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Steffen Pedersen

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Steffen Pedersen is a lawyer qualified in Hong Kong, England & Wales and Nauru. He holds degrees from City University, London; City University, Hong Kong; King’s College, London; and, the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London.

 

He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and an Aspiring Full Member of the London Maritime Arbitrators Association and a Member of the Baltic Exchange.

 

Steffen has worked in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing and most recently in Singapore, where he was a partner in a leading law firm, building a practice as an arbitrator and general third party neutral and become a full-time independent arbitrator and mediator upon joining ArbDB Chambers on 1 March 2022.

 

His experience as both lawyer and neutral extends to the full range of shipping and offshore matters, including disputes related to commodities, construction (all types of vessels/units), EPC contracts, drilling contracts, sale and purchase disputes, pooling agreements, charterparties, sale and leasebacks and cargo/bill of lading.  

 

Steffen is a member of the arbitration panels of many of the leading institutions in the world, including the SCMA, HKIAC, MIAC and KCAB and is currently on the SIAC Reserve List.   He has conducted nearly 70 arbitrations as an arbitrator, including under the rules of the SCMA, SIAC, HKIAC and LMAA, and well over 100 arbitrations as counsel.  

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Steffen is a Dane, and his language skills are in Danish and English (both as native speaker), Mandarin, French and other Scandinavian languages. One recent HKIAC appointment was based on a requirement that the arbitrator was able to read Mandarin. He is the author of many publications, including for SCMA Knowledge Sharing, the Swedish Club Magazine and Skuld Offshore Magazine.

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Steffen will now be practising as a full time, independent third-party neutral through ArbDB Chambers. 


Educational/Professional Memberships

 

  • Law Society of Hong Kong 

  • Law Society of England & Wales 

  • Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb), member of Social and Events Committee of CIArb 

  • Panel Arbitrator: SCMA (Member of Procedure Committee dealing with empanelment and drafting the 4th edition of the SCMA Rules), HKIAC, GMAA, EMAC, KCAB, AIAC (ex KLRCA), MIAC, BANI

  • SIAC Reserve List

  • LMAA Aspiring Full Member 

  • LCIA Database of Arbitrators

  • Member of the Baltic Exchange

  • Past Chairman of VL-82 (Singapore branch of the Danish VL Network www.vl.dk) 

  • Past Member of the Hong Kong Law Society Sub-Committee on the Belt and Road Initiative

  • Immediate Former Club Secretary of the Hollandse Club (Singapore)


(As well as my law degree from City University London and PCLL from City University in Hong Kong (obtained with Distinction) I hold a BA from King’s College London, and an MA (Chinese Studies) from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London.)

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Professional Experience

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Worked in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing and Singapore.  Spent entire career in East Asia and South-East Asia.  

 

Admitted in Hong Kong, England & Wales and as Barrister and Solicitor in Nauru. 

 

I have worked at Ince & Co (Hong Kong and Shanghai), Wikborg Rein (Shanghai, Singapore and Beijing) and Thomas Cooper / Penningtons Manches Cooper Singapore LLP. In the latter two firms as partner (7 years).  

 

My experience spans the entire range of shipping and offshore matters including commodity disputes, construction disputes (all types of vessels/units), EPC contracts, drilling contracts, sale & purchase disputes, pooling agreements, charterparties, sale- and leasebacks, and cargo/bill of lading disputes. I have worked extensively for and against Asian yards and owners.   

 

In addition, I have written numerous articles and spoken at many events and on panels as legal expert on current legal issues.

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Arbitration Experience (as of 20.1.2022)

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As arbitrator: 

 

Nearly 100 appointments to date in SCMA, SIAC, LMAA and ad hoc arbitrations as sole, and as member and presider on a panel of 3. 

 

Conducted multiple hearings, and have drafted and published many awards, with numerous interlocutory orders made. 

 

As Counsel:


Involved in well over 100 arbitrations under LMAA, SCMA, HKIAC and SIAC Rules and ad hoc. All predominantly maritime in nature or maritime related (e.g. joint venture disputes related to shipping ventures).

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Publications

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  1. “Sevilleja v Marex: New hope for creditors of impecunious counterparties?” SCMA Knowledge Sharing, September 2020

  2. “Reducing Costs in your Maritime Arbitration at the SCMA”  SCMA Knowledge Sharing, September 2020

  3. “Want to Arbitrate at the SCMA?  Get the clause right…” SCMA Knowledge Sharing, August 2020

  4. “Less is not more – the dangers of not paying proper attention to the Dispute Resolution Clause”, Triton 1-2019, Swedish Club Magazine, 11 May 2019.

  5. "Arbitration - An Arbitrator's Perspective", The Field, Skuld Offshore Magazine, 18 April 2018."

  6. “Singapore Ups Mediation Game", Thomas Cooper Law Update, 3 November 2017.

  7. “Protect Your Interest: the Dos and Don’ts when entering a superyacht construction agreement” (Asia-Pacific Boating July/August 2016); 

  8. “South China Sea Dispute – What the Tribunal’s Ruling in Favour of the Philippines actually means” (Asia-Pacific Boating September/October 2016).   

  9. “First test for Reciprocal Enforcement Law in Hong Kong”, Thomas Cooper LLP/China Maritime and Commercial Law Group (Bilingual), 1 June 2016

  10. “Getting Drawn Into China’s New Litigation Laws”, Maritime Executive, 28 March 2015

  11. “Bending with the Wind”, SinoShip, Autumn 2012

“Repudiators beware”, SeaTrade Asia Week, Issue 108, 25 May 2012.

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Languages

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Danish and English (native)

Mandarin and French (advanced, reading to a professional level)

Other Scandinavian languages (professional working proficiency)

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