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Jason is the Head of the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice at De Souza Lim & Goh LLP. He obtained his LLM degree from University College, London. He was called to the Bar of England & Wales in 1982 and was admitted to the Singapore Bar in October 1983.

Jason was admitted as a Fellow of the Singapore Institute of Arbitration in 1999. He has been appointed by the SIAC and the ICC International Court of Arbitrators in both international and domestic arbitrations as sole arbitrator and as co-arbitrator since 2003.

How  would  you  describe  yourself  in  three  words?
'Just another lawyer'

In  the  course  of  your  work,  do  you  notice  a  trend  in  clients preferring arbitration over litigation as a form of  dispute resolution?
Yes, commercial lawyers in Singapore and the ASEAN countries are more ready and prepared to recommend arbitration to their clients as a preferred form of dispute resolution. It is evident in the number of cases being handled by the SIAC.

What  is  the  most  memorable  arbitration  or  arbitration-related matter that you were involved in, and why?
It was one of my earlier cases as counsel and I was engaged to represent an Indonesian corporation in a 'AAA' arbitration hearing in New York. The opposing party was a large defence contractor for the US government and they were represented at the hearing by a team of senior US Army officers each one in full army uniform. It was an extraordinary experience for me and the rest is, as they say, history.

What advice do you have for a young fellow practitioner interested in arbitration work?
Always accord to the Arbitral Tribunal the same degree of respect you would give to a Judge in Court proceedings. I would also encourage the younger practitioners to study the different legal systems in Asia.

What are the challenges you think arbitration practitioners will face in the upcoming years? 
I am afraid that the rising costs of arbitration may mean less work for all.

With  the  establishment  of  the  Singapore  International Mediation Centre and the introduction of the SIAC-SIMC Arb-Med-Arb  Protocol,  do  you  see  mediation  as  now  having a bigger role to play in assisting parties to resolve their disputes? 
Yes, certainly.

Who  is  the  person(s)  who  has  had  the  greatest  impact and/or influence on your career?
The late Mr Winston Chen Chung Ying (Winston passed away in 1999), he introduced me to arbitration work.

If you weren’t in your current profession, what profession would you be in?
A professional interviewer ?