Cavenagh Law, the Formal Law Alliance partner of Clifford Chance in Singapore, has strengthened its Litigation and Dispute Resolution team with the appointment of commercial litigation and international arbitration expert Paul Tan as partner. Paul joins from Rajah & Tann.
Paul, who will start with Cavenagh Law on 1 September 2020, has deep experience advising on complex issues of public and private international law. His clients have included leading multinational organisations, global insurers, financial institutions and Asian governments.
“The appointment of Paul reflects the commitment Cavenagh Law and Clifford Chance has to the development of our Formal Law Alliance and our practice in Singapore and the region.”
Paul, who was named Singapore’s Disputes Star of the Year at the Asialaw Asia-Pacific Dispute Resolution Awards in 2016, brings particular knowledge and experience in managing disputes across South East Asia and will be actively engaged in the firm’s cross-border litigation practice in the region.
Recent cases include successfully advising on the setting-aside of a treaty award for the Government of Lesotho before the Singapore courts, defending a government against a multi-billion claim on an oil exploration service contract, and leading a successful claim for losses caused by a joint-venturer to shares pledged under a complex non-recourse loan agreement before the Singapore International Commercial Court.
Paul said, “I’m thrilled to be joining Cavenagh Law and working closely with our Formal Law Alliance colleagues at Clifford Chance. I look forward to building on their successful platform of cross-border and international disputes.”
Outside of the practice of law, Paul serves on several committees and on various government advisory bodies. He served as a member of the committee to Review the Singapore Legal Services Sector and is currently a member of the Working Group of the Singapore Institute of Legal Education (SILE) to implement recommendations of the Committee for the Professional Training of Lawyers.
He is a member of the Professional Affairs Committee of the Singapore Academy of Law and is an elected council member of the Law Society of Singapore. In the Law Society, he is part of the Economic Action Council to strengthen and expand the business of law firms, and is also leading efforts to encourage best practices against bullying and harassment in the workplace.
He graduated from Oxford University (BCL with distinction) and National University of Singapore with first class honours, and is a former justices’ law clerk and assistant registrar of the Supreme Court of Singapore.
Cavenagh Law LLP and Clifford Chance Pte Ltd are registered as a Formal Law Alliance in Singapore under the name Clifford Chance Asia. The Formal Law Alliance allows the two firms to provide the broadest range of Singapore and international law services from one platform with Singapore litigation representation provided through Cavenagh Law LLP.
