Maxwell Chambers

Last updated
Maxwell Chambers
Front facade of Maxwell Chambers.jpg
Maxwell Chambers
Former namesCustom House (1932 to 2010)
Address32 Maxwell Road Singapore 069115
Location Singapore
Coordinates 1°16′39.5″N103°50′46.1″E / 1.277639°N 103.846139°E / 1.277639; 103.846139
Public transit Tanjong Pagar MRT
TypeHistoric site, events venue
Construction
Built1932 (as Custom House)
Opened21 January 2010;14 years ago (2010-01-21) (as Maxwell Chambers)
8 August 2019;4 years ago (2019-08-08) (Maxwell Chambers Suites extension)
Website
maxwell-chambers.com

Maxwell Chambers is an integrated alternative dispute resolution (ADR) complex located in Singapore. It provides hearing rooms and facilities for the conduct of ADR hearings in Singapore, as well as the regional offices of a number of ADR institutions, arbitrators, and international arbitration practitioners. [1]

Contents

Maxwell Chambers was established with seed money from the Singapore Government. The intention is for ownership to transfer to the private sector in due course. [2]

On 5 January 2017, the Ministry of Law announced plans to triple the size of Maxwell Chambers with Maxwell Chambers Suites to boost Singapore's position as an international dispute resolution hub. [3] The facility officially opened on 8 August 2019. [4]

The current CEO of Maxwell Chambers is Ban Jiun Ean. [5]

History

The origins of Maxwell Chambers can be traced to 2002 when the Legal Services Working Group of the Economic Review Committee chaired by then Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong stressed the need for “good infrastructure and facilities” to make Singapore a regional alternative dispute resolution service centre. [6]

In 2005, the Ministry of Law started planning for the development of an integrated dispute resolution complex. The architects visited arbitration hearing centres around the world to get design ideas, and then added “a Singapore touch”. [7]

In January 2007, Singapore's former Custom House was chosen as the site [2] and design work commenced. Upon the completion of refurbishment works in July 2009, the building opened for hearings.

Maxwell Chambers was officially launched on 21 January 2010. [7] [8]

Reception

The establishment of Maxwell Chambers was nominated by Global Arbitration Review (GAR) as one of the “Best Developments” in the arbitration industry in 2010. [9]

GAR's first survey on hearing centres in 2013 found that Maxwell Chambers was one of the top three hearing centres that leading international arbitration lawyers were most likely to "recommend to a friend". Survey respondents remarked that Maxwell Chambers was “perfect”, “the standout facility” and “currently the gold standard”. [10]

In GAR's Hearing Centres Survey for 2016, Maxwell Chambers was ranked second for most of the key factors respondents look out for in choosing a hearing centre, such as location, IT services, and helpfulness of staff. [11]

Building

Maxwell Chambers occupies the former Customs House located in Tanjong Pagar in Singapore's central business district. Built in 1932 during the British colonial era, the building was the headquarters of the Department of Customs and Excise for over 60 years. [12] Following the refurbishment of the building, it was renamed Maxwell Chambers.

In 2007, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) gave the building conservation status. In 2010, it was designated the 88th historic site in Singapore by the National Heritage Board. [13]

The building was awarded the International Architecture Award for Best New Global Design (2010) by The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design and the European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies. [14] In 2012, the building was also awarded an Architectural Heritage Award by Singapore's Urban Redevelopment Authority. [15]

Maxwell Chambers Suites

The Ministry of Law announced on 5 January 2017 that Maxwell Chambers would triple in capacity by taking over the neighbouring building at 28 Maxwell Road (formerly known as the Red Dot Traffic Building), in order to support the growth of dispute resolution institutions which have seen significant increases in caseload. [3]

At the official groundbreaking ceremony on 22 June 2017, the Ministry announced that the new offices would be renamed Maxwell Chambers Suites, as well as expanding even further due to "strong demand", with a second annexe block of 3,500 sq ft space, on top of the 120,000 sq ft originally planned. [16] [17]

