Augustine Liew
Head of Shipping & Admiralty
+65 6950 0854
Areas of Practice
Shipping & Admiralty
International Arbitration
Admissions
Advocate & Solicitor, Singapore Supreme Court
Qualified as Barrister-at-law (England & Wales) Inner Temple
Senior Accredited Specialist (Maritime & Shipping Law), Singapore Academy of Law
Qualifications
LLB (Hons) University of Wales (UWIST) where he received the Cecil Fifoot Common Law Prize
Augustine is a Consultant and Head of Shipping and Admiralty at Focus Law Asia LLC.
He qualified as barrister-in-law (England & Wales) Inner Temple and was also admitted to the Singapore bar in 1986. Following that, he practised law successively at 2 leading boutique shipping law firms, acting for 2 international law firms variously in a period of about 8 years in maritime matters, before starting to do work also for leading shipyards in Singapore and bunker suppliers/tanker operators/offshore work whilst retaining his core practice in marine law. His marine law work throughout and now encompasses both wet and dry elements and in Singapore courts, mediations, as well as English /other foreign arbitrations, involving Singapore and English law. He is known well to many leading shipowners (liner, bulk, oil and chemical), various cargo interests, P&I Clubs, Underwriters (locally and in the London market – notably Lloyds Underwriters Claims Recoveries Office of the past), marine insurance brokers, and marine claims recovery agents, both internationally as well as within Singapore.
His work includes charterparty claims, ship collisions, tug and tow incidents, oil pollution, ship sinking, ship constructive total loss/actual total loss, groundings, containers overboard, shipboard fires, cargo damage/loss, general average, salvage, charterparty issues, ship sale and purchase disputes, bunker claims, shipyard work, ship-management claims, oil shortage and contamination claims, mortgage enforcements, crew injury and fatal accident claims, limitation actions, as well as ship arrests and provides advisory work, court litigation, meditation and arbitration. This work also encompasses international trade disputes in connection with the goods which are transported, whenever arising.
The clients he has worked for over his extensive period in law practice value him for his ability to provide creative, effective, and at times, novel and innovative strategies and solutions to problems, infused with a huge dose of commercialism which players in the shipping industry identify themselves with, for a pragmatic handling of the cases.
Augustine is also well placed on the cutting edge of the academic domain. Amongst some of his contributions are to the IBA Maritime Law Handbook (2005 to current), “Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims” by Griggs, Williams and Farr (LLP, 4th Edition 2005), “Singapore Precedents of Pleadings” (Sweet & Maxwell Asia, 2006), and to editing the Halsbury’s Laws of Singapore Vol. 3 (Carriers – Current).
Together with these, he had also taken up various academic appointments namely, Examiner and Lecturer for the Singapore Academy of Law’s Maritime & Shipping Specialist Accreditation Course and past positions as tutor for the Admiralty subject on the Singapore Institute of Legal Education’s course for aspiring candidates to qualify for legal practice; Guest Lecturer on the Nanyang Technological University’s postgraduate Shipping and Admiralty courses; and Trainer for a maritime academy founded by Singapore’s largest national workers’ union. Augustine also assisted in introducing the Admiralty subject for Temasek Polytechnic’s Diploma in Legal Executive Studies, where he was a Lecturer, Tutor, and Examiner of the subject for several years.
Legal 500 (2025) sums him up with this testimonial of him: “With years of shipping experience under his belt, Augustine Liew is one of the best lawyers available. He and his team are highly motivated and have this unique ability to understand the shipping practices, general practicalities of the trade and apply a correct legal standing.”
In year 2024, he was also conferred GLE Admiralty Lawyer of the year 2024 (Singapore)
Work Highlights
Represented the shipowners in the MAERSK HONAM Fire. Widely acknowledged as the “worst container vessel fire accident in history” involving issues typical of a fire casualty and cargo not flagged in the IMDG Code for its propensity to cause a fire.
