Foo Yuet Min

Director, Dispute Resolution

Qualifications

  • LL.B (Hons) National University of Singapore (2006)
  • Advocate & Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore (2008)

Yuet Min graduated with First Class Honours from the National University of Singapore in 2006. Prior to joining Drew & Napier in 2008, Yuet Min was a Justices’ Law Clerk at the Supreme Court of Singapore. She was also appointed to the Supreme Court’s Young Amicus Curiae Scheme in 2010 and 2011.

Yuet Min advises clients mainly on civil disputes relating to a wide range of commercial contracts, with the aim of achieving commercially-viable solutions for clients. She has been described by a client as “very skilled” and “extremely dedicated to the needs of the client”.

Yuet Min regularly appears before the Singapore Courts as lead counsel. Besides maintaining an active litigation practice, many of Yuet Min’s matters involve SIAC and ICC arbitrations as well as arbitration-related Court proceedings. She has particular experience and interest in dealing with multi-lingual proceedings (both in Court as well as in arbitrations) and has conducted a bilingual international arbitration under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules.

She has been appointed arbitrator in a number of SIAC, ICC and ad hoc international arbitrations, and is an arbitrator on the SIAC Reserve Panel. She has also conducted SIAC arbitrations under the expedited procedure.

Yuet Min is a co-author of the Chambers and Partners Global Practice Guides – Litigation 2024 (Singapore chapter).

Yuet Min speaks English, Mandarin, Malay, and the Hokkien dialect.

Yuet Min has successfully handled complex and high-value matters ranging from offshore drilling contracts and construction matters including powerplant disputes, to disputes relating to commercial rights to major sports events and banking and finance disputes, among others. Some of the matters which Yuet Min has acted in include:

  • Successfully obtained a worldwide Mareva injunction before the Singapore Courts, pursuant to section 12A of the Singapore International Arbitration Act. The injunction for a sum of over US$26 million was in aid of an arbitration seated in Thailand, concerning the operation of long-term petroleum concessions. Successfully obtained an anti-suit injunction in a separate action arising from the same Thai arbitration.
  • Successfully represented an international group of companies in the oil and gas industry to recover more than $20 million under a series of medium to long-term contracts with a Middle Eastern party, worth several hundred million US Dollars. The dispute related to the deployment and operation of high value offshore equipment. The proceedings also involved evidence being given in a number of different languages and interpreted simultaneously into English.
  • Successfully represented an international sports marketing, media and event management group in defending against a contractual claim for over US$130 million. The dispute arose in the context of a billion-dollar-project and involved international broadcasting rights for a major sports event. As part of the arbitration proceedings, Yuet Min successfully argued against a long-drawn challenge to jurisdiction.
  • Acted for a manufacturing group of companies in a private equity dispute involving technical aspects of investment valuation, achieving a favourable result for the client. The amount in dispute was over US$60 million.
  • Successfully represented the Respondent contractor, CRW, in the landmark Singapore Court of Appeal decision in PT Perusahaan Gas Negara (Persero) TBK v CRW Joint Operation [2015] SGCA 30. The case, which was closely watched internationally, concerned the enforcement of Dispute Adjudication Board (DAB) decisions under the widely-used FIDIC Contracts and was a significant decision on the enforceability of interim arbitral awards in Singapore. The decision took runner-up position for “Most important published decision of the past year” at the GAR Awards 2016.

The Legal 500 Asia Pacific

International Arbitration 2024 – Recommended lawyer for 3 consecutive years

‘Foo Yuet Min knows her case inside out, is meticulous in her pre-hearing preparations, and is sufficiently aggressive during the interlocutory stage.’

