Siraj was appointed Senior Counsel in 2019, one of a very select few to have been accorded that honour.

He has an active trial and appellate practice in the Singapore courts with more than 25 years’ experience in litigating complex, high-value commercial disputes.  He has litigated several landmark matters before the Courts in areas as diverse as banking, consumer protection, debt restructuring and insurance. He also has an active international arbitration practice, regularly appearing as counsel as well as sitting as arbitrator.

He serves on the Board Executive Committee of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) and holds Fellowships at the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb), the Singapore Institute of Arbitrators (SIArb) and the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL).  He is recognized in all the leading legal directories, including being globally ranked in Chambers and recognised as a leading individual in The Asia-Pacific Legal 500.  He has been described as “a star”, an “outstanding advocate” and “a formidable litigator”.

Outside of practice, he serves as Chief Examiner for the Dispute Resolution module in the Singapore Bar Examination administered by the Singapore Institute of Legal Education.  He is also a civilian panel member of the Military Court of Appeal and Deputy Commissioner of the Government Procurement Adjudication Tribunal.

He is a former member of the Council of the Law Society and also volunteers as an Assigned Solicitor with the Legal Aid Bureau and as Secretary of the Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA).

Siraj has litigated several landmark disputes, including:

• Representing the owners of a hotel in Phuket in a claim under a business interruption insurance policy for losses arising from the forced closure of the hotel because of measures imposed by the Thai Government to combat the COVID-19 Pandemic.  This was the first decision in the Singapore Courts dealing with the applicability of business interruption clauses to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

• Representing the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) in a prosecution of 6 entities and individuals under the Singapore Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act (CPFTA). This was the first exercise of the CCCS’ enforcement powers under the CPFTA.

• Representing Blue Ocean Resources Pte Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of a company listed on the Jakarta Stock Exchange, in a successful application to the Singapore High Court to sanction the restructure of a US$325 million note. This was the first successful application of its kind in Singapore in relation to the restructuring of such a note using the scheme of arrangement provisions in the Singapore Companies Act.

• Representing a group of 212 investors in a representative action in the Singapore High Court against DBS Bank Limited in relation to their failed investment in structured notes issued by the bank.  This was one of very few representative actions launched in the Singapore Court, and the only one arising out of the 2008 financial crisis.

• Representing the applicant in a Criminal Reference before the Court of Appeal which definitively addressed the question of whether a sentencing judge could impose more than one penalty when an accused person has been convicted of two or more offences for the acceptance of gratification under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

He has also represented clients in significant litigation in a wide range of range of areas, including:

• Representing two high net-worth individuals in their respective US$40 million claims against Goldman Sachs International and Deutsche Bank.

• Representing a Singapore property development company in defending a claim by United Overseas Bank Ltd for damages amounting to more that $92 million.

• Representing 14 foreign individuals and companies in defending a claim for IDR 185 billion brought against them by Medley Opportunity Fund Ltd, a US-based investment fund. The matter included successfully setting aside a worldwide freezing order that had been obtained against the clients ex parte and staying all further proceedings in the matter.

• Representing the former co-CEO of Nobel Group Limited, in claims brought against him and other directors by Goldilocks Investment Company Limited on behalf of the shareholders of the company.

• Representing the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sakae Holdings Ltd, a company listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange, in three separate but related suits brought against him seeking an indemnity and/or contribution in respect of claims for breach of fiduciary duties and minority shareholders oppression.

• Representing an Indonesian palm oil conglomerate in two related SIAC arbitrations in relation to breaches of a sale and purchase agreement and a deed of undertaking involving an amount of approximately US$57 million. The dispute was in relation to the sale and purchase of several palm oil plantations in Indonesia and inter alia involved expert evidence on Indonesian laws and procedures.

• Representing an investment fund in three related SIAC arbitrations involving an Indonesian restaurant chain.  The disputes involved a total sum of more than US$50 million and involved issues Singapore law and Indonesian law, and the legality of various transactional documents.

Chambers Asia-Pacific and Chambers Global:

• • Dispute Resolution (Litigation) – Band 3 (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024); Recognised Practitioner (2020)

The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific:

• • Dispute Resolution – Leading Individual (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025)
  • International Arbitration – Recommended lawyer (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025)

Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific Awards:

• • Winner, Impact Case 2024 – QBE Insurance & Anor v Relax Beach Co. Ltd

Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific Awards:

• • Commercial and Transactions – Litigation Star (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
  • Insolvency – Litigation Star (2020)

asialaw Leading Lawyers:

• • Dispute Resolution – Elite Practitioner (2023, 2024)
  • Dispute Resolution – Distinguished Practitioner (2021, 2022)

Best Lawyers International (Singapore):

• • Arbitration & Mediation – Endorsed Individual (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
  • Litigation – Endorsed Individual (2022, 2023, 2024)

Lexology Index (previously Who’s Who Legal):

• • Thought Leader Guide: Commercial Litigation – Thought Leader (2023, 2024)
  • Arbitration – Recommended Lawyer (2023, 2024)
  • Commercial Litigation – Recommended Lawyer (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
  • National Guide (Southeast Asia): Arbitration – Recommended Lawyer (2023, 2024)
  • National Guide (Southeast Asia): Litigation – Recommended Lawyer (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)

• Contributing Author, Singapore Civil Procedure

• Co-Author, Singapore Chapter Insurance Disputes 2024 published by The Legal 500

• Member, Civilian Panel, Military Court of Appeal

• Member, Board of Directors and Board Executive Committee, Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC)

• Member, Board of Directors, Defence Science & Technology Agency (DSTA)

• Member, Working Group of the Professional Conduct Council

• Member, Practice Advisory Committee, Singapore Management University School of Law

• Member, Board of Governors, Raffles Institution

• Chief Examiner for the Dispute Resolution Module of the Singapore Bar Examination administered by the Singapore Institute of Legal Education (SILE)

• Deputy Commissioner, Government Procurement Adjudication Tribunal

• Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb)

• Fellow, Singapore Institute of Arbitrators (SIArb)

• Fellow, Singapore Academy of Law (SAL)

• Member, International Association of Defence Counsel (IADC)

• Member, Law Society of Singapore