Rajah & Tann Singapore has hired senior government lawyer Scott Tan as a partner in its international arbitration practice, strengthening its expertise in public international law and state-related disputes.
Tan joins from Singapore’s Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC), where he was director of the international disputes practice group within its international affairs division.
In that role, he led work concerning Singapore’s international dispute resolution practice and policy. His matters included proceedings before the International Court of Justice, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, the World Trade Organization dispute settlement system, and investment arbitration tribunals.
The appointment gives Rajah & Tann additional experience spanning both contentious proceedings and government policy at a time when Singapore continues to promote itself as a centre for resolving cross-border disputes.
Ng Kim Beng, managing partner of Rajah & Tann Singapore, said: “We are delighted to welcome Scott to Rajah & Tann Singapore. His extensive experience in public international law and international dispute resolution adds significant depth to our capabilities, particularly in complex cross-border matters where legal, commercial and policy considerations intersect.
“Scott’s arrival reflects our continued commitment to strengthening our disputes offering and delivering sophisticated, practical counsel to clients across the region and beyond.”
Tan has represented Singapore in bilateral and multilateral trade, investment and diplomatic negotiations. These included the upgrade of the China-Singapore Free Trade Agreement, signed in 2023, and the EFTA-Singapore Digital Economy Agreement, signed in 2025.
Tan’s exposure to both treaty-making and dispute settlement should complement the firm’s ability to handle cases in which commercial claims overlap with questions of state conduct, jurisdiction or diplomatic policy.
His previous roles add domestic experience to that international profile, while his work for the chief justice placed him close to the leadership of Singapore’s court system.
His advisory experience covers international trade and investment law, the law of the sea, sovereign immunity and state responsibility. That background will support Rajah & Tann’s work on disputes involving states, treaties and questions of public international law, as well as commercial cases with a policy dimension.
Before joining the AGC’s international affairs division, Tan held several positions in the Singapore Legal Service. He served as special assistant to Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, an assistant registrar and district judge, a justices’ law clerk and a deputy public prosecutor.
His arrival coincides with last week’s announcement that Menon will retire in February 2027, after more than 14 years of service. Justice Sushil Sukumaran Nair, currently a Court of Appeal judge, will succeed him as the fifth Chief Justice of Singapore, as it welcomes the 2027 IBA annual conference later that November.
Under Menon’s leadership, the judiciary has undergone significant transformation, strengthening its institutional foundations, modernising its administration and introducing and expanding the role of the Singapore International Commercial Court, working closely with Justice Philip Jetenaryam, its president.
Menon oversaw major reforms to enhance the courts’ capabilities, including digital transformation and establishing the appellate division of the High Court.
Tan is the second senior lawyer from the Singapore Attorney-General’s Chambers to join Rajah & Tann’s disputes team in less than a year. The firm recruited former deputy director David Menon in November 2025 to strengthen its commercial disputes practice.
The firm also added commercial disputes partners Paras Lalwani and Reka Mohan from Bayfront Law in August 2025. Lalwani’s practice focuses on international arbitration and regulatory investigations, while Mohan handles banking and finance disputes, commercial litigation and commercial arbitration.
The arrivals follow leadership changes at the firm, with Avinash Pradhan appointed head of international arbitration in April, with deputy managing partner Kelvin Poon SC becoming regional head of dispute resolution.
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