Sitpah Selvaratnam is an Arbitrator with extensive experience in dispute resolution, specialising in shipping, international trade, commercial and corporate insolvency disputes.
She is an Advocate & Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya, Barrister-at-Law, Lincoln’s Inn; Arbitrator. Qualified in 1988 with a First Class Honours degree in law from the University of Wales, Cardiff, and in 1991 with a LLM from the University of Cambridge. Conferred a Diploma in International Commercial Arbitration by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in 2008, upon completion of study at Keble College Oxford.
Practicing law in Malaysia since 1991, focused on corporate insolvency, commercial and shipping litigation and disputes. Represents diverse Malaysian and foreign corporations and commercial interests; including shipowners, commodity traders, port operators, Protection and Indemnity Clubs, insurers, financial institutions, Malaysia’s national asset management corporation, and securities commission.
Involved in over 100 shipping In Rem and In Personam actions, including arrest of ships, charterparty, cargo, international trade, documentary credit, marine insurance, and bunkering disputes; and collision, shipyard and port claims. Featured in successive editions of The Asia Pacific Legal 500 since 2005. Singled out by Shipping & Transport International, published in London in 2008, as a significant maritime personality.
Beyond the sphere of Maritime Law, Sitpah enjoys the additional privilege of working with consortiums of bankers and financiers in Banking and Corporate Insolvency Litigation. She is highly experienced in the intricacies of corporate receivership, rights under debt restructuring, schemes of arrangement and work-out proposals of Special Administrators. She is at her best when insolvency issues present themselves in shipping disputes.
President of the International Malaysian Society of Maritime Law (IMSML). Chair of the Shipping and Admiralty Law Committee of the Malaysian Bar Council. Chair of the Maritime Committee of the Inter-Pacific Bar Association (IPBA [2015-2017]). Co-Chair of the International Arbitration Committee of the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC). Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) and the Malaysian Institute of Arbitrators (MIArb). Member of Panel of Arbitrators of the Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre for Arbitration (KLRCA), Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), Singapore Chambers of Maritime Arbitration (SCMA). Supporting member of the London Maritime Arbitrators Association (LMAA). Regularly appointed as Arbitrator in international, regional and domestic references on commercial, international trade and shipping disputes.
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