Margaret Joan Ling

Partner

Margaret’s areas of practice comprise wide-ranging matters including construction disputes, shareholder disputes, investigations, employment matters, and sale of goods. In relation to construction disputes, Margaret has experience advising on REDAS Conditions of Contract, Public Sector Standard Conditions of Contract and SIA Conditions.

Margaret has significant experience in proceedings before the Singapore International Commercial Court. She has appeared before all levels of the Singapore courts. Margaret has also been appointed amicus curiae under the Supreme Court’s inaugural Young Amicus Curiae Scheme.

Additionally, Margaret regularly advises and acts for multinational corporations in international arbitrations. She has experience as an arbitrator under the ICC and SIAC Rules. Margaret was a Council Member of the Singapore Institute of Arbitrators and a member of the Core Committee of the ICC Arbitration Group in Singapore. She is currently the subject editor (arbitration) for the Singapore Academy of Law Practitioner, a sub-committee member of the ICC Arbitration Group in Singapore and a member of the Young SIAC Council.

Margaret is recognised for her expertise in multiple legal publications. Legal 500 notes that Margaret is “really good, articulate and highly diligent – great on feet and on paper”. She is also “hardworking and knows the law at her fingertips”. In Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific, Margaret is described as being “able to quickly understand the contractual points that were at issue”, presenting the claims “in a way that made the points hard to argue against”, and being “very effective at putting forward the [client’s] case”. Global Arbitration Review notes that Margaret has been “praised” for her “knowledge of cases and law” and is “always willing to help”. Who’s Who Legal: Southeast Asia also recommends her for both arbitration and commercial litigation.

Margaret was a tutor for the advocacy course at the National University of Singapore. She also authored the Singapore chapter of Global Legal Insights: International Arbitration 2019 and co-authored the Singapore chapter of The International Arbitration Review (10th edition).

Work Highlights

• Acting for the subsidiary of one of Asia’s largest real estate groups in successfully striking out the entire action in relation to defects in a commercial development.
• Acted to successfully resist the setting aside of an ICC arbitration award that was made in favour of an Asian government. The matter related to a major international transport facility, and the amount in dispute was in excess of US$1 billion.
• Acted to successfully resist the setting aside of a SIAC arbitration award that was made in favour of a Liberian subsidiary of an American multinational energy corporation headquartered in Houston. The matter related to certain production sharing contracts. The amount in dispute was in excess of US$40 million.
• Acting for a dye company that is listed on the National Stock Exchange and the Bombay Stock Exchange in India in its minority oppression claim before the Singapore High Court, where the shareholding company is one of the top global dyes and related chemicals producers with annual turnover in excess of US$800 million.