Dawn Tan

Full Profile

Dawn was called to the Singapore Bar in 2018 and is currently a Senior Associate in the firm’s Energy, Marine and Natural Resources team in Singapore.

Dawn has a strong practice in complex civil and commercial disputes, with a particular focus on shipping, commodities, and cross border trade. She regularly represent clients in high value disputes arising out of the carriage and sale of goods, charterparties, bills of lading, contracts of affreightment, and international commodities contracts.

Dawn regularly represents clients in trade and shipping disputes across different jurisdictions and has significant experience before all levels of the Singapore courts including the Singapore Court of Appeal as well as international arbitration (e.g. SIAC, HKIAC, LMAA, ICC and ad-hoc arbitrations).

In addition to her disputes practice, Dawn regularly supports clients on non contentious marine and international trade matters, and commercial and trade documentation, including commodities sale and purchase contracts, letters of credit and related trade finance agreements, sanctions related contractual provisions etc. 

Recognised for her clarity of thinking and responsiveness, she is relied upon to manage demanding and time sensitive disputes.

With a strong interest in the Chinese market, Dawn frequently works on matters involving PRC counterparties. She is proficient in written and spoken English and Mandarin and is experienced in handling bilingual documentation and China facing trade and transactional work.

Experience

• Assisted in successfully defending four corporate and individual Australian defendants against a multi-million dollar claim brought before the Singapore High Court relating to breaches of contracts / tort of deceit / tort of conspiracy / estoppel - Day, Ashley Francis v Yeo Chin Huat Anthony and others [2020] SGHC 93.
• Represented a major local insurance company in successfully arguing in the Singapore High Court on a point of law relating to incorporation of exclusion and limitation clauses in contracts - Huationg Contractor Pte Ltd v Choon Lai Kuen t/a Yishun Trading Towing Service [2020] SGHC 129 – and the point was subsequently upheld on appeal to the Singapore Court of Appeal.
• Represented vessel owners in successfully resisting an appeal brought to the Singapore Court of Appeal in relation to an unconditional stay granted in favour of arbitration – Batavia EXIMP & Contracting (S) Pte Ltd v Owner of the vessels New Breeze & 9 Ors [2021] SGCA 99.
• Acted for a major European credit insurance company in successfully defending an application before the Singapore High Court to set aside an order of court granting leave to enforce 2 arbitral awards obtained in London.
• Acted for a PRC-based client in successfully enforcing a CIETAC arbitral award in Singapore, including obtaining a garnishee order against the judgment debtor’s bank account in Singapore and securing substantial sums in satisfaction of the judgment deb
• Represented Korean and German clients in securing a consent award in arbitration against Malaysian automobile suppliers that had entered liquidation, and successfully obtained substantial distributions from the liquidation estate.
• Represented Singaporean clients in successfully defending against a Chinese counterparty’s appeal before the Singapore High Court concerning a jurisdictional challenge to the Tribunal in an SIAC arbitration. Also acted for the same clients in successfully defeating the counterparty’s resistance to enforcement proceedings in China.
• Acted for a multinational bank in the Hin Leong / Ocean Tankers insolvency, including:
  • Advising on the bank’s rights, liabilities and obligations under their credit facilities / letters of credit
  • Advising on the bank’s title and security position in asset based financing structures involving pledges, assignments and liens, and representing the bank in interpleader proceedings involving complex issues of ownership and security interests.
  • Advising on issues relating to shipping law
  • Advising on rights of creditors under the Singapore insolvency regime
• Representing Indonesian clients in multi-jurisdictional proceedings relating to a vessel allision in Indonesia, which involves complex jurisdictional issues, anti-suit injunctions, limitation of liability.
• Represented a Chinese commodities trader in a complex SIAC arbitration arising out of coal trading arrangements, involving complex issues of contractual interpretation, index based pricing, cross month delivery, estoppel, and damages assessment under the English Sale of Goods Act.