A leading arbitrator. A scholar. A practitioner.
Dan Tan has sat as chair, sole, party-appointed, and emergency arbitrator in more than 50 international arbitrations across every major institution and in major seats. He is adept at hearing cases layered with multiple foreign-law issues, and those involving technical issues.
Chambers Global and Chambers USA separately rank Dan as a leading arbitrator — distinct from his ranking as a leading arbitration counsel. Chambers commends his “experience sitting as arbitrator in complex disputes.” Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration has recognized him every year since 2018.
Dan brings to the tribunal what few arbitrators can offer in combination: 25 years of front-line advocacy in the highest-stakes international disputes, 17 years teaching international arbitration at Harvard Law School, 10 years teaching at Stanford Law School, two years teaching English contract law at Oxford University, and qualifications at five bars across three legal traditions — common law (US, England, Singapore) and civil law influences acquired through ICC, Swiss, and BANI proceedings.
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INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATIONS
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APPOINTMENTS AS CHAIR
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APPOINTMENTS AS PARTY-APPOINTED ARBITRATOR
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YEARS TEACHING (HARVARD LAW SCHOOL, STANFORD LAW SCHOOL, OXFORD UNIVERSITY)
The strongest arbitrators are practitioners whose work as counsel teaches them what a tribunal needs, scholars whose academic discipline teaches them how to reason, and commercial lawyers whose breadth lets them see the dispute from every angle.
i.
An academic who teaches the field.
An academic who teaches the field.
Seventeen years at Harvard Law School teaching International Commercial Arbitration.
Ten years at Stanford Law School teaching arbitration and investment law. Lecturer at Oxford in English Contract Law. Adjunct at Singapore Management University. His scholarship has been excerpted in casebooks, cited in textbooks, and cited by US Federal courts — called “ground-breaking thinking.”
Seventeen years at Harvard Law School teaching International Commercial Arbitration.
Ten years at Stanford Law School teaching arbitration and investment law. Lecturer at Oxford in English Contract Law. Adjunct at Singapore Management University. His scholarship has been excerpted in casebooks, cited in textbooks, and cited by US Federal courts — called “ground-breaking thinking.”
ii.
A counsel who has tried the issues.
A counsel who has tried the issues.
Twenty-five years acting in arbitrations under ICC, LCIA, AAA/ICDR, SIAC, HKIAC, ii. A counsel who has tried the issues. Twenty-five years acting in arbitrations under ICC, LCIA, AAA/ICDR, SIAC, HKIAC, UNCITRAL, Swiss Rules, and BANI — including matters where over US$2.4 billion was at stake. Dan has cross-examined the witnesses, briefed the points, and seen which arguments persuade tribunals and which do not. That perspective sharpens every procedural and substantive call he makes as a sitting arbitrator.
Twenty-five years acting in arbitrations under ICC, LCIA, AAA/ICDR, SIAC, HKIAC, ii. A counsel who has tried the issues. Twenty-five years acting in arbitrations under ICC, LCIA, AAA/ICDR, SIAC, HKIAC, UNCITRAL, Swiss Rules, and BANI — including matters where over US$2.4 billion was at stake. Dan has cross-examined the witnesses, briefed the points, and seen which arguments persuade tribunals and which do not. That perspective sharpens every procedural and substantive call he makes as a sitting arbitrator.
iii.
A truly cross-jurisdictional lawyer.
A truly cross-jurisdictional lawyer.
Qualified at five bars — New York, California, DC, England and Wales, and Singapore — and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Master Mediator with the AAA, and member of the ICC Commission on Arbitration. Fluent across common-law procedure, English commercial principle, and the institutional rules that govern international practice. Speaks Mandarin Chinese.
Qualified at five bars — New York, California, DC, England and Wales, and Singapore — and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Master Mediator with the AAA, and member of the ICC Commission on Arbitration. Fluent across common-law procedure, English commercial principle, and the institutional rules that govern international practice. Speaks Mandarin Chinese.
Illustrative Arbitrator experience, by industry.
Illustrative Arbitrator experience, by industry.
