We are pleased to announce <a href="https://bl-singapore.com/en/team/benjamin-wells" target="_blank" class="news-text_link">Benjamin Wells</a> and <a href="https://bl-singapore.com/en/team/you-xian-ng" target="_blank" class="news-text_link">You Xian Ng</a> participated in Singapore Convention Week 2026, including the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (“<span class="news-text_medium">SIAC</span>”) Symposium 2026 at the Shangri-La Singapore, alongside colleagues and fellow practitioners from across the international arbitration community.
This year’s Symposium marked two significant anniversaries: 200 years since the Second Charter of Justice 1826, which laid the foundations for Singapore’s modern judicial system, and the 35th anniversary of the SIAC. SIAC’s development into a leading global arbitration centre, serving users in more than 100 jurisdictions and extending its international presence through offices in Beijing and New Delhi, was a fitting focus for the opening event.
The opening sessions also highlighted the practical importance of the rule of law. Drawing on principles associated with Lord Bingham, speakers emphasised the need for laws that are clear, transparent and accessible, and which are applied fairly by the courts.
Benjamin also participated as a speaker at “When Xinjiang Meets Central Asia: Arbitration Without Borders”, hosted by Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP on Thursday, 27 August 2026. He shared practical observations from an English-law arbitration perspective on recent developments in Russia and Central Asia, informed by the firm’s experience of cross-border disputes involving the region.
As commercial relationships and investment flows between China, Central Asia and the wider region continue to develop, the interaction of differing legal systems, sanctions regimes and approaches to dispute resolution is of growing importance to businesses and their advisers.
Singapore Convention Week provided a valuable opportunity to exchange views on the issues shaping international dispute resolution, reconnect with colleagues and contacts from around the world and form new professional relationships.
