Dr. Respondek established his practice as International Arbitrator in Singapore in 1998 when arbitration in Singapore was still in its “statu nascendi”. Over the last decade, Singapore has developed into a preferred international venue for arbitration, benefitting from the following factors:

• Singapore’s legal system which is neutral, stable and with a high quality judiciary that is supportive of arbitration,
• An arbitration-friendly legislative framework (arbitration legislation based on the UNCITRAL Model Law) combined with highly qualified arbitrators domiciled in Singapore
• Singapore’s strong ranking in corruption indices.

Today Singapore gives parties a wide choice of first-class arbitration and other dispute resolution institutions. In addition to the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (“SIAC”), Singapore has also established the Singapore International Commercial Court (“SICC”), the Singapore Centre of Maritime Arbitration (“SMC”) as well as the Singapore International Mediation Centre (“SIMC”).

According to the Queen Mary/White & Case “2018 International Arbitration Survey: The Evolution of International Arbitration”:

• Singapore has developed into the world’s third most important seat for international arbitrations (after London and Paris)
• Singapore’s SIAC is the world’s third most preferred arbitration institution (after the ICC and LCIA)

Many multinational corporations base their Asia-Pacific operations in or around Singapore, which makes it a logical choice for parties looking to deal with disputes close to the source through arbitration in Singapore.
Dr. Respondek has been based as arbitrator in Singapore for more than 20 years and has not only witnessed but actively participated in these developments that made Singapore one of the most preferred arbitration venues in the world.