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Chen Zhihui

Associate Director, Dispute Resolution

Key Practices

Qualifications

  • Advocate & Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore (2017)
  • LL.B (Hons), University of Southampton (2015)
  • BBA, National University of Singapore (2012)

Zhihui’s practice focuses on civil and commercial dispute resolution. He has acted for clients in a wide range of contentious matters, including construction, infrastructure, energy, shipping, international trade, shareholders, joint venture, employment, MCST, and arbitration-related litigation. 

Zhihui has experience in international arbitrations, both ad hoc and institutional (including SIAC, HKIAC, LMAA, SCMA, CIETAC, etc). He has appeared before all levels of the Singapore courts, and also regularly represents clients in adjudication proceedings under the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act.

Besides contentious work, he regularly advises clients on non-contentious matters, ranging from the review and drafting of contracts to general corporate and legal advisory work.

Zhihui read law at the University of Southampton and graduated with First Class Honours. He was also awarded numerous academic prizes, including Seymour J Gubb Prize (top first year student), Law School Prize (top second year student), Swords Prize (best dissertation paper), Macfarlanes Prize (top student in contract law), Moore Blatch Prize (top student in equity and trusts) amongst others. In addition to his legal education, Zhihui also holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the National University of Singapore.

Zhihui is fluent in both English and Mandarin Chinese.

Some of Zhihui’s recent experience includes:

Building and Construction

  • Acted for the main contractor in an arbitration in relation to a sporting facility.
  • Acted for the reinforced concrete sub-contractor in an arbitration in relation to a landmark mixed-use development in Singapore with claims and counterclaims concerning issues of delays and defects in excess of S$70 million.
  • Advised the structural steel sub-contractor in relation to issues concerning extension of time, delays, and variation works for a public sector project in Singapore. 

Infrastructure and Energy

  • Advised the contractor in relation to issues concerning delays and disruption and payment dispute in a mass rapid train (MRT) project.
  • Acted for the employer in an arbitration against the contractor in relation to a wind farm project in Vietnam.

Civil and Commercial Disputes

  • Arbitration-related litigation - Acted for a successful claimant in resisting an application to set aside the arbitration award: HC/OA 94/2022 and HC/OA 228/2022 (unreported). for a successful claimant in resisting an application to set aside the arbitration award: HC/OA 94/2022 and HC/OA 228/2022 (unreported). 
  • International trade - Acted for a Singapore company in a claim against a Chinese state-owned entity in relation to a supply contract with claims in excess of US$30 million (China seated, CIETAC rules).
  • Charterparty - Acted for a shipowner in a claim against charterers for repudiatory breach of contract of affreightment resulting in losses in excess of US$5 million (Hong Kong seat, LMAA rules). 
  • Air & marine cargo insurance – Advised and acted for air and marine cargo insurers in respect of coverage and subrogated recovery work. 

Commercial Advisory & Non-Contentious Work

  • Retained by the Singapore subsidiary of a Chinese-listed company to provide general corporate and legal advisory work.

(*includes experience in previous firm)

The Legal 500 Asia Pacific
International Arbitration 2023 

“… a solid team, whether as a whole or individually, are more than capable of pulling their own weight and delivering value to us in the context of the role they play; we must mention … Zhihui Chen ...”

  • Member, Singapore Academy of Law
  • Member, Law Society of Singapore