Global Law Experts is pleased to welcome Ng Fang Yao of Chevalier Law as an Exclusive Member.

Ng Fang Yao brings a dedicated shipping litigation practice to the network, based in Singapore. He serves as Associate Director and leads Chevalier Law’s Shipping, Trade and Insurance practice. With more than 15 years of experience across both private practice and in house work, he has handled a wide range of maritime disputes, including admiralty claims, cargo matters, charterparty disputes, arbitration proceedings, and cross border maritime incidents. This combination of sector specific knowledge and proven dispute resolution experience aligns closely with the standards Global Law Experts looks for in a highly specialised, global network.

In Singapore, Ng Fang Yao’s practice is known for both its breadth and its practical focus. He advises on maritime and admiralty disputes across the full spectrum, such as cargo claims, bunker related disputes, charterparty and voyage disagreements, detention issues, arrest related matters, and marine casualty investigations. His work spans both SIAC and SCMA arbitration, as well as litigation in the Singapore High Court. This gives him flexibility in managing disputes that may shift between arbitral and court forums, particularly in time sensitive situations where multiple stakeholders are involved and decisions on security, evidence, and strategy must be made quickly.

A key strength of his approach is the perspective he brings from different sides of the dispute. He completed his pupillage under a Senior Counsel and previously practised in prominent Singapore law firms before joining Chevalier Law. He has also gained valuable, first hand insight through experience with two Protection and Indemnity Clubs, where he worked on commercial shipping disputes and marine casualty claims across different jurisdictions. For shipping litigation, that kind of claims based understanding can be just as important as courtroom advocacy, because it informs how issues are assessed, escalated, defended, and resolved. It also helps explain why his working style is described as practical, considered, and well calibrated, with early risk assessment and careful attention to security and procedural strategy.

Ng Fang Yao’s profile is further strengthened by regional experience gained during a period in Hong Kong. He relocated there for approximately three and a half years to focus on disputes involving China domiciled owners, charterers, and traders. That exposure adds a meaningful cross border dimension to his practice. In an industry where vessels, cargo, counterparties, and evidence often span multiple jurisdictions, familiarity with wider regional dynamics can be a significant advantage. It enables him to support clients whose disputes connect Singapore to broader Asian shipping and trading relationships.

His representative matters illustrate the depth of his shipping litigation experience in Singapore. He has advised head owners on cargo claims arising from a media reported container vessel fire in April 2021. He acted for a bunker trader in a contractual dispute involving allegations of off spec bunkers that allegedly caused engine problems. He has also represented owners in disputes arising from vessel detention by Indonesian port authorities. In addition, he has handled cargo refusal incidents at Cambodian ports and advised disponent owners on charterchain delays linked to allegations of off spec wet cargo. These matters reflect a practice that goes beyond routine disputes, often involving urgent casualty response, document intensive investigations, and complex cross border enforcement issues.

Ng Fang Yao’s experience strongly matches Global Law Experts selection criteria. The network is built to showcase lawyers who can demonstrate specialist capability, practical judgment, and the ability to support clients dealing with demanding legal and commercial challenges. His shipping litigation practice in Singapore stands out because it brings together maritime technical knowledge, claims handling experience, arbitration advocacy, and High Court litigation. He is not positioned as a generalist across unrelated disciplines. Instead, his work is clearly concentrated in the sector where clients require deep understanding of maritime risk, contract structures, and dispute dynamics.

His litigation experience is also not confined to admiralty matters alone. Ng Fang Yao has handled multi party SIAC arbitrations and commercial litigation involving construction, international trade, and contract disputes. His profile includes acting for a port agent in a SIAC arbitration against foreign port authorities, representing a Singapore Exchange listed contractor in a construction arbitration, and advising trading houses in force majeure and supply chain disputes involving Indonesian suppliers. This broader dispute experience complements his shipping work, since maritime disputes frequently overlap with trade, contracting, logistics, and operational liability. Clients benefit from counsel who can connect the maritime issue to the wider commercial context that gave rise to the dispute.

His professional involvement also reflects a serious engagement with the technical side of shipping. Ng Fang Yao is a professional member of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers and the Association of Average Adjusters. These memberships are consistent with a practice that requires familiarity with both the commercial realities of shipping and the processes involved in average adjustment. He has also acted as a legal advisor to the Singapore Association in Hong Kong since late 2021. Previously, he was appointed an independent director of a company listed on the Singapore Exchange. Roles such as these suggest a high level of trust in his judgment and his ability to operate effectively in commercially sensitive environments.

The Singapore context is central to how his practice has developed. Singapore has emerged as a leading venue for maritime dispute resolution in Asia. His profile specifically highlights the importance of the admiralty framework in Singapore, the availability of institutional arbitration, and the city state’s commercially pragmatic legal environment. In this setting, shipping litigation lawyers must be ready to address arrest and security strategy, manage parallel proceedings across jurisdictions, and coordinate with Protection and Indemnity Clubs and insurers. Ng Fang Yao’s background aligns well with these practical requirements. His claims side experience supports early risk evaluation, effective preservation of security where needed, and dispute resolution tactics that account for commercial stakes.

This practical orientation is also one reason his profile fits well within a global legal directory that prioritises specialist expertise. Global Law Experts values lawyers who provide clear, informed, and jurisdiction specific guidance. In Singapore, Ng Fang Yao offers precisely that in shipping litigation. His profile reflects direct experience working with shipowners, charterers, traders, bunker suppliers, port agents, insurers, and maritime service providers, all of whom can face claims that require decisive advice grounded in technical understanding.

His dispute portfolio also shows that he is comfortable across the full lifecycle of shipping controversies. Some matters begin with emergency casualty response, others involve detention or cargo refusal, and many relate to contractual performance or complications within a chain of contracts. Across these scenarios, recurring strengths stand out, including early risk analysis, evidence management, familiarity with maritime contracts, and the ability to move between arbitration and court when that becomes necessary. For clients seeking a shipping litigation lawyer in Singapore, these qualities support both immediate crisis response and the longer legal journey that may follow.

Ng Fang Yao’s appointment as an Exclusive Member reflects far more than a professional listing. It recognises a focused shipping litigation practice grounded in real world claims work, enhanced by regional experience, and reinforced through arbitration and High Court advocacy. With a blend of maritime expertise, commercial dispute experience, and cross border awareness, he is a valuable addition to Global Law Experts.

Global Law Experts is delighted to welcome Ng Fang Yao of Chevalier Law as an Exclusive Member and to highlight his specialist shipping litigation practice in Singapore.