Charis Tan

Practice Areas

Charis is a partner based in the Singapore office of Peter & Kim. Charis is tri-qualified (Singapore, England & Wales and New York) and has specialised in international arbitration her entire career. Her practice straddles international commercial and investment treaty arbitration and public international law.

She trained under Senior Counsel Michael Hwang in Singapore, before joining an international firm where she worked with one of the top teams in the world for public international law and investment treaty arbitration. In 2020, she joined Peter & Kim, launching the Singapore office.

Her experience includes investment and commercial arbitrations under the rules of major arbitration institutions, including ICSID, ICC, SIAC, HKIAC, KCAB, AIAC and SCC, as well as ad hoc proceedings under UNCITRAL Rules.

Charis is appointed as Counsel and Arbitrator, and she has also served as a Panellist in WTO trade proceedings.

She regularly acts for States and has represented them in ISDS proceedings and high-profile State-to-State disputes before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Her cases almost always involve complex multi-layered disputes involving the interplay between commercial relations, regulation, policy, and domestic and international law.

Charis has been referred to as “formidable arbitration counsel”, with “great familiarity with the rules and personas involved” and “simply outstanding”, recommended by Who’s Who Legal, Global Arbitration Review (GAR) and Legal 500. An initiative she spearheaded for the training of Government officials was awarded the Asia Pacific FT Innovative Lawyers Award.

Charis is also co-editor and author of Investment Protection in Southeast Asia, A Country-by-Country Guide on Arbitration Laws and Bilateral Investment Treaties (Brill, 2017).

Career

Partner – Peter & Kim (Singapore), 2020 – present

WTO Panellist – World Trade Organization, 2020 – 2024

Director – DWF (Singapore), 2017 – 2019

Of Counsel – Eversheds LLP, 2009 – 2017

Associate – Michael Hwang Chambers LLC, 2007 – 2009

Professional Memberships

2023 – SIAC Main Panel, one of the youngest ever to have been admitted on the Panel.

2023 – KCAB International, Panel of International Arbitrators.

2023 – Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (ACICA), Panel of Arbitrators.

2021 – Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC), Panel of Arbitrators.

2020 – Hainan International Arbitration Court.

2019 – World Trade Organisation (WTO), Panellist.

2019 – National Commercial Arbitration Centre (NCAC), Cambodia, Panel of Arbitrators.

Publications

Co-editor and author of the book “Investment Protection in Southeast Asia: A Country-by-Country Guide on Arbitration Laws and Bilateral Investment Treaties” (Brill, 2017).

Co-author of the article “Ten Questions Not to Ask in Cross-examination in International Arbitration,” featured in the collection “Selected Essays on International Arbitration by Michael Hwang, S.C.” (2013).

Co-author of the publication “When circumstances change: a comparative view of the law and ICC model clauses,” published by the IBA Asia Pacific Regional Forum (2020).

Co-author of “Quantification of ISDS Claims: Theory,” included in “The Guide to Investment Treaty Protection and Enforcement” (Law Business Research, 2022).

Co-author of the article “Conditional Fee Arrangements to be Approved for Arbitration,” published in the ICC Dispute Resolution Bulletin (2022).

Languages Spoken

English, Mandarin

Experience

Appointed on a WTO Panel to determine a trade dispute between the European Union (EU) and the United States (US) relating to anti-dumping and countervailing duties.

On the Counsel team for Colombia in two ICJ cases brought by Nicaragua relating to delimitation of the outer continental shelf and alleged violations of sovereign rights and maritime spaces.

Representing the Government of Vietnam in two investor-State cases brought by Chinese investors arising out of a construction project.

Acting for an Eastern European State in a high-profile commercial arbitration under UNCITRAL Rules arising out of the construction of a trans-border highway, a project worth €1.4 billion.

Acting for a South Asian State in an ad hoc UNCITRAL commercial arbitration between an investor and a State in relation to a concession over an airport, in a claim worth more than US$1 billion.

Representing an Indonesian oil company in an ICC arbitration for failure to supply gas under a significant contract, resulting in a claim for more than US$500 million.

Appointed as a Presiding Arbitrator in a SIAC arbitration relating to the sale and purchase of commodities involving multiple jurisdictions.

Lead Counsel in an ICC arbitration in a claim brought by a Vietnam-based French investor against an investment company based in Vietnam.

Lead Counsel in a SIAC arbitration between a Chinese company and Singapore-based private equity fund relating to investments in the food sector.

Co-Lead Counsel representing a listed American renewables company in its claim against a supplier of solar panels in a dispute worth almost US$200 million under SIAC Rules.

Acting for a Chinese State-owned entity in a SCC arbitration concerning a consultancy agreement against a Middle Eastern management company in relation to a petrochemical project worth US$750 million.

On the Counsel team for Peru in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) case of Peru v. Chile relating to maritime delimitation.

Represented a Middle Eastern State in three inter-related ICSID arbitrations relating to investments in ports and customs systems.

Counsel for an Eastern European State in an ICSID arbitration involving a longstanding investment in a motorway in Europe.

Education

Industry Sector Expertise

Arbitration

Public International Law

Private International Law

International Investment Law

Joint Ventures / Consortia

Oil & Gas

Energy & Power