Oon & Bazul and TS Oon & Partners ranked in Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2021

Published On: January 28, 20214.2 min read

Oon & Bazul and TS Oon & Partners are pleased to announce that the following Practices and Partners have been recognised in the 2021 edition of Legal 500 Asia Pacific.

Oon & Bazul

Practice Area	Legal 500 commentary
Banking & Finance	Oon & Bazul‘s compact team is primarily known for trade, commodities, and receivables finance. The firm advises a range of commodity traders and banks, including a number of key Indian banks that are located in Singapore. It also depends on a solid flow of referral engagements from law firms in France, Germany, Switzerland, UK, Japan, and other jurisdictions. Ship finance, fintech, and payment systems also form a significant part of the banking and finance practice. Ting Chi Yen is an experienced name in trade and commodities finance.
International Arbitration	Oon & Bazul’s international arbitration experience extends across shipping, aviation, international trade, oil and gas and projects, among other sectors. Suresh Divyanathan, who is popular among Japanese and Korean clients in arbitration, leads the practice which benefits from the expertise of disputes expert Bazul Ashhab. Kelly Yap is noted for shipping and China-related disputes.
Litigation & Dispute Resolution	Offering local and international expertise Oon & Bazul ‘are able to get into the detail of the case and at the same time provide a strategic perspective‘. The team is active in a range of industries but is best known for handling cases in the realms of shipping, commodities, insurance, shareholder disputes, and cross-border fraud. Name partner Bazul Ashhab is of note, as is Kelly Yap for international trade disputes. Testimonials Oon & Bazul are a small but very focused firm. They are able to get into the detail of the case and at the same time provide a strategic perspective. They are also very pragmatic about resolving the disputes and actively encourage alternative means of dispute resolution. Work highlights Acting for the National Bank of Oman (NBO), one of the forefront Middle Eastern banks to prosecute a bank fraud claim in excess of US$14 million. Acting for Shree Ramkrishna Exports, the manufacturers and suppliers of diamonds and diamond jewelry in relation to a claim for unpaid invoices over such goods, of over USD23 million. This claim is part of a broader dispute which involves multiple suits in several jurisdictions, including New York.
Shipping	Oon & Bazul is a prominent local practice that stands out for its Singapore and Malaysian shipping expertise and regularly mandates for contentious work, ranging from bills of lading and charter party claims to vessel arrests and casualties. Managing partner Bazul Ashhab, Kelly Yap, and Oon Thian Seng are noted for their ‘professionalism, expertise and knowledge‘. Testimonials ‘Oon & Bazul has one of the best advisors and shipping lawyers who are equipped with up to date knowledge of the industry. They give sound advice and they give their very best when such a need arises. I have personally worked with them on cases that are very complicated and being tried in courts worldwide. Till this moment, they have never failed me and they have always done their best to achieve results beyond my expectations.’ ‘I personally work a lot with Kelly Yap and his team. The professionalism, expertise, and knowledge that they have in them are of the most valuable assets they possess.’ Key clients Great Lakes Maritime Ltd Jiang Xin Shipping Co Ltd Asean International Limited PT Adidaya Energy Mandiri Visa Resources Pte Ltd Work highlights Acted for entities under the Bakri Group, a Saudi Arabian conglomerate primarily involved in the energy and marine sectors, including owning and operation of vessels. We defended these entities against claims brought by Malayan Banking Berhad (Maybank) in excess of $12m. Acting as lead counsel for the Singapore incorporated trading arm of Visa Resource in the defence of a claim brought by Chinese ship owners over a dispute on the unauthorised issuance of bills of lading and changing of discharge ports, which resulted in the arrest of the vessel in India. Assisting the client, a Chinese-linked shipowner to resist a claim by Oversea Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC) for the misdelivery of cargo carried on board our clients’ vessel.

Ranked as a Leading Individual	Practice Area
Bazul Ashhab	Shipping

TS Oon & Partners

Practice Area	Legal 500 commentary
Shipping	TS Oon & Partners has expertise across shipbuilding, dry and wet shipping, marine insurance and admiralty disputes. Managing partner Oon Thian Seng heads up the team and is noted for his experience in marine insurance matters as well as maritime and shipping law expertise. Jessica Teng is a key partner in the practice and also provides a specialism in shipping disputes.

Legal 500 Asia Pacific provides unbiased commentary and insight into the legal marketplaces of 25 Asia Pacific jurisdictions. Researchers carry out extensive research into each jurisdiction, canvassing law firms and contacting more than 300,000 clients for feedback on the lawyers they instruct. The only way a law firm can get into the ranking tables and commentary is on merit – (a) detailed work examples – taken from firm submissions (b) researchers’ interviews with lawyers and (c) peer & client feedback.