Daniel LIU is a Partner in the Restructuring & Insolvency and Special Situations Advisory Practices.

Daniel specialises in large-scale corporate restructurings and complex cross-border insolvencies. He advises and acts for debtors-in-possession, insolvency practitioners, creditors and investors in distressed and insolvency situations. His practice in high-profile restructurings also requires him to advise on matters relating to corporate governance, corporate M&A transactions, bonds and equities markets and financial services regulatory matters.

Daniel’s principal areas of practice include acting as lead counsel in out-of-court turnarounds, schemes of arrangement, judicial management and liquidations. He leads the formulation of commercial turnaround strategies, navigation of diverse multi-stakeholder scenarios with complex capital/financing structures, and the securing of favourable outcomes from the perspective of creditor recovery (including through asset tracing). He is regularly engaged as lead counsel in cross-border briefs that require recognition and enforcement involving the UNCITRAL Model Law on Cross-Border Insolvency.

Daniel also has particular expertise and know-how in digital assets, artificial intelligence, blockchain, FinTech and other technology-sector industries; he is a member of the INSOL International INSOLTech Committee and a participating author in the Oxford Handbook on Digital Asset and the Law (upcoming).

Daniel’s expertise and approach have earned him recognition and praise. He is recognised as a leading restructuring and insolvency lawyer in IFLR1000: Financial & Corporate, Lexology Index and Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific. He has also been described in Legal 500: Asia Pacific as "a technical genius with a knack for finding the solutions that hit home".

Daniel also has extensive experience within the judicial ecosystem, having been a Justices’ Law Clerk with the Singapore Supreme Court, before entering private practice. He was also appointed as a Law Clerk to assist the Competition Appeal Board during his time with the Singapore Supreme Court. He was also appointed as Young Amicus Curiae in the case of Bellingham, Alex v Reed, Michael [2022] 4 SLR 513 where the Singapore High Court recorded its "appreciation for the assistance given … by Mr Liu".

Daniel graduated from Singapore Management University as the School of Law Valedictorian of the graduating class in 2013. He is admitted to the Singapore Bar and was ranked joint 3rd in the 2013 Singapore Bar Examinations.

Matters of significance in which Daniel has been involved in include advising / acting for the following:

  • The preparation of the scheme of arrangement proposed by Pacific International Lines in the restructuring of approximately US$3.3 billion in aggregate of debts and liabilities of the shipping group. This was the most successful restructuring in Asia in recent history.
  • The Liquidators of the crypto hedge fund 3 Arrows Capital on the operational nuances of the digital assets business to maximise recovery for creditors in relation to an estimated US$3.5 billion debt claims; acting as lead counsel in the investigation in relation to the former directors to locate and secure digital assets of the business.
  • ABN AMRO Bank, the second-largest bank creditor in the insolvency of the Hin Leong group of companies; formulate litigation strategies and coordinate discussions with stakeholders to maximise recovery for the bank.
  • The judicial management of Hodlnaut, a Singapore-based crypto lending and borrowing platform, for the purposes of formulating an innovative restructuring proposal.
  • The preparation of the scheme of arrangement proposed by Hyflux Ltd in respect of the restructuring of approximately US$2.3 billion in liabilities.
  • Complex high value arbitrations including for Indonesian entities against subsidiaries of a Chinese SOE in two related ICC arbitrations arising from a joint venture for the construction and operation of an oil storage complex and terminal facilities valued at more than US$500 million; as well as a South Korean entity in two related ICC arbitrations concerning web and mobile games published using one of the most valuable software IPs in China.

Related Practices

  • Restructuring & Insolvency
  • Special Situations Advisory
  • Halsbury's Laws of Singapore: Vol. 4: Civil Procedure: 2024 Reissue
  • Oxford Handbook of Digital Assets and the Law: The Treatment of Digital Assets in Insolvency (upcoming)

The Legal 500: Asia Pacific – The Client’s Guide to the Asia Pacific Legal Profession

"Daniel Liu is a technical genius with a knack for finding the solutions that hit home."

"Daniel Liu combines technical brilliance with commercial nous, and can always be relied upon to solve the most difficult problems."

"Daniel Liu and his team demonstrated immaculate attention to detail, particularly in relation to the numbers involved, which was critical to the lawsuit."

IFLR1000: Financial & Corporate – The Guide to the World's Leading Financial Law Firms

  • Restructuring and Insolvency – Singapore: Notable Practitioner

Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific

  • Insolvency – Singapore: Future Star

Lexology Index

  • Recommended Leader in Restructuring & Insolvency: Southeast Asia

Contact Details

Qualifications

Singapore Management University (LL.B., Hons.)

Singapore Bar

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