Justin Cher Chuan Tan

Clients rely on Justin’s knowledge of greenfield/brownfield energy (especially LNG and renewables), chemicals, ports/terminals and other infrastructure projects all around the world, including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, the Philippines, China, Brazil and the UAE.

Justin is also the lead Asia-based partner for the firm’s Sanctions and Export Controls practice, and advises clients at the boardroom level on sanctions and trade regulatory issues, including supporting them with developing sanctions and trade risk analysis, management and mitigation frameworks.

Justin speaks fluent English, Mandarin and Japanese. He has served clients including Itochu, Marubeni, TotalEnergies and SLB.

• A Chinese state-owned petrochemical company on establishing a Singapore trading joint venture company with one of the largest private Chinese energy companies to conduct international oil trading business.
• One of Japan’s largest energy companies on its equity investment into a joint venture with a major Middle Eastern NOC and one of the top international exchange and marketplace operators in the world.
• A privately owned Chinese energy trading company on its merger with another Chinese energy trading company and subsequent corporate restructuring exercise.
• A top tier Japanese trading house on its potential investment into a nickel processing facility in Indonesia.
• A top tier Japanese trading house on its acquisition of an equity stake in aluminum concessions and smelters in East Malaysia.
• A US-based PE fund on its proposed acquisition of a chemical manufacturing plant in Malaysia in a competitive tender.
• On the SGD 151 million acquisition by one of the largest alternative investment management companies in the world of a premium residential estate in Singapore.
• Owners of a data centre in Singapore on a high profile competitive auction involving over 20 bidders.
• Japan's largest trading house on its investment into a dry bulk ship pooling business headquartered in the US, involving entities across 9 jurisdictions.
• A major Hong-Kong headquartered shipping conglomerate on its plans to move its operational headquarters to Singapore, involving the re-domiciliation of all its groups companies and the reflagging of its entire fleet.
• One of the largest auto parts manufacturer in the world on its corporate venture capital investment as a limited partner into a Singapore fund established by a leading Singapore-based fund manager.
• On a commercial joint venture in Indonesia entered into by a top tier Japanese trading house with an Indonesian distributor for the import of grains for downstream distribution in the Indonesian market.
• International commodities trading houses on their vertical supply chain acquisitions including logistics, storage, transportation and processing assets.
• A UK-based fund manager on its establishment of a Singapore joint venture vehicle for the acquisition of a hospital in Egypt.
• One of the largest medical devices company in the world on the APAC portion of the spin-off of its pharmaceutical business and subsequent corporate restructuring exercise across multiple APAC jurisdictions.
• One of the largest medical device company in the world on its acquisition of a substantial part of the business and assets of a Singapore stock exchange listed life sciences/therapeutics company.

Projects, Energy & Infrastructure

Advised:

• A US-headquartered carbon credits company on legal issues regarding its ownership and marketing of Indonesian voluntary carbon credits.
• A major European storage and infrastructure company on its proposed development of an LNG bunkering terminal on Jurong Island, Singapore.
• An American multinational manufacturer and marketer of chemical products on its joint venture for the USD 750 million expansion of an existing polyurethanes facility in the Shanghai Chemical Industrial Park.
• The Philippines PPP Center on the implementation of a major seaport project in the Philippines to support the region's potential to be the center of maritime activities in the Philippines, and as a transhipment hub for the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).
• A top tier Japanese trading house and its partners on their joint venture to build and operate a centralised utilities facility (supplying electricity, water, gas, hydrogen and wastewater treatment) to a refinery commissioned by Petrobras outside Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on a BOT basis.
• On the investment by one of the largest solar companies in the world into a solar manufacturing and power project development joint venture in western China.
• A top tier Japanese trading house on its plans to operate an EV fleet leasing business including related EV infrastructure in a number of Southeast Asia jurisdictions.
• The Taiwan Power Company on its proposed corporate restructuring and deregulation of the Taiwanese power sector pursuant to recent Taiwanese legislation prescribing the same.

Life Sciences and E-Commerce

Advised:

• One of the largest China-based e-commerce platforms on regulations applying to health supplements in a number of South East Asian jurisdictions.
• A major US-headquartered pharmaceutical company on the licensing and product registration regulations applying to the manufacturing, distribution and sales of pharmaceutical products in China.
• A number of US and Europe based life sciences early-stage companies on establishing presences in Singapore and other APAC jurisdictions.
• One of the largest B2B healthcare/life sciences service providers in APAC on a multijurisdictional enquiry on data protection issues relating to the monetization of healthcare data.
• A major commodities trading house on establishing a B2B e-commerce platform for part of its business in Singapore and Malaysia.

Trade Sanctions and Related Advice

• Provided board room level strategic risk management and mitigation advice to one of the largest oil and gas services companies in the world in the context of the volatile geopolitical situation arising from US-China trade tensions.

Advised:

• A number of clients on issues caused by or arising out of the enforced restructuring of the assets of the Sakhalin-2 LNG project by the Russian government.
• Various ship charterers on the impact of US measures taken against shipowners.
• Some of the largest energy and oil and gas services companies in the world on the impact of EU and US sanctions on Myanmar state entities.