If you’ve been served a Notice of Arbitration, or you’re reading the SIAC clause for the first time
If you’ve landed on this page, it’s usually one of three reasons. You’ve been served a Notice of Arbitration filed at the Singapore International Arbitration Centre, and you’ve got 14 days to respond. Or your contract has a SIAC clause and the deal has gone wrong. Or you’re an in-house counsel weighing SIAC against the High Court for a cross-border dispute.
I’m Wahab. I run A.W. Law LLC in Chinatown. I appear in arbitration proceedings at the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC).
The first 10 minutes of advice are free. Nothing commits you.
What SIAC arbitration actually is
SIAC, the Singapore International Arbitration Centre, is the institution that administers most international commercial arbitrations seated in Singapore. It was set up in 1991, sits at Maxwell Chambers on Maxwell Road, and is the dominant choice for Asia-related cross-border commercial work.
What “administered by SIAC” means in plain English:
- The institution. SIAC handles the registration, the fee schedule, the tribunal-appointment process, and case management. The current procedural rules are the SIAC Rules 2025.
- The tribunal. A panel of one or three arbitrators decides the case, not a Singapore High Court judge. Either side can nominate one arbitrator. SIAC’s Court of Arbitration appoints the chair (or the sole arbitrator) where the parties can’t agree.
- The seat. A Singapore-seated arbitration runs under the International Arbitration Act 1994 (IAA), which imports the UNCITRAL Model Law. The Singapore High Court has supervisory power for set-aside, enforcement, and urgent interim relief.
- The award. A binding arbitral award at the end. Enforceable in over 170 New York Convention countries.
The two SIAC routes most clients use:
- Standard procedure. A 9-to-18-month run from Notice of Arbitration to final award.
- Expedited Procedure. Available where the sum in dispute is below S$10 million, or by party consent. Targets an award within 6 months of tribunal constitution.
There’s also the Emergency Arbitrator route for urgent interim relief (freezing assets, preserving evidence) that can grant relief within 14 days of filing.
For the broader picture, including ICC, HKIAC, LCIA, and DIFC routes, see our international arbitration page. For a UAE-Singapore court matter rather than arbitration, see DIFC Courts lawyer.
When SIAC is (and isn’t) the right route
SIAC isn’t right for every dispute. Before we file or respond to a Notice of Arbitration, I ask:
- Does the contract have a SIAC clause? If it does, you’re on this track unless we challenge the clause itself, which is rare and hard.
- Where are the other side’s assets? SIAC awards are enforceable in 170+ countries under the New York Convention. If assets are in a non-signatory state, we look at alternatives.
- Is the dispute commercial and over S$50,000? Below that, SIAC fees usually outweigh the value. The High Court Magistrates’ Track or contract disputes is the route.
- Is privacy worth the cost? SIAC arbitration is confidential by default. Singapore court hearings are mostly public. For a reputation-sensitive dispute, that confidentiality has real value.
- Has the clock started? A Notice of Arbitration triggers a 14-day Response window under the SIAC Rules. Missing it means the tribunal can be constituted without your input, the case proceeds in your absence, and the award goes against you on the available evidence. If you’ve just been served, get advice fast.
The two SIAC patterns we see most often:
- Singapore party, foreign respondent. A Singapore company has a contract with an Indonesian, Vietnamese, Indian, or Middle-Eastern counterparty. The clause says SIAC. The deal has gone wrong.
- Foreign-led matter, Singapore co-counsel. A foreign firm runs the case strategy from London, New York, or Mumbai, and instructs us as Singapore counsel for the supervisory High Court applications and the seat-side procedural work.
Our blog on resolving business disputes without going to court in Singapore covers the practical side of choosing arbitration over litigation.
What to expect from SIAC arbitration, honestly
How long it takes.
A standard SIAC arbitration runs 9 to 18 months from Notice of Arbitration to final award. The Expedited Procedure targets an award within 6 months of tribunal constitution. The Emergency Arbitrator can grant urgent interim relief within 14 days. Multi-party or high-value matters can take over 2 years.
How much it costs.
Three layers, all separate.
The SIAC institution fee follows a published schedule based on the sum in dispute. For a S$1 million claim, the registration plus administration fees usually run S$15,000 to S$25,000.
The tribunal fee (one or three arbitrators) for the same claim is on a published cap and usually totals S$30,000 to S$60,000, shared between the parties.
Counsel fees are the third layer. We quote in writing as a capped engagement in three milestone tranches: (i) clause review and Notice of Arbitration or Response; (ii) pleadings and document production; (iii) hearing and post-hearing. The 10-min Discovery Session is free, and no paid work begins until you’ve seen and accepted the estimate.
What’s hard.
Three things tend to surprise first-time clients. Document production in SIAC matters is heavier than in a Singapore court action, often run under the IBA Rules on the Taking of Evidence. Witness statements are tightly drafted and the witness is cross-examined live at the merits hearing. Sloppy drafting can wreck a strong case. And an arbitral award is final on the merits: setting it aside requires showing a procedural defect under the International Arbitration Act, not that the tribunal got the facts or the law wrong. The Singapore courts will not retry the case.
How we handle SIAC matters at A.W. Law
- One director, start to finish. The director who takes your Discovery Session runs the matter through to award. No handover.
- Clause and seat review first. Before any filing, you get a written memo on the clause’s strengths and gaps, the proper seat and governing law, and the realistic strategy for either claim or defence.
- Honest route advice. If your matter belongs at the Singapore High Court, in mediation, or with foreign counsel as lead, we’ll say so before any work starts.
- Capped fees, in writing, in three tranches. Notice of Arbitration or Response; pleadings and document production; hearing and post-hearing.
- Cross-border reach. Where a matter spans SIAC, ICC, HKIAC, LCIA, AIAC, or DIFC Courts, Wahab leads or co-leads.
- WhatsApp evenings until 10pm on weekdays.
- Multilingual. English, Malay, or Tamil.
We’re at 133 New Bridge Road, #20-03 Chinatown Point. Two minutes from Chinatown MRT, Exit E.
What happens next
If you’ve been served a Notice of Arbitration, or you’re trying to read a SIAC clause before things escalate, the next step is simple. Book a free 10-min SIAC Arbitration Discovery Session using the form on this page, or message us on WhatsApp using the button anywhere on the screen.
Nothing commits you. Most sessions end with a short list: the contract, the clause, the correspondence, and the rough numbers. You’ll leave knowing whether SIAC, the High Court, or another seat is the right route, and what a realistic timeline and cost look like.
