Dr Matthew Secomb

ICC

• Sole arbitrator in an expedited ICC arbitration arising out of an oil services contract (Singapore seat, Asian civil law)
• Emergency arbitrator in an ICC arbitration involving a major family trust dispute (Singapore seat, Singapore and Indian law)
• Sole arbitrator in an ICC arbitration relating to a construction project (Singapore seat, English law)
• Co-arbitrator in an ICC arbitration involving an investment dispute (Singapore seat, Indian law)
• President in an ICC arbitration relating to oil field interests (London seat, Pakistani law)
• Sole arbitrator in an ICC arbitration involving a military base (Melbourne seat, Queensland law)
• Co-arbitrator in an ICC arbitration involving a consultancy agreement related to a construction project (Paris seat, French law)
• Sole arbitrator in an ICC arbitration arising out of an agency agreement (London seat, English law)
• Sole arbitrator in an ICC arbitration relating to the production of a film (London seat, English law)
• Sole arbitrator in an ICC arbitration arising out of a distribution agreement (Paris seat, Dutch and English law)

SIAC

• President in an SIAC arbitration involving a coal sales contract (Singapore seat, Vietnamese law)
• Co-arbitrator in an SIAC arbitration involving a joint venture in the automotive industry (Singapore seat, Thai law)
• President in an SIAC arbitration involving payments under a bulk water supply contract (Singapore seat, Philippines law)
• Sole arbitrator in an SIAC arbitration relating to fraud allegations under a consulting contract (Singapore seat, Singapore law)
• Emergency arbitrator in an SIAC arbitration involving a shareholders’ dispute (Singapore seat, Singapore law)
• Emergency arbitrator in an SIAC arbitration involving a share sale agreement (Singapore seat, Singapore law)
• Emergency arbitrator in an SIAC arbitration involving an executive employment dispute (Singapore seat, Singapore law)
• Sole arbitrator in three related SIAC arbitrations involving charter parties (Singapore seat, Singapore law)
• Sole arbitrator in an SIAC arbitration between a BVI company and a Singaporean company relating to an M&A transaction involving shipping interests (Singapore seat, Singapore law)

Other institutions

• Sole arbitrator in a DIAC arbitration arising out of a construction subcontract (Dubai seat, Dubai law)
• Co-arbitrator in two consolidated AIAC arbitrations involving a power purchase agreement (Kuala Lumpur seat, Malaysian law)
• Sole arbitrator in an ad hoc arbitration arising out of an offshore wind project (Singapore seat, Singapore law)
• President in an LCIA arbitration concerning an engineering contract (New Delhi seat, Indian law)
• Sole arbitrator in an ACICA arbitration involving pharmaceutical distribution contracts (Sydney seat, NSW law)
• Sole arbitrator in an LCIA arbitration arising out of a partnership dispute (London seat, English law)
• President in an UNCITRAL Rules arbitration involving a pipeline construction project (Dhaka seat, Bangladeshi law)
• President in a KCAB arbitration involving the sale of industrial equipment for a nuclear power plant (Seoul seat, Korean law)
• Sole arbitrator in an HKIAC arbitration involving a contract for the sale of iron ore (Hong Kong seat, English law)
• Sole arbitrator in a Milan Chamber arbitration between an Italian company and a Canadian company relating to an international sale of goods (Italian seat, CISG and Italian law)

Lead counsel in some 70 international arbitrations. Experience as counsel includes representing:

