Zeslene Mao is an experienced Singapore and New York lawyer who combines a unique blend of international arbitration, cross-border litigation and judicial experience to advise clients on complex, high-value disputes. She has extensive experience in arbitrations conducted under the ICC, LCIA and SIAC Rules and involving English, New York, Singapore, Hong Kong and PRC law, across a range of sectors including energy, commodities, infrastructure, aviation, banking and finance, technology and pharmaceuticals.
Zeslene regularly represents multinational corporations, state entities, financial institutions and high-net-worth individuals in international arbitration and cross-border litigation. She also advises clients on business-critical disputes before proceedings are commenced, including strategic risk assessment and crisis management. Her experience spans complex matters involving significant commercial, reputational and cross-border considerations.
Prior to joining King & Spalding, Zeslene practised at leading international disputes firms in London and Singapore, regularly acting in complex commercial disputes before arbitral tribunals and the Singapore courts. She has led the advocacy on key aspects of matters before prestigious international arbitrators and before the Supreme Court of Singapore. She was previously appointed as Young Amicus Curiae to the Singapore High Court where she was praised for her “helpful and comprehensive submissions” in a case that raised novel issues of evidence law (Mah Kiat Seng v Attorney-General [2022] 3 SLR 890).
Zeslene also has extensive experience in the Singapore judiciary and government, having held previous appointments as Magistrate and Assistant Registrar of the Supreme Court of Singapore, Justices’ Law Clerk to the Chief Justice and Judges of the Supreme Court of Singapore and Deputy Public Prosecutor at the Attorney-General’s Chambers. In her judicial capacity, she presided over civil matters before the Singapore High Court, administered cases before the Singapore International Commercial Court, and published four judgments that have contributed to the development of Singapore law. As Deputy Public Prosecutor, she appeared as lead counsel in criminal matters before the Singapore courts.
Zeslene is admitted in Singapore and New York and is fluent in English and Mandarin. She is appointed to the SIAC List of Rising Arbitrators and has served as an instructor for the Singapore Bar Examinations.
