Collin is a commercial lawyer called in 1993 who has handled a wide range of advisory, litigation,
arbitration and appellate matters. These include admiralty, commercial and marine insurance,
international sale of goods, and shipping and maritime law (including charterparty disputes and
cargo claims, shipping collisions and other shipping casualties, ship building and repair disputes,
and ship sale disputes).
He has acted as counsel in litigation, arbitration and appellate proceedings in Singapore, and has
been appointed an arbitrator in maritime cases.
Collin is on the Panel of Arbitrators of the Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration, a Fellow of
the Singapore Institute of Arbitrators and a representative of the Singapore Law Society on the
Singapore Admiralty Court Users Committee.
Some matters which Collin has handled include:
- Acting for Natixis and Societe Generale in claims against judicial managers for failure to comply with provisions of the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018, reported in Natixis, Singapore Branch v Seshadri Rajagopalan and others and other suits [2024] SGHC 113 (High Court) and [2025] SGCA 29 (Court of Appeal)
- Acting for the owners of the “NAVIGATOR ARIES” in their appeal to the Court of Appeal in
respect of a collision with “LEO PERDANA” off Surabaya, reported in The "Navigator Aries"
[2023] 2 SLR 182 (Court of Appeal) (liability judgment), and The "Navigator Aries" [2023] 2
SLR 358 (Court of Appeal) (costs judgment). - Acting for owners of the oil tanker “ALYARMOUK” and its P&I Club to investigate and
successfully defend and dismiss claims in the Singapore High Court by 1,206 claimants for
alleged oil pollution loss and damage following a collision between “ALYARMOUK” and “SINAR
KAPUAS” in the South China Sea. - Acting for owners of 5 bunker barges to defend claims following the collapse of O.W. Bunker,
for delivery of bunkers without production of bills of lading, reported in The “Star Quest” [2016] 3 SLR 1280 (Court of Appeal judgment reported in The “Luna” and another appeal [2021] 2 SLR 1054). - Acting for a company in the High Court and Court of Appeal to recover monies from a director
liable to account, reported in Alphire Group Pte Ltd v. Law Chau Loon [2017] SGHC 297. - Drafting and advising on the terms of commercial and marine insurance policies for the
Singapore branch of a US insurer. - Acting for P.T. Berlian Laju Tanker Tbk in relation to the transfer its fleet of tankers as part of
its restructuring. - Acting for HSBC Australia to get freezing orders in Singapore in relation to mis-selling of
investment products in Australia. - Acting for the owners of “POE Giant 12” which ran aground on Pedra Branca threatening the
Horsburgh Lighthouse while carrying quay cranes, including liaising with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and salvage contractors for the removal of the wreck and cargo. - Acting for a SGX listed shipyard in SIAC arbitration against its auditors for losses in excess of
$250m arising from unauthorised forex transactions. - Acting in disputes involving breach of directors’ duties and conspiracy, reported in Raffles Town Club v Peter Lim & Others [2010] SGHC 163 (High Court) and [2013] 1 SLR 374 (Court of Appeal).
- Acting for IBM Singapore in a IT contract dispute with the Singapore Central Provident Fund
(CPF) Board over an IT system turnkey project. - Acting for P&O Australia in a shareholder oppression claim, reported in Ng Sing King v. PSA
International Pte Ltd [2003] 3 SLR(R) 591 and [2005] 2 SLR 56. - Acting for owners and P&I clubs of various cruise ships involved in collisions and other
maritime casualties, including the fire and sinking of the "SUN VISTA" in the Straits of Malacca, the collision between the “LANGKA PURI STAR AQUARIUS” and “STRESA” off Singapore, and the sinking of the “ROYAL PACIFIC” following collision with “TE FU 51” in the Straits of Malacca. - Acting for the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) in relation to oil pollution arising from the escape of 28,000 tons of oil from “EVOIKOS” following collision with “ORAPIN GLOBAL”.
- Acting for the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) to preserve its priority over port dues, reported in The 'Hurst' [1999] 1 SLR 237 (High Court) and Planmarine AG v. MPA [1999] 2 SLR 1 (Court of Appeal).
- Acting for the (then) Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) in a judicial review of its decision to
deny berthing rights to a cruise ship providing casino gambling on “cruises to nowhere”,
reported in Lines International Holding (S) Pte Ltd v. STPB [1997] 1 SLR(R) 52. - Acting for the Allseas Group, the owners of the dynamically-positioned pipe-laying vessel
“SOLITAIRE”, in their dispute with Sembawang Shipyard over the conversion of the vessel,
including the release of the vessel and the transfer of the vessel and her equipment to Swan
Hunter Shipyard in Newcastle upon Tyne for completion. - Advising a European helicopter manufacturer on potential claims arising from grounding of its
customers’ helicopters. - Advising an oil major on potential liabilities arising in the event of pollution from oil refinery and storage facilities.
- Advising an oil major on regulatory liabilities arising from ownership of a VLCC jetty.
- Advising an oil major on ownership rights over an oil pipeline.
- Advising a US-listed insurance company on Lehman Brothers-related Minibonds including
potential regulatory breaches, investigations by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS),
and resolution of disputes. - Advising an oil major on statutory and leasehold rights in relation to land reclamation on Jurong Island.
- Acting for a transnational IT corporation to investigate a troubled IT government project in Hong Kong.
A list of ship collisions and other maritime casualties handled by Collin is available on request.