Career Highlights
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  • Scholarship winner and holder of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees from Oxford University, 1962-1966
  • Partner, Allen & Gledhill, Singapore for over 30 years.
  • Admitted to practise in Singapore, England and Wales, West Malaysia and Victoria, Australia.
  • Judicial Commissioner, Supreme Court of Singapore, 1991-1992
  • Senior Counsel, Supreme Court of Singapore since 1997
  • United Nations Compensation Commissioner (Geneva), 2000 - 2003
  • Deputy Chief Justice, Dubai International Financial Centre Courts 2005-2010.
  • Head, Dispute Resolution Authority, Dubai International Financial Centre since 2014
  • Chief Justice, Dubai International Financial Centre Courts since 2010
  • President, Law Society of Singapore, 2008-2010.
  • Singapore's Non-Resident Ambassador to Switzerland 2005-2014.
  • Singapore's Non-Resident Ambassador to Argentina since 2015.
  • Vice Chairman, International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (Paris) 2006-2009
  • Vice President, International Council of Commercial Arbitration, 2002 - 2010
  • Vice Chairman, International Bar Association, Arbitration Committee D, 2001 - 2003
  • Member, Permanent Court of Arbitration (The Hague), 1995 - 2010
  • Member, ICSID Panel of Arbitrators (Washington DC), 2000 - 2013
  • Council Member, International Council of Arbitration for Sports 2006 - 2014
  • Trustee, Dubai International Arbitration Centre 2004 - 2012
  • Council Member, Singapore Institute of Arbitrators, 2005-2006
  • Member, Executive Committee of the lnstitute of Transnational Arbitration, (Dallas), 2002 - 2008
  • Member, IBA Working Party on "Guidelines on Conflicts of lnterest in International Arbitration", 2001 - 2004
  • Member, HKIAC Advisory Council since 2009
  • Member, Council of Advisers of Singapore International Arbitration Centre since 2009
  • Member, Users Council of Singapore International Arbitration Centre since 2015
  • Honorary LLD, University of Sydney, 2014

Qualifications as arbitrator

  • Accredited Arbitrator of more than 25 international and national arbitration centres
  • Panel of Mediators, Singapore International Mediator Centre since 2014
  • Chartered Arbitrator
  • Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
  • Fellow, Singapore Institute of Arbitrators

Qualifications as mediator

  • Accredited Mediator and Evaluator, Singapore Mediation Centre

Academic and Editorial Appointments

  • Adjunct Professor, National University of Singapore 2005 - 2013
  • Member, Advisory Board of the Faculty of Law, Singapore Management University 2007 - 2013
  • Member, Advisory Board of the Journal of International Arbitration since 2006
  • Editorial Adviser to the Chinese Arbitration Association Journal of Arbitration, Taipei since 2001
  • Associate Editor, online arbitration journal "Transnational Dispute Management" since 2005
  • Member, Editorial Board of "Global Arbitration Review" since 2005
  • Singapore Correspondent, Kluwer Arbitration Website since 2002
  • Member, Advisory Committee of the Journal of Arab Arbitration since 2009
  • Guest Lecturer for:
    • Chartered Institute of Arbitrators Entry, Fast Track and Diploma courses in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta and Hong Kong (2000 - 2007)
    • National University of Singapore - King's College London MSc in Construction and Arbitration Law (2004 - 2008)
    • Cambridge University (2004)
    • Singapore International Arbitration Centre - Panel of Arbitrators Training Course (2005)
    • ICC Course on ICC arbitration, Bangkok (2005)
    • Sophia University, Tokyo (2005)
    • Course Director, Singapore Institute of Arbitrators Fellowship course (2006 - 2007)
    • King's College London-Dubai International Arbitration Centre - Advanced Course in International Arbitration Dubai (2006-2008)
    • International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR) Symposium, Singapore (2007)
    • University of Lucerne, Switzerland (2008)
    • Swiss Arbitration Academy, Zurich (2010)
    • City University, Hong Kong (2010)
    • Hong Kong University, Hong Kong(2010)(2013)
    • Singapore Management University (2011)
    • ICC Masterclass on Arbitration, Hong Kong (2012)
    • Oxford University (2014)
    • Queen Mary University, London (2014)
    • Tsinghua University, Beijing (2015)
    • Koguan Law School, Jiaotong University, Shanghai (2015)
    • Chinese University of Hong Kong / Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Hong Kong) (2015)

