This webinar features an interesting and engaging discussion on the different types of foreign investment protection and treaty protection available to parties investing in China and the ASEAN region.
Cavenagh Law Partner Paul Tan and Clifford Chance Counsel Romesh Weeramantry will be joined by industry experts, Wu Qian Counsel at the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), HKA Partner and Head of Asia, Benjamin Highfield and Forensic Accounting & Commercial Damages Partner Colin Johnson in a series of short presentations followed by a panel discussion and Q&A session.
We sincerely look forward to having you join us for the webinar.
SPEAKERS
Paul Tan
Partner, Cavenagh Law LLP
Paul Tan heads the Clifford Chance Asia* litigation practice for South East Asia.
Paul is a commercial litigation and international arbitration (both commercial and investor state) specialist. His practice focusses on managing disputes across South East Asia, with deep experience advising on complex issues of public and private international law.
Paul advises a wide range of clients, including leading multinational organisations, global insurers, financial institutions and Asian governments.
He is co-authoring Mustill & Boyd’s treatise on commercial and investment arbitration.
*Matters advised on by Paul Tan prior to joining Cavenagh Law LLP on 1 September 2020
Romesh Weeramantry
Counsel, Clifford Chance
Romesh specialises in public international law, international dispute settlement and investment treaty law. He is currently acting in cases against Kenya, Thailand, and Egypt, and advises clients on treaties concerning foreign investments.
In addition to his practice at Clifford Chance, Romesh is an Adjunct Professor and Senior Research Fellow at the Centre of International Law (CIL) at the National University of Singapore and is Head of its International Dispute Settlement Programme.
His Oxford University Press monograph Treaty Interpretation in Investment Arbitration is a leading text on the subject and is widely used and cited by scholars and arbitral tribunals.
Wu Qian
Counsel, Singapore International Arbitration Centre
Qian is a graduate of Sichuan University (Bachelor’s degree in law), Xiamen University (Master’s degree in law) and the Geneva LL.M. in International Dispute Settlement (MIDS). Qian is also the Assistant Editor of Asian International Arbitration Journal.
Qualified in China, Qian practiced litigation and arbitration in Beijing with a Chinese law firm prior to joining SIAC.
Qian is fluent in Mandarin and English.
Benjamin Highfield
Partner and Head of Asia, HKA
Benjamin Highfield is the Head of Asia and a claims and disputes specialist at HKA. He has more than 15 years’ major project experience in the construction industry, spanning buildings, transportation infrastructure, oil and gas, power and water markets. Additionally, he regularly advises clients on commercial and contractual matters, as well as claims management and dispute resolution.
Benjamin has led teams on multiple oil and gas, water and power projects and has negotiated high value settlements with major governmental organisations. With his extensive experience of many of the major standard forms of contract, he has been employed by government bodies and large private companies to advise on a range of broad and diverse matters.
Benjamin is an experienced delay and quantum analyst and has prepared multiple claims for extension of time, disruption, prolongation and acceleration. He has drafted detailed contractual arguments for disputed variations, termination, suspension and arbitration amongst others.
Colin Johnson
Partner, HKA
Colin Johnson has over 30 years of experience including acting as a lender, equity investor, developer, and legal and financial adviser. He has been appointed as an expert witness on more than 50 occasions.
Colin has given oral evidence and acted as an expert in matters of litigation and arbitration, ranging from investment treaty claims to commercial, contractual and construction disputes. He has supported clients on projects up to $6bn value and disputed sums up to $50 billion.
Colin uses his international experience in analysing, negotiating and managing major energy projects to determine full commercial impacts and their effect on valuations. He has worked in Europe, North America, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia on behalf of national governments, large companies, and entrepreneurs.
Colin specialises in evaluating value and damages in relation to large project companies whether in investment treaty claims, contractual disputes and investigations. He has provided expert services across a wide range of sectors including power, oil and gas, infrastructure, agriculture, mining, construction, financial services, manufacturing, real estate and telecoms.
Colin is a fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, a member of the Energy Institute and holds a diploma in International Communication (degree equivalent) in Spanish. He is fluent in Spanish and has a working proficiency in Portuguese, French and some German as well as his native language, English.
