Sim Chee Siong is the Head of the Constructions & Projects Practice in Rajah & Tann Singapore.
Chee Siong brings more than 25 years of experience advising clients on major infrastructure and projects in many parts of the world. His areas of practice encompass a wide range of contentious and non-contentious work in the areas of construction, engineering and infrastructure projects.
He is listed as a Highly Regarded lawyer in Project Development by IFLR1000 and in International Arbitration by Best Lawyers since 2019. Additionally, he has been ranked as a recommended lawyer in Construction and a leading partner in Projects and Energy by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2025.
He has also been named as a Senior Accredited Specialist for Building and Construction Law by the Singapore Academy of Law’s Specialist Accreditation Scheme.
On the contentious side, Chee Siong has extensive litigation, adjudication, arbitration and mediation experience – both domestic and international. His clients span the spectrum of the industry, including, developers, contractors, sub-contractors and suppliers of various tiers, consultants. His experience includes disputes relating to new energy projects, oil and gas projects, power plants, specialised process plant such as sewage treatment plant, copper smelting and refining plant, marine oil terminal, hotels, specialised warehouses and logistics complexes.
On the non-contentious side, Chee Siong has been involved in major building and infrastructure projects in Singapore and in the region including developments of integrated water and power project, oil storage terminals, cement plants, luxury hotels and condominium developments and warehouses and logistics complexes.
Chee Siong is fluent in English and Mandarin.
EXPERIENCE
Environmental Projects
- Acted for an international EPC contractor in disputes over the construction of a large-scale wind farm project in Laos.
- Acted for an international EPC contractor in disputes over the construction of a large-scale solar farm in Thailand.
- Advised a concession member and major equipment supplier on a major Waste to Energy plant project in Singapore.
- Advised an international contractor in relation to the construction of a sewage treatment plant in Singapore.
- Advised an international contractor in disputes involving a major waste to energy facility and material recovery facility in Singapore.
- Advised lenders in relation to the construction of an integrated water and power project in Singapore which is procured on a PPP basis.
- Acted for a concession holder and contractor in a SIAC arbitration involving a major solid waste treatment plant in Vietnam.
Infrastructure and Projects
- Advised a state-owned enterprise in the review, drafting and negotiation of EPC contracts for the construction of cement plants in Angola, Moscow and Indonesia.
- Advised a global interconnection and data centre company which is listed on NASDAQ over the construction of a data centre in Singapore. The value of the transaction is more than S$300 million.
- Advised an international EPC contractor, in disputes over the supply and installation of specialised systems in a semiconductor plant in Singapore.
- Advised a specialist contractor in disputes over the construction of a wafer fabrication plant in Singapore.
- Acted for an international contractor in a dispute over the construction of aviation facilities in Sri Lanka.
- Acted for an international contractor in an ICC arbitration over the construction of the aviation facilities for the Tan Son Nhat airport in Vietnam.
- Advised a statutory undertaker against the contractor in a claim relating to the construction of a major expressway in Singapore.
- Acted for a specialist contractor in disputes over the construction of Jewel Changi Airport.
- Advised an international contractor in disputes over the construction of a light rail transport system in Singapore.
- Acted for an international contractor in disputes over the construction of a mass rail transport line in Singapore.
- Acted for a major Japanese contractor on the high-speed rail project in Taiwan in respect of numerous ICC arbitrations against international contractors. The amounts in dispute are in excess of EUR 80 million.
- Advised leading main contractor in a SIAC arbitration in relation to disputes over the construction of a flight simulator centre in Singapore for Airbus and Boeing aircraft.
- Advised an international equipment supplier in an ICC arbitration over the construction of Galvalume facility in Vietnam.
- Acted for a world leading Chinese petrochemical producer in an ICC arbitration involving a Mexican leading petrochemical consultant and a Canadian international contractor over a terephthalic acid plant project in the People’s Republic of China. The disputed amount is in excess of US$25 million.
- Acted for an international EPC contractor in an arbitration in relation to the construction of a copper smelting and refining plant in the Philippines.
- Advised a project developer over COVID-19 related claims over the construction of a residential development in Singapore.
- Advised an international contractor in relation to the development of a major hotel complex in one of the integrated resorts in Singapore.
- Advised major logistics companies in relation to the construction of various major logistics and warehouse complexes in Singapore.
- Advised a leading solutions provider in the design and construction of a multi-storey ramp-up warehouse facility for the purposes of storing Extra High Hazard Category 1 goods and commodities in Singapore. The entire project consists of three phases, occupying more than 1.6 million square feet. The value of the transaction is in excess of S$400 million.
