Nathaniel Lai

⚒️ What do you do?

I am practising as an independent advocate and counsel at Duxton Hill Chambers in Singapore, focusing on international arbitration and civil litigation.  Most recently I have been working on international arbitrations seated in Singapore, Hong Kong and London, and advising on a number of cross-border litigations. I spend a lot of time in Hong Kong as that is a big part of my practice, and will be guest lecturing a course on commercial arbitration at CUHK next month.

What is your proudest achievement?
Professionally, my proudest recent achievement was successfully defending a client in a large US$200 million arbitration. A lot was riding on that case for the client, not least because of the amount in dispute, so we really pulled out all the stops. 

The case involved disputed issues that turned on very technical industry knowledge as well as points of New York law, and I am happy to say that working together as a team with lawyers from across the globe and with different specialties so that as a legal team we could provide the best expertise on each area to the client was one of the highlights of my career.

If you weren't a lawyer, what would you be?
I want to say I would be exercising or reading or picking up a hobby, but most likely I’ll be squeezing in an extra meal into each day.  Maybe between lunch and dinner.

If you had 25 hours in a day, what would you do with the extra hour?
Maybe a travel and food vlogger?  There is so much to see in the region and around the world, and I think it would be really fun to meet people from different backgrounds and living different lifestyles and helping to tell their stories.

Your favourite food haunt is...?
There are too many to name!  Off the top of my head I would say Zion Riverside Food Centre across the street from Great World City. The food is great, as is the atmosphere, and it’s along the river so you can take a stroll after to Robertson Quay for a drink or dessert. 

I also like Sing Heung Yuen in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. I used to live right above them and would go there for breakfast.  They serve up a comforting bowl of tomato soup noodles that’s perfect for when the weather gets chilly, and they’re also one of the last dai pai dongs in Hong Kong. Do give it a try if you are visiting the city.

Note: Edited for clarity & brevity.