This post is about the Seoul ADR festival where I was blessed to speak on an amazing panel at the SIAC conference. Our panel focussed on the S-wave – the Singaporeanisation of disputes – from SIAC as a world-class institution to the Singapore mediation convention and SIMC’s success to the SICC’s 10 glorious years of international commercial litigation.

Singapore is where the world arbitrates but it has also taken the lead on the mediation scene with the Singapore Mediation Convention. SIMC complements the suite of disputes resolution options with commercial mediation and arb-med-arb. I was at the KCAB-SIMC seminar today where a demonstration of MAIA (the mediator AI assistant) was given.

I have also been fortunate to lead cases in the SICC – both commercial matters that were transferred to the SICC as well as insolvency and arbitration related matters (including setting aside).

As the week ends, and I head home again, I can’t help but be grateful to the wonderful education that I got in NUS, a world-class institute. And the 18 years that have passed since then which saw me move through a justice law clerkship with our amazing judiciary, time in the largest local firms, 2 magic circle firms and the world’s largest firm before settling down with a chamber practice and my own firm in the last 2 years. All of this without having to even leave home.

For those of us who are fortunate to be practising in the Singapore bar, may we always count our blessings for the amazing vantage point that we have and continue to strive hard so that we can build a Singapore that we are proud of, but more importantly a Singapore that is proud to call us sons and daughters.