Restoration works were completed in mid-2019. [18] Maxwell Chambers Suites officially opened on 8 August 2019. It houses at least 11 international institutions and 20 disputes chambers and practices from 11 countries. [19] The offices of the Law Society of Singapore have been based at Maxwell Chambers Suites since October 2019. [20]

Facilities

Maxwell Chambers offers 39 custom-designed and fully equipped hearing and preparation rooms, a business centre, [21] and a lounge for arbitrators. [7] It also provides audio-visual and video conferencing facilities and simultaneous translation and transcription. [21]

Tenants

Maxwell Chambers houses the regional offices of several ADR institutions [6] including the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), the Singapore International Mediation Centre (SIMC), the ICC Court of Arbitration, the American Arbitration Association’s (AAA) International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Arbitration and Mediation Center, and the Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration (SCMA). The Singapore International Mediation Centre (SIMC) will also be based at Maxwell Chambers. [22]

A number of barristers’ chambers, law firms and arbitrators have a regional office at Maxwell Chambers including Essex Court Chambers, 20 Essex Street, [23] 39 Essex Chambers, One Essex Court, [24] Bankside Chambers, [25] which are New Zealand’s "leading set of independent barristers, arbitrators and mediators", as well as Hanotiau & van den Berg. [26]

Signature Events

In addition to providing hearing facilities and office space, Maxwell Chambers also organises a number of signature events:

Related Research Articles

Dispute resolution or dispute settlement is the process of resolving disputes between parties. The term dispute resolution is conflict resolution through legal means.

The American Arbitration Association (AAA) is a non-profit organization focused in the field of alternative dispute resolution, providing services to individuals and organizations who wish to resolve conflicts out of court, and one of several arbitration organizations that administers arbitration proceedings. The AAA also administers mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution. It is headquartered at the Equitable Building in New York City.

Online dispute resolution (ODR) is a form of dispute resolution which uses technology to facilitate the resolution of disputes between parties. It primarily involves negotiation, mediation or arbitration, or a combination of all three. In this respect it is often seen as being the online equivalent of alternative dispute resolution (ADR). However, ODR can also augment these traditional means of resolving disputes by applying innovative techniques and online technologies to the process.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philip Jeyaretnam</span> Singaporean judge, lawyer and writer

Philip Antony Jeyaretnam is a Singaporean judge, lawyer and author who has been serving as a Judge of the High Court of Singapore since 1 November 2021, having been first appointed to the Bench as a Judicial Commissioner on 4 January 2021. He has served as President of the Singapore International Commercial Court since 2 January 2023. Prior to his appointment to the Bench, he served as ASEAN chief executive officer and global vice-chair at Dentons. He also served as president of the Law Society of Singapore between 2004 and 2007. Jeyaretnam was also one of the youngest lawyers to be appointed Senior Counsel in 2003 at the age of 38.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arbitration</span> Method of dispute resolution

Arbitration is a formal method of dispute resolution involving a neutral third party who makes a binding decision. The third party neutral renders the decision in the form of an 'arbitration award'. An arbitration decision or award is legally binding on both sides and enforceable in the courts, unless all parties stipulate that the arbitration process and decision are non-binding.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chartered Institute of Arbitrators</span> Professional organisation

The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators is a professional organisation representing the interests of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) practitioners. Founded on 1 March 1915, it was granted a royal charter by Queen Elizabeth II in 1979.

Cavinder Bull is a Singaporean lawyer and the chief executive officer of the law firm Drew & Napier. He has served in this position since August 2017, upon the departure of Davinder Singh to start his own practice. He has an active practice in complex litigation and international arbitration and is considered one of the top 15 litigators in South-East Asia.

Alternative dispute resolution (ADR), or external dispute resolution (EDR), typically denotes a wide range of dispute resolution processes and techniques that parties can use to settle disputes with the help of a third party. They are used for disagreeing parties who cannot come to an agreement short of litigation. However, ADR is also increasingly being adopted as a tool to help settle disputes within the court system.

