Mr Siraj Omar SC > Drew & Napier LLC > Singapore, Singapore > Lawyer Profile

Drew & Napier LLC
10 COLLYER QUAY
#10-01 OCEAN FINANCIAL CENTRE
SINGAPORE 049315
Singapore

Work Department

Dispute Resolution

Position

Co-Managing Director, Dispute Resolution

Career

Siraj specializes in complex, high-value commercial litigation and international arbitration.  He has an active trial and appellate practice at all levels of the Courts in Singapore, and also regularly appears in international arbitrations both as counsel and arbitrator.

Siraj began his career at Drew & Napier in 1997 before leaving in 2002 to join the corporate practice of an international law firm.  In 2008, he co-founded Premier Law and headed its Dispute Resolution practice.  In 2016, Premier Law entered into a joint venture with the UK law firm RPC, and Siraj was concurrently a Partner and Head of Dispute Resolution at the joint venture firm, RPC Premier Law.  He rejoined Drew & Napier as a Director in 2019.

Siraj has been described as a “star” and “a formidable litigator” in legal directories, and was named as a Leading Individual for Dispute Resolution by Asia-Pacific Legal 500 and a Disputes Star (Commercial & Transactions and Insolvency) by Benchmark Litigation.  He was appointed Senior Counsel by the Chief Justice of Singapore in 2019, one of a select few to be accorded the honour.

Siraj was a member of the Singapore International Commercial Court Rules Sub-Committee, and currently sits on the Working Group of the Professional Conduct Council chaired by the Chief Justice of Singapore.  Siraj is also a past member of the Council of The Law Society of Singapore and has sat a member of its Inquiry Panel since 2009.

Siraj holds Fellowships at the Singapore Academy of Law, the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and the Singapore Institute of Arbitrators.  He is also a member of the London Court of International Arbitration and the International Association of Defence Counsel.

Practice areas

  • Arbitration
  • Banking & Finance
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Corporate Litigation
  • International Arbitration

Languages

English

Memberships

  • Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
  • Fellow, Singapore Institute of Arbitrators
  • Fellow, Arbitration & Mediation Institute of New Zealand
  • Fellow, Singapore Academy of Law
  • Member, London Court of International Arbitration
  • Member, International Association of Defence Counsel
  • Member, Law Society of Singapore

Education

  • LL.B. (Hons), National University of Singapore, 1997
  • Advocate & Solicitor, Singapore (1998)
  • Solicitor, England & Wales (2002)
  • Appointed Senior Counsel (2019)

Lawyer Rankings

Asia Pacific: Regional International Arbitration > Leading firms

Drew & Napier LLC  has experience in international commercial arbitrations and investment treaty arbitrations, acting frequently for both states and investors. The team benefits from lawyers specialising in specific industry sectors, including construction and infrastructure, energy, insurance, financ , and corporate joint ventures. Based in Singapore, Cavinder Bull SC , Randolph Khoo, and Siraj Omar SC lead the practice that frequently represents a range of regional and global businesses. Noted practitioners include Jimmy Yim SC, Kelvin Tan, and Blossom Hing.

Singapore > Dispute resolution: local firms

(Leading individuals)

Siraj Omar SC Drew & Napier LLC

Drew & Napier LLC, as a Big Four Singapore law firm, is widely recognised as a dispute resolution powerhouse, having an unrivalled depth of bench and more leading practitioners than any other firm in the jurisdiction. It devotes considerable resources to dispute resolution pursuits and is frequently selected to represent parties in the biggest and most complex cases. Over the 12-month research period, the firm handled litigation matters with a total value exceeding $16bn. It has seen its director (partner equivalent) ranks grow by 10%, continues to expand both its presence in regional disputes and its international client base, and continues to grow its arbitration-related practice. Among a multitude of headline and seminal cases, the firm acted for Hin Leong’s judicial managers in the largest reported fraudulent trading case in Singapore, seeking recovery of over $3.5bn from the directors of the company. CEO Cavinder Bull SC, who is ‘simply superb as a legal adviser, advocate and person’, is at the pinnacle of the profession, having been one of few senior counsels to be appointed before the age of 40, back in 2008. Siraj Omar SC and Randolph Khoo are also outstanding practitioners, along with seasoned practitioner and firm chairman Jimmy Yim SC, also elevated to senior counsel before turning 40 in 1998. Mahesh Rai, Kelvin Tan, Blossom Hing, Wendell Wong and Gary Low act for private clients as well as companies in the advertising, tech, transport and financial industries. Kevin Lee has joined Twenty Essex in Singapore.

Singapore > International arbitration

The international arbitration practice at Drew & Napier LLC is ‘highly skilled and collaborative’, with experience in complex international commercial arbitration, as well as high-profile investor-state disputes. The team is often sought out by governments, multinational corporations and high-profile individuals for public international law matters. Expertise of the team ranges from construction and infrastructure to corporate joint ventures to health care. Leading the team is Cavinder Bull SC  who is ‘exceptional for his strategy, analytical skills, and advocacy’, alongside Randolph Khoo and Siraj Omar SC, with particular expertise in insurance related disputes. Jimmy Yim SC is also integral to the team, with over thirty years of experience in international commercial arbitration.

Comparative Guides

Singapore: Insurance Disputes March 2024 This country-specific Q&A provides an overview of Insurance Disputes laws and regulations applicable in Singapore.