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) 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 & 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.