Samantha obtained her Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from Singapore Management University and is qualified as an advocate and solicitor in Singapore. Since being admitted to the Singapore bar in 2016, her practice has mainly focused on shipping and trade matters, in which she has a broad range of experience in both contentious and non-contentious work.
Key industry sectors
- Shipping
- Structured trade and commodity finance
Admissions
- Advocate and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore
Memberships and activities
- Member, Law Society of Singapore
- Member, Singapore Academy of Law
Representative experience
Contentious
- Acting for Vopak Terminals Singapore Pte Ltd in the Singapore High Court in its claim as jetty operator against owners of the vessel which collided with its jetty located on or about Pulau Sebarok.
- Acted for cargo interests in their claims against one of the world’s biggest commercial storage facilities in the Singapore Court and an SIAC arbitration for improper movement and/or disposal of gasoil belonging to the cargo interests. In the course of the proceedings it transpired that some cargo were shipped on board various vessels and there were also competing interests for the gasoil. Consequently, injunction application(s) and interpleader proceedings ensued.
- Acted for putative charterers as plaintiffs in a High Court suit against disponent owners for losses amounting to USD 1.15 million arising out of a repudiatory breach by the disponent owners of a voyage charterparty (Reported High Court judgment in Toptip Holding Pte Ltd v Mercuria Energy Trading Pte Ltd [2016] 5 SLR 243). The High Court’s decision against us was overturned on appeal, on our very legal submissions in the High Court. The Court of Appeal judgment is at Toptip Holding Pte Ltd v Mercuria Energy Trading Pte Ltd and another appeal [2018] 1 SLR 50.
- Acted for cargo interests as plaintiffs in a High Court admiralty writ action against the owners of a chemical / oil products tanker for damage to lubrication oil cargo, which was found contaminated at the discharge port. Losses amounted to approximately SGD 3.8 million, and the case was eventually resolved through mediation under the auspices of the Singapore Mediation Centre.
- Acted for liquidators in an originating summons application in the High Court to recover payments made by an insolvent company to an oil trader between the commencement of winding up and the eventual winding up order (Reported judgment in Centaurea International Pte Ltd v Citus Trading Pte Ltd [2017] 3 SLR 513).
- Acted for cargo buyers against terminal operators in various proceedings in the Singapore High Court and arbitration for delivery up of cargo, and in related action(s) against carriers of the cargo for non-delivery of cargo.
- Acted for owners in an SCMA arbitration against its managers for main engine damage suffered as a result of improper purification of bunkers.
- Acted for ship managers against owners in an SIAC arbitration for claim for management fees.
- Acted for bareboat charterers in SCMA arbitrations brought by owners for damage to the vessel on redelivery and non-payment of charter hire.
Transactional
- Acted for ship owners and financiers in preparing financing and security documentation for ship purchases, financing / re-financing and sale and leaseback transactions.
- Structured a cross-border private shipping fund involving private and institutional investors from various jurisdictions, including Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States.
- Acted for financiers in the re-financing of a distressed business trust’s syndicated loan which involved a fleet of vessels across major shipping sub-sectors.
- Global debt restructuring involving a US-bankruptcy court action and obligors from various jurisdictions.
- Conducted due diligence on several Singaporean target companies for buyers and drafted the relevant sale and purchase (and ancillary) documents in share acquisitions.
- Advised trustees in relation to its potential factoring business.
