Shipping & Maritime, Transport

As Arbitrator

Patrick acted as arbi­tra­tor of a three-mem­ber tribunal in an arbit­ra­tion under the SCMA Rules between a UK bank and a German buyer of con­tain­er­ised food products that had been mis­dir­ec­ted to the wrong des­tin­a­tion due to a mix-up of coun­tries. The parties were dis­put­ing their respect­ive oblig­a­tions, and those of the seller, car­rier and insurer involved, under a let­ter of credit and a mul­timodal bill of lad­ing gov­erned by the Hague-Visby Rules.

He has acted as arbi­tra­tor in fur­ther dry ship­ping and bill of lad­ing disputes.

He has also served as arbi­tra­tor at the International Maritime Arbitration Moot (IMAM) of the National Law University of Odisha (NLUO), and at the NUALS International Maritime Law Arbitration Competition (NIMLAC), a moot of the National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS) in Kochi.

As Counsel

Patrick has rep­res­en­ted Asian and European parties in numer­ous court and arbit­ra­tion pro­ceed­ings under vari­ous pro­ced­ural and sub­stant­ive laws — both com­mon law and civil law — and under vari­ous arbit­ra­tion rules, includ­ing SIAC, SCMA, Swiss Rules, DIS and UNCITRAL, in mat­ters con­cern­ing ship­ping, trans­port and related trade disputes.

For sev­eral years, he has advised cli­ents on dry ship­ping and trans­port issues, includ­ing mul­timodal bills of lad­ing, the Hague Rules, the Hague-Visby Rules, and the Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road (CMR).

He has acted as an expert on Singapore law on car­riage of goods by sea in German court proceedings.

Publications and Speaking

2026

In March 2026, Patrick presen­ted a paper at the 23rd International Congress of Maritime Arbitrators (ICMA XXIII) in Singapore: ‘Reimbursement of Damage Prevention Costs in Maritime Logistics in the Event of an Anticipated Breach of Duty According to (Correctly Applied) German Law’. An expan­ded ver­sion has since been pub­lished in the German trans­port law journal Transportrecht (TranspR) 2026, p. 296: ‘The Cost of Prevention – Expense Recovery in Maritime Logistics Under German Law, Correctly Applied’ [Link], which devel­ops the clos­ing dis­cus­sion of how the issue is – or ought to be – addressed under Singapore law. A short account of the argu­ment is on Patrick’s blog: Expenses, Not Damages.

2022

In January 2022, Patrick presen­ted on ‘Elektronische Konnossemente – Zur Rechtslage in Deutschland und Singapur (Electronic Bills of Lading – On the Legal Situation in Germany and Singapore)’ at the German Maritime Arbitration Association; Hamburg.

2021

Das neue Recht elek­tro­ni­scher Transaktionen in Singapur: Wegbereiter für elek­tro­ni­sche Konnossemente? (The New Electronic Transactions Law in Singapore: Paving the Way for Electronic Bills of Lading?); in: Transportrecht (TranspR) 2021, p. 313 [Link]

The New Electronic Transactions Law in Singapore: Paving the Way for Electronic Bills of Lading? [Link]

2010

In 2010, Patrick presen­ted on ‘Allianz SpA v West Tankers – The Final Curtain for Anti-Suit Injunctions in Europe’ at the Law Society of Singapore.