• Two Taiwanese entities in an SIACarbitration arising out of a joint venture agreement (Singapore seat, Englishand Luxembourg laws)
• A Chinese individual in an HKIACarbitration arising out of a partnership agreement (Hong Kong seat, BVI law)
• A North Asian utility in an ICCLNG price review arbitration (Singapore seat, English law)
• Two Chinese parties in an HKIACarbitration involving crypto trading (Hong Kong seat, Hong Kong law)
• A European infrastructurecompany in an ICC arbitration arising out of a series of off-shore windprojects (Singapore seat, Taiwanese law)
• A series of claimants in an HKIACarbitrations arising out of cryptocurrency transactions (Hong Kong seat, HongKong law)
• A major Japanese utility inthree related LCIA LNG price review arbitrations (Singapore seat, English law)
• A major Korean conglomerate inan SIAC arbitration involving payment issues and fraud allegations (Singaporeseat, Singapore law)
• A listed US company in an ICCarbitration involving solar technology (Singapore seat, Singapore law)
• A consortium of internationaloil & gas companies in a major ICC arbitration concerning an off-shoreconstruction dispute (Singapore seat, Australian law)
• Two state-owned energycompanies in an SIAC arbitration concerning the termination of a constructioncontract for a solar farm in Central Asia (Singapore seat, local civil law)
• A European industrial companyin an ICC arbitration involving a shareholder dispute (Hong Kong seat, PRC law)
• A Korean private equity fund intwo related post-M&A, SIAC arbitrations involving a Vietnamese investment (Singaporeseat, Singapore and Vietnamese laws)
• A Middle Eastern state in anICSID arbitration concerning a major power project (international law and localcivil law)
• An Asian oil & gas companyin an LNG price review ICC arbitration (Singapore seat, English law)
• A Middle Eastern state-ownedentity in an ICC arbitration involving a major infrastructure project (Dohaseat, Qatari law)
• An Asian energy company in aLondon-based LNG price expert determination (English law)
• A North Asian utility in an LNGprice review arbitration under the ICC Rules (Singapore seat, English law)
• A Japanese contractor in an UNCITRALRules arbitration concerning a power project in South-East Asia (Singaporeseat, Malaysian law)
• An Asian energy company in an UNCITRALRules LNG price review arbitration (Singapore seat, New York law)
• A major European buyer in an adhoc gas price review arbitration (Stockholm seat, Swiss law)
• A Japanese contractor in an UNCITRALRules arbitration involving a Malaysian power project (London seat, Malaysianlaw)
• A major European gas buyer inan ICC LNG gas price review arbitration (Hague seat, Dutch law)
• An Eastern European state-ownedcompany in an ICC arbitration arising out of a nuclear project (Geneva seat,Bulgarian law)
• A Middle Eastern company in anICC arbitration arising out of the construction of a major real estate projectin the Middle East (Dubai seat, Dubai law)
• An entity in an ICC arbitrationagainst a series of Canadian parties concerning prospecting rights (London seat,English law)
• Several state-owned utilitiescompanies in arbitrations before the Arbitration Court attached to theHungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry involving electricity salesagreements (Budapest seat, Hungarian law)
• A French industrial company inan SCC arbitration arising out of a project in Northern Russia (Stockholm seat,Russian law)
• A Japanese company in an UNCITRAL arbitration against a Middle Eastern party in connection with theperformance of a contract for services (Brussels seat, Unidroit Principles)
• A Turkish contractor in an ICCarbitration concerning a central Asian construction project (local civil law)
• A CIS state-owned gas companyin a series of SCC arbitrations concerning the sale, transit and storage ofnatural gas (Stockholm Seat, Swedish law)
• A Japanese subcontractor in aJCAA arbitration in Tokyo regarding the construction of a desalination andpower plant in North Africa (Tokyo seat, Algerian law)
• A Middle Eastern state-owneddeveloper in four related ICC arbitrations involving a dispute with acontractor concerning a major land remediation project in the Middle East, aswell as ancillary U.S. court proceedings (Paris seat, Lebanese law)
• An investor in parallel ICC andLCIA arbitrations arising out of the divestment of interests in atelecommunications company in a Central European country (Zurich and Londonseats, English and Serbian laws)
• A contractor in an ICCarbitration arising out of a desalinization project in the Middle East (Parisseat, UAE law)

Pro bono

• Advising the International Federation of Red Cross & Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) on COVID-19 related measures in Korea, leading a group of Korean lawyers (2020)
• Training Laotian law students and young lawyers on trial advocacy for a non-profit justice initiative (BABSEACLE) (2020)
• Advising Libyan judges and lawyers on transitionary justice issues (2019 – 2020)
• Training Bhutanese government officials on legislative drafting (2018)
• Providing disputes and corporate advice to a Singapore-based clean water non-profit (2016 – 2017)
• Providing dispute resolution advice to an Asia-based intergovernmental organization (2016)
• Advising Myanmar civil society groups on the rights of stateless or undocumented persons (2015 – 2016)
• Retained by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to provide two sets of training to Japanese government officials on investor-state dispute settlement (2021)

• Doctorat en droit (PhD Law), Université de Fribourg (2018)
• LLM, University of Melbourne (2006)
• LLB (Hons), Deakin University (1999)
• B.Com, University of Melbourne (1996)

• Avocat à la Cour (Paris bar) (2010)
• Solicitor Advocate, England & Wales (2004); Rights of Higher Audience (2019)
• Barrister and Solicitor, Victoria, Australia (2000)

* Not currently practicing.