The Arbitration Roundtable of Toronto is made up of several litigators, academics, arbitrators, and mediators from the Greater Toronto Area. The group promotes arbitration as an alternative method of conflict resolution over litigation, especially in commercial suits. Members include commercial litigators from Toronto law firms including some of the Seven Sisters of Bay Street. Each member has experience and interest in promoting commercial Arbitration. The group dedicates its time to encouraging this form of Dispute resolution through seminars, papers, and talks.

The Beijing Arbitration Commission (BAC) is an independent non-profit organization based in Beijing offering services in arbitration, mediation, and other dispute resolution mechanisms. The BAC was established in 1995 following the passage of the Arbitration Law of the People's Republic of China. In accordance with the theories of other ADR channels, the BAC encourages arbitration and mediation forums as "win-win" alternatives to litigation. The BAC serves both domestic and international clients. An article in Business China declared the Beijing Arbitration Commission (BAC) as "the only local arbitration commission which meets or surpasses global standards.”

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doug Jones (international arbitrator)</span>

Douglas Samuel Jones, is an independent international arbitrator based in London, Sydney and Toronto. He is a door tenant at Atkin Chambers, London, a member of Sydney Arbitration Chambers, and a member of Toronto Arbitration Chambers in Toronto, Canada. He serves as an International Judge of the Singapore International Commercial Court.

Singapore Mediation Centre (SMC) is a not-for-profit organisation structured as a company limited by the guarantee of the Singapore Academy of Law.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Janet Walker</span>

Janet Walker is a Chartered Arbitrator with offices in Toronto, Canada, London, England and Sydney, Australia. She is a Canadian scholar and author in the fields of Private International Law and Civil Procedure at Osgoode Hall Law School. She is also a Distinguished Research Professor at York University. Walker is married to Australian lawyer and international arbitrator, Doug Jones AO.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Singapore International Mediation Centre</span>

Singapore International Mediation Centre (SIMC) is an independent not-for-profit organisation in Singapore providing mediation services, through its panel of international mediators, to parties wishing to resolve their cross-border commercial disputes amicably. The centre is housed at Maxwell Chambers.

David W. Rivkin is an independent arbitrator affiliated with Arbitration Chambers. For more than 40 years, Mr. Rivkin practiced private and public international law at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, where he served as co-chair of its International Dispute Resolution Group for more than 20 years and was a founder of its Business Integrity/ESG Group. He now serves as a full-time arbitrator and mediator, focusing on complex international commercial arbitrations and investor-state disputes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allan J. Stitt</span>

Allan Jeffrey Stitt is a chartered Canadian arbitrator, mediator and film producer. He is the president and CEO of ADR Chambers, a Canadian arbitration and mediation organization. Stitt is the recipient of the 2006 Ontario Bar Association Award of Excellence in Alternative Dispute Resolution. In 2022, Stitt was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Windsor Faculty of Law. As a movie executive producer, Stitt has also contributed to films including The Layover, The Birth of a Nation, Into the Forest, I Saw the Light, and Ithaca.

Claude R. Thomson was a Canadian lawyer in Toronto, Ontario. He was a well-known courtroom lawyer, and also a pioneer of alternative dispute resolution in Canada, including mediation and arbitration. He served as the president of the Canadian Bar Association and the International Bar Association.

J. Martin Hunter was a British solicitor specializing in arbitration. He was an emeritus professor at Nottingham Trent University and was a visiting lecturer, fellow or professor at various universities around the world. He died on 9 October 2021.

Mumbai International Arbitration Centre is an autonomous institution formed as system for alternate dispute resolution and act as arbitrator or mediator in case of international commercial transactions. The channel helps in enforcing the right of individuals under segment 89 of Civil Procedure Code, 1908 to exercise right for out of court settlement in case such possibility exists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maxwell Chambers Suites</span>

Maxwell Chambers Suites, formerly known as the Traffic Police Headquarters or the Traffic Police Building, and later as the Red Dot Traffic Building, is a historic building on Maxwell Road in Chinatown, Singapore. It initially served as the Police Barracks and the headquarters of the Traffic Police branch of the Singapore Police Force, which moved into the building in 1930. In 1941, the first driving test centre in Singapore was established within the building. It ceased operations in 1978 to relieve congestion in the area.