9 APPOINTMENTS
ROLE
ROLE
CHAIR
CHAIR
PARTY-APPOINTED
PARTY-APPOINTED
CHAIR
CHAIR
PARTY-APPOINTED
PARTY-APPOINTED
PARTY-APPOINTED
PARTY-APPOINTED
CHAIR
CHAIR
SOLE
SOLE
CHAIR
CHAIR
CHAIR
CHAIR
DESCRIPTION
DESCRIPTION
ICC arbitration over major construction dispute. [CURRENT]
ICC arbitration over major construction dispute. [CURRENT]
Series of construction projects in Asia. [CURRENT]
Series of construction projects in Asia. [CURRENT]
Construction project with delay and defect claims in Guam.
Construction project with delay and defect claims in Guam.
Sale and delivery of equipment for major construction project with suspension issues. [CURRENT]
Sale and delivery of equipment for major construction project with suspension issues. [CURRENT]
Construction dispute in Thailand. [CURRENT]
Construction dispute in Thailand. [CURRENT]
Highly complex dispute over an undersea cable system, consolidating seven separate actions across multiple courts and arbitrations.
Highly complex dispute over an undersea cable system, consolidating seven separate actions across multiple courts and arbitrations.
Construction project between US and Canadian entities.
Construction project between US and Canadian entities.
Construction and operation of a power facility.
Construction and operation of a power facility.
Dispute between English and Asian companies over a power project in South East Asia.
Dispute between English and Asian companies over a power project in South East Asia.
FORUM · SEAT · LAW
FORUM · SEAT · LAW
ICC · Los Angeles seat · New York law
ICC · Los Angeles seat · New York law
ICC · San Francisco seat · New York law
ICC · San Francisco seat · New York law
AAA/ICDR · Los Angeles seat · Guam law
AAA/ICDR · Los Angeles seat · Guam law
ICDR / CIAR · New York seat · New York law
ICDR / CIAR · New York seat · New York law
SIAC · Singapore seat · Singapore law
SIAC · Singapore seat · Singapore law
AAA · Hawaii seat · California law
AAA · Hawaii seat · California law
ICC · New York seat · New York law
ICC · New York seat · New York law
ICC · Seoul seat · New York law
ICC · Seoul seat · New York law
ICC · London seat · Indonesian law
ICC · London seat · Indonesian law
VALUE
VALUE
US$90M+
US$90M+
US$100M+
US$100M+
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US$20M+
US$20M+
$34M
$34M
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The complete profile.
01
Harvard, Oxford, NUS
LL.M., Harvard Law School. B.C.L., Oxford University. LL.B., National University of Singapore. Trained across the leading common-law academic traditions on three continents.
01
Harvard, Oxford, NUS
LL.M., Harvard Law School. B.C.L., Oxford University. LL.B., National University of Singapore. Trained across the leading common-law academic traditions on three continents.
01
Harvard, Oxford, NUS
LL.M., Harvard Law School. B.C.L., Oxford University. LL.B., National University of Singapore. Trained across the leading common-law academic traditions on three continents.
02
Lecturer on Law, Harvard Law School (2008 – 2025)
Seventeen years teaching International Commercial Arbitration to the next generation of practitioners.
02
Lecturer on Law, Harvard Law School (2008 – 2025)
Seventeen years teaching International Commercial Arbitration to the next generation of practitioners.
02
Lecturer on Law, Harvard Law School (2008 – 2025)
Seventeen years teaching International Commercial Arbitration to the next generation of practitioners.
03
Lecturer in Law, Stanford Law School (2013 – 2025)
Ten years teaching International Arbitration and International Investment Law — the latter focusing on disputes touching state-investor and treaty issues.
03
Lecturer in Law, Stanford Law School (2013 – 2025)
Ten years teaching International Arbitration and International Investment Law — the latter focusing on disputes touching state-investor and treaty issues.
03
Lecturer in Law, Stanford Law School (2013 – 2025)
Ten years teaching International Arbitration and International Investment Law — the latter focusing on disputes touching state-investor and treaty issues.
04
Lecturer in Law, Oxford University (2002 – 2004)
Two years teaching English Contract Law at Oxford — the body of law that governs more international commercial contracts than any other.
