Profile details
About Nicholas Lingard
The head of Freshfields’ international arbitration practice in Asia, Nick is an experienced international arbitration counsel and advocate.
He leads one of the most active treaty arbitration practices in Asia, representing both investors and states, in high-profile, politically complex cases around Asia and the world.
Nick also represents clients in commercial and construction disputes across a variety of industries, under all major arbitral rules, including ICSID, ICC, SIAC, UNCITRAL, HKIAC, AIAC, JCAA, AAA and NAI, and under all major systems of law.
He provides public international law advice to sovereign and private clients, and accepts occasional appointments as arbitrator.
Nick is recognised as a leading international arbitration practitioner by all the major directories. He is ranked in Band 1 for international arbitration in Singapore by Chambers & Partners and as a Band 1 “Leading Individual” for arbitration in Singapore by Legal 500. The directories variously note that “his reputation is fully justified”, “his knowledge is vast and supreme” and “his advocacy is tremendous”.
A former law clerk to the Chief Justice of Australia, Nick was educated at the University of Queensland, where he graduated at the top of his class in law and Japanese, and Harvard Law School, where he was a Frank Knox Memorial Fellow.
Nick speaks English and Japanese.
Recent work
- Representing a northeast Asian state in defending treaty claims made by alleged Iranian investors relating to a failed M&A transaction
- Representing a southeast Asian state in defending treaty claims made by an alleged dual national
- Advising a consortium of Japanese companies on a potential billion-dollar ICSID arbitration against the Government of Indonesia relating to a hydroelectric project and aluminium smelter
- Representing an energy investor in defending complex commercial claims (ICC) arising from investments impacted by political upheaval in Thailand
- Representing a multinational oil and gas company in a billion-dollar arbitration concerning the construction of a floating platform
- Representing a leading mining company in claims against a Latin American state relating to regulatory charges and attempts to exist its business
Qualifications
Education
- University of Queensland
- Harvard Law School
Professional qualifications
- Admitted to practice in New York, England & Wales and New South Wales
- Registered foreign lawyer at the Singapore International Commercial Court
Professional memberships
- Expert member of the Energy Charter Treaty Secretariat’s legal advisory taskforce
- Singapore International Arbitration Centre Users Council