Chelva Retnam Rajah, SC

Senior Partner

Commercial Litigation, Arbitration and Dispute Resolution | Commercial Crime and Governance

T: 6539 1648
E: crr@trc.com.sg

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Education:

Lincoln College, Oxford University (1967 – 1970)

Inns of Court (Middle Temple), London (1970 – 1971)

Languages:

English

Chelva has practised at Tan Rajah & Cheah since being called to the Singapore bar in 1972, and he led the firm as managing partner from 1997 to 2022. He was appointed as Senior Counsel on 10 January 1998.  Chelva is recognised as one of the most established and sought-after senior counsels in Singapore for litigation and arbitration, particularly in substantial commercial disputes. He brings his deep and extensive knowledge of the law shaped by his professional experience of over 50 years to the table.

Professional Experience 

  • Represented clients in innumerable high stakes litigation in the Singapore Courts and in arbitration.

  • Arbitrator on more than 100 domestic and/or international arbitrations.

  • He was also appointed as a Judicial Commissioner of the High Court of Singapore from July 1995 to June 1997.

  • Mediator in more than 50 mediations, all conducted in Singapore, and involving parties from USA, UK, EU, S-E Asia and Australia on matters relating to:

    • building construction disputes
    • medical negligence
    • commercial disputes

    • family disputes

  • President of the Law Society of Singapore from 1990 to 1992.

  • Vice-President of the Singapore Academy of Law from April 1991 to July 1993.

  • Member of the Military Court of Appeal, Singapore from 1992 to June 1995.

  • Chairman, Singapore National Committee, ASEAN Law Association from 2005 to 2006.

  • Singapore’s Non-Resident High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea from 2008 to 2015 and Rwanda from 2016 to 2019.

  • Member of the Commonwealth Secretariat Arbitral Tribunal from 2010 to 2020.

  • Board Member, Singapore International Arbitration Centre from 2010 to 2021.

  • Member of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) Panel of Conciliators from 2013 to 2019.

Criminal Law

Appointments / Memberships 

  • Admitted as an Advocate and Solicitor of the Supreme Court, Singapore (1972)

  • Senior Counsel (from 1998)

  • Panel Member, Singapore Mediation Centre (from 1998)

  • Panel Member, Singapore International Arbitration Centre (from 2010).

  • Judge of the Qatar Financial Centre Civil & Commercial Court (from 2012).

  • Panel Member, Singapore International Mediation Centre (from 2014).

  • Member of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) (from 2015).

  • Honorary Bencher of the Middle Temple, Inns of Court, London (from 2016).

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