Jonathan Choo

Managing Director

Tel: +65 6679 6222

Mobile: +65 9832 3880

Email: jonathan.choo@vantagechambers.com

Arbitrator | Mediator | Advocate & Solicitor

Notary Public | Commissioner for Oaths

FIDReC Adjudicator

Jonathan is an independent dispute resolver specialising in arbitration, mediation, neutral evaluation and litigation, both internationally and domestically. He is dual-qualified as an Advocate and Solicitor in Singapore and a Solicitor in England & Wales. He is also registered as a Notary Public and Commissioner for Oaths in Singapore. 

Having spent over 20 years practising in some of the largest Singapore and international law firms handling a range of significant and high-value disputes, arbitrations and mediations in Singapore and more widely in Asia, Europe and the United States, Jonathan has established himself as a leading practitioner in the areas of dispute resolution and international arbitration, both as a trusted Counsel and as an Arbitrator and Mediator. 

His general commercial disputes background covers complex commercial, international trade, technology, media and broadcasting, construction, projects and infrastructure, insurance (non-marine) and IP disputes. He has successfully represented individuals, MNCs, banks, international contractors, media and broadcasting agencies, telecoms operators and consultants in a variety of disputes.

Jonathan has advised and represented clients in arbitrations conducted under all the major institutional rules, including the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) Rules, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Rules, the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) Rules, Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SCC) Rules and the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Rules. He is also an experienced mediation counsel and Mediator, having conducted and represented parties in many mediation hearings, including at the Singapore International Mediation Centre (SIMC) and the Singapore Mediation Centre (SMC).

Jonathan is regularly appointed as Arbitrator and has been appointed as Presiding Arbitrator and Sole Arbitrator by leading arbitral institutions such as the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC). Jonathan is also on the panel of arbitrators of various leading arbitration institutions.

Jonathan is currently a Fellow, Director and Vice-Chair of the Singapore Branch of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. He is also on the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators’ teaching faculty and regularly assesses and conducts courses for candidates who wish to be accredited by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. He is also a member of several other professional institutions, including the Singapore Institute of Arbitrators.

Jonathan is regularly appointed as Mediator with a mandate to help parties resolve their dispute amicably. 

He is a Specialist Mediator with the Singapore International Mediation Centre and has been appointed as Sole and Co-Mediator on various mediations, including multi-party mediations.

Jonathan’s experience as a Mediator covers a broad range of disputes including commercial disputes, distribution of assets, construction disputes, payment disputes, employment disputes and trusts disputes. 

Jonathan consistently receives excellent feedback from parties in mediation. He has been described as “very understanding” and a “good listener”, and someone who “built good rapport with parties”, “helped explore and develop options” and had “good control of the proceedings”. Another party described Jonathan as “proactive and instrumental to the success of the settlement. Jonathan took the effort of understanding the reasons behind the position taken by us. He was patient and willing to articulate offers to the other party in a way that [was] logical and fair – all supported with appropriate and good reasons”. 

Jonathan accepts appointments as a Neutral for the purposes of Neutral Evaluation and Determination.

He is on the Law Society of Singapore’s Neutral Evaluation and Determination Scheme Panel of Neutrals.

Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific 2021, 2022 & 2023: Ranked as Future Star for International Arbitration: “Excellent in comprehension and understanding what clients are trying to express or request on the first attempt. Is patient and clear in responding to queries. Doesn’t brush clients off or provide ambiguous responses.”

Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 & 2024: Recognised as Recommended Lawyer for Dispute Resolution, Singapore: Jonathan is described as “friendly, easy to work with and well experienced in litigation”. “Jonathan is the go-to litigator… for complex and high value international arbitrations, particularly in the areas of technology, intellectual property, construction and aviation, among others.” "Jonathan Choo is clearly very experienced in arbitration matters and is able to give valuable insights into practical steps forward, and likely outcomes of different paths. He is able to weigh all the circumstances of the matter and present multiple ways forward, while still clearly communicating which of those will gather the best outcome."

