Luke Lee

Luke is a disputes practitioner specialising in international commercial arbitration and complex, high-value cross-border disputes. His practice encompasses arbitration, arbitration-related litigation, enforcement of arbitral awards and foreign judgments, and urgent interim and injunctive relief in complex commercial matters. He regularly represents state-linked entities, multinational corporations and high-net-worth individuals across Asia.

He holds an LL.M (Distinction) in International Dispute Resolution from King’s College London, where he was top in cohort for Enterprise Law and achieved First Class marks in International Commercial Arbitration (Dissertation), International Dispute Resolution, FinTech law, and Transnational Human Rights Litigation.

Luke is a Fellow of the Singapore Institute of Arbitrators, an Accredited Mediator with the Singapore International Mediation Institute, and a member of the Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration. He serves as a Neutral on the Panel of Neutrals under the Law Society Neutral Evaluation and Determination Scheme-FIDReC Scheme, and as International Mediator on the Sage Mediation International Mediators Panel.

He serves as Assistant Editor of the Singapore Arbitration Journal and sits on the Law Society’s Public and International Law Committee and SIArb’s Arbitration Bar Committee. He has contributed to law reform efforts, including the Ministry of Law consultation on the International Arbitration Act following the SIDRA Review of the Singapore Arbitration Act (2024).

He regularly appears as counsel in SIAC arbitrations and before the Singapore courts, including the High Court and the Singapore International Commercial Court, often in matters involving parallel proceedings and multi-jurisdictional enforcement considerations.

Luke has particular expertise in disputes arising from cross-border investments, financing arrangements and large-scale infrastructure, building & construction and energy projects. He is frequently engaged in matters involving complex contractual structures, and issues of jurisdiction, governing law and enforcement strategy.

In addition, he advises clients on regulatory and risk issues in the technology and digital assets space, particularly where such issues intersect with cross-border disputes. His research focuses on the intersection of law and technology, including artificial intelligence and digital asset regulation.

His academic work has been cited internationally. He is a regular speaker at conferences and academic institutions, including the National University of Singapore, Singapore Management University, GLA Arbitration & Litigation Conference (Kuala Lumpur), and the Law Society of Singapore’s Public Law Conference.

Notable Matters

His selected experience includes:

• Acting for a Southeast Asian real estate group in a Singapore-seated SIAC arbitration (English law) involving claims exceeding US$1 billion arising from cross-border syndicated loan facilities, including issues of guarantees, discharge and multi-jurisdictional enforcement.
• Acting for an ultra-high net worth individual in Singapore High Court proceedings involving a breach of trust dispute exceeding S$800 million, successfully resolved prior to trial.
• Representing a US-incorporated engineering consultancy in a VIAC arbitration in Vietnam concerning compliance with pharmaceutical manufacturing standards under Vietnamese law (claim value exceeding US$1.5 million).
• Acting for a UAE-based company in proceedings before the Singapore International Commercial Court against a China state-linked entity in a dispute relating to solar power projects in Pakistan (over US$10 million), involving cross-border enforcement considerations.
• Acting for an ultra-high net worth individual in High Court proceedings concerning losses arising from the liquidation of leveraged commodities positions, involving allegations of misrepresentation, duress and breach of duty.
• Representing a Cayman Islands group in SIAC arbitration involving claims of fiduciary breach and misappropriation of funds (approximately US$10 million).
• Acting as lead counsel in BGW Pte Ltd v BGX Pte Ltd [2023] SGSOP 5, securing a substantial reduction in the claimant’s recovery in a Security of Payment adjudication.
• Acting as lead counsel in Ho Chee Kian v Ho Kwek Sin [2023] SGHC 192, a High Court decision addressing the application of the summary judgment framework under the Rules of Court 2021.
• Successfully obtaining summary judgment in the High Court in a construction dispute involving guarantees and enforceability issues, and resisting attempts to stay enforcement pending counterclaims.
• Securing urgent interim injunctive relief in the High Court in a shareholder dispute concerning board control and corporate governance.
• Advising an international data centre and infrastructure provider on cross-border liability and risk exposure arising from operational disruptions affecting cloud services.
• Coordinating with foreign counsel on concurrent proceedings in the Netherlands and Indonesia involving related commercial disputes.

Publications

Luke has contributed to law reform and industry publications, including:

• Contributor, SIArb submission to UNCITRAL DRDE Project (2025): analysis on AI in arbitration, platform governance, and safeguards for digital proceedings.
• Contributor, SIArb response to Ministry of Law consultation on the International Arbitration Act (2025).
• Case Notes (forthcoming, 2026), Singapore Arbitration Journal:
  • DRO v DRP [2025] SGHC 255
  • Q&M Dental Group (Malaysia) v Lee Chin Sze [2025] SGHC 248
• LL.M Dissertation (King’s College London, 2024): “Privatizing Justice: As ‘the only game in town’, has the international arbitration ecosystem evolved into an overly commercial endeavour?.”
• Additional publications on digital assets, fintech regulation, negotiation strategy, and enterprise law (SSRN).