• Independent arbitrator, Secomb Arbitration (Singapore/Paris)
• Vice-Chair, ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR
• Member, KCAB International Court of Arbitration
• Adjunct Professor, NUS Law

Secomb Arbitration, Singapore / Paris (August 2026 – present)

• Independent arbitrator

White & Case, International Arbitration Group, Paris / Singapore (March 2006 – July 2026)

• Head of International Arbitration, Asia-Pacific (October 2018 – July 2026)
• Office Executive Partner, Singapore office (September 2025 – July 2026)
• Partner (January 2011 – July 2026)
• Associate (March 2006 – December 2010)
• Based in Paris from March 2006 to August 2015

ICC International Court of Arbitration, Paris (May 2001 – November 2005)

• Counsel administering over 160 international arbitrations at any one time under the ICC Rules (August 2001 – November 2005)
• Intern with the common law team (May – June 2001)

Minter Ellison Lawyers, Melbourne (June 1998 – April 2001)

• Articled clerk, then lawyer (April 1999 – April 2001)
• Law clerk with the construction group, part time (June 1998 – March 1999)
• Areas of practice included construction law, focusing on large infrastructure arbitrations, and corporate law, focusing on securities regulation

Book

• Interest in International Arbitration, Oxford University Press (2019)

Book chapters

• An Englishman in Paris, London and Singapore: Michael’s favourite seats tussle over the law applicable to the arbitration agreement, in An Arbitration Companion: Liber Amicorum for Michael Lee (Peter Rees and Sunita P. Advani eds) (2026) (with Anne Secomb)
• Specific Performance of Contractual or Other Pre-Existing Obligations, in Provisional and Emergency Measures in International Arbitration (Julien Fouret ed) (2023) 168–192 (with Clemency Wang)
• Project Finance, in Managing ‘Belt and Road’ Business Disputes: A Case Study in Legal Problems and Solutions (Michael Moser, Chiann Bao eds) (2021) 245–283 (with Philip Tan)
• The J.J. Agro Decisions: What Makes a Judge ‘Arbitration-Friendly’?, in International Arbitration: Issues, Perspectives and Practice: Liber Amicorum Neil Kaplan (HKIAC eds) (2019) (with Anne Secomb)
• Singapore, in The Third Party Litigation Funding Law Review (Leslie Perrin ed) (2021, 4th ed; 2019, 3rd ed; 2018, 2nd ed; 2017, 1st ed) (with Adam Wallin)

Selected articles

• Panorama of world case law: Singapore (2023) 4 Les Cahiers de l’Arbitrage (with Rachel Chieu, Viraen Vaswani & Ethan Wang)
• Decarbonization and Gas/LNG Price Reviews (2022) OGEL 20(4) (with Philip Tan)
• Interest Claims in International Arbitration (2021) Kluwer Arbitration Practical Insights (with Clemency Wang)
• Bifurcation of Claims when Set-Off Looms (2018) 7(1) Indian Journal of Arbitration Law 54 (with Philip Tan)
• Third Party Funding For Arbitration: An Opportunity for Singapore to Lead the Way in Regulation (2016) Asian Dispute Review 182 (with Philip Tan and Thomas Wingfield)

Book reviews

• The leading practitioners’ guide to international oil & gas arbitration, edited by James M. Gaitis (2015), in (2016) Journal of Energy & Natural Resources Law
• Rules of Evidence in International Arbitration: An Annotated Guide by Nathan D. O’Malley (2012), in (2013) 1 Les Cahiers de l’Arbitrage
• Handbook of ICC Arbitration by Michael W. Bühler and Thomas H. Webster, 2nd ed (2008), in (2009) 1 Stockholm International Arbitration Review 275

View the full list of publications →

Academic appointments

• National University of Singapore (2018 – present). Adjunct Professor in Energy Arbitration (Adjunct Associate Professor 2018 – 2024). Regular lecturer on the practical application of comparative law for Legal Systems of Asia.
• Queen’s University (2005, 2010 – present). Adjunct Lecturer in International Commercial Arbitration.
• Université Paris-Panthéon-Assas (2024 – present). Visiting Lecturer in Private International Law, Laws of the World, and Site Conditions/Site Data (LLM in International Construction Contracts).
• Queen Mary University of London (2013 – 2015). Sessional Lecturer on Gas Pricing Disputes.
• Université de Paris I – La Sorbonne (2007 – 2011). Coach for the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot.
• ICC Advanced Arbitration Academy for Asia (2018 – 2020, 2023 – 2024, 2025 – 2026). Three times co-chair of the eight-session advanced arbitration academy held in Hong Kong, Mumbai, Seoul, Singapore and Tokyo.