Commendations

  • Named in “Euromoney and Legal Group Guide to the World’s Leading Experts in Commercial Arbitration” (2000) as one of 14 recommended arbitrators for Singapore.
  • Named in “Euromoney Legal Media Group Guide to the World’s Leading Litigation Lawyers (2001)” as one of 9 recommended lawyers for Singapore.
  • Named in the International Financial Law Review “IFLR 1000” (2001) as one of 4 recommended litigation lawyers for Singapore
  • Named in “Euromoney and Legal Group Guide to the World’s Leading Insolvency and Restructuring Lawyers (2001)” as one of 6 recommended lawyers for Singapore.
  • Named in ”Euromoney and Legal Group Guide to the World’s Leading White Collar Crime Lawyers” (2001) as one of the recommended lawyers for Singapore
  • Named in “Asia Law’s Leading Lawyers 2003” as one of 9 recommended dispute resolution lawyers for Singapore.
  • Named in “Global Counsel’s Dispute Resolution Handbook” (2003/4) as one of the recommended practitioners for Singapore.
  • Named in “The Legal 500.com” (2005) as one of Singapore’s top 3 arbitrators.
  • Named in “The International Who’s Who of Commercial Arbitrators” (2005) as “Singapore’s leading lawyer for commercial arbitration expertise” and said “Mr Hwang received more nominations from clients and peers in the course of the research than any other commercial arbitration specialist in the country, and was described as “sharp with a good mind” and “number one” by respondents”.
  • Named in “The International Who’s Who of Commercial Litigators” (2006) as one of 8 recommended litigation lawyers for Singapore.
  • Named in “Chambers Global” (2007) as one of 2 recommended arbitrators for Singapore and among the top 68 arbitration practitioners in the world.
  • Named in “The Legal Media Group Guide to the World’s Leading Experts in Commercial Arbitration (2006)” as one of 19 recommended arbitration practitioners for Singapore (and chosen to write the lead article for the Singapore section of the guide).
  • Named in “Global Arbitration Review” (June 2006) as No. 1 on the list of Asia’s 25 leading arbitrators.
  • Named in “Chambers Global 2007 – The Client’s Guide” as a “well respected and praised specifically for his presentation skills as both counsel and arbitrator… utterly dependable.. an expert’s touch when administering  procedures”.
  • Named in “Who’s Who Legal” (Commercial Arbitration 2007) as one of 5 recommended arbitration practitioners in Singapore.
  • Named in “The Asia Pacific Legal 500” (2007/2008) as a “respected international arbitrator” and “one of the finest arbitrators in Singapore”.
  • Named in “PLC Which Lawyer?” (Yearbook 2008) as “Sole practitioner Michael Hwang is another pre-eminent expert, especially in arbitration, where he competes with some of the best-known local and international firms for instructions” and ranks him as one of the four leading dispute resolution practitioners in Singapore.
  • Named in “Who’s Who Legal 2008” (Commercial Arbitration) as “the most highly nominated individual in (the Directory’s Singapore)  research” a “quite outstanding lawyer having received multiple nominations from within Singapore and overseas” and  an “illustrious figure in the local market” who “has a practical sense and a wealth of knowledge”.
  • Named in Chambers Asia 2008 as "a world - class arbitrator" who is "brilliant, popular, prominent, incisive and decisive" and "always one of the first names to be mentioned ... in regional arbitration"
  • Described in “Asia Pacific Legal 500 2008/9” (at p584)  as “in terms of diversity of cases and sheer academic prowess, there is no finer Senior Counsel working in Singapore today”.
  • Named in “Who’s Who Legal 2009” (Commercial Litigation) as one of 7 recommended commercial litigators for Singapore
  • Named in “Who’s Who Legal 2009” (Commercial Arbitration) as one of 5 recommended arbitration practitioners for Singapore and “a very effective arbitrator”.
  • Named in “Asialaw Leading Lawyers 2009” as one of the most highly recommended Asia-Pacific focused lawyers in Dispute Resolution.
  • Named in “The 2009 Best Lawyers Annual Guide to Litigation – ADR” as one of the best litigation and ADR lawyers in Singapore.
  • Named in the “The Best of the Best 2009” as one of the top 38 commercial arbitration practitioners in the world based on answers to over 4000 questionaires sent to senior practitioners or in-house Counsel involved in their practice area in over 60 jurisdictions followed by subsequent screening and refinement with legal advisers worldwide.
  • Named in “PLC Cross-Border Dispute Resolution Handbook 2009/10” as one of the 3 top dispute resolution practitioners in Singapore.
  • Named in “Asialaw Leading Lawyers 2010” one of the most highly acclaimed legal experts in the Asia Pacific region following an extensive survey of senior corporate executives, in-house counsel and private practice lawyers.
  • Named in the “Guide to the World’s Leading Commercial Arbitration Experts” (8th Ed) (2009) as having received personal nominations for inclusion placing him in the world’s top 15 in this field.
  • Named in the “PLC Which Lawyer?” (14th Ed) Yearbook 2009 as one of the 3 top (leading) individual dispute resolution practitioners in Singapore.
  • Described in “Who’s Who Legal – Commercial Arbitration 2010” as “very meticulous, versatile and a household name” and in the 2011 edition as “internationally respected” for his work in the field of commercial arbitration and named as one of the top 7 arbitration practitioners in Singapore
  • Named in “Guide to the World’s Leading White Collar Crime Lawyers” (5th Edition,2010), as one of the recommended lawyers for Singapore
  • Named in “Finance Monthly” as “Arbitration Law Firm of the Year Singapore” for 2010
