Ng Fang Yao

Fang Yao is a dispute resolution lawyer with over 15 years’ experience (both in private practice and in-house) specialising in shipping and trade litigation and arbitration. Fang Yao presently heads Chevalier Law’s Shipping, Trade and Insurance practice. Prior to joining Chevalier Law, Fang Yao worked in highly regarded Singapore law firms specialising in commercial and shipping disputes.  Fang Yao completed his pupillage with a Senior Counsel.

Besides shipping and trade matters, Fang Yao has extensive experience in dealing with legal issues and disputes arising from diverse sectors and industries, including being instructed as lead solicitor by a prominent NGO domiciled in Singapore to advise on their obligations as landlords pursuant to the Lease Agreements for Retail Premises Act 2023 (which came into effect in February 2024) on or around early 2024.

Other than his private practice experience, Fang Yao was employed by the claims side in two P&I Clubs and has had first-hand experience handling the full gamut of maritime claims (pertaining to both “dry shipping” and “wet shipping” matters) in numerous jurisdictions worldwide and has further handled several marine incidents which were media reported. For his latter stint in the P&I industry, Fang Yao relocated to Hong Kong for around three and a half years (3.5 years) where he concentrated on handling maritime disputes on behalf of ship owners; charterers and traders domiciled in China.

Fang Yao is presently a professional member of both the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers and the Association of Average Adjusters. Fang Yao has also been appointed the legal advisor to the Singapore Association (Hong Kong) since late 2021. Fang Yao was also previously appointed as an independent director of a company listed on the Singapore Exchange.

Fang Yao is fluent in English and Mandarin.

Work Highlights(Shipping)

• Advised Head Owners of a container vessel on cargo claims arising from a media reported fire incident onboard a container vessel en route to India which took place around April 2021.
• Acted for a bunker trader in a contractual dispute over monies owed to their bunker supplier. The trader had refused to pay the said monies owed (or any part thereof) as they alleged that the bunkers supplied for the relevant transactions were off-spec and had caused engine problems to the vessels of their shipping clients.
• Advised Head Owners in a matter involving the Indonesian port authorities detaining their Vessel because of charterers’ conduct at the material time. Such detention inter alia resulted in the Ship Owners’ failure to deliver their vessel on schedule to the next charterers, whilst inter alia charterers then sought to excuse their conduct on a force majeure clause.
• Acted for Head Owners against shippers and cargo interests to recover expenses/losses incurred by the shipowners at the discharge port in Cambodia when cargo receivers/consignees refused to take delivery of the cargo and the shipowners were compelled by Cambodian port authorities to transport the cargo back to Singapore.
• Advised Disponent Owners in their dispute with their counterparts in the charter chain over the extensive time delays arising from cargo interests’ refusal to take delivery of alleged off-spec wet cargo at the nominated discharge ports.

Work Highlights (Non-shipping commercial matters)

• Acted for a port agent in SIAC arbitration against foreign port authorities for alleged breaches of the agency agreement by the port authorities, such breaches inter alia being attributed to the foreign port authorities setting up a subsidiary company to compete against the port agent.
• Acted for a SGX (Singapore Exchange) listed contractor in arbitration proceedings under the SIAC Rules commenced by a hotel developer for inter alia claim for liquidated damages (due to the contractor’s alleged delay) and failure to rectify defects in a premium hotel development.
• Advised a co-living operator in Singapore in a dispute arising from a purported joint venture agreement with their commercial counterparts over the business operations of boutique hotels.  Issues contended inter alia were recovery of costs expended by the co-living operator with the expectations that the above joint venture agreement would be concluded successfully (which was not the case).
• Advised a Singapore trading house in a contractual dispute after their Indonesian cement supplier purported to terminate the relevant sale & purchase contract because of alleged force majeure events (such as government restrictions on cement exports).
• Advised a foreign supplier of electronic equipment against a Singapore entity in arbitration proceedings under the SIAC Rules due to inter alia the supplier’s failure to deliver the stipulated equipment and to make available the stipulated equipment for inspection in accordance with stipulated contractual timelines.
• Acted for local main contractor in a Singapore High Court action against their subcontractor’s claim for monies owed for work done pursuant to three (3) separate work contracts for three (3) separate condominium project(s) in Singapore.

* For a more detailed & comprehensive list of Fang Yao’s professional background and/or legal cases handled by him (both shipping and/or otherwise), please request for a copy of his curriculum vitae and career matters overview.