Timothy Cooke

Timothy is an international arbitration barrister and global chair of Reed Smith’s International Arbitration practice. He represents clients in arbitrations under the rules of the leading arbitral institutions, with a focus on investment disputes in a wide range of sectors and across jurisdictions in Asia, such as Vietnam, Indonesia, India, and China. Timothy has particular experience representing clients in complex joint venture and shareholder disputes, as well as cases involving energy and natural resources, entertainment and media, and transportation. He is also frequently appointed as arbitrator. He previously served as managing partner of the firm’s Singapore office.

Timothy is consistently recognised as a leading individual, most recently by Chambers Asia-Pacific (2024) for Dispute Resolution: Arbitration – Singapore and by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific (2024) for International Arbitration. He was awarded ‘International Arbitration Lawyer of the Year’ at the Asia Legal Awards (2024). He has been recognised as a Litigation Star for International Arbitration and Dispute Resolution by Benchmark Litigation every year since 2017.

The legal directories describe him as “brilliant” and “loved by clients for his no-nonsense approach”, “phenomenal, super-responsive and across all of the papers and strategy”, “very hands-on”, “a class act across the board”, “extremely knowledgeable on the law and very user-friendly”, “a pleasure to work with” and “a superb international arbitrator”.

Timothy is ranked as “a top practitioner”, “an outstanding advocate” who possesses “wide and deep experience in many sectors”. He is “particularly suited to complex arbitration issues”, “someone who can be relied on for difficult and complex assignments”, and who “assimilates information and facts quickly and has a sound understanding of arbitration rules and procedures”.

As an advocate, he “masters his brief thoroughly”, “knows his cases and doesn’t get flustered”, he “gets to what's important in the case", is “technically excellent and a stellar performer on his feet”, with a “measured advocacy style”, as is “commended for his writing skills, which are succinct, to the point and very astute”.

Timothy is the author of the leading Singapore arbitration book, International Arbitration in Singapore: Legislation and Materials (Sweet & Maxwell, 2018), which has been cited with approval by the Singapore Courts and is independently reviewed as “an impressive comprehensive guide to the law and practice of international arbitration in Singapore”, “learned, succinct, and absolutely to the point” and “an invaluable resource” whose “breadth of coverage is truly remarkable”.

Timothy also designed and coded the Reed Smith Arbitration Pricing Calculator, for which he won Innovator of the Year – Law Firm (Individual) at ALM Law.Com Legalweek’s Leaders in Tech Law Awards 2023. The app has also received numerous other accolades, including being shortlisted for ‘Best Innovation’ at the Global Arbitration Review Awards 2022, ‘Most Innovative Use of Technology’ at The Lawyer Awards 2022, and commended in the ‘Digital Legal Practice’ category at the FT Innovative Lawyers Asia Pacific Awards 2023.

Experience

Representative matters

Represented a South-east Asian energy company in UNCITRAL arbitration claims worth $24 million against joint venture partners in an oil and gas block for recovery of operating costs of an oil and gas field

Represented a South-east Asian energy company in SIAC arbitration claims for indemnities under a technical assistance contract for shares in a company holding an participating interest in an oil and gas block

Represented a vendor of wind turbine foundation piling tools in ICC arbitration claims against the main contractor of an offshore wind farm for breach of sale and purchase contract.

Energy and Natural Resources

Represented a vendor of wind turbine foundation piling tools in ICC arbitration claims against the main contractor of an offshore wind farm for breach of sale and purchase contract.

Represented a South-east Asian energy company in UNCITRAL arbitration claims concerning cost recovery pursuant to terms of a farm-in agreement and a Production Sharing Contract

Represented a South-east Asian company in UNCITRAL arbitration claims worth $100 million arising out of a revenue distribution agreement relating to an offshore gas pipeline

Represented a national oil and gas company in SIAC arbitration claims arising out of earthquake damage to an on- and off-shore gas pipeline

Advised the owner-operator of a Saudi Arabian power plant in a wide range of matters concerning regulatory and operational issues

Represented a South-east Asian energy company in LCIA arbitration disputes arising out of cost recovery under a Production Sharing Contract relating to re-delivery of a long-term storage vessel

Represented a charterer in ICC arbitration claims arising out of long term charterparty purportedly concluded by shipbrokers on behalf of client

Represented shipowners in LMAA arbitration claims brought by charterers for fraud arising out of alleged delivery of non-conforming vessels

Represented a seller in LMAA arbitration claims brought by a purchaser in respect of a pricing formula in a contract for the sale of coal

Represented a purchaser in SIAC arbitration claims brought in respect of deliveries of LNG pursuant to a sale and purchase agreement

Sat as sole arbitrator in dispute concerning substantial private equity investment into regional oil and gas business. Award on jurisdiction upheld by Singapore High Court

