> Peter Huang

Peter Huang

Associate Director
Singapore

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Peter is one of the leading young lawyers in his cohort, with extensive experience in cross-border disputes, and a stellar track record both academically and professionally. Peter started out his career with a specialisation in shipping and trade related dispute resolution, which remains his forte, but has since expanded his area of expertise into wider cross-border commercial disputes, including joint venture and shareholder disputes, commercial fraud, and crypto-related work. He regularly appears before the Singapore court in complex and high profile cases, and has extensive experience acting in arbitrations under the rules of SIAC, SCMA, LMAA, LCIA, and ICC. Peter regularly advises on disputes in other jurisdictions, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Africa, and South America.

Peter is amongst a small circle of lawyers with real, first-hand knowledge and experience of the inner workings of the web3 industry, through his secondment and advisory work to a suite of clients in the entire lifecycle of the blockchain and crypto industry. Peter has further been seconded to various commodity trading houses and trade financing banks.

At the National University of Singapore, Peter was awarded the M. Karthigesu Memorial Gold Medal for top shipping student, as well as the Maritime Law Association of Singapore Prize in Carriage of Goods by Sea. Peter pursued a further LLM degree at NUS and graduated as the top student of his cohort. He was a seasoned mooter and a member of the team which clinched the world champion in the 2015 Jean Pictet moot on international humanitarian law. Peter continues to coach mooting at NUS Law and is a guest lecturer at the Centre of Excellence International Trading at the Nanyang Technological University.

Peter is native Chinese and effectively bilingual, and deeply understands the Chinese culture and legal landscape. He is regularly invited to speak to Chinese audiences in promotion of dispute resolution in Singapore, including Lawyers Associations, representatives of the Ministry of Justice, and Judges. Before joining Helmsman, Peter worked as a solicitor in a leading international shipping firm, where he obtained qualification to practise English law, on top of his Singapore qualification.

Recognitions

Benchmark Litigation

“Peter is friendly, knowledgeable, has expertise in shipping and I can trust him with our case. He is my most reliable lawyer in Singapore.”

Legal 500

“…providing expert understanding of theoretical underpinnings of laws, appreciation for practical problems faced by clients and outstanding preparation.”

Awards

Recognised as a Rising Star by Asian Legal Business
Recognised as a Key Lawyer in Legal 500
Recognised as a Rising Star in Asia Law for Aviation and Shipping

Experience / Representative Matters

Commercial Disputes

Successfully obtained a worldwide freezing injunction from the Singapore High Court over a claim of approximately USD 40 million on behalf of a minority shareholder against the majority shareholder. The case arose out of the termination of a joint venture with assets across China and Singapore including multiple vessels, and he successfully resisted an application for setting aside of the freezing injunction and stay of proceedings on the basis of forum non conveniens.

Advised a Chinese based majority shareholder in maintaining proper management and control of a joint venture company in Singapore with operations involving a fleet of over 20 vessels in a West African country, including managing arbitrations commencing in Singapore and China, as well as various injunctions and litigations in West Africa.

Part of a team that successfully struck out a claim before the Singapore High Court worth approximately USD 60 million. Brought by the liquidators of a wound-up company against companies within the same group, for alleged unlawful transfer of assets prior to the winding up arising out of the restructuring of the group of companies.

Shipping

Acted for the owners of soyabeans loaded onboard a vessel arrested in Singapore and successfully negotiated a release of the vessel with onward carriage to China by way of a private sale of the vessel whilst under arrest, avoiding a financial loss of more than USD 25 million to the owners arising from the China-US trade tariff war.

Acting for the shipowner whose ship was arrested in Singapore, successfully applied to reduce the security for release by close to USD 10 million, and presently acting in the SCMA arbitration and parallel Singapore court proceedings against a Hong Kong-based container liner in respect of claims and cross claims over USD 30 million.

Successfully acted for the shipowner in a claim against the charterers before the Singapore High Court for demurrage and damages for dangerous cargo.

Commodities

Successfully defended a Chinese State-Owned Entity in a SIAC arbitration brought by a Korean trading counterparty for non-performance of a trading contract of biofuel on the basis of the intermediary’s fraud and lack of authority, with costs ordered in full against the claimant.

Successfully acted for a Chinese trading house in a SIAC arbitration over a claim of approximately USD 7 million in respect of off-specification iron ore loaded and shipped from Guinea, challenging the validity of the quality survey certificate issued at the load port.

Assisted in the investigation of a fraud perpetuated in Ecuador in respect of precious metal and sham quality certificate, with the investigation report used as evidenced before the Chinese court in an action against the inspection agency.

Areas of Expertise

Commercial Disputes

Our focus is practical and effective dispute management.

Commodities

Specialist support in contentious and non-contentious matters.

Shipping

Industry-wide representation in this complex, cross-border ecosystem.