Clarissa Soon

Full Profile

Clarissa’s main area of practice is in litigation and international arbitration, with a focus on high value and complex commercial disputes. She has represented and acted for Fortune 500 companies, state-owned entities and ultra high net-worth individuals before the Singapore Courts and in international arbitrations under major institutional rules (such as the SIAC, UNCITRAL, HKIAC and KCAB Rules).

Clarissa has experience acting in a variety of disputes across a range of industries including contract, shareholders’ and joint venture disputes, company fraud, mismanagement and minority oppression claims, and international trade disputes. She has also appeared before the Singapore Courts to assist clients in the enforcement of arbitral awards, to set aside and/or challenge arbitral awards and in other arbitration-related litigation.

Clarissa was called to the Singapore Bar in 2019 and was one of its top candidates. She was placed on the Singapore Institute of Legal Education’s Commendation List for achieving double Distinctions at the 2018 Singapore Bar Examinations. Prior to joining Clyde & Co, Clarissa practised in a top-ranked disputes team at a Big Four local law firm.

Experience

• Successfully acted for a Dubai-based international commodity trader against a Chinese state-owned energy company in a USD 10 million SIAC arbitration seated in Singapore in relation to disputes arising from the latter’s underpayment and non-acceptance of monthly coal cargo shipment.
• Represented a Maldivian luxury resort operator in Singapore proceedings to resist applications brought to enforce arbitration awards involving claims of over USD 30 million (see Hilton International Manage (Maldives) Pvt Ltd v Sun Travels & Tours Pvt Ltd [2024] SGHC 119).
• Acted for a leading Southeast Asian project company against a German headquartered power plant developer in a USD 8 million SIAC arbitration in relation to disputes arising from the joint development of several wind energy projects in the Philippines.
• Acted for a BVI company in a USD 19.6 million HKIAC arbitration in relation a shareholders’ dispute which involved parallel proceedings in multiple jurisdictions.
• Acted for an ultra high net worth Indian national in Singapore proceedings to resist enforcement of a foreign arbitral provisional award on the basis that the arbitral tribunal was not constituted in accordance with parties’ agreement (see DFL v DFM [2024] SGHC 71).
• Acted for a ship management services company and its directors in a Singapore High Court Suit against claims of breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duties and unlawful means conspiracy. Successfully applied to strike out the entire Suit on the ground that the action discloses no reasonable cause of action.