Asialaw Leading Lawyers 2021, 2022 & 2003: Recognised as Notable Practitioner for Dispute Resolution: Jonathan is known for his “Refined legal approach”. “He is very commercial-minded, offering clients practical solutions to achieving win-win solutions. He is able to give the client the assurance that it is in good hands”. Jonathan is described as “Analytical, quick thinker and solution-oriented”. “It is always a pleasure to deal with Jonathan. He provides proactive, commercial and practical legal advice which is paramount in a dispute situation.”  

Recognised in Asian Legal Business (ALB) 2016 “40 under 40” list of lawyers.

1. Acting as President of a three-member Tribunal in an ICC Arbitration involving an international dispute concerning breach of Intellectual Property rights and breach of confidentiality undertakings. 

2. Acting as sole arbitrator in an ICC Arbitration involving a commercial / payments dispute between US and Vietnamese parties. 

3. Acting as sole arbitrator in an SIAC Arbitration involving a provider of IT systems and services and a pharmaceutical company.

4. Acting as sole arbitrator in a multi-million dollar SIAC Arbitration involving an IT software vendor and an international financial institution.

1. Successfully mediated an employment dispute involving a large MNC and an ex-employee.

2. Successfully co-mediated a dispute involving a property developer and a contractor over unpaid fees.

3. Successfully co-mediated a complex multi-party dispute involving different sets of family members and representatives of a trust.

1. Acting for a global sports media rights company in a multi-million dollar dispute against a prominent sporting association regarding the breach of a global advisory agreement: KLRCA Arbitration clause.

2. Advising a global sports media rights company in an LCIA arbitration against a broadcaster arising out of a breach of a licensing agreement.

3. Advising a prominent world-wide sports media rights company in a multi­million dollar media licensing dispute with an Asian based sporting league: SIAC arbitration clause.

4. Acting for a global sports media rights company in a dispute against a broadcaster arising out of a breach of a channels supply agreement: HKIAC arbitration clause.

5. Advising a global telecommunications company in a multi-million dispute against Cambodian entities for breach of a repayment agreement: SIAC arbitration clause.

6. Acting for a prominent Asian commodity trading house in a multi-million dollar Singapore seated ad-hoc arbitration dispute against a Chinese buyer involving the international trade of commodities.

7. Acting for a prominent Asian commodity trading house in a multi-million dollar insurance dispute against an international insurer involving trade credit insurance for the international sale of steel: SIAC Arbitration clause. 

8. Acting for a prominent Asian conglomerate in an international arbitration dispute against Russian and English entities involving the sale of industrial equipment: Stockholm arbitration. 

9. Representing a European MNC in an SIAC arbitration arising out of an investment in an Indian company procured by fraudulent misrepresentations by the Indian promoters.

10. Acting on behalf of airline company in a complex multi-million dollar SIAC arbitration arising from the termination of a series of long-term maintenance aviation contracts.

11. Acting on behalf of a company in a S$5 million claim for breach of contract to jointly develop an innovative electronics product.

12. Acting on behalf of claimants in a multi-million dollar arbitration claim in the SIAC against a software solutions provider for breach of an agreement to implement an integrated software system to link the claimant's regional offices.

13. Acting on behalf of an international Design & Build contractor in a S$106 million claim against its Insurers under a Contractors All Risks Policy for an office building construction project which experienced excessive differential settlement during construction.

14. Acting on behalf of Insurers in a S$98 million professional negligence subrogated action in an arbitration against an international firm of designers.

15. Acting on behalf of a major shipyard in a S$120 million arbitration dispute concerning the refurbishment of a semi-submersible mobile drilling unit.

16. Advising an international information technology service provider based in India in a US$50 million LCIA arbitration involving a Japanese supplier of telecommunications equipment.

17. Representing a UK listed company in an SIAC arbitration against a national research institute over a dispute in connection with a research collaboration agreement.

18. Advising a Luxemburg investment company in a multi-million dollar dispute with a prominent chain of international luxury resorts regarding disputes over various villa rental, management and lease agreements: ICC arbitration clause.

19. Advising consultants to various international engineering and construction firms in connection with a number of related multi-million dollar disputes arising out of the procurement; design and construction of a Giant Observation Wheel; SIAC arbitration clause.

20. Advising a Dubai-based company in a multi-million dollar dispute with an Indonesian company over a coal sale agreement: SIAC arbitration clause.