Opening Remarks by Chairperson

Mr. Dinesh Dhillon – Partner, Allen & Gledhill LLP; Vice-President, Singapore Institute of Arbitrators

Arbitrator Conflicts of Interest: Are the Modern Safeguards Sufficient?

Ms. Judith Gill QC – Partner, Allen & Overy LLP

Judith Gill QC has been a partner of Allen & Overy since 1992 and is based in Singapore. She specialises in both international commercial arbitration and investment treaty arbitration. Judith's practice covers a broad range of commercial dealings and includes acting both for and against government entities. She has extensive experience in both institutional and ad hoc arbitration. Judith primarily acts as lead counsel and was only the second woman solicitor-advocate to be appointed Queen’s Counsel in England. She also sits as an arbitrator.

In 2013 Judith was listed in the UK’s top 10 SuperLawyers and more recently was voted the “most highly regarded” figure in international arbitration in Who’s Who Legal 2016. She holds institutional appointments, including as President of the LCIA. Judith is also a former director of both SIAC and AAA, and a past Co-Chair of the Arbitration Committee of the International Bar Association. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a Fellow of the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies. Judith is also joint author of the last four editions of the leading textbook "Russell on Arbitration" and has published widely on arbitration issues.

Dinesh,practises international arbitration and litigation.

He has acted as lead counsel in international arbitration for global multinational corporations in the telecommunications, airline, hotel, commodities, construction, manufacturing and projects industries. Apart from corporates, he has also represented sovereign states in international arbitration cases. He has represented clients in landmark cases before the Singapore courts relating to jurisdiction of arbitral tribunals, challenges to arbitration awards and attempts to resist enforcement of foreign arbitration awards. Dinesh has represented multinational companies in cases before the Singapore High Court and Court of Appeal relating to banking, corporate, employment, entertainment, insurance, property and shareholder disputes. He has also acted for statutory boards in judicial review cases.

Dinesh was called to the Singapore Bar in 1995. In 2004, he obtained the Graduate Certificate in International Arbitration from the National University of Singapore. He is recommended for his expertise in international arbitration and commercial litigation in leading publications, such as Chambers Global and The Legal 500 Asia Pacific where he has been described as “outstanding”, a “well respected litigator” and “strong on strategy and case management”.

He is a Fellow and Vice President of The Singapore Institute of Arbitrators, Co-Chair of the International Bar Association’s Asia Pacific Arbitration Group, Honorary Treasurer of the Law Society of Singapore and Honorary Treasurer of the Pro Bono Services Office.