University lectures

• Unpacking A Century-Defining Opinion, NUS Law: The ICJ Advisory Opinion on Climate Change and Its Implications for Investment Arbitration, Singapore (moderator) (2025)
• Certificate Course on the Role of an International Arbitrator, JSW School of Law and Bhutan ADR Centre, Paro (sessions on ‘arbitration agreements and jurisdiction’, ‘evidence, document production and written submissions’, and ‘hearings and decision making’) (2025)
• Singapore International Arbitration Academy, NUS Centre for International Law, Singapore (instructor) (2024)
• Lex Constructionis: Is there a law applicable to construction disputes that transcends the governing law of the contract?, Panthéon-Assas Université International, Paris (2024)
• Investment Arbitration in Asia, Institute for Law and Finance, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt (2024)
• The New York Convention’s Uniform Regime, Challenging Fundamental Notions of International Arbitration, SIAC-NYU School of Law Seminar, Singapore (2024)
• Asia-focused Career Panel with Big Law Partners, NYU Asian Law Society (virtual) (2023)
• Developments in international arbitration in South-East Asia, Banyan Tree Society, Swinburne University, Melbourne (2022)
• Evidence in international arbitration, Newcastle Law School (virtual) (2022)
• ISDS in the oil & gas sector, Singapore International Arbitration Academy, NUS Centre for International Law (virtual) (2021)

Speeches

• Turning Disputes into Solutions: Clarity in Conflict, AIAC: Navigating the Aftermath of Hormuz, Kuala Lumpur (2026)
• New ICC Rules 2026: towards enhanced clarity and efficiency, 11th ICC Asia Pacific Conference on International Arbitration, Singapore (2026) (moderator)
• Construction Arbitration, Bhutan ADR Centre, two-day course on construction claims and arbitration, Thimphu (2026)
• Choosing the Right Expert in Arbitration: Strategy, Timing and Challenges, ‘Arb You Listening?’, ICC India, virtual (2026)
• Evolving Best Practice and Standards – Advancing Efficiency in International Arbitration, KCAB Seminar, Tokyo (2025)
• Energy Arbitration and the Importance of Governing Law in Tense Political Times, Arbitra/SIAC/Maxwell Chambers, Singapore (2025)
• Perceptions of AI in International Arbitration in 2025, China Arbitration Summit, CIETAC/UNCITRAL, Beijing (2025)
• Disputes in major cabling projects, Marsh Interconnector Forum, Singapore (2025)
• Power Shifts: Navigating Energy Transition Disputes in Asia Pacific, ICDR, Singapore (2025)
• Introduction to construction arbitration, Bhutan ADR Centre, virtual (2025)

View the full list of speeches & lectures →

Current

• ACICA (Fellow)
• AIEN (Association of International Energy Negotiators) (member)
• Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Fellow)
• German Institution of Arbitration (DIS) (member)
• ICC Australia (member)
• ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR (Vice-Chair)
• ICC Singapore (member)
• ICDR (member of Asia Advisory Council)
• International Law Association (member of Singapore branch)
• ITA (Institute of Transnational Arbitration) (Advisory Board Member)
• KCAB International (Court Member)
• London Court of International Arbitration
• Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration (member, SCCA Rules Advisory Committee)
• SIAC Users’ Council (member)
• Singapore Institute of Arbitrators (Fellow)

Past

• ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR (delegate) (2006 – 2019)
• Chair (2018 – 2022) and Vice-Chair (2016 – 2018), ICC Australia’s Nominations Commission

• ACICA
• AIAC
• BIAMC
• CIETAC
• DIAC
• HKIAC
• ICC (ICC Australia)
• ICDR
• JCAA
• KCAB International
• LCIA
• SCCA
• SIAC
• THAC