Double victory on the world stage for SMU mooters
Double victory on the world stage for SMU mooters
Students from SMU’s Yong Pung How School of Law claimed two world titles within days of each other in June.
The victories at the Frankfurt Investment Arbitration Moot and the International Criminal Court Moot Court Competition (ICCMCC) reaffirm SMU’s standing on the global stage.
Win at the investment arbitration Grand Slam
The first victory of the month was at the 17th Frankfurt Investment Arbitration Moot Court, held in Germany from 10 to 13 June 2025. The competition is widely recognised as one of the Grand Slam moots, and the world’s leading competition in investment arbitration.
SMU’s team, comprising Abhishek Behera (LLB Year 4), Keeron Lee (LLB Year 4), Natalie Tan (LLB Year 3), and Abby Pham (LLB Year 3) triumphed over more than 70 teams to secure SMU’s third championship title, following earlier wins in 2017 and 2022.
The problem, set during the 1930s Great Depression and the era of the Gold Standard, had participants navigate complex questions tied to expropriation, investor-state rights, arbitrator impartiality and treaty interpretation.
The final was judged by a distinguished international panel including Andrea Menaker, Nikolaus Pitkowitz and Eduardo Silva-Romero, who posed questions that tested the team’s legal acumen, as well as their ability to advocate under pressure. SMU’s Keeron Lee was named Best Advocate of the competition.
This achievement was made possible by months of hard work under coach Daniel Liu (LLB Class of 2013). A partner at WongPartnership and former finalist in the Jessup Cup World Championship, Liu has coached SMU’s Frankfurt moot teams to five podium finishes since SMU’s 2015 debut.
The Frankfurt moot team's winning moment!
“Our mooting journey has been a transformative experience — one that taught us discipline, resilience, and how to think and speak with clarity and conviction,” shared Abhishek and Keeron, who first mooted together at the 2023 Nuremberg Moot.
Win at ICCMCC at The Hague
Days later, another SMU team successfully defended the University’s title at the 2025 ICC Moot in The Hague, which ran from 11 to 18 June 2025.
The team beat more than 100 teams from over 45 countries over nine rounds of exceptional advocacy to defend its 2024 title, securing SMU’s sixth ICC Moot championship, and its second successful defence since the consecutive wins of 2015–2016.
The winning line-up comprised Elsa Shalina Abdullah (JD Year 3), Timothy Cheng Zhi Wen (LLB Year 4), Justin Chew Yong Keng (LLB Year 4), Dewi Sabrina Husnan (LLB Year 3), Lea Yeo Jen Wen (LLB Year 3), and Wong Zi Yang (LLB Year 3).
The team was led by Deputy Public Prosecutor Andrew Chia, supported by alumni coaches and advised by SMU Assistant Professor Nicholas Liu.
Their moot problem covered emerging international criminal law issues — gender apartheid, jurisdiction over dual nationals, and offences against the administration of justice. In the courtroom at the ICC, Defence counsels Lea Yeo and Wong Zi Yang faced Ateneo de Manila University and Rheinische Friedrich‑Wilhelms‑Universität Bonn, presided over by ICC Judge Bertram Schmitt
In addition to the championship, SMU won:
- Best Overall Asian Team;
- 2nd Runner-up Best Oralist (Prosecution); and
- 2nd Runner-up Best Oralist (Victim’s Counsel).
Coach Andrew Chia remarked, with a nod to pop culture, “As held in 3 Idiots (2009): ‘Pursue excellence and success will follow.’ Defending a championship is never easy, but this team did it through their relentless pursuit of excellence. I’m thrilled success chose to follow.”
Continuing the culture of excellence and a community of support
Earlier in 2025, SMU teams had also secured top honours at the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition in Washington, DC, and the Willem C Vis (East) Arbitration Moot in Hong Kong.
These successes stem from a strong institutional ecosystem. SMU’s Ian R Taylor International Moots Programme, extensive alumni mentorship, and backing from legal foundations have built consistent excellence in advocacy training.
As of June 2025, SMU has recorded over 70 championship titles in international moot competitions, alongside dozens of best oralist and memorial awards. It consistently ranks among the top three global law schools in international moots on platforms like Nica.team.
This culture of support that enables SMU to continue to excel on the international stage reflects the University’s capability in equipping students with legal confidence, strategic thinking, and advocacy skills essential for international legal practice. These outcomes reinforce the School’s reputation for producing graduates who are not just academically adept, but also globally engaged.
See also: SMU celebrates dual mooting triumphs on the world stage | SMU Newsroom
