The Singapore Court of Appeal (the "SGCA") recently established in Anupam Mittal v Westbridge Ventures II Investment Holdings [2023] SGCA 1 that the law of the arbitration agreement will, in first instance, govern the arbitrability of a dispute. The judgment also confirms that in the absence of an express choice of law governing the arbitration agreement, the governing law of the main contract shall apply – the SGCA applied a three-stage test in reaching its decision, providing guidance as to when Singapore courts should find the governing law of the main contract will apply.

The recent weeks has seen a high level of activity from EU, US and UK sanctioning authorities, in response to escalated Russian aggression against Ukraine. In this WR Sanctions Alert, we briefly summarise some key developments.

Since our last update on 21 April 2022, the EU has adopted its sixth Russia related sanctions package, while Norway has aligned its sanctions regime with the EU's fifth sanctions package. Furthermore, the UK and US have introduced additional sanctions, and Russia has developed its countermeasures.

Since our previous update on 21 March 2022, the US and UK have implemented additional sanctions in response to Russia's continued military aggression against Ukraine, and Norway has aligned its regime with the latest EU sanctions. Russia has responded with additional countermeasures. We outline the main points of these developments below.

Contract Law and Construction

Dispute Resolution

English Law

ESG, compliance and risk management

Oil and Gas

Sanctions and Export Controls

Shipping

Shipping Offshore

Senior Associate

Lina assists with and advises on international transactions and disputes relating to energy, shipping, offshore and international trade. Within these industries she has assisted various clients, including owners, charterers, oil and gas companies and commodity traders with ongoing contract negotiation and legal advice relating to inter alia commodity agreements (among others, long-term supply and transport agreements).  

She is a member of the International Arbitration team and regularly assists the firm's Trade Compliance & Sanctions team. She has experience in crisis management and international investigations (corruption), as well as mediation, international arbitration (ICC, LCIA, LMAA and UNCITRAL rules) and English litigation. 

Lina has previously worked at Wikborg Rein's London office and is dual-qualified as a Norwegian lawyer and Solicitor of England & Wales.

Oslo

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Lina is a member of the firm's International Arbitration team, and primarily works on international commercial disputes relating to energy, trade, shipping and offshore.

Lina Malone

Associate (Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England & Wales)