Ushan’s expertise straddles between international arbitration and court litigation. He regularly appears in commercial arbitrations relating to shareholder, private equity / venture capital investments and joint venture disputes and is frequently instructed to act in arbitration-related litigation before the Singapore Courts. Ushan offers experience handling cases governed by SIAC, ICC, AIAC, AAA, HKIAC and CAS rules.
Ushan is often instructed by both local and foreign law firms to act as instructed / lead counsel in respect of a myriad of complex and novel disputes before the High Court, the Appellate Division, the Court of Appeal and the Singapore International Commercial Court. His portfolio of ongoing matters consists of both trial and appellant disputes with a special focus on cross-border commercial disputes and high-value contentious trust / probate disputes for ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families.
On the advisory front, Ushan acts for individuals and entities embroiled in fraud investigations. For instance, he advised clients in relation to the widely published investigations of the Wirecard entities in 2021 (which concerned a €3.5 billion fraudulent scheme) and the claims arising from the gross mismanagement of Zilingo in 2022 (one of Singapore's high-profile startups valued close to a billion dollars). Most recently, he has advised a well-known energy and commodities company regarding numerous fraudulent / fictious transactions involving the Hin Leong entities (where the overall transactions under scrutiny amount to several billion dollars).
Ushan has also acted as an expert on Singapore law in legal proceedings before the Hong Kong courts.
His expertise has been recognised by several respected publications, including The Legal 500, Global Arbitration Review and Benchmark Litigation. Ushan is consistently identified and recognised as a "Future Star" for "Commercial and Transactions" by Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific from 2022 to 2025. He has also been recommended for Dispute Resolution (Local Firms) by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific.
In 2024, Ushan was shortlisted by Thomson Reuters Asian Legal Business as one of the “40 lawyers under 40” in Asia. The highly coveted annual list profiles the most accomplished lawyers in Asia under 40 years of age.
Commercial disputes
Arbitration
Arbitration-related litigation
Civil fraud
Contentious trust / probate / equitable claims
Defamation
Professional Negligence
Thomson Reuters Asian Legal Business 40 under 40 list for Asia
Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific -"Future Star" for "Commercial and Transactions" – 2022 to 2025
Legal 500 – Recommended Dispute Resolution (Local Firms) - 2021 - 2023
Ushan wins praise from clients for ‘his very quick grasp of the financial figures’, being 'a top class strategist', 'very responsive, meticulous and prepared to roll up his sleeves', 'the go to lawyer for difficult, complex commercial disputes', 'highly skilled strategist for difficult cases' and ‘always several steps ahead of the other side and able to present practical legal solutions', ‘an excellent advocate before the courts and tribunals. He is very responsive, easy to work with and never fails to deliver results’.
It has also been said that his ability to "read the opponent, understand objectives and leverage on the strengths of his client's case to achieve results" and his "strategy [that] is dynamic, put into motion at the most appropriate time and is extremely result oriented depending on the client's expectations" and is ‘an impressive commercial lawyer who is extremely knowledgeable in shareholder disputes, technically brilliant with a real eye for numbers, and easy to work with.’
In-house legal counsel who have worked with Ushan have the following to say:
‘Ushan combines exceptional legal skills with great communication, empathy, and strategic thinking. More importantly, he goes the extra mile to ensure that the client feels truly cared for and supported during the entire process.’ ‘Ushan possesses a remarkable talent for simplifying complex problems and proposing practical yet effective solutions. His extensive experience includes adeptly managing legal matters related to fraud within the technology and fintech industries.’ ‘Ushan provides commercially astute and practical advice with the client’s interest at heart. His calm and measured approach helps navigate complex problems and fight tough battles’. ‘Ushan is pragmatic and solution focused and has great attention to detail. He is a trusted advisor who you can count on to be honest, knowledgeable and result oriented.’ ‘Ushan is unflinching when under fire; impressive in his ability to roll his sleeves up and deliver results. He is a go-to lawyer for complex and difficult cases.’
In the recent 2025 Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific edition, Ushan was described by his clients as follows:-
“I have known Mr. Ushan from his previous firm, where he successfully obtained a judgment in my favour in a very short time. For my current case, he has been guiding me promptly and helping me understand the nature of the case. Most importantly, he understands how to handle corporate matters and navigate them effectively.”
“His ability to understand business operations, practical challenges in bringing a claim, and his focus on resolution rather than litigation are commendable.”
“He is a hands-on arbitration counsel with strong attention to detail and a strategic mindset.”
“He is professional and excels in execution.”
“Ushan is forward-thinking when it comes to breaking down difficult and complex problems and providing solutions, always considering practical and business aspects alongside the black letter law.”
“He can advise and conduct litigation across a wide scope of issues, primarily due to his experience in successfully handling multiple cases that resulted in landmark decisions. His expertise lies in formulating and executing strategies aligned with client objectives. His ability to balance litigation risk is impeccable, and his deep knowledge of the law and analytical skills enable him to simplify complicated matters, assisting court officers in making sensible decisions. In short, I have never seen someone more comfortable than Ushan in a courtroom representing his clients.”
“He provides to-the-point, realistic advice while keeping the overall budget in mind, rather than recommending an overly aggressive or expensive approach. He has a solid understanding of the client's overall goals beyond the immediate issue and possesses a strong multidisciplinary understanding, including transactions, dispute resolution, and the potential impact of decisions on other jurisdictions.”
“He is very focused, strategic, and has a broad reach of knowledge. He is also easy to work with.”
“He communicates very well with others and is able to achieve desired outcomes.”
“Mr. Ushan Premaratne is quick, sharp, objective and formulates simple strategies for complicated matters with finesse.”