- Acted for a state-owned enterprise in the People’s Republic of China in respect of a dispute over the engineering, design and procurement services provided in respect of a plant project in Indonesia. The claims and counterclaims are in excess of US$100 million.
- Advised a leading contractor which is listed on the Singapore stock exchange in its property development in Tianjin Eco City, People’s Republic of China.
- Advised a leading main contractor in disputes over the construction of a nursing home in Singapore.
- Advised on disputes relating to management corporations, having acted for various stakeholders in more than 30 residential developments in Singapore.
- Acted for Ligent Engineering Pte Ltd in a winding up petition against Kin Lin Builders Pte Ltd over a debt from dishonoured cheques.
- Acted for the owner of a conserved residential property at River Valley Road, Singapore, in a case against the contractors of an adjoining building.
- Acted for Chip Hup Hup Kee Construction Pte Ltd in an adjudication under the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act against Ssangyong Engineering & Construction Co Ltd. The dispute involved a payment claim for work on the Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort.
- Acted for Tentat Singapore Pte Ltd in a dispute against Win Bo Pte Ltd over financial support provided for the construction of a factory building.
- Acted for the Purchasers of shop units in Macpherson Mall in a dispute against LVND Investments Pte Ltd. The case involved allegations of fraudulent misrepresentations and suppressed material facts, leading to attempts at arbitration and subsequent court proceedings to resolve the disputes.
- Involved in more than 50 statutory adjudications in Singapore as party’s counsel and adjudicator.
Energy & Resources
- Advised an international EPC contractor to defend a claim by the employer in relation to the construction of a marine terminal for crude oil in Africa. The claims are in excess of US$250 million.
- Advised a statutory undertaker in an arbitration in relation to the construction of a natural gas pipeline system in Singapore involving claims in excess of S$45 million.
- Advised an international EPC contractor in a dispute involving the construction of a significant geothermal plant in Indonesia with claims in excess of US$100 million.
- Advised an international contractor in relation to the construction of a tank farm in the Netherlands. The disputed sums are in excess of EUR 20 million.
- Advised an international resource supplier in a SIAC arbitration over the supply of sand from Cambodia to Singapore involving claims in excess of S$40 million.
- Acted for a company incorporated in Kuwait in an ICC arbitration in relation to oil concession rights in Indonesia.
- Advised an international contractor in the tender for the construction of a tank farm in Malaysia.
- Acted for an international consultant in a dispute over the construction of oil refinery facilities in Fujairah, Fujairah, United Arab Emirates.
- Advised an international specialist contractor in an ICC arbitration involving the construction of a power plant in Malaysia involving claims in excess of RM 20 million.
- Acted for an international EPC contractor in an arbitration concerning the fabrication of a gas well fluid platform in India.
- Advised an international consultant in relation to the construction of a petroleum storage and handling terminal in Sitra, the Kingdom of Bahrain.
- Advised an international contractor in relation to disputes over the construction of a tank terminal in the Netherlands.
- Advised an international contractor relating to the construction of a hydrocarbon storage & distribution facility in Malaysia.
- Advised an international EPC contractor in relation to the construction of a petrochemical facility in Singapore involving claims in excess of S$700 million.
- Advised a joint venture company (by two oil majors) on its development of the grass-roots lube oil additives blending plant at Zhangjiagang Industrial Park in Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China.
- Advised a company listed in Singapore on an approximately S$132 million brownfield large crude and fuel oil tanks farm project with a combined capacity of approximately 430,000m³ in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates.
- Advised concession holders on coal bed methane projects in Indonesia.
- Advised a company listed in Singapore on contractual arrangements for a substantial mixed development in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
- Advised resource suppliers in relation to exploration and mining of tin, coal and bauxite in Indonesia.
MEMBERSHIPS / DIRECTORSHIPS
- Panel of arbitrators with Langfang Arbitration Commission in China
- Panel of arbitrators with Qingdao Arbitration Commission in China
- Panel of arbitrators with Beijing Arbitration Commission in China
- Panel of mediators with Singapore International Mediation Centre
- Accredited Adjudicator with the Singapore Mediation Centre
- Member, Singapore Academy of Law
- Member, Law Society of Singapore
PUBLICATIONS
- Co-author, “Workplace Safety and Health – A Practical Guide”, LexisNexis (2007)
- Contributor, “Construction section of the Singapore Precedents of Pleadings”, Sweet & Maxwell (2006)
- Contributor, “The European Lawyer Reference First Edition 2012 on construction law and practice”, Thomson Reuters
