ABOUT SIMC
Officially launched in November 2014, the Singapore International Mediation Centre (SIMC) is an independent not-for-profit institution that provides world-class mediation services targeted at the needs of parties facing cross-border commercial disputes, particularly those doing business in Asia.
Reflecting its global focus, SIMC is helmed by an international Board of Directors, comprising eminent arbitrators and mediators, business users and industry stakeholders.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIATION
Mediation is a form of amicable dispute resolution where a neutral third party, the mediator, helps to facilitate negotiations between parties. If parties are able to agree on a solution to any or all of the issues in dispute, they will enter into a settlement agreement.
SIMC has a panel of over 65 internationally-renowned and skilled mediators from 14 countries who are able to conduct mediations in 14 different languages. SIMC’s mediators include luminaries such as co-author of the world’s bestselling book on negotiation, Getting to Yes, Dr William Ury, and Singapore’s Ambassador-At-Large, Professor Tommy Koh.
SIMC also has an international panel of over 65 technical experts from various industry sectors who can assist the mediator in complex commercial disputes involving technical questions.
Professional case management and administration is available at SIMC under the SIMC Mediation Rules. This service includes:
Assisting parties with entering into a mediation agreement;
Appointing a suitable mediator from SIMC’s panel in case parties
cannot agree on a mediator; and
Arranging all the logistics and facilities for mediation at Maxwell
Chambers – a state-of-the-art dispute resolution facility with customised mediation suites.
ARBITRATION-MEDIATION-ARBITRATION (ARB-MED-ARB)
SIMC has collaborated with SIAC to offer an Arb-Med-Arb service and has developed a model clause known as the “Singapore Clause”.
The SIAC-SIMC Arb-Med-Arb is a one-stop process where a dispute may be referred to arbitration and then held in abeyance while mediation is attempted. If parties are able to settle their dispute through mediation, their mediated settlement may be recorded as a consent award. A consent award is, subject to any local legislation and/or requirements, generally enforceable in approximately 150 countries under the New York Convention. If parties are unable to settle their dispute through mediation, they may continue with the arbitration proceedings.
The SIAC-SIMC Arb-Med-Arb service is an innovative product designed to provide maximum value at minimal cost, efficiency coupled with flexibility and confidentiality combined with enforceability, all within an institutional framework and rules that incorporate global best practices.
