Edwin Cai

Full Profile

Edwin was called to the Singapore bar in 2011 and is currently a Legal Director of the firm’s Marine and International Trade team in Singapore. Prior to entering practice, Edwin worked in house in the legal department of a shipping company providing services to the offshore sector as well as salvage services.

His practice encompasses all forms of commercial disputes with a particular focus on shipping (both wet and dry), offshore and energy as well as international trade (such as sale of commodities and trade finance) disputes. Edwin has also acted as counsel in arbitrations conducted under the SIAC, SCMA, ICC, GAFTA, LMAA and HKIAC rules as well as ad hoc arbitrations.

Experience

• Acted for vessel owners in successfully resisting both an appeal brought to the Singapore High Court in relation to an unconditional stay granted in favour of arbitration (The “Navios Koyo” and other matters [2021] SGHC 131) and a further appeal brought to the Singapore Court of Appeal (The “Navios Koyo” [2021] SGCA 99).
• Acted for vessel owners in a successful appeal to the Singapore Court of Appeal on the issue of damages in relation to the tort of conversion (Marco Polo Shipping Company Pte Ltd v Fairmacs Shipping & Transport Services Pte Ltd [2015] 5 SLR 541; [2015] SGCA 44).
• Acted for a liquidator in successfully resisting an application to challenge the liquidator’s decision not to disclaim a contract (Carpe Diem Holdings Pte Ltd v Carpe Diem Playskool Pte Ltd and others [2019] 3 SLR 233; [2018] SGHC 37).
• Acted for a purchaser of 3 vessels in successfully resisting an attempt to set aside an order for the enforcement of an arbitral award (CDI v CDJ [2020] 5 SLR 484; [2020] SGHC 118). Also acted for the purchaser in the underlying SCMA arbitration proceedings which concerned a dispute arising out of a contract for the sale and purchase of 3 vessels. 
• Acted for a sugar trader in successfully defending an application commenced in the Singapore High Court to set aside an order of court granting leave to enforce 2 arbitral awards obtained in London (claim amount approximately USD1 million).
• Participated in the trial hearing for ad hoc arbitration proceedings in the SIAC involving a longstanding dispute between two major local logistics companies over a warehousing facility agreement (claim amount approximately SGD$1.5 million).
• Representing a major commodity trading house as (i) buyer in contracts for sale and purchase of coal, claiming against the seller in an SIAC arbitration in the amount of approximately USD4 million for repudiatory breach of contract; (ii) buyer in contracts for sale and purchase of coal, claiming against the seller in ICC arbitration in the amount of approximately USD4 million for repudiatory breach of contract.