Justin has advised and represented clients at all levels of the Singapore Courts. Further, Justin is also experienced in other forms of dispute resolution such as international arbitrations (SIAC and SCMA) and mediations. Being no stranger to cross border work, Justin regularly works with his colleagues from the other Ince offices and with counsel from other jurisdictions.

In his non-contentious practice, Justin has experience from the corporate shipping and finance practice of a Tier 1 Singapore law firm and advises on non-contentious transactions such as ship finance and ship sale and purchase. Justin employs his unique background in both contentious and non-contentious work to assist clients with risk mitigation, prior to and after the entering of transactions, and to achieve the most commercially suited outcomes.

Contentious

• Acted in the Court of Appeal decision of Duncan, Cameron Lindsay and another v Diablo Fortune Inc and another [2018] 2 SLR 129:
  a. In its judgment, the Court stated that it may be appropriate to examine suitable legislative reform which would be in line with the position which was argued (i.e. that shipowner’s liens over sub-freight / sub-hire need not be registered under the Companies Act).
  b. Shortly after this decision, the Companies (Amendment) Bill was introduced to amend the Companies Act to exempt such shipowner’s liens from registration whilst still retaining its essential nature as a security (charge). 
• Represented Thai owners of two VLGC vessels in a SCMA arbitration against their former ship managers. 
• Represented a Ukraine-based crew agency in a SIAC arbitration for claims against a Singapore based ship owner for unpaid agency fees and breaches of a crew recruitment contract. 
• Successfully obtained an order for damages for the wrongful arrest of a client’s vessel. 
• Represented and obtained injunctive relief for charterers in a multi-party cargo mis-delivery claim in the Singapore High Court involving the discharge of a cargo of palm oil against letters of indemnity without the presentation of original bills of lading. 
• Advised a Chinese state-owned bank with regard to its security (a specialised offshore vessel) under a facility agreement in light of the judicial management of the Swiber Group.

Non-Contentious

• Acted for various major financial institutions in respect of financing and re-financing transactions involving vessels as security.
• Acted for the Singapore office of a Chinese state-owned enterprise in the review of its LNG Master Sale and Purchase agreement with an oil major.
• Acted for a multinational corporation based in the United Kingdom in the acquisition of a Singapore incorporated microbiological testing company.
• Acted for an online property website in their loan to a Singapore based property leasing company.

• Case analysis on the apportionment of liability in two related collisions 
• The 2018 chapter on the shipping industry in Singapore to the market intelligence publication ‘Getting the Deal Through‘