Profile details
About Nicholas Lee
Nick in an Associate in our international arbitration group, based in our Singapore office. He has experience in both investor-state arbitration and international commercial arbitration matters, as well as complex commercial litigation.
Nick's practice includes representing states and investors in investor-state arbitrations as well as international commercial arbitrations. He has represented clients in disputes across a wide variety of sectors, including oil and gas exploration and development, construction and engineering, renewable energy investments, and post-M&A and shareholder disputes.
Before joining Freshfields, Nick was based in London and practiced in the dispute resolution group of a Magic Circle firm. During this time he represented clients in international arbitrations as well as commercial litigations before the High Court and in the Competition Appeal Tribunal.
Nick was educated at the University of Oxford, graduating with a BA in Jurisprudence. He is qualified to practice in England and Wales, and is a registered foreign lawyer in Singapore. He speaks English and Mandarin Chinese.
Recent work
- Representing two investment vehicles of a major Asia-Pacific investment fund and the SPVs they purchased in a SIAC arbitration commenced by an Indian counterparty relating to solar power generation projects in India.
- Representing the Republic of Korea in an investment treaty arbitration under the UNCITRAL Rules commenced by Elliott Associates, L.P., a major US hedge fund, relating to allegations surrounding the Korean government’s role in a US$8bn merger between two Samsung entities.
- Advising an oil and gas super major in multiple civil litigation proceedings as well as a criminal investigation involving transactions with an Asian buyer.
- Representing a Japanese energy investor before the ICSID in an Energy Charter Treaty arbitration against Spain.
- Advising an Australian mining company in relation to a potential investment arbitration against a Southeast Asian state, arising from measures taken impacting the client's licence to operate various processing facilities in the state, and complicated by parallel domestic proceedings.
- Representing four real estate investment funds of a global private equity house in an Indian-law governed, Singapore-seated SIAC arbitration over a major commercial development in India.
- Representing a professional services partner in a SIAC emergency arbitration and the ensuing arbitral proceedings involving the enforceability of restrictive covenants in a partnership agreement.
- Advising Credit Suisse in its defence of a High Court claim brought by the Republic of Mozambique, arising out of the multi-billion dollar ‘hidden debts’ scandal.*
- Advising MAN SE in its defence of multi-billion pound follow-on damages proceedings in the UK courts and Competition Appeals Tribunal which cover numerous individual claims, group actions and competing applications for Collective Proceedings Orders.*
* Matters worked on prior to joining Freshfields.
Qualifications
Education
- University of Oxford, Christ Church (BA Jurisprudence)
- BPP University, London (Accelerated Legal Practice Course)
Professional qualifications
- Solicitor, England and Wales (admitted February 2020)
- Registered Foreign Lawyer, Singapore