Corina Song

Partner

Corina Song is a Senior Accredited Specialist in Maritime and Shipping Law, with a leading practice in dispute resolution. She is dual qualified in Singapore and England. She advises on and conducts complex litigation and arbitration involving charterparties, ship sales, bills of lading, ship mortgage enforcement, trade finance and policy disputes.

She also sits as an arbitrator. She is currently the Vice Chairperson of the Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration (SCMA) and a member of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) panel of arbitrators.

Described by clients as an “excellent litigator who is always well prepared”, with “deep experience and expertise”, “always articulate and effective” who “thinks way ahead”, “responsive and has deep subject-matter expertise on all shipping-related matters” and “practical, commercial and really an excellent advisor….she is our go-to in Singapore.” Corina’s clients include banks, commodity traders, charterers, insurers, P&I Clubs, shipowners and shipyards.

Corina is consistently recognised by major legal directories, including Chambers Asia-Pacific, Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific, Legal 500 Asia Pacific, and Lexology Index.  In Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific 2025, Corina is also ranked as a Litigation Star and is listed among the Top 100 Women in Litigation. She is also ranked as a Leading Individual by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific and recognised as a Global Elite Thought Leader in Transport – Shipping by Lexology Index 2025.

Her more recent cases include The “Chloe V” [2025] SGHC 142 where she was lead counsel for the mortgagee, UBS AG, in successfully resisting a shipowner’s claim for damages for breach of a loan agreement arising out of UBS’ refusal to issue a letter of quiet enjoyment to a prospective charterer.

Corina was also involved in The “Maersk Katalin” [2024] SGHC 282 and [2025] SGCA 42, where she successfully acted for United Overseas Bank (UOB), the holder of the original bills of lading, in a US$43 million claim for mis-delivery against the shipowner and charterer.

Corina also appeared before the Singapore International Commercial Court (SICC), as lead counsel, in DMF v. DMG [2025] SGHC(I)12 where she successfully resisted a shipowner’s application to set aside an SCMA award for lack of jurisdiction and public policy grounds.

Current Appointments

  • Vice Chairperson, Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration (SCMA) (2019 to present)
  • Legal Practice Division (LPD) Council Member, International Bar Association (IBA) (1 Jan 2023 to present)
  • Advisory Board Member, IBA Maritime and Transport Law Committee (2023 to present)
  • LPD Council Liaison Officer, Aviation Law Committee (1 Jan 2022 to present)
  • LPD Council Liaison Officer, IBA Maritime and Transport Law Committee (1 Jan 2022 to present)
  • Secretary, Maritime Law Association of Singapore (MLAS) (2011 to present)

Other Memberships

  • Panel Arbitrator, Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC)
  • Specialist Mediator (Maritime & Shipping Logistics), Singapore International Mediation Centre (SIMC)
  • Supporting Member of the London Maritime Arbitrator’s Association (LMAA)
  • Course Facilitator for the Diploma in International Maritime Arbitration, conducted by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIARB) London, in conjunction with the LMAA

Work Highlights

  • Acted for the mortgagee, UBS AG, in The “Chloe V” [2025] SGHC 142, where the court dismissed the shipowner’s claim for damages for breach of a loan agreement arising out of UBS’ refusal to issue a letter of quiet enjoyment to a prospective charterer. The case provides valuable guidance to financiers as to how best to balance the competing interests of a mortgagee and shipowner.
  • Acted for the bank and holder of the original bills of lading, United Overseas Bank (“UOB”), in The “Maersk Katalin” [2024] SGHC 282 in a US$43 million claim for misdelivery against the shipowner. UOB succeeded at first instance. The shipowner and Winson Oil Trading Pte Ltd, the charterer, appealed ([2025] SGCA 42). For the first time, the Singapore Court of Appeal considered the recent spate of English cases where the causation defence was successfully relied upon to defend claims for misdelivery. Similar causation defences were also raised in this case but rejected by the Singapore Court of Appeal who held in favour of UOB.
  • Acted for the respondents in Aastar Trading Pte Ltd v Olam Global Agri Pte Ltd [2025] SGHC 5 in an application to adjourn enforcement proceedings pending the outcome of its setting aside application in the seat court. This case provides useful guidance as the court outlined the applicable principles when considering an application for an adjournment of the enforcement proceedings pending the outcome of a setting aside application in the seat court. They include the bona fides of the application, the strength of the merits of the setting aside application before the seat court (albeit not a detailed examination at this stage), likely length of the adjournment (and consequent prejudice caused to the award creditor by such delay) and international comity.
  • Acted for the respondent, Flame S.A., in Re Sifan Triyono [2021] SGHC 55, where the court dismissed the appeal by the applicant against an earlier decision of the Assistant Registrar to dismiss his application for an interim order under Part 14 of the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 (“IRDA”).

 

Publications