Davis Tan is a disputes lawyer specialising in complex commercial, shipping, and international trade matters. He regularly appears before the Singapore Courts and in international arbitrations across major institutions including the SIAC, SCMA, LMAA, HKIAC, and ICC, with particular expertise in shipping, commodities, energy, fraud, joint venture, and banking disputes.
Davis is dual-qualified in Singapore and England and Wales, and is fluent in Mandarin, with a strong track record in China-related disputes. He served as team leader for the first cohort of Singapore lawyers sent to Shanghai under the Singapore Ministry of Law and Shanghai Bar Association exchange programme.
He graduated with First Class Honours and was named Best Candidate in the Singapore Bar Examinations for Civil Litigation Practice. Davis has been recognised in The Legal 500 Asia Pacific for his sharp legal mind and praised for his ability to punch above his weight. In 2021, he received the Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific Impact Case Award for his work on a cross-border insolvency matter involving the recognition of moratorium relief in Singapore.
- Investment Dispute Trial Win: All Claims Dismissed [2026] SGHC 20 Davis Tan led the Incisive Law team acting for the fourth defendant in an investment dispute arising from a USD 1 million placement in a fund connected to a solar technology company. After an eight-day trial in the General Division of the High Court of Singapore, all claims of fraudulent and negligent misrepresentation were dismissed in their entirety, with the court finding that the representations relied upon were either not made, not false, or not relied upon by the claimants.
- Novel Forum Selection Question in Vessel Arrest Proceedings C.U. Lines Limited v Owner of the vessel(s) "HONG CHANG SHENG" [2025] SGHCR 31 Davis Tan acted for CU Lines Limited as charterers in a multi-jurisdictional shipping dispute against a Chinese vessel owner arising from a time charterparty. The firm successfully resisted a contested vessel arrest in Singapore, resulting in a reported decision addressing the novel question of whether the court retains a residual discretion not to enforce a consent order concerning the forum for resolving disputes. The decision contributed to Singapore jurisprudence on the appropriate forum for wrongful arrest claims where the substantive dispute is stayed in favour of arbitration.
- Key Court of Appeal Decision on Extension of Time Cao Pei v McCom Holding Ltd [2025] SGCA 24; [2025] 1 SLR 745 Davis Tan acted in an ongoing dispute arising from an alleged deed of trust involving allegations of fraud and breaches of fiduciary duties. The team successfully set aside a Mareva injunction, obtained a stay of court proceedings in favour of arbitration, and resisted applications for extension of time to appeal, resulting in a key Singapore Court of Appeal decision laying down the guiding principles on delay arising from the mistakes of counsel in applications for extension of time to appeal.
- Commercial disputes
- Dispute resolution
- Energy and construction
- Insurance
- International arbitration
- Shipping
- Commodities and Trade Disputes
- Energy Disputes
- Insolvency
- International Arbitration
- Banking
- Energy
- Insurance
- Oil and gas
- Shipping
- LLB (First Class Hons), University of Nottingham, UK
- The Law Society of Singapore
- Singapore Academy of Law
- The Law Society of England and Wales
- Member, Admissions Committee of the Law Society of Singapore