04
Lecturer in Law, Oxford University (2002 – 2004)
Two years teaching English Contract Law at Oxford — the body of law that governs more international commercial contracts than any other.
04
Lecturer in Law, Oxford University (2002 – 2004)
Two years teaching English Contract Law at Oxford — the body of law that governs more international commercial contracts than any other.
05
Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
Also Master Mediator with the American Arbitration Association. Member of the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ICC Task Force on Arbitration Involving States or State Entities.
05
Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
Also Master Mediator with the American Arbitration Association. Member of the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ICC Task Force on Arbitration Involving States or State Entities.
05
Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
Also Master Mediator with the American Arbitration Association. Member of the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ICC Task Force on Arbitration Involving States or State Entities.
06
Five-bar qualification
Admitted in New York, California, the District of Columbia, England and Wales, and Singapore. Fluent across US state law, US federal procedure, English commercial law, and Singapore law.
06
Five-bar qualification
Admitted in New York, California, the District of Columbia, England and Wales, and Singapore. Fluent across US state law, US federal procedure, English commercial law, and Singapore law.
06
Five-bar qualification
Admitted in New York, California, the District of Columbia, England and Wales, and Singapore. Fluent across US state law, US federal procedure, English commercial law, and Singapore law.
07
Across every major institution
Has sat in arbitrations administered under ICC, AAA/ICDR, HKIAC, SIAC, UNCITRAL, and ad-hoc rules — including emergency arbitrator and sole arbitrator appointments. Seats include New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Albany, Sacramento, San Jose, Nevada, Hawaii, Guam, Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul, Jakarta, London, and Maui.
07
Across every major institution
Has sat in arbitrations administered under ICC, AAA/ICDR, HKIAC, SIAC, UNCITRAL, and ad-hoc rules — including emergency arbitrator and sole arbitrator appointments. Seats include New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Albany, Sacramento, San Jose, Nevada, Hawaii, Guam, Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul, Jakarta, London, and Maui.
07
Across every major institution
Has sat in arbitrations administered under ICC, AAA/ICDR, HKIAC, SIAC, UNCITRAL, and ad-hoc rules — including emergency arbitrator and sole arbitrator appointments. Seats include New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Albany, Sacramento, San Jose, Nevada, Hawaii, Guam, Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul, Jakarta, London, and Maui.
08
Practitioner’s instincts
25 years as front-line counsel in disputes valued from millions to billions — including the Three Arrows Capital crypto matter (US$2.4B), an investor-state ICSID matter against the UAE, and a US$500M+ oil and gas pipeline arbitration.
08
Practitioner’s instincts
25 years as front-line counsel in disputes valued from millions to billions — including the Three Arrows Capital crypto matter (US$2.4B), an investor-state ICSID matter against the UAE, and a US$500M+ oil and gas pipeline arbitration.
08
Practitioner’s instincts
25 years as front-line counsel in disputes valued from millions to billions — including the Three Arrows Capital crypto matter (US$2.4B), an investor-state ICSID matter against the UAE, and a US$500M+ oil and gas pipeline arbitration.
09
Scholarship that courts cite
Authored articles in leading academic journals, excerpted in casebooks, and cited in textbooks and US Federal court decisions. Called “ground-breaking thinking.” Wrote the US Supreme Court amicus brief in Hall Street Associates v. Mattel on judicial review of arbitral awards.
09
Scholarship that courts cite
Authored articles in leading academic journals, excerpted in casebooks, and cited in textbooks and US Federal court decisions. Called “ground-breaking thinking.” Wrote the US Supreme Court amicus brief in Hall Street Associates v. Mattel on judicial review of arbitral awards.
09
Scholarship that courts cite
Authored articles in leading academic journals, excerpted in casebooks, and cited in textbooks and US Federal court decisions. Called “ground-breaking thinking.” Wrote the US Supreme Court amicus brief in Hall Street Associates v. Mattel on judicial review of arbitral awards.
“Experience sitting as arbitrator in complex disputes.”
Chambers Global, on Dan Tan
Chambers Global, on Dan Tan
