Charis Tan
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).
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Arbitration
Public International Law
Private International Law
International Investment Law
Joint Ventures / Consortia
INDUSTRY SECTORS
Oil
Gas
Energy & Power
REPRESENTATIVE CASES
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.
RANKING
2024 – WWL Global Elite Thought Leader, recognizing the top practitioners globally, achieved by only around 5% of WWL-listed professionals.
2023 – Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration 2023, listed among the “Most Highly Regarded” Partners in Asia Pacific.
2022 – Who’s Who Legal (Southeast Asia).
2022 – The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2022.
2022 – Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration 2022, Future Leaders (Partners).
2021 – Who’s Who Legal (Southeast Asia).
QUOTES
WWL (Southeast Asia, 2021) says:
Charis Tan is a “formidable arbitration counsel”, according to sources who laud her “very deep technical international arbitration expertise” and “great familiarity with the rules and personas involved”.
Global Arbitration Review quotes a client as saying that Charis was “simply outstanding”.
Who’s Who Legal names Charis as a “Future Leader” in arbitration (2022):
“Charis combines deep technical expertise together with a profound understanding of the client’s commercial goal”
“She is a practical and effective lawyer”
“She distils complex legal concepts in a highly palatable manner”
The Legal 500 Asia Pacific (2022) highlighted Peter & Kim in Singapore as a “firm to watch”, stating:
“Peter & Kim‘s Singapore international arbitration practice was set up by Charis Tan… in April 2020. Tan is tri-qualified in Singapore, England & Wales and New York and has particular experience in international arbitration and public international law and advises States in investment treaty disputes.”
In 2023, Chambers and Partners ranked Peter & Kim Singapore in Band 1 among highly regarded firms for arbitration.
Who’s Who Legal (2023) named Charis among the “Most Highly Regarded” partners in Asia Pacific:
“An amazing practitioner”
