R GOVINTHARASAH

COMMISIONER FOR OATHS & NOTARY PUBLIC | MANAGING DIRECTOR

Founding Member and Managing Director of Gurbani & Co LLC. Practicing primarily as a litigation and arbitration lawyer and arbitrator since 1989. Engaged mainly as Lead Counsel in civil litigation, international arbitration and occasionally as Arbitrator involving disputes in insurance, including marine insurance, cross-border, commercial and personal investments, infrastructure construction projects (power plants, hydroelectric dams oil rigs), shipbuilding, rig construction-sale and purchase, disputes related to carriage of goods by sea, air, road, freight-forwarding, ship sales and purchase, chartering, all types of shipping casualties (sinking, groundings/collisions, piracy, fire), personal injuries and death.

Advising on and engaged by international law firms in the cross-border enforcement of foreign judgements and arbitral awards in Singapore and various jurisdictions in the ASEAN countries, India and China through a well-established network of local correspondent firms.

Setting up of new corporate projects, companies, joint ventures, acquisitions, preparation of all types of commercial agreements including start-ups, mergers and acquisitions.

He is recognised as an outstanding lawyer for Client Service Excellence in delivering high quality service in Shipping and Insurance by Asialaw.

RECENT CASE HIGHLIGHTS

Advising clients on claim relating to cross-border mining investment dispute of approximately USD20 million involving four different jurisdictions
Advising Chinese construction company in respect of Hydro Electric Dam construction dispute in a third country and Banker's Performance Bond claim in Singapore involving more than USD35 million.
Setting up of companies in Singapore for clients from various jurisdictions.
Recognition and Enforcement of foreign court judgements and international arbitration awards from various jurisdictions and Indonesian Bankruptcy Orders in Singapore.
Acting as instructing solicitors and advising on enforcement of an Indonesian Supreme Court Judgement in Malaysia.
Acting for the Families of the Deceased's Filipino Seafarers and their Estates in respect of a fire casualty on board a Singapore Vessel
Acting for clients in arresting vessels for cargo damage and ship collisions in several cases.

PRACTICE AREAS

Shipping and maritime (contentious and non-contentious);
International arbitration, dispute resolution and litigation;
Insurance (general insurance and marine insurance);
Corporate and M&A, commercial ventures (including cross-border investments), setting up family offices and investments, incorporation of new businesses and companies for foreign domestic clients; and
Banking & Finance.

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor of Laws (Honours), NUS

Completed CIARB Fellowship (2006)

BAR ADMISSIONS

Admitted to practice in the Singapore Bar since 1989 after graduating from National University of Singapore (NUS) with Honours.

Foreign Consultant in Sutedja & Partners, Jakarta, Indonesia.

ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIPS

Member of Panel of Arbitrators of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC Singapore)
Member of Panel of Arbitrators of the Thailand Arbitration Center (THAC)
Senior Fellow Member on the Panel of Arbitrators of the Bali International Arbitration & Mediation Center (BIAMC)
Fellow Singapore Institute of Arbitrators (FSIArb)
Member of the Federation of Integrated Conflict Management (FICM)
Inter-Pacific Bar Association (IPBA) Member
Associate Member of Asia Pacific Institute of Experts (APIEx)