Connect with meCharlene is an international shipping and trade arbitration lawyer at Wotton Kearney in Singapore.
Qualified in England & Wales and in Singapore, Charlene’s practice area largely involves contentious matters with a focus on shipping and international trade. She frequently advises clients on disputes arising from or relating to the sale & purchase and shipment of commodities – including metals, coal, LNG, oil and petrochemicals and agri-commodities. Charlene also regularly renders coverage advice on marine insurance policies, sanctions-related matters, and acts for clients in shipping disputes arising from or relating to charterparties, bills of lading and contracts of affreightment. Occasionally, she advises clients on non-contentious matters including sale contract / charterparty review, and ship sale and purchase, amongst others.
Charlene has extensive experience representing clients in international arbitration proceedings conducted under the ICC, SIAC, SCMA, LCIA and LMAA Rules, as well as in admiralty proceedings in the Singapore Courts.
Charlene was recently recognised in the Doyle’s Guide 2026 List of Leading Transport Lawyers in Singapore.
- Advising and acting for a large commodities trading company in an LCIA, London arbitration in relation to ongoing disputes arising under a long-term LNG sale and purchase contract with a major energy trading company, arising from the seller’s failure to supply the LNG cargoes.
- Successfully acting for the world’s largest tanker charterer Clearlake Shipping, in The Miracle Hope (No 5) [2022] EWHC 2234 (Comm), where there are a series of judgments in the English High Court concerning the operations of “letters of indemnity” commonly used in shipping and trade. The case also involved the high profile arrest of the MIRACLE HOPE in Singapore at the start of the COVID pandemic and has also since resulted in the International Group P&I Club amending its form of “letter of indemnity”.
- Advising and acting for a large commodities trading company in an SIAC, London arbitration in relation to disputes arising under contracts for the sale and purchase of oil cargoes, where a parent company guarantee had been issued by the trading company’s holding company.
- Advising insurers in the defence of claims brought by the insured specialist chair manufacturer / seller under a bespoke marine open cover cargo policy in respect of alleged damage to 18,000 chairs caused by mould while in transit and storage.
- Acting for a large agri-commodity trading company in an LMAA, London arbitration in disputes arising from owners’ late delivery of vessel, resulting in losses suffered under trading company’s upstream and downstream sale contracts.
- Acting for a large agri-commodity trading company in an LMAA, London arbitration in disputes with vessel owners regarding the supply of bunkers that were allegedly off-specification.
- Advising cargo receivers, an animal feed manufacturer, in relation to claims against cargo insurers under “all-risk” cargo policies in respect of loss/damage to insured cargo.
- Acting for Voltas Limited in an appeal before the Singapore Court of Appeal (Appellate Division) in respect of a discreet and novel question of law relating to an arbitrator’s jurisdiction in the context of conditional awards.
- Assisted in a four-day arbitration hearing under SCMA Rules, successfully obtaining an arbitration award against charterers in a time charter party dispute involving non-payment of charter hire.
- Marine
- Transport, Trade and Logistics
- Mining and Natural Resources
- Power, Energy and Renewables
- Subrogated Recoveries
- Marine and Transport
- International Trade & Commodities
- Energy, Mining and Power
- Singapore Academy of Law
- Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA) Singapore