‘Foo Yuet Min is making an impression’

The Legal 500 Arbitration Powerlist: Southeast Asia

Recognised as a leading arbitrator in the Southeast Asia region in 2023 for 2 consecutive years

Who’s Who Legal

Arbitration 2024 – Recommended Lawyer; Future Leader for 7 consecutive years

Global Elite Thought Leader – Under 45: Arbitration - Future Leaders 2023

National Guide: Southeast Asia - Arbitration 2023 – Recommended Lawyer for 3 consecutive years

National Guide: Southeast Asia - Litigation 2023 – Recommended Lawyer for 3 consecutive years

Foo Yuet Min is “an excellent lawyer who is on point, effective and innovative” with “great judgement and a strong focus on the client’s objectives”.

Asian Legal Business Asia Super 50 Disputes Lawyers 

Recognised as being amongst the top 50 disputes lawyers in the region in 2022

Foo Yuet Min is “strategic and sensible in her advice, and is upfront about which courses of action are likely to result in useful outcomes. There is a real feeling that she’s on your side, and will not bring you into battles that aren’t in your interests to fight.”

Asian Legal Business SE Asia Law Awards

Named Young Lawyer of the Year 2021

Best Lawyers International: Singapore 

Litigation 2024 – Endorsed individual for 3 consecutive years

Asian Legal Business

Identified by Asian Legal Business as one of 40 bright legal minds in the region under the age of 40 – “40 Under 40 list” (October 2016 issue)

asialaw Leading Lawyers

“Yuet Min is knowledgeable, experienced, reliable and responsive. She provides sound advice, novel solutions and has secured some great results for the client. She is clearly a future leader in the Singapore dispute resolution landscape.”

“Yuet Min is an excellent lawyer. She understood all the technical issues and plotted the way forward.”

“Excellent advocate who gives excellent advice. Yuet Min obtained great results for us.”

A client commended "Yuet Min always provides timely and practical advice no matter how tight the deadline."

India Business Law Journal

In the August 2020 issue of India Business Law Journal (IBLJ), Yuet Min is “highly recommended” as counsel for Indian legal matters based on market feedback.

In IBLJ’s June 2015 issue, a client that engaged the firm on an international arbitration matter described Yuet Min as “very skilled and extremely dedicated to the needs of the client”.

Singapore Business Review

Singapore’s 40 most influential lawyers aged 40 and under in 2015 – Listed lawyer

Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific
International Arbitration 2023 – Future Star

“Very good cross-examination skills, understands and can critique the key arguments advanced by the opposing party, and provides excellent responses.”

  • Director, BABSEACLE
  • Director, T.H.E. Dance Company Ltd
  • Co-chair, Engagement Sub-committee and Core Committee member of the ICC Singapore Arbitration Group (since January 2023)
  • Member of the Accreditation Committee (Accreditation Panel) under SILE’s CPD Scheme (since September 2020)
  • Member of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Board of Review (2020 to 2022)
  • Member of the Home Detention Advisory Committee 4 (HDAC4) (since late 2018)
  • Steering Committee Member, Young MCIA (Mumbai Centre for International Arbitration) (2019 to 2021)
  • Member of the Law Society Inquiry Panel (since December 2017)
  • Committee Member, YSIAC (2014 to 2018)
  • Member, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
  • Member of the International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA)
  • Adjunct Faculty, Singapore Management University (instructor for a course on International Arbitration Practice)
  • Member, Singapore Academy of Law
  • Member, Law Society of Singapore
  • Member, Public and International Law Committee of the Law Society of Singapore (2011/2012)
  • Honorary Treasurer, Society of International Law, Singapore (2007 to 2015)
  • Co-author of the chapter Arbitration in Singapore and Malaysia in the Italian edition of the Arbitration Law Treaty published by Edizioni Scientifiche Italiane (Italian Scientific Editions), 2022
  • Co-author, Litigation in Singapore – Chambers & Partners Global Practice Guides (2022 edition), published by Chambers & Partners Global Practice Guides
  • Co-author, Litigation in Singapore – Chambers & Partners Global Practice Guides (2024 edition), published by Chambers & Partners Global Practice Guides