Represented shipowner in the MARINA IRIS [2007] 1 Lloyds Rep. 66, a marine hull and machinery insurance matter in which a tug sank during her voyage from Kobe to Singapore. The case went to the Court of Appeal and involved issues of; a) Mixed policy vs. time policy, b) Express warranties and warranty surveyor, c) Routeing, d) Unseaworthiness and privity and e) Perils of the sea. Succeeded to recover total loss claims against the H&M underwriter despite absence of witnesses of fact aboard the Vessel (as they (all of the crew) perished in the incident)
Represented shipowner and the P&I club in the PATRAIKOS II [2002] SGHC 103, a case of serious grounding of the vessel off Horsburgh Lighthouse, involving claims from holders of more than 50 bills of lading, claims of tonnage limitation of liability and claims in relation to general average. Issues of competence of the officer on watch relating to navigation and issues of many other maritime matters were raised. This matter went through more than 100 interlocutory applications enroute to trial. Total cargo claims value was approximately USD23,000,000.00
Represented the occupiers of a waterfront where the Vessel, CALYPSO (of Jacques Cousteau) sank and the matter was resolved in Singapore.
Acted for owners in a huge case of oil pollution concerning the MT SONG SAN. The matter was of major public interest where, at the conclusion of the matter, the local newspaper disclosed, for the first time, the workings of sophisticated tracking systems of the MPA.
Acted for the owners in the first Singaporean case on oil pollution under MSOPA, where the Owners of the NEPTANK III were carrying oil in bulk. Successfully invoked limitation under the Merchant Shipping (Oil Pollution) Act, 1985 Edition (now repealed).
Represented a representing a world leading bunker supplier in Scandinavian Bunkering Pte Ltd v MISC, which involved a fixed price bunker contract of value about USD26,000,000.00 litigating by way of a full hearing and appeal to the highest court in Malaysia.
Representing a leading Singaporean shipowner and its P&I club in an explosion and fire case on the MV HANSA BRANDENBURG, for limitation action in Singapore of limitation fund value about SGD6,000,000.00 and obtained an order for the first time in Singapore to constitute the LLC 1976 Limitation Fund by providing a P&I club letter of undertaking. No cargo claim was paid in any Singapore proceedings and all successfully refuted.
Advised a reinsurer on a CTL claim following a major vessel fire in Sri Lanka on the X-PRESS PEARL and on the “Follow the Leader “ clause .
Acted / Advised a prominent national carrier Regional Container Lines in defending claims made against it by partners / cargo claimants following a long 3-month detention by Indonesian Authorities where all cargo claims were refuted successfully.
A Waste Plant Explosion & Fire in Singapore Explosion and fire at a waste disposal plant in Singapore. Represented the Assured in a Claim with successful recovery of indemnity under insurance policy. Value about SGD8,000,000.00.
Re an Arbitration
Represented a leading Singaporean shipowner involving disputes over loss and damage to 52 containers, lost overboard in Capetown in circumstances of boisterous weather. Covered novel points arising in relation to the NYPE Inter-Club Agreement 1996 and successfully recovered damages for the charterer-client.
Represented the Seller of a newbuilding (ship) in a sale and purchase dispute and successfully recovering for the Client, USD34,000,000.00. There were issues involving five different expert disciplines, and issues of the vessel not having been built to contractual specifications. The matter went through a full hearing with examination of witnesses in arbitration in London. The Respondents were represented by a leading shipping Law Firm in England.
Represented a local Shipyard which progressed to a London arbitration with hearing attendance of witnesses, on a claim for breach of shipbuilding contract. After the end of the first day of the hearing, the opponent claimants were compelled to significantly amend their pleadings, which led to an adjournment, and all costs thrown away ordered against the claimants. The claimants subsequently settled the matter with the shipyard.
Acted for buyers of crude oil in a dispute where vendors allege that bunkering vessel owners had unlawfully converted over USD100,000,000.00 of crude oil in a ship-to ship transfer.
Acted for / Advised a prominent international container shipping line in London mediation and Arbitration, defending against claims, from Vessel Sharing Agreement partners and cargo interests, arising from a fire caused by mis-declared cargo, the shipowner’s claim being about USD37,000,000.