Cavinder Bull SC
About Cavinder Bull SC
Cavinder Bull SC is the Chief Executive Officer of Drew & Napier LLC, one of Singapore's Big Four law firms. Appointed Senior Counsel in 2008 at the age of 39, he is widely regarded as one of Southeast Asia's leading litigators and international arbitrators, with over three decades of experience in complex commercial disputes. Bull also co-heads Drew & Napier's Competition Law and Regulatory Practice and sits as arbitrator in investor-state disputes globally.
Bull attended Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) and Anglo-Chinese Junior College before graduating from Trinity College, Oxford with a First Class Honours BA in Jurisprudence in 1992. Called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1993, he served as Justices' Law Clerk to Chief Justice Yong Pung How before being admitted to the Singapore Bar in 1994. He won a Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship to Harvard Law School, earning his LLM in 1996 and qualifying as an attorney in New York the same year. After practising as a litigation associate at Sullivan & Cromwell in New York, he returned to Drew & Napier in late 1997, made partner in 1998, and became CEO in August 2017.
Between June 2025 and March 2026, Bull appeared as counsel in 7 cases before Singapore courts, with matters heard in the High Court (4 cases), the Singapore International Commercial Court (2 cases), and the Court of Appeal (1 case). His recent practice spans limitation of actions, insolvency law, arbitration, civil procedure, and statutory interpretation. Among his most prominent matters are the Ivanishvili v Credit Suisse judgment of US$926 million before the SICC, the Hin Leong Trading liquidation resulting in a S$3.5 billion judgment, and the De La Sala family trust dispute valued at US$600–800 million. He also led a US$3 billion international arbitration for Sharp Corporation and acted in three arbitrations arising from Indian Premier League broadcasting rights worth over US$1.2 billion.
Bull has been named Asian Legal Business Dispute Resolution Lawyer of