David Chan
Co-Managing Partner
Telephone:
+65 6439 0616EMAIL:
david.chan@shooklin.comPractice Areas:
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David Chan has been a Partner of Shook Lin & Bok since 2004. He is currently the firm’s Co-Managing Partner and Head of Litigation & Dispute Resolution.
He has wide experience in general commercial litigation with particular focus on domestic and cross-border finance-related litigation, fraud and insolvency matters. He is also involved in international commercial arbitrations and corporate and shareholders’ disputes.
David was a former member of the Complaints and Disciplinary Panel of the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (2019 – 2025), former member of the Valuation Review Board under the Ministry of Finance, Singapore (2018 – 2021) and former legal assessor to the Singapore Medical Council (2012 – 2015).
- Acted successfully for the interim judicial managers of three entities in the Envy group of companies to be wound up by the Court, and currently representing the Court-appointed liquidators in the liquidation process. This is the first investment fraud in Singapore’s history to hit the billion-dollar mark;
- Acting for the independent panel of Aljunied-Hougang Town Council in a claim against the current members and elected members of Parliament over alleged improper payments;
- Acting for Liquidators of Kyen Resources Pte Ltd, a metals trading company which was a subsidiary of company listed in China;
- Acting for a Hong Kong subsidiary of a listed Chinese company to reclaim a US$10 million deposit placed with a Seychelles-incorporated company in relation to an infrastructure project in Indonesia;
- Acted successfully as local counsel for a leading Turkish Aluminium Panel Manufacturer to seek damages against its Taiwanese Supplier for supplying and installing a defective Aluminium A2 Composite Panel Production Line;
- Acting for the Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK) in proceedings relating to a moratorium granted by the High Court to Antanium Resources Pte Ltd (Antanium) pursuant to section 64 of the IRDA, including but not limited to successfully seeking leave to file a counterclaim against Antanium in ongoing arbitration proceedings and raising objections to a super-priority application filed by Antanium in respect of litigation funding obtained for the aforesaid arbitration proceedings;
- Advising and acting for the Liquidators of SC Aetas Holdings Pte Ltd. The Company raised funds to build a new building in Bideford Road and subsequently ran into financial difficulties;
- Acting for 21 investors in a Global Investment Programme fund in a High Court application to place the fund under judicial management as it is suspected of being mismanaged by the directors;
- Acting for a listed healthcare company in relation to a dispute arising from loans extended by an investment firm;
- Acting for an individual in a dispute relating to the purchase of shares in a Taiwanese company which involved a breach of trustee’s duty to account;
- Acting for an international logistics company in an arbitration involving a claim and counterclaims arising from and/or in connection to an Agency Agreement entered into by our client and an Australian shipping company and its Singapore subsidiary;
- Acting for Singapore subsidiaries of a major logistics group in respect of the ongoing investigations conducted by the Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS) into price fixing allegations in the logistics industry. We assisted the client in making an application for leniency under the leniency programme of the CCS;
- Acting for an indirect former subsidiary of a bankrupted Russian oil giant in an action in Singapore to enforce an arbitration award obtained in New York to recover monies owed by a former sister company but now state‐owned in a claim exceeding US$150 million;
- Acting for the four Defendants against proceedings brought by a company under judicial management and the judicial manager, seeking to recover against the Defendants a sum of US$35 million and S$500,000 on the basis that these were fraudulently misappropriated inter alia by the 1st and 2nd Defendants. The 1st Defendant is also being sued for breach of directors’ duties;
- Advising on all aspects of the judicial management of a sub-contractor in the construction of Terminal 1 and 4 of the Changi Airport;
- Advising on all aspects of the judicial management of the Panoil group of companies;
- Acting for a non-executive independent director of Celestial Nutrifoods (in Liquidation) which has claimed in excess of US$16 million against its directors for alleged fraud and/or dishonesty, fraudulent trading, and other breaches of directors duties;
- Acted for a non-executive independent director of China Sky Chemical Fibre Co Ltd in relation to alleged breaches of SGX-ST regulations;
- Acting for creditors and former officers of Altus Shipping and Logistics Pte Ltd (under Judicial Management) in relation to the affairs of the company;
- Acting for the security agent and chargee in the insolvency and restructuring of OW Bunkers;
- Acting for the liquidators of Hycarbex Asia Pte Ltd to receive assets of a subsidiary of a major energy company registered in Nevis over concessions in Pakistan. This matter included proceedings in the English High Court of Justice; and arbitration proceedings with the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce, seated in London, as well as recovery proceedings in Nevis;
- Acting for Humpuss Sea Transport Pte Ltd (in liquidation) to recover and trace assets of a subsidiary of a major Indonesian shipping company in a claim exceeding US$200 million;
- Acted successfully for The Cayman Islands and Singapore liquidators of Petroprod Ltd (Petroprod), a Cayman Islands-incorporated company, in the proceedings which the liquidators commenced in the Singapore High Court to recover monies paid to Petroprod’s management agents, Larsen Oil & Gas Pte Ltd, a Singapore-incorporated company. Petroprod had debts in excess of US$500 million; and
- Acted for the liquidator of Norwest Holdings Pte Ltd (in liquidation) in the legal action against Australia-listed Newport Mining Ltd which commenced after Newport walked away from buying shares in Norwest’s China subsidiary after the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake.
Chambers Asia Pacific
- Ranked Individual in Restructuring & Insolvency (2012 – 2026)
- Ranked Individual in Dispute Resolution: Litigation (2021 – 2026)
Chambers Global
- Ranked Individual in Dispute Resolution: Litigation (2021 – 2026)
Legal 500 Asia Pacific
- Hall of Fame in Restructuring & Insolvency: Local Firms (2021 – 2026)
- Leading Individual in Restructuring & Insolvency: Local Firms (2012 – 2020)
- Recommended Individual in Dispute Resolution (2012, 2017 – 2023, 2025 – 2026)
- Recommended Individual in International Arbitration (2017 – 2023, 2025 – 2026)
Benchmark Litigation
- Litigation Star in Insolvency (2020 – 2026)
- Dispute Resolution Star in Insolvency (2018 – 2019)
- Litigation Star in Commercial & Transactions (2020 – 2026)
- Dispute Resolution Star in Commercial & Transactions (2018 – 2019)
IFLR1000
- Highly Regarded in Restructuring & Insolvency (2018 – 2025)
- Leading Lawyer in Restructuring & Insolvency (2011 – 2017)
Asialaw Profiles
- Distinguished Practitioner in Restructuring & Insolvency (2020 – 2025)
- Leading Lawyer in Restructuring & Insolvency (2017 – 2019)
- Distinguished Practitioner in Dispute Resolution (2020 – 2021)
- Leading Lawyer in Dispute Resolution (2017 – 2019)
Asia Business Law Journal
- Ranked in The A-List: Singapore’s Top 100 lawyers (2023 – 2026)
Chambers Asia Pacific
- “David Chan is often engaged by liquidators and judicial managers to advise in relation to substantial insolvencies. Largely focused on contentious insolvency matters, he also has experience representing creditors and other stakeholders.” (2026)
- “David provides a very insightful and thoughtful analysis of various matters and constraints to achieve the desired outcomes.” (2026)
- “David provides excellent commercial advice and service.” (2026)
Legal 500 Asia Pacific
- “The firm has heritage and is expertly led by David Chan.” (2026)