Daniel Chua

⚒️ What do you do?

I am a Senior Associate in Peter & Kim’s Singapore office. I work across a diverse range of cross-border dispute resolution with a particular focus on international commercial and investment treaty arbitration, across a range of sectors including energy, hotels, infrastructure, mergers and acquisitions, mining, pharmaceuticals, professional services and telecommunications sectors, as well as disputes involving elements of public international law.

I am currently defending a Southeast Asian State against investment treaty claims brought against them in ICSID Additional Facility Arbitration proceedings on allegations of denial of justice. The dispute raises interesting questions on the interplay (if any) that the New York Convention has on the standards of investment protection that one should expect by virtue of being a signatory to the New York Convention.

What is your proudest achievement?
I think my most recent professional achievement that I am proud of is having a book on Malaysian commercial conflict of laws which I co-wrote cited with approval by a judge in the High Court of Kuala Lumpur. The point related to the different criteria to be adopted when faced with an application to stay court proceedings in the face of an exclusive jurisdiction clause or non-exclusive jurisdiction clause. The judge had “respectfully adopt[ed]” our analysis and added further to the legal test we proposed.

A special shoutout to my co-authors Kwong Chiew Ee, Chai Phing Zhou, Aravind Kumar and Melvin Ng, who are continuing to write about this developing area of law in Malaysia.

If you weren't a lawyer, what would you be?
I had always dreamed of writing my own series of epic fantasy novels, having been inspired by the legendarium created by JRR Tolkien. While I’m now quite used to writing to tell my client’s stories and what I think arbitration and conflict of laws is and should be, they’re often not as fantastical.

If you had 25 hours in a day, what would you do with the extra hour?
Maybe get started on writing those novels I was talking about.

Your favourite food haunt is...?
Growing up in Penang, there is just too many to choose from. If I had to choose one, it would be Sin Nam Huat Roasted Chicken & Duck Rice in Fettes Park, which is just a few minutes away from my family home in Penang. They serve the best mixed chicken, duck and pork rice, and chai boey (mustard greens stew).

Note: Edited for clarity & brevity.