Aleksandar Georgiev specialises in handling contentious matters, with a focus on shipping, international trade, commodity, energy, offshore, shipbuilding, and related disputes.
Aleksandar’s practice involves in a wide range of matters. He handles both “wet” and “dry” shipping work, trade disputes, and matters involving related industry sectors (including energy, offshore, shipbuilding, and ship repair). His practice also extends to various other areas such as marine insurance, finance, investment, and commercial disputes.
Aleksandar regularly appears before the Singapore Courts and in arbitrations (both ad hoc and institutional) under the SIAC, SCMA, LCIA, LMAA, and other arbitration rules. He also has experience acting for clients in arbitrations administered by specialised trade bodies such as GAFTA and PORAM, and managing litigation in other jurisdictions.
Before commencing practice, Aleksandar graduated with distinction from the Singapore Management University, where he was placed on the Dean’s List. He took a keen interest in advocacy during his time in university and participated as a speaker in various international moot competitions, eventually representing Singapore in 2013 at the prestigious 54th Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition in Washington, D.C. where he helped the Singapore Management University team reach the world finals for the first time. Since joining Rajah & Tann, Aleksandar has continued to hone his advocacy skills and in 2016 he won the Best Speaker award at the Essex Court Chambers – Singapore Academy of Law International Mooting Competition. He remains involved in international moot competitions by coaching the Singapore Management University’s team for the International Maritime Law Arbitration Moot.
Aleksandar taught Business Law at the Singapore Management University’s School of Law as an Adjunct Faculty member in 2018-2019.
In 2020, Aleksandar was also appointed as an Assessor by Singapore’s Ministry of Law to determine applications for relief made under Singapore’s temporary COVID-19 laws.
Experience
His recent work highlights include:
Shipping, Trade & Transport
- Acting for a shipowner in a substantial dispute concerning vessel redelivery and unpaid charter hire claims, involving multiple international entities and cross-border insolvency.
- Acting for and advising P&I Clubs in the investigation of various crew incidents and potential liability arising from accidents on board vessels.
- Advising a major international carrier in relation to container demurrage, storage charges, and port dues for thousands of abandoned containers.
- Advising a cargo owner in relation to claims against a carrier arising from an incident of piracy.
- Advising bunker suppliers on liability for the supply of off-specification marine fuels.
- Advising a shipowner on the legality of ransom payments and the recovery of General Average contributions for ransom paid to pirates in a hostage incident.
- Advising a P&I Club and shipowner in relation to a claim for compensation by crew members.
- Advising P&I Clubs and shipowners on charterparty trading limits and international trade sanctions.
- Advising P&I Clubs and shipowners on regulations relating to the transport and transfer of toxic chemicals.
- Advising a registry on enforcement options against a large fleet of vessels for non-compliance with registry requirements and payment of dues.
Collisions, Pollution & Other Casualties
- Acting for and advising a P&I Club and shipowner in relation to multiple proceedings arising from an undersea cable cutting incident leading to claims of more than $30 million against the shipowner.
- Acting for indigenous claimants in the Federated States of Micronesia in a multimillion-dollar claim arising from a vessel grounding incident which caused extensive damage to coral reef.
- Acting for a large international liner operator in relation to multimillion-dollar claims arising from two oil spill incidents at Tanjung Pelepas, which collectively affected more than 50 of the operator’s vessels.
- Acting for P&I Clubs, H&M underwriters, and shipowners in connection with various collisions and other casualty incidents in Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, and other jurisdictions.
- Acting for and advising cargo owners in relation to a General Average incident following an explosion on board an oil tanker in a suspected case of sabotage in the Gulf of Oman.
- Advising charterers on cargo claims arising from a major fire on board a large container vessel.
- Advising P&I Clubs and shipowners on jurisdictional issues relating to the commencement of limitation proceedings and setting up limitation funds following incidents in disputed territorial waters and foreign jurisdictions.
