Tien Tai
Partner
About Tien
Tien is a finance lawyer specialising in structured trade, commodity finance and ship finance and has been based in the UAE for over 17 years.
Tien has been involved in a number of domestic and cross border financings such as the award winning Port Khalifa financing (2020). Tien’s current matters also include representing the Swiss headquarters of a global bank in the restructuring of a UAE-based large oil trader (ongoing 2025).
Tien also specialises in asset and international finance including acting for financial institutions (including commercial and development banks), international corporations and shipping companies in relation to the financing, chartering, newbuilding and sale and purchase of ships and yachts including Islamic finance techniques.
Tien was previously seconded to the in-house legal team of a major banking client in the Dubai International Financial Centre.
What the market says about Tien
Ranked as a Band 1 individual in UAE Shipping by Chambers Global 2025 (and every year since 2017)
“He is very helpful and available, good at risk management and very sound on financing documents. He has helped us in a very big way. It is a positive experience working with him; he is top-notch.” Chambers Global UAE Transportation: Shipping: Finance & Non-Contentious 2025
Ranked as a Leading Individual in UAE Shipping by Legal 500 EMEA 2024 (and 2023, 2020 and 2019)
Chambers Global 2024 states that “Tien Tai has been in the region for a very long time and has great local market and legal knowledge as well as being very user-friendly and responsive.”
Legal 500 EMEA 2024 says that “Tien Tai is a technically excellent and responsive partner. He is a pleasure to deal with.”
Legal 500 EMEA 2023 says that “Tien Tai handles some of the largest ship financings in the region” with a client echoing that “Tien Tai is a go-to for ship finance” Legal 500 EMEA 2023
Chambers Global 2023 states that “Tien Tai has considerable experience as a finance lawyer”
In Chambers Global 2023, clients remark that “he’s a great character with extensive industry knowledge” and “he is solution-oriented.”
Along with Andrzej Czernis, Tien contributed the UAE chapter of Getting the Deal Through Ship Finance Handbook 2023, which contains international insights into all areas of finance and vessel ownership affecting the international shipping industry. It is available to download by clicking here.