Joshua Hiew

Counsel

Joshua has a broad disputes practice which spans the entire spectrum of dispute resolution proceedings. He acts for a diverse range of clients, including state-owned entities, multinational corporations, institutional insurers, technology companies, and professional practices. These matters cover the energy, automotive, construction, commodities, hospitality, banking, info-technology, financial technology, engineering, and insurance sectors.

Joshua has particular expertise in litigation and arbitration. He has appeared as counsel before the Singapore courts and a wide array of domestic and international arbitration tribunals, both ad hoc and institutional. His experience lies in commercial disputes; professional liability disputes; joint venture and shareholder disputes; arbitration-adjacent proceedings; as well as contentious corporate governance matters.

Joshua is recognised in The Legal 500 Asia Pacific (International Arbitration), where he has been described as “a star in his generation”, “super smart”, and “a guy [you] should have on your side”. Clients have noted him to “work tirelessly”, with mention made of his “effective dispute resolution experience” and “dispute management and client management abilities”.

Joshua’s experience includes a spell at Essex Court Chambers, a magic circle barristers’ chambers in London, where he had the opportunity as the winner of the 2018 Essex Court Chambers-Singapore Academy of Law International Mooting Competition to learn from King’s Counsel working on complex litigation.

Joshua has contributed to publications such as Singapore Civil Procedure and Charting New Waters: The Singapore International Commercial Court After 10 Years. He also co-authored the Dispute Resolution module on Litigation in Lexis Practical Guidance. In 2021, he was appointed by the Supreme Court of Singapore to assist the Court of Appeal as young amicus curiae with the determination of sentencing in a criminal case.

Joshua has received several awards for his academic and advocacy-related achievements prior to practice. These include The Singapore Institute of Legal Education Prize for the Best Candidate in The Law & Practice of Arbitration at the 2017 Singapore Bar Examinations, where he also placed Joint 4th in the overall class. Joshua was also the Best Oralist (Preliminary Rounds) in the 2016 international rounds of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition.

Work Highlights

  • Acted for an Asian state-owned oil and gas company in an SIAC Arbitration against a joint venture comprising several multi-national oil majors for a claim for over US$110 million arising out of the transfer of operatorship of an oil and gas field
  • Acted for a state-owned engineering company in ICC arbitration-adjacent court proceedings against a defence and security contractor in respect of claims amounting to over US$40 million relating to an infrastructure project
  • Acted for a global automotive manufacturer in a multi-fora dispute, comprising two ICC Arbitrations and an SIAC Arbitration, against an automotive lighting producer in respect of claims amounting to over US$48 million, relating to the management of a joint venture company
  • Acted for a prominent oil and gas trading company in a multi-fora dispute, comprising two SIAC Arbitrations and related Singapore High Court and Court of Appeal proceedings, against an asset management company in respect of claims arising out of the sale of oil and gas in a Southeast Asian country
  • Acted for a global hotel & hospitality company in an SIAC Arbitration against a Thai hotel owner relating to the termination of a hotel management agreement for a property in Thailand
  • Acted for a global asset management company in a successful application before the Singapore High Court to strike out a suit commenced by a former senior executive, in respect of claims for wrongful termination
  • Acting for a state-owned Singapore maritime engineering company in criminal proceedings in respect of statutory workplace safety and health obligations
  • Acted for Singapore Health Services, a state-owned Singapore group of healthcare institutions, in Committee of Inquiry and related proceedings surrounding the 27 June 2018 cyber-attack on its patient database, Singapore’s largest and most sophisticated cyber-attack to date