Private Equity and Investment Funds

Represented a private equity house in SIAC arbitration claims worth $2.6 billion arising out of investment and shareholder agreements relating to a joint venture investment in South-east Asia

Represented a private equity house in SIAC arbitration claims worth $1.1 billion arising out of investment and shareholder agreements relating to an investment in South-east Asia

Successfully obtained prohibitory injunctions in favour of private equity house in SIAC emergency arbitration proceedings leading to settlement of all claims, worth in excess of $600 million

Represented a private equity house in SIAC arbitration claims worth in excess of $100 million arising out of a shareholders’ agreement relating to an electronics manufacturing business in South-east Asia

Represented an international commodity group in several SIAC arbitration financial dispute proceedings arising out of an ISDA Master Agreement and related agreements

Represented a European family investment holding company in SIAC arbitration claims arising out of the purchase and operation of an education business based in Vietnam

Represented international bank in ICC arbitration claims for fees due under a business cooperation agreement for development of a proprietary banking trading platform in South Korea

Represented investment arm of major multinational trading company in SIAC arbitration claims concerning acquisition of a stake in a plastics business in Vietnam

Represented a Singapore investment company in arbitration-mediation-arbitration (‘arb-med-arb’) proceedings pursuant to the SIAC SIMC Protocol in relation to disputes worth $65 million arising out of an investment agreement concerning an oil refinery

Manufacturing and Production

Represented a multinational automobile manufacturer in six related SIAC arbitrations concerning breaches of agreements relating to a joint venture with operations in the United States, Europe, India and China

Represented multinational food conglomerate in ad hoc UNCITRAL arbitration claims against supplier of food products

Represented an automobile tyre manufacturer in ICC arbitration claims arising out of an agreement for distribution of products in the Middle East

Represented international company in SIAC arbitration claims arising out of licensing and franchise agreements in the food and beverage industry

Represented international vehicle rental and leasing company in ICC arbitration claims against a franchisee in Asia for breaches of a licence agreement

Represented food and beverage producer in SIAC arbitration claims against purchaser of a confectionary business in China

Represented manufacturer of luxury retail products in SIAC arbitration claims arising out of a cooperation agreement for manufacture of goods in Myanmar

Telecommunications

Represented a telecommunications network operator in a South-east Asian country in SIAC arbitration claims worth in excess of $20 million arising out of equipment and services contracts and related tortious claims in defamation

Represented a telecommunications network operator in a Middle Eastern country in ICC arbitration claims arising out of a mobile telephone network joint venture

Represented telecommunications services company in a South-east Asian country in SIAC arbitration claims against principal network service contractor for a leading network operator for breaches of a services agreement

Represented employees of multinational telecommunications equipment company in independent investigation concerning anti-corruption and bribery allegations

Represented manufacturer of mobile telephone handsets in ICC arbitration claims brought by distributor with respect to defective products

Represented distributor of mobile telephone handsets in SIAC arbitration claims brought against manufacturer under distribution agreement

Entertainment and Media

Represented an international media company in LCIA arbitration claims arising out of a joint-venture termination dispute related to video on demand services in Africa

Represented an international media company in SIAC arbitration claims arising out of an agreement to provide video on demand services in South Asia

Represented multinational broadcaster in SIAC arbitration claims against international sports content distributor arising out of a broadcasting rights agreement concerning international cricket matches

Acting as emergency arbitrator in SIAC arbitration claims for breach of agreement concerning rights to distribute motion pictures in South Asia. Emergency award subsequently upheld in India

Represented international media company in AAA arbitration claims against an international motion picture distributor arising out of a global distribution agreement

Power

Represented an owner-operator of power plant in South America in a ICC power plant dispute for claims arising out of construction of coal-fired plant and an arbitral award in the value of $150 million

Represented an owner-operator of power plant in Asia in an ICC power plant dispute against statutory authority in $80 million claim arising out of a power purchase agreement

Represented joint venture parties in ICC arbitration claims against contractors concerning construction of a coal-fired power plant in South-east Asia

Represented operator of a coal-fired power plant in the Middle East in ICC arbitration claims arising out of an operations and maintenance agreement

Health and Pharmaceutical

Represented a South-east Asian company in ICC arbitration claims for fraud worth $600 million with respect to the sale and purchase of a majority shareholding in an Asian pharmaceutical company

Represented Singaporean health company in various SIAC arbitration claims for breaches of contracts pursuant to a joint venture agreement to operate health clinics in China and Malaysia

Recognitions

Ranked in Chambers Asia-Pacific for Singapore Dispute Resolution: Arbitration: The Elite, 2022-2025
Ranked in Chambers Global for Singapore Dispute Resolution: Arbitration, 2022-2025
Ranked as a Leading Individual in Legal 500 Asia-Pacific for Singapore International arbitration: Foreign Firms, 2022-2025