Orrick has strengthened its international arbitration capabilities with the addition of partner Elaine Wong, who joins the firm’s Singapore office as part of its expanding global disputes platform. The move reflects Orrick’s heightened focus on Asia and builds on a year of significant international hiring for the firm.
Wong brings extensive experience advising multinational clients in energy and infrastructure, finance, life sciences, and technology. Her practice spans international arbitration and complex cross-border disputes across Singapore, Japan, and Southeast Asia. She previously practiced at Herbert Smith Freehills in both Singapore and Tokyo.
Her arrival enhances a practice that now includes nearly fifty international arbitration lawyers active across all major arbitral seats.
The Singapore office, launched in 2021, has grown rapidly to seven partners, six of whom are dedicated to project finance work in the energy and infrastructure sectors. Wong’s addition aligns with Orrick’s strategy to deepen its disputes and project finance capabilities across Asia. She is also one of sixteen partners the firm has added globally in 2025, nearly forty percent of its lateral hires, including recent additions in London and Tokyo.
A Singapore native, Wong is dual-qualified in Singapore and England and Wales. She has been recognized for her expertise in cross-border arbitration. Her recent experience includes acting for Japanese clients in ICC, VIAC, and other arbitral proceedings involving major infrastructure and energy projects across Bangladesh, Tunisia, and Vietnam.
Her representative matters include serving as counsel to a consortium of three Japanese companies in an ICC arbitration seated in Singapore concerning an EPC contract for the construction of a power plant and port in Bangladesh. She also advised a Japanese trading house in disputes with the Tunisian national electricity and gas company and a Turkish subcontractor regarding the development of a power plant in Tunisia. In addition, she represented a Japanese trading house in a VIAC arbitration concerning delays and disruptions to an EPC urban railway project in Vietnam.
KEY QUOTES:
“Singapore is one of the world’s most significant arbitration forums, and it’s continuing to grow as investment flows into the region. Adding top-tier capability in this market has long been a strategic priority, and we are thrilled to welcome Elaine, whose proven record for the most sophisticated clients makes our platform stronger.”
Mark Beeley, Head of Orrick’s Global International Arbitration Practice
“International arbitration is a natural next step in building our Asia offering, complementing the project finance team we have established in Singapore to serve the pan-Asian market. Elaine is a well-respected advisor with deep connections throughout the region, which makes her perfectly suited to support clients in all the markets that we are focused on, including Singapore, Japan, Indonesia, India and Vietnam.”
Karthik Kumar, Singapore Office Leader
“I’m excited to join Orrick’s market-leading disputes platform and to collaborate with the incredible talent the firm has attracted in Singapore. I look forward to building together in one of the world’s most vibrant markets.”
Elaine Wong, Partner, International Arbitration