- Advising a P&I Club on limitation of liability and cargo claims worth more than US$10 million following an explosion which caused the total loss of a tanker and all cargo on board.
Energy, Offshore & Shipbuilding
- Acting for a major offshore equipment supplier in a long-running arbitration against a shipyard defending multimillion-dollar claims concerning the alleged supply of defective equipment.
- Acting for an Oil Major in a multimillion-dollar claim against two offshore construction companies for damage caused to subsea pipelines.
- Acting for a multinational offshore company in a claim against an Indian supplier of oil drilling equipment.
- Acting for a multinational offshore company in disputes worth more than US$50 million concerning oil rig construction contracts.
- Acting for a refinery in relation to oil spill incidents resulting in civil liability and intended criminal prosecution.
- Advising an Oil Major on an industrial accident involving the leak of hazardous toxic gasses and potential criminal liability.
- Advising Oil Majors and refineries on incident response and compliance with workplace safety and health issues.
Commodities
- Acting for a commodity trader in a Singapore arbitration regarding quality disputes and price adjustments claimed under an iron ore transaction.
- Acting for an oil trader in a London arbitration concerning disputes worth more than US$30 million, relating to a financing arrangement disguised to look like a crude oil sale and purchase transaction.
- Acting for a commodity trader in a GAFTA arbitration concerning the sale and shipment of rice from Thailand to Madagascar.
- Acting for a multinational commodity trader in arbitral proceedings with an Indian power plant operator concerning the quality of coal supplied under a sale and purchase agreement.
- Advising a national oil company on force majeure and frustration of oil trading contracts following an explosion at a refinery.
Insurance
- Acting for a Singapore insurer in a substantial retrocession dispute with a Malaysian reinsurer, involving proceedings in multiple foreign jurisdictions arising from severe flooding incidents in Thailand in 2011.
- Advising a H&M underwriter on policy coverage following the capsize and sinking of a vessel due to unascertained causes.
- Advising an insurer on liability policy coverage in relation to claims against a shipyard for damage caused to vessels during repairs.
- Acting for an insurer in relation to a dispute with warranty surveyors arising from the total loss of a vessel.
- Advising an insurer on various claims made by a company under public and products liability policies.
Commercial, Insolvency, Banking, Finance & Other Matters
- Acting for an oil trader to obtain an injunction restraining the commencement of winding up proceedings based on disputed claims worth more than US$30 million that were subject to an arbitration agreement (BWG v BWF [2020] SGCA 36).
- Acting for a trader to resist the enforcement of an adverse arbitral award pending the determination of setting aside proceedings.
- Acting for an individual in relation to a claim for the repayment of a loan and resisting an application to stay Singapore High Court proceedings in favour of a foreign jurisdiction.
- Acting for a listed company in a dispute relating to breaches of a profit warranty in a share sale and purchase agreement.
- Acting for an offshore company and obtaining an injunction to restrain the commencement of winding up proceedings on the basis of a disputed debt that was subject to an arbitration agreement, which raised a novel point of law in Singapore (BDG v BDH [2016] 5 SLR 977).
- Acting for a major multinational company in a dispute worth more than US$140 million concerning the enforcement and setting aside of an arbitral award.
- Acting for a multinational commodity trader in a dispute worth more than US$10 million concerning letters of credit issued as part of a structured trade finance arrangement.
- Acting for major banks and financiers in the enforcement of vessel mortgages and guarantees.
- Acting for a purchaser in a cross-border ship sale and purchase transaction.
- Drafting contractual documents for a novel oil cargo swap and floating storage arrangement.
- Advising bank lenders on restructuring ship finance facility agreements and related security documentation.
- Advising bunker traders on Singapore bunker supplier licence requirements.
Memberships/Directorships
- Assessor, Singapore Ministry of Law, COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020 (2020 – Present)
- Adjunct Faculty, Singapore Management University School of Law (2018 – 2019)
Publications
- Contributor, Maritime Arbitration Report (Singapore Chapter), Jus Mundi (2022)