Profile details
Profil Samantha Tan
Samantha is experienced in representing clients in complex, high-stakes disputes, usually involving cross-border elements.
Samantha represents clients in international commercial arbitrations. She also represents both investors and States in investor-State arbitrations. She has been involved in arbitrations under the ICSID, UNCITRAL, ICC, SIAC, AIAC, and HKIAC arbitral rules, relating to post-M&A issues, joint ventures, construction, and shareholder disputes in the oil & gas, renewable energy, financial, life sciences, technology, real estate, automotive, consumer, and other sectors.
She also has years of experience practising commercial litigation before the Singapore High Court and Court of Appeal, with a top-tier Singapore disputes practice.
She occasionally acts as arbitrator and mediator.
Samantha has been recognised as an Up and Coming arbitration lawyer by Chambers Asia-Pacific 2025, one of the Future Leaders globally by Lexology Index: Arbitration 2025, and a Next Generation Partner by Legal 500. She was also named in The Legal 500’s 2023 Private Practice Powerlist for Arbitration in Southeast Asia and a Rising Star in Singapore by Asian Legal Business in 2023.
Samantha leads the Asia chapter of the firm’s Women’s Network, which seeks to represent and empower women at work as part of Freshfields’ diversity and inclusion strategy.
Mandate
- Representing the Republic of Korea in the high-profile investor-State arbitration under the KORUS FTA brought by Elliott Associates, L.P.
- Representing a northeast Asian State in an investor-State arbitration under the UNCITRAL Rules commenced by alleged Iranian investors relating to a failed M&A transaction
- Representing a southeast Asian State in an investor-State arbitration under the UNCITRAL Rules commenced by an alleged dual national and relating to alleged real estate investments
- Representing Eurus Energy in an Energy Charter Treaty arbitration under the ICSID Rules against Spain, relating to changes to Spain's regulatory regime on tariffs in the renewable energy sector, in which Eurus Energy was awarded €106.2m in damages, the largest publicly known ISDS award for a Japanese investor
- Representing a multinational oil and gas company in a billion-dollar arbitration relating to the construction of an offshore floating platform
- Representing an Asian oil and gas major in an SIAC arbitration arising from a joint venture for the exploration and development of a natural gas field in the East China Sea
- Representing a multinational energy company in a SIAC arbitration arising from commodities trading contracts
- Representing the sellers in a post-M&A arbitration under the ICC Rules arising from a transaction in the pharmaceutical industry
- Representing a French multinational in a post-M&A arbitration under the ICC Rules relating to post-closing adjustment clauses and real estate investments
Qualifikationen
Education
- Bachelor of Laws (Honours), National University of Singapore
Professional qualifications
- Admitted to practise in Singapore
- Associate Mediator of the Singapore Mediation Centre