Conrad CAMPOS

Conrad has considerable experience in dispute resolution and mediation, having successfully represented clients in a wide range of civil, corporate, commercial, investment and construction disputes before the Singapore Court of Appeal, High Court and in arbitration proceedings. His main areas of practice for corporate and commercial matters include Company and Partnerships, Commercial Transactions (international/domestic), Employment and Labour, Insolvency, Private Wealth, Professional Negligence, and Trust and Estates.

Conrad advises on a range of construction and infrastructure projects in Singapore, from transactional construction documentation to downstream dispute resolution. He has represented owners, main-contractors and subcontractors in a range of building & construction disputes as well as in adjudication proceedings under the Security of Payment Act. More recently, he has advised on Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects in Southeast Asia, including the formation of consortia to bid for greenfield and brownfield development projects.

Conrad has received prestigious commendations from reputed sources across the industry. Legal 500 describes him as “recommended for construction disputes” while, his clients describe him as “accessible, effective and strategic, with solid industry knowledge” and as having “strategic thinking” and “high standards of services”.

• Accredited Specialist (Building & Construction Law), Singapore Academy of Law
• Fellow, Singapore Institute of Arbitrators
• Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Charterholder

Below is a listing of Conrad’s more significant recent engagements. In the annexure is a fuller listing of a representative sample of his previous engagements:

•  Collaborating with a major European law firm representing funds managed by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (“CIP”) and China Steel Corporation in respect of the Zhong Neng Offshore Wind Farm and the Changfang & Xidao Offshore Winds Farms, using the FIDIC form of contract for the construction phase of the said projects;
• Advised the National Parks Board and reviewed the Request for Proposal tender documents for a project to design, build and operate a horticultural waste-to-energy plant at Jurong Lake Gardens.
• Advised a catalyst listed company in relation to its joint venture with an Indonesian party in connection with the development of a convention city in Batam, Indonesia. Disputes subsequently arose in relation to the tender and procurement process and financing, which resulted in a conspiracy suit in the Singapore court and an application to stay the action in favour of arbitration under SIAC pursuant to the International Arbitration Act and case management stay principles. Issue arose in the stay application whether the arbitration agreement was governed by the substantive law of the agreement, which was Indonesian law or the seat of arbitration, which was Singapore.
• Advised a major privately held company in the commercial vehicles sale and leasing business in relation to its factory and ancillary office in Tuas Singapore which included issues relating to delays and when the works could be said to have been completed, and defects that involved non-compliance with regulatory requirements in relation to its electrical installation, and other building services such as the ACMV and Fire Protection System. The disputes gave rise to a call on the performance bond and the restrain on the call, as well as Security of Payment Act proceedings and a subsequent application to set aside the adjudication determination on the grounds of want of jurisdiction and breach of natural justice.
• Advising a consortium on its bid for the design, build, finance and operation of a cancer hospital in Jakarta under the PPP procurement scheme by the Indonesian Ministry of Health.

• Advising major private Swiss private bank on recovery of loan from a Jersey-domiciled discretionary trust, which assets including those located in Singapore are subject to Saises Judiciaires (freezing orders) of the Royal Court of Jersey.
• Represented main contractor of two Housing Development Board projects in Sembawang in Suit 1352 of 2016 in its claim against the electrical sub-contractor for damages for delay, including the cost of labour supplied by the main contractor to help the electrical sub-contractor speed up with its works. The complexity, which required expert evidence, arose from the multiple causes that affected the actual progress of the works, and how to determine whether the sub-contractor had sufficient workers to complete the work on time. After a 13-day trial in the High Court, judgement was given in favour of the Plaintiff.
• Represented main contractor in ad hoc arbitration under the SIA Rules, involving issues of non-payment of certified sums, valuation of variation orders under the SIA conditions of building contract (9th edition) (lump sum), extension of time and liquidated damages, requiring delay analysis, including whether time was set at large. Matter settled on second day favourably to client.
• Defending a US S&P 500 company in the High Court in relation to a mechanical engineering dispute as to the causes of failure of a tug boat marine diesel engine, requiring extensive discovery in relation to incidents encountered by tug boat before diverting to Singapore for repairs. Succeeded in mitigating damages.
• Defending a subsidiary of a Singapore oil & gas listed company in a dispute with an Australian private equity company relating to US$19.2 million 3-year investment agreement in connection with an Operations Cooperation Agreement made with a subsidiary of PT Pertamina (Indonesian state oil & gas corporation) for the exploration and development of an oil & gas field in West Jambi, South Sumatra, Indonesia. The Australian private equity company had alleged misrepresentations in relation to the prospective leads in the gas field. Succeeded in dismissing claim in High Court, but overturned on appeal on interpretation of contract.
• Successfully represented a logistics listco in defending, negotiating and settling a breach of contract damage claim for loss of profits and general damages, in connection with the termination of a lease of a property as a showroom. The main issue in relation to the valuation of loss and damage was whether post-breach factors could be taken into account in valuation of business loss.

• Member of the Appeal Board, Commission for Foreign Manpower (2013 – Present)

• Director & Founding Member, Special Needs Trust Company (Director 2008 – 2017, Founding Member to present)

• Member, Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) Enabling Masterplan Implementation Committee, 2012-2016.

• President, Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (2009 to 2013) & Supervisor, Minds Special Education Schools (2007 to 2013)

• Steering Committee member and sub-committee chairman, MSF Enabling Masterplan (2011)

• Member, Workgroup on Enhancing Financial Security of Persons with Disability, Ministry of Community Development, Youth & Sports (2006)

• Fellow, Singapore Institute of Arbitration

RHTLaw Asia Building & Construction Law Annual Review 2020