References

  1. 1 2 Crowe, Chris (16 August 2010). "Asia's arbitration explosion". International Bar Association. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  2. 1 2 Khew, Carolyn (5 January 2017). "Maxwell Chambers to expand, will take over building that houses Red Dot Design Museum". The Straits Times. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  3. ↑ Tham, Yuen-C (26 April 2019). "Dispute resolution complex in Maxwell to open on Aug 8". The Straits Times. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  4. ↑ "Our team | Maxwell Chambers - Gateway to Dispute Resolution". Maxwell Chambers. Retrieved 2024-05-25.
  5. 1 2 Ahmad, Jawad; Yeap, Andre. "Section 2: Overviews - Arbitration in Asia". The Asia Pacific Arbitration Review 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 Sulaiman, Uzma Balkiss (7 February 2010). "Maxwell Chambers opens in Singapore". Global Arbitration Review. 5 (1).(subscription required)
  7. ↑ "Speech by SM S Jayakumar at the grand opening of Maxwell Chambers". Ministry of Law. 21 January 2010. Archived from the original on 2 July 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  8. ↑ Ross, Alison (5 June 2011). "Singapore: City state reflects on progress". Global Arbitration Review. 6 (3).(subscription required)
  9. ↑ Samuels, David (4 February 2014). "Hearing Centres Survey". Global Arbitration Review's Guide to Regional Arbitration. 2. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  10. ↑ "Guide To Regional Arbitration (volume 4 - 2016)". Global Arbitration Review. Global Arbitration Review.
  11. ↑ "The Building that Never Slept". inSYNC - Singapore Customs Newsletter (10). January 2011. Archived from the original on 2014-08-08. Retrieved 2014-08-05.
  12. ↑ Spykerman, Kimberly (9 October 2010). "Custom House marked as a historic site". The Straits Times.
  13. ↑ The International Architectural Awards 2010 Archive (PDF). The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design. 2010. p. 62.
  14. ↑ Wong, Jeanne (5 October 2012). "Maxwell Chambers wins URA Architectural Heritage Award". AsiaOne. Archived from the original on 11 August 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  15. ↑ "Strong demand drives further expansion at Maxwell Chambers". The Business Times. The Business Times.
  16. ↑ Ang, Prisca (22 June 2017). "Red Dot Traffic Building renamed Maxwell Chambers Suites". The Straits Times. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  17. ↑ "Works on Maxwell Chambers Suites Completed After Two Years of Restoration Works" (PDF). Maxwell Chambers. Ministry of Law, Singapore.
  18. ↑ "Maxwell Chambers Suites Officially Opens Today Giving Yet Another Boost to Singapore's Legal Hub Position". Ministry of Law, Singapore. Ministry of Law, Singapore.
  19. ↑ Vijayendran, Gregory (10 October 2019). "President's Message". Law Gazette. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  20. 1 2 Yeo, Alvin; Maniam, Andre (4 February 2010). "New integrated dispute resolution complex opens in Singapore". Practical Law. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  21. ↑ Lim, George. "Back to "MediAsian"". Who's Who Legal. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  22. ↑ Ballinger, Mark (2023-03-17). "Twenty Essex celebrates a decade serving Singapore and APAC". Twenty Essex. Retrieved 2024-05-25.
  23. ↑ Dowell, Katy (26 June 2012). "One Essex Court and 39 Essex Street prepare for Singapore launches". The Lawyer. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  24. ↑ Elward, David (2011-02-28). "New Zealand trio set up shop in Maxwell Chambers". Global Arbitration Review. Archived from the original on 2014-08-11. Retrieved 2021-05-01. Bankside Chambers has opened an office in Maxwell Chambers in Singapore
  25. ↑ Alison, Ross (9 December 2011). "Boutique firm to gain Singapore outpost". Global Arbitration Review.(subscription required)

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.