Dan is the principal of Dan Tan Law.
Dan is also an associate member of Stone Chambers, a leading commercial barristers chambers based in London and Singapore.
Chambers USA and Chambers Global (2012 to 2017) rank Dan as a leading arbitration lawyer. Chambers calls him “a star in the international arbitration world” and “an extraordinary legal talent and is extremely creative in the legal theories he uses.” He is “particularly praised for his astuteness” and “always two steps ahead of the other side”. “Clients and peers overwhelmingly attest to his expertise as ‘a very skilled advocate’ who ‘comes up with practical, commercial advice that clients find extremely useful.’” The publication also notes his “tremendous expertise in pursuing arbitrations in Asia” and describes him as a “very talented and knowledgeable individual who has an exclusive focus on arbitration.” He has been ranked an “International Arbitration Star” and a “Litigation Star (General Commercial & Securities)” by Euromoney Benchmark Litigation (2010 to 2017 Edns).
He was lauded as being “alert, informed and bold in arbitration proceedings” and for his “acumen and knowledge of local law” and “simply amazing ability to remember arcane, technical details from evidentiary findings, and quote them in detail.” The Global Arbitration Review calls him “a name to know” and commends his “impressive attention to detail and strategy” and “innovative ways of presenting complex ideas to a multilingual and multi-jurisdictional tribunal.” The GAR notes his “easy to work with approach” and remarks that “Clients love him.” Euromoney Institutional Investor ranks Dan as an Expert in Commercial Arbitration. Legal 500 Asia calls him an “outstanding lawyer.”
Dan has acted in international litigation matters before US and foreign courts, and in arbitrations under various institutional rules (including ICC, LCIA, AAA, Swiss Rules, BANI, SIAC) seated in major arbitration venues (New York, California, London, Paris, Geneva, Zurich, Indonesia, and Singapore). These cases involve disputes stemming from joint venture and partnership agreements, distributor and supply agreements, patents and IP agreements, license agreements, noncompete agreements, share purchase and option agreements, construction and oil & gas contracts.
Dan has over a decade of international arbitration and litigation experience at some of the largest international law firms. He previously practiced with Latham & Watkins and O’Melveny & Myers in New York, and Lovells in London, where he represented US and international clients in high-value cases spanning a range of national laws and industries, including aerospace, construction, telecommunications, entertainment, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, oil and gas, and energy.
Dan also regularly sits as arbitrator and has sat as chair and sole arbitrator in arbitrations administered by the SIAC, HKIAC and the ICC seated in Singapore, Hong Kong and New York. Chambers commends his “experience sitting as arbitrator in complex disputes”.
Dan is Lecturer on Law at Harvard Law School, where he teaches international arbitration. He is also Lecturer in Law at Stanford Law School, where he teaches international investment law. Previously, he taught international arbitration on the adjunct faculty at the Singapore Management University School of Law, and was Lecturer in Law at Oxford University.
Dan speaks and writes prolifically in his field and has published in leading academic journals in the United States and England. These articles have been excerpted in casebooks, cited in prominent textbooks and commentaries and by US Federal courts, and have been called ‘ground-breaking thinking’