell Chambers Directory of Singapore (listed as arbitrator)
- Vietnam Traders Arbitration Centre (VTA)
- European Chinese Arbitrators Association (ECAA)
- SCC Arbitration Institute
- The Association of Danish Law Firms (Danske Advokater) (DAA), which works closely with the Danish Institute of Arbitration (Voldgiftsinstituttet)
Fellowships:
- Singapore Institute of Arbitrators (SIArb)
- Malaysia Institute of Arbitrators (MIArb)
- Asian Institute of Alternative Dispute Resolution (AIADR)
Supporting Member, accepting appointment as arbitrator
- London Maritime Arbitrators Association (LMAA)
Legal expert pool
- Benchmark Chambers International (“BCI”), The Base of the Supreme People’s Court of China (“SPC”). BCI is one of the 4 foreign law ascertainment centres designated by SPC and one of the 4 foreign law ascertainment centres of China International Commercial Court.
Singapore Institute of Arbitrators (SIArb)
- Elected Council Member (2018-2020, 2020-2022)
- Fellow – qualified independent arbitrator
- Chairwoman of the Activities Committee
- Honourable Emcee of SIArb’s Annual Gala Dinner 2019
- Honourable Emcee of SIArb’s 40th Anniversary
Freeman
- The Worshipful Company of Arbitrators