Shaun Lee

As a partner in our Dispute Resolution Group in Singapore, I act regularly for our clients in high-value complex transnational commercial disputes across the TMT and financial sectors, as well as in the infrastructure, energy & utilities space.

As a dual-qualified lawyer, I am uniquely placed to provide advice that goes beyond the narrow scope of the dispute, to address the regulatory and compliance exposure that clients might face. I am able to draw on my significant experience with cross-border restructuring and insolvency exercises, compliance and investigatory exercises involving foreign anti-corruption legislation, and anti-money laundering and terrorism financing regulations.

In recent years, I have been the lead or sole counsel in many complex transnational commercial disputes before the Singapore Courts and in international arbitrations. I have successfully represented our clients in SIAC, LCIA and ICC international arbitration proceedings, mediation proceedings, and in proceedings before the Singapore courts and the Singapore International Commercial Court.

Today, I am a CIArb Fellow and sit on the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) Reserve Panel of Arbitrators, as well as the Asian International Arbitration Centre (Malaysia)'s (AIAC) Panel for Arbitrators and for Domain Name Dispute Resolution. I have written extensively on international arbitration, Singapore employment and data privacy law. I have been interviewed and quoted on some matters in the media, and was invited to speak at the 2016 and 2019 Taipei International Conference on Arbitration and Mediation. I was a prize winner for the CIArb Essay Competition 2018.

• Lead counsel representing diversified energy and commodities trading conglomerate in various disputes in a series of cross-appeals before the Singapore Court of Appeal.
• Lead counsel successfully representing client in the first reported case on the taxability of 'golden handshakes'. GCT v Comptroller of Income Tax [2020] SGITBR 3 has been described as a 'landmark case' by PwC and 'landmark case law' by EY. Successfully resisted appeal by the tax authorities before the Singapore courts.
• Acted for a European EPC contractor (Tozzi Srl) in a dispute with a prominent global listed maritime company (Bumi Armada) before the Singapore International Commercial Court (SICC) and Court of Appeal. The dispute involved desulphurisation modules aboard an FPSO gas rig. The reported decisions involved novel and important points of law regarding the right of first refusal, as well as the immunity shareholders entitled to against claims for inducement of breach of contract by the subsidiary company.
• Sole counsel in Singapore High Court matter HC/OS 1104 of 2016: successfully defended against setting aside proceedings of 3 SIAC arbitration awards. The applicant was represented by a Senior Counsel (Singapore equivalent of Queen's Counsel) led team. The application involved novel points of law regarding the public policy of Singapore.
• Sole instructed counsel representing a Japanese franchise against a franchisee in a dispute arising out of a long term joint venture/franchising agreement: SIAC Arbitration clause.