  • “Chambers Asia 2010” ranks him in Band No 1 for arbitrators in Asia, and describes him as “he put Singapore on the arbitration map – he is a doyen of the scene, with tremendous breadth of knowledge and a sensible, reliable and innovative approach”
  • Named in Dealmakers Annual Awards 2010 as award winner in the categories of “Commercial Arbitration Law Firm of the Year” and “Business Crime Law Firm of the Year”
  •  “Chambers Asia-Pacific 2011” ranks him as a “Star Individuals” Arbitrator (above Band 1) and  describes him as “He has a formidable reputation and is regarded as an ‘extraordinary, standout arbitrator’ with a controlled approach to arbitration which ‘gets everybody working together rather than against each other and makes things much better from the perspective of getting the right result”.  He is widely praised for his exceptional knowledge and incisive and innovative approach to legal issues: “On matters of law his reputation and analysis are unparalleled. He has the ability to see the nub of the issue, and his experience enables him to accurately forecast how it might be resolved”. “He is a highly respected figure in the [litigation] market, praised by market sources as “one of the brightest, most brilliant minds in Singapore”.
  • “Global Arbitration Review” named him as one of the 7 short-listed candidates for the Inaugural GAR “Arbitrator of the Year” award for 2011
  • In the 2012 edition he is described as being “similarly well regarded” as Michael Moser, who is described as “universally recognised as one of the finest arbitrators in Asia”
  •  “Global Arbitration Review” named him as one of the 8 short listed candidates for the GAR “Best Lecture or Speech of the Year” award for 2012
  • Selected by peers for inclusion in the 3rd Edition of “Best Lawyers” listed for Singapore in the areas of Arbitration, Mediation and Litigation for 2011
  • Named in the “Guide to the World’s Leading Experts in Commercial Arbitration 2011”, as one of the world’s pre-eminent experts in Commercial Arbitration 
  • Named in “Best of the Best 2011” as one of the top 39 commercial arbitration practitioners in the world
  • Named in the “Guide to the World’s Leading Construction Lawyers 2011” as one of the world’s pre-eminent construction practitioners
  • Named in the “Who’s Who of Construction Lawyers 2012” as one of the 14 leading construction lawyers in Singapore
  • Named in the “International Who’s Who of Commercial Mediation 2011” as one of the 184 recommended international mediators based on the Directory’s Independent Research with clients and peers
  • Named in the “Asia Pacific Legal 500 2010/2011” as “highly regarded internationally” barrister and arbitrator and describes him as “Sole practitioner Michael Hwang SC has an international reputation as co-arbitrator and sole arbitrator in prominent ICC, UNCITRAL and SIAC disputes”
  • Named in the “Corporate International Magazine 2011 Global Awards” as “Arbitration Lawyer of the Year in Singapore”
  • Named in the “International Who’s Who Legal Commercial Litigation 2012” and “International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers 2012” as one of the 558 pre-eminent commercial litigators in the world.
  • Selected by peers for inclusion in “The International Who’s Who of Commercial Arbitration 2012” and “The International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers 2012” as being among one of  the world’s 570 leading arbitration specialists
  • “Chambers Asia Pacific 2012” lists him as one of three “Star Individuals” in the International Section of “Most in Demand Arbitrators” and describes him as “undoubtedly a star and in the A-League for arbitrators…he put Singapore on the map for arbitration and his practice crosses the globe…he wins universal acclaim for the precision of his legal analysis…he is very efficient and very clear in identifying the issues and keeping to sensible hearing times…he is rightly viewed above the rest; when you are before him, you always need to be prepared for intellectual questions which go beyond the immediate issues”.
  • Nominated by “Who’s Who Legal 2013” (Commercial Litigation) as one of Singapore’s top 11 commercial litigators
  • Named in 2013 Acquisition International Legal Awards as the “Leading Barrister of the Year Singapore”
  • Named in “The International Who’s Who of Construction Lawyers 2013” as being among 503 of the Word’s leading construction lawyers.
  • “Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2014” says “the advice is ‘legally strong’, the service ‘effective’ and ‘fees are comparatively reasonable’.  Michael Hwang is a very well-respected figure on the Singapore arbitration scene and is noted for his lengthy and truly global experience.”
  • Named in “Who’s Who Legal 2014 (Commercial Arbitration)” as one of Singapore’s top 17 Commercial Arbitration Practitioners.
  • Selected by peers for inclusion in “Who’s Who of Construction Lawyers 2014” as being among one of the world’s 523 leading Construction Lawyers
  • “Chambers Asia Pacific Guide 2014” ranks him as one of two “Star Individuals” (i.e. top tier) and quote sources noting that “ he is very much in demand” and “lucid in judgment”.
  • Named in “Who’s Who Legal: Construction 2014” as one of 17 recommended construction lawyers in Singapore
  • “Chambers Legal Practice Guide: Litigation 2014 – 2015” ranks him as one our “Star Individuals”  (i.e. top tier) and describes him as “one of the outstanding arbitrators in Asia … his expertise covers a vast range of sectors, such as bank finance, company law, real estate and IP”.
  • Named in “Corporate LiveWire – Global Awards” as the winner of Litigation & Dispute Resolution – Singapore (2015)
  • Chambers Global 2015 lists him as within Band 1 of “Most in Demand Arbitrators – Singapore” and describes him as “the busiest guy in town” and “very active and sharp”