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Watson KC, Duncan

Duncan Watson KC

Partner

duncanwatson@quinnemanuel.com
Singapore Direct: +65 6653 4703
Singapore
Tel: +65 6653 4703 Fax: +65 6653 4704

Duncan is the managing partner of our new Singapore office.  Duncan specialises in international arbitration, and relocated from our Hong Kong office, where he spent many years as a leader of our Asian arbitration practice.  Who’s Who Legal (2021) listed him as one of the nine “most highly regarded” young arbitration partners in the Asia Pacific, and quoted peers who described as “an exceptional adviser and advocate” and “certainly among the very best of his generation”.  Duncan was appointed King’s Counsel (England & Wales) in March 2021 at the age of 37.

Duncan has acted as counsel in international commercial and investment treaty arbitrations under most arbitral institutions and rules, including the SIAC, HKIAC, ICC, UNCITRAL, ICSID, LCIA, ICDR, SCC, CAA, and Swiss Chambers. 

Duncan has acted for clients based all over the world.  He represents clients in a broad array of industries, including private equity and financial services, energy and resources, manufacturing, infrastructure, and intellectual property.   

In 2023, Chambers & Partners noted Duncan “has a keen mind and always attends to details. [He] is a gifted advocate who lets no stone go unturned but never loses his cool”.  In 2024 it said that “He is a master in cross-examination … He is absolutely incredible.”  In 2022 it said “Duncan is a real master in quantum, excellent in cross-examination, and an expert in damages calculations.  He has a lot of case work – a great guy who is a good advocate as well.” 

Duncan also sits as arbitrator, including in SIAC, HKIAC and ICC matters. He also regularly publishes and lectures on topical issues in commercial and investment treaty arbitration around the region, including advocacy. 

  • NuCoal Resources Limited
  • Viva Energy Australia Ltd
  • Lend Lease
  • Core Carbon Group ApS
  • GS Engineering & Construction

Disputes Involving Sovereign States

  • Acting for Schindler Holding AG in an investment treaty arbitration against the Republic of Korea (Paris seat, UNCITRAL Rules).
  • Acting for an Australian mining company in a $200 million claim against the Government of a West African sovereign State.
  • Acted for a Chinese digital media company in a $200 million claim against the Government of a West African sovereign State (London seat, ICC Rules).
  • Acted for a Singaporean shipping conglomerate in an investment treaty dispute with Mexico (UNCITRAL Rules).
  • Acted for a Korean resources company in a $50 million claim against an Eastern European State corporation.
  • Acted for NuCoal Resources Ltd and its shareholders in respect of actions taken by the Government of New South Wales regarding a valuable coal exploration licence, including preparations for an arbitration against the Commonwealth of Australia under the US-Australia Free Trade Agreement.
  • Acted for a Jordanian investor in three bilateral investment treaty arbitrations against Egypt in respect of political interference and frustration of a nation-wide integrated customs and shipping monitoring system (ICSID).

Commercial Disputes

  • Acting for an Indian private equity firm in a $200 million post-M&A dispute in the pharmaceutical industry (Singapore seat, SIAC Rules).
  • Acting for an Indian shipping firm in a $40 million negligence case concerning an offshore facility (Singapore seat, SMAA Rules).
  • Acting for a Korean private equity firm in a $50 million “busted deal” case in the high-tech materials industry (Singapore seat, SIAC Rules).
  • Acting for a Korean financial assets firm in a $200 million “busted deal” case in the real estate industry (Singapore seat, SIAC Rules).
  • Acting for a major shareholder of one of the largest life insurance companies in Korea in two shareholder disputes valued, between them, at over US$2 billion shareholders dispute (Seoul seat, ICC Rules).
  • Acting for a high net worth individual in a shareholder dispute concerning a stake in a major cryptocurrency exchange business (HK law and seat, HKIAC Rules).
  • Acting for a PRC private equity firm in a claim arising out of an aborted acquisition of a life  sciences firm (HK law and seat, HKIAC Rules).
  • Acting for a PRC life sciences firm in a claim for breach of warranty and misrepresentation (HK law  and seat, HKIAC Rules).
  • Acting for a PRC life sciences firm in a claim concerning breach of an exclusive licence to distribute a new cancer treatment (HK law and seat, HKIAC Rules).
  • Acting for a Korean private equity firm in a breach of warranty claim with respect to the purchase of a majority stake in a PRC private education business (HK law and seat, UNCITRAL Rules).
  • Acted for a Korean heavy industries company in a $120 million claim concerning a subsea pipeline  in the Middle East (Kuwait law, London seat, LCIA Rules).
  • Acting for a major international hotel chain in a claim for breach of contract and fiduciary duty  concerning management of a hotel in Istanbul (English law, London seat, ICC Rules).
  • Acted for an American electric vehicles manufacturer in a $2 billion breach of contract claim,  including two emergency arbitrations (Hong Kong law and seat, HKIAC Rules). 
  • Acted for a Korean private equity firm in a $200 million breach of warranty claim with respect to the  purchase of a major insurance provider (Hong Kong seat, ICC Rules).
  • Acted for a Korean private equity firm in a $1.1 billion breach of warranty claim with respect to the  purchase of a major retail chain (London seat, ICC Rules).
  • Acted for a private equity firm in a $1.5 billion dispute concerning the ownership and control of two  investment targets (Hong Kong law and seat, ICC Rules).
  • Acted for a Chinese investment vehicle in a $100 million breach of contract claim (Hong Kong seat,  HKIAC Rules).
  • Acted for a European bank and its Hong Kong branch in a $200+ million breach of contract  dispute (Taipei seat, CAA Rules).
  • Acted for a Korean heavy industries conglomerate in a $400+ million breach of warranty and  misrepresentation dispute (Boston seat, ICDR Rules).
  • Acted for a Chinese electronics manufacturer in a patent licensing dispute (Hong Kong seat,  HKIAC Rules). 
  • Acted for an Australian natural gas purchaser in a price review arbitration (Perth seat, ad hoc). 
  • Acted for Korean steel company in a $200+ million ICC arbitration against its Australian joint  venture partner concerning payments made under long term offtake contracts (Perth seat, ICC  Rules).
  • Acted for a Chinese trading company in a $50 million dispute concerning the sale of an alleged  defective machine for the production of newsprint (Hong Kong seat, UNCITRAL Rules).
  • Acted for a Fortune 500 beverages company in a dispute against its Indian distributor (Hong Kong  law and seat, HKIAC Rules).   
  • Acted for a Korean construction conglomerate in a subcontractor dispute arising out of a gas  refinery project in Kuwait (London seat, ICC Rules).
  • Acted for Korean ship-building company in a multi-party dispute concerning allegedly faulty  components in a number of deepwater drillships. 
  • Acted for a Chinese electronics manufacturer in a dispute concerning the sale of defective machinery  for the production of solar cells (Hong Kong seat, HKIAC Rules).
  • Acted for several wealthy Russian individuals, defending a US$3 billion dispute in respect of a high- profile commercial property development brought by a former business partner (London seat, LCIA  Rules).
  • Acted for Russian businessman and entrepreneur Oleg Deripaska in his High Court proceedings against Michael Cherney, one of the largest and most complex commercial disputes ever to come to  trial in the High Court.
  • Acted for Core Carbon Group in a dispute relating to investments in carbon credit projects in Russia. Succeeded in obtaining an award for the client in excess of US$150 million, together with the  full costs of the arbitration (Stockholm seat, SCC Rules).
  • Acted for Viva Energy Australia Ltd in its successful defence of urgent injunction proceedings  brought by its alliance partner, Eureka Operations Pty Ltd (part of the Coles Group), to prevent  Viva from proceeding with a planned $2.1 billion listed real estate investment trust.
  • Acted for an Indonesian State-owned bank, defending a $50 million Arbitration in respect of  allegedly fraudulent repo transactions (London seat, LCIA Rules).
  • Acted for GS Engineering & Construction in English High Court litigation in respect of its purchase  of two Algerian water treatment plants.
  • Acted for a South African mining company, defending US$1 billion Swiss Chambers and ICC  arbitrations brought by a Russian resources company in respect of a failed mine construction  project.
  • University of Oxford
    (Bachelor of Civil Law, Distinction, 2010; Sir Rupert Cross Memorial Prize for Evidence)
  • University of Queensland
    (Bachelor of Laws, First Class Honours, 2005; Bachelor of Arts, International Relations and Psychology, 2004)

Admitted as a Legal Practitioner of the

  • King's Counsel (2021)
  • England & Wales
  • Queensland
  • High Court of Australia
  • Allens Arthur Robinson:
    • Lawyer, 2008-2009
  • Associate to the Honourable Justice M. Wilson:
    • Supreme Court of Queensland, 2006-2007
  • Recognized by Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration 2022-2024
  • Recognized by Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration Future Leaders 2016-2021 (in 2021 listed as one of the most well regarded in the Asia Pacific)
  • Ranked by Chambers Asia-Pacific, China, International Arbitration, 2022-2023 (Band 2), 2021 (Band 3), 2020 (Band 4)
  • Ranked by Chambers Asia-Pacific, South Korea, International Arbitration, 2024 (Band 2), 2023 (Band 3), 2020-2022 (Band 4)
  • Recognized by Lawdragon in its “2023 and 2024 Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Litigators” (International Litigation & Arbitration)