Singapore, 29 September 2010 – Ms Debby Lim Hui Li, Associate at Shook Lin & Bok LLP is the first winner of the Christopher Bathurst Essay Prize, sponsored by Fountain Court Chambers and supported by the Singapore Academy of Law. This was announced by Michael Brindle QC, member of leading London commercial barristers chambers, Fountain Court, at a ceremony at the Raffles Hotel, Singapore on 28 September 2010. The winner was awarded an all-expense-paid two-week internship at Fountain Court Chambers in London. The runner-up in the Essay Prize is Mr Mahesh Rai, Trainee, Drew & Napier LLC.

The Christopher Bathurst Essay Prize is named in honour of the late Christopher Bathurst QC (Viscount Bledisloe QC), a senior member of Fountain Court Chambers who for many years often practiced in Singapore. The essay competition was open to full-time students enrolled in undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral studies in Law at the National University of Singapore Faculty of Law, and the Singapore Management University School of Law, as well as qualified persons under the Legal Profession Act under the age of 30.

Participants were asked to submit a 1000 word essay on the question “Trading in the Distressed Debt Market: Should the owner of a debt be prevented from declaring himself a trustee of it for another?”

Entrants were judged on a variety of criteria namely originality, critical analysis, succinctness, clarity, persuasiveness and pragmatism -  characteristics exemplified by Christopher Bathurst QC in his extensive Singaporean arbitration practice and which are also the values upheld by members of Fountain Court  today.

Timothy Dutton QC, Head of Chambers said, “We are delighted to sponsor the inaugural Christopher Bathurst Essay Prize, in view of the long and distinguished connection between Chambers and Singapore, as personified by Christopher’s work over many years. This award honours his memory and establishes a clear beacon for the future, as Singapore becomes an increasingly important centre particularly for international arbitration. The prize will raise awareness amongst local law firms that engage in international dispute resolution and arbitration of the problems which we, together, can help to solve”