Joon-Nie Lau

Joon-Nie is the Deputy CEO of SIMC. Her role includes strategic, financial and operational responsibilities, ensuring sound governance, developing international commercial mediation services, and building relationships with public and private sector stakeholders in key markets. Prior to joining SIMC, Joon-Nie spent 15 years in broadcast and digital news as a journalist, online editor, current affairs producer and desk editor at Channel NewsAsia and its predecessors SBC News and TCS News. She covered extensively the digital transformation of the legal system and growth of mediation in Singapore as a law and technology reporter. She later taught at Nanyang Technological University for seven years before leading the APAC office of a global media industry association, WAN-IFRA. Joon-Nie graduated from the National University of Singapore and is called to the Singapore Bar.

Lee Beng Tat, Benatt

Beng Tat (or Benatt, as he is known in the financial industry), is the Registrar of SIMC.  He brings a multi-disciplinary perspective to the role from his diverse training and experience. He was a partner in Allen & Gledhill, a large and well- established law firm in Singapore, and later founded a small law firm comprising like-minded lawyers. He also volunteered in the assigned counsel scheme for capital cases and was commended by the then Registrar of the Supreme Court of Singapore for his contribution. During his time in legal practice, he was engaged in the negotiation and finalization of many international joint venture, licensing and share sale and purchase agreements. He represented clients in several major litigation cases and was instrumental in the amicable settlement of several disputes between business associates as well as family members.

He also spent a few years in academia at the Faculty of Law of the National University of Singapore, where he taught Contract Law, Company Law, Securities Regulation and the Law of Evidence and authored several publications in various law journals.  His interest in economics and financial markets then led him to join Cambridge Associates LLC, where he was a Managing Director and served as an investment consultant to several large endowments and not-for-profit organizations. In this role, he sourced and evaluated investment managers in various asset classes for investment by the firm’s worldwide clientele and also published several investment related reports.  Prior to joining SIMC, he was a Senior Director, the Company Secretary, Anti-Money Laundering Officer and Head of Legal, Compliance and Strategic Initiatives at Lion Global Investors Limited.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Law from the National University of Singapore, a Master of Law from Columbia University and a Master of Business Administration (High Honors) from the University of Chicago. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and remains on the Roll of Advocates and Solicitors of the Supreme Court of Singapore and the Roll of Solicitors of England and Wales. He is concurrently an Adjunct Professor at the Faculty of Law of the National University of Singapore.

Antony Lee

Antony is dedicated to driving SIMC’s strategic business development. He has more than 38 years’ experience in legal practice and as an in-house lawyer. He is well-versed in seeing both the legal and commercial perspectives in any issue.

Before joining SIMC, Antony was in HSBC for 18.5 years as the General Counsel for HSBC Singapore and Deputy General Counsel, Asia Pacific for HSBC, a regional role. As HSBC Singapore GC, Antony has managed a department of 36 persons that is responsible for the management of legal and regulatory matters for all HSBC entities in Singapore. As Deputy GC Asia Pacific, Antony looked after legal teams from 7 Asia-Pacific countries. Antony sat on various committees and work groups within the global HSBC legal function where he had the opportunity to work with persons from diverse backgrounds, geographies and legal systems.

Before HSBC, Antony has worked in various capacities in the banking sector and in private legal practice as a financial services and commercial lawyer (both contentious and non-contentious).

Antony has been active in various professional and industry bodies including the Singapore Corporate Counsel Association (SCCA). In 2022, SCCA recognised Antony’s contributions to the in-house legal community and presented him with the Chief Legal Officer’s Award for the Year in the MNC category.

Antony is an accredited mediator of the Singapore Mediation Centre and the Singapore International Mediation Centre. He has mediated a range of commercial and civil disputes. Antony actively promoted mediation while he was GC as he saw its benefits as a cost-efficient and sustainable dispute resolution mechanism. He has, therefore, seen the benefits of mediation as a mediator and a user.

Antony is also involved with a number of non-profit community organisations to promote and support charitable and humanitarian causes both in and out of Singapore aimed at helping disadvantaged persons live more meaningful and independent lives so that they too may have opportunities for sustainable relationships.

Fern Cheng

Fern is the Director of Marketing and Business Development at SIMC.

Fern undertakes the business development and marketing communications responsibilities, including engaging and collaborating with SIMC’s international institutional partners, mediators, and corporate clients on business development goals and targets; and activities such as conferences, seminars, trainings, visits and workshops. She is tasked to develop and execute marketing strategy to further increase the awareness of using mediation as an alternative dispute resolution and position SIMC as a leading international mediation service provider through proactive engagement in digital and other channels.

Fern has over 20 years of regional marketing experience across diverse industries, such as non-profit, media and PR, and hospitality.  Her expertise spans the full spectrum of marketing disciplines including branding, PR & communications, content & digital marketing, and partnership & event management. Before returning to Singapore at the end of 2018, Fern spent more than a decade working and living in Hong Kong with a Greater China remit.  She has an MBA degree from The University of Adelaide and a bachelor’s degree in Science from the National University of Singapore.

Siddharth Jha

Siddharth is Counsel at SIMC overseeing international mediation in South Asia, including India.  He also plays an active role in SIMC’s learning & development arm, including mediation training, among other responsibilities.  Prior to joining SIMC, he worked in the Bombay Chamber of Commerce & Industry with a focus on developing the Chamber’s Mediation Centre, and managed the Legal & IPR committee. He is a trained mediator, legal professional and had served as a Judicial Clerk with the Supreme Court of India.

Siddharth graduated from Gujarat National Law University and holds an LLM in Dispute Resolution from Pepperdine University School of Law, USA. He is called to the Indian Bar and is proactively involved in evangelising the concept of mediation.

Kelly Loh

Kelly is the center administrator and assistant to the CEO at SIMC.

She had been a cabin crew with three international airlines and had worked in the financial industry for more than 10 years thereafter.

Kelly’s outlook of life is largely influenced by several people, one of whom is the great American president Abraham Lincoln, who believed in violence toward none, but justice, mercy, and compassion for all. During her free time, Kelly likes to read interesting novels or non-fiction books, particularly those that address issues pertaining to psychology or the behavioral sciences.

Kelly has a Master of Science in Finance from Baruch College.

Hidayu Othman

Hidayu (Ayu) is a Centre Executive at SIMC, handling administrative and registry matters.

Before joining SIMC, Ayu worked as an Accounts Officer for three years in the Finance department at SATS Ltd.

Ayu has a Diploma in Accountancy at Singapore Polytechnic. She has become a strong supporter of mediation and wishes to administer more cases to help parties to amicably resolve their disputes.

Michelle Lim

Michelle is a Center Executive at SIMC, handling administrative and registry matters.

Before joining SIMC, Michelle worked in research at the National University of Singapore.

Michelle believes mediation can foster stronger relationships and promote lasting solutions to conflict. She has a Bachelor of Social Science (Hons) in Psychology.

Jiyun Grace Moon

Jiyun manages business development initiatives in South Korea.

Prior to joining SIMC, Jiyun worked at prominent dispute resolution centres in Seoul and Los Angeles. She has mediated cases in California as a court mediator, and externed for a leading mediator in Los Angeles.

Jiyun believes that mediation brings peace to parties from diverse backgrounds. She is interested in cross-cultural and multi-lingual mediation, psychology of conflict, and creative problem-solving.

Jiyun holds an LL.M. in Dispute Resolution from Pepperdine University, specialising in Mediation. She also holds a B.A. in Management and LL.B. in International Law from Handong University. She is fluent in English, Korean and Urdu (Hindi).

Yuko Nitta

A partner of Utsunomiya Chuo Attorneys at Law, Yuko Nitta supports SIMC’s outreach efforts in Japan. In her practice, she handles an expansive index of corporate legal matters, including litigations, arbitrations and mediations as well as advising on various transactional contracts and labor issues and M&A.

Yuko also specializes in international transactions for small and medium-sized companies, providing legal support to companies when they conduct trade transactions with overseas companies, assisting them in setting up overseas bases, assisting them in local litigation, and representing overseas companies in litigations in Japan. She is devoted to promoting international mediation as a dispute resolution mechanism in Japan.