Getting to know… Peter Godwin of Herbert Smith Freehills, Malaysia

May 24, 2023
Q&A with Peter Godwin: On leading an auspicious career, being open to opportunities and embracing diversity You Have Led An Illustrious Career, Spanning Many Decades And Countries Across Asia. Can You Tell Us A Little About This Journey In The Legal Industry And Where You Are Now? My career in law started as a consequence of a teacher at school, knowing that maths was my real strength, suggesting that if I was thinking of a career in Accountancy (I was), I should do something else at University. His suggestion was law. That is what I did and, partly because I enjoyed the intellectual stimulation of law and partly no doubt because my friends on the course were doing so, I found myself applying for a training contract and so stepped onto the legal conveyor belt. After 6 years practising in London, I decided it was time for a change so I headed to Hong Kong (where I had spent six months as a trainee). The plan was to do 2-3 years there and then head home. However, best laid plans…. My stint in Hong Kong happened to coincide with a period of Asia expansion for the firm, with us opening offices in Jakarta and Bangkok. Then, just as I was thinking of returning home, the firm opened in Tokyo and I was asked to transfer as a then Senior Associate to establish our disputes practice. At the time I had never been to Japan, even for a holiday, so I went to see the place and made the mistake of taking my then 3 year old son to Disney...

International Arbitration and the Circle of Control

November 28, 2022
A Look at the psychological benefits of arbitration and the status of arbitration in Thailand There are often many reasons cited as to why international arbitration should be the preferred method of dispute resolution for parties: it can be quicker, cheaper, the process is private, the award is final, and the parties have more autonomy over the process. Whilst some of these factors are debatable (especially in highly complex commercial cases), the fact that parties to an arbitration can have more autonomy than in traditional court litigation is usually less controversial. Party autonomy in arbitration is often a significant factor that persuades contractual parties to consider arbitration over other methods of dispute resolution. This is not surprising, as the need to have control and certainty is an innate human desire that often brings us security and peace. Our need for control and certainty There is no doubt that Covid has had a detrimental effect on the economy and many businesses. Most people would also agree that it has taken a significant toll on people’s mental health. Social distancing forced people to keep a distance and lose close contact with friends and colleagues. For some people, it meant a loss of social contact and socialising all together, due to fear of catching the virus if they stepped out of the safety of their homes. Lockdowns and school closures meant that more families were stuck at home, glued to their computers for work or online school and having to navigate the lack of privacy and personal space in their own homes. For working parents, the stress of juggling work from home, not...

CAM Welcomes Pranav Mago as Director – International Arbitration

October 17, 2022
Mr. Pranav Mago will be joining Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas as a Director – International Arbitration. He will be initially based in Delhi, and will relocate to Singapore in early 2023. A graduate of Amity Law School (IP University) in 2010, Mago has previously worked as Head (South Asia) for Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC). Prior to SIAC, he was with the International Arbitration and Dispute Resolution team of UK Magic Circle firm Clifford Chance in Singapore, where he worked on several SIAC, ICC, LCIA and ICSID arbitrations and also advised clients on mediation matters. He has been appointed secretary to the tribunal for SIAC arbitrations. In addition to arbitration matters, he has been part of a team to undertake global investigations of regulatory breaches and has worked on insolvency and restructuring matters. “I am very excited to be joining CAM and becoming a part of a highly experienced arbitration team, as well as lend a hand in building the Singapore disputes profile for the firm. I am grateful to Mr. Cyril Shroff for entrusting me with this very exciting responsibility. I look forward to using my experience in the field of arbitration, as well as the valuable insight I gained in the field of litigation finance, to contribute to the continuous growth of the international arbitration practice of the firm,” Mago said. “Pranav joining us shows our commitment to the growth of our International Arbitration practice. His vast experience will also strengthen our Singapore presence and our capabilities to advice clients on cross border disputes. I welcome him on board and look forward to working with him,” said Cyril Shroff, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas...

International Arbitration and the Circle of Control

October 4, 2022
A Look at the psychological benefits of arbitration and the status of arbitration in Thailand There are often many reasons cited as to why international arbitration should be the preferred method of dispute resolution for parties: it can be quicker, cheaper, the process is private, the award is final and the parties have more autonomy over the process. Whilst some of these factors are debatable (especially in highly complex commercial cases), the fact that parties to an arbitration can have more autonomy than in traditional court litigation is usually less controversial. Party autonomy in arbitration is often a significant factor that persuades contractual parties to consider arbitration over other methods of dispute resolution. This is not surprising, as the need to have control and certainty is an innate human desire that often brings us security and peace. Our need for control and certainty There is no doubt that Covid has had a detrimental effect on the economy and many businesses. Most people would also agree that it has taken a significant toll on people’s mental health. Social distancing forced people to keep a distance and lose close contact with friends and colleagues. For some people, it meant a loss of social contact and socialising all together, due to fear of catching the virus if they stepped out of the safety of their homes. Lockdowns and school closures meant that more families were stuck at home, glued to their computers for work or online school and having to navigate the lack of privacy and personal space in their own homes. For working parents, the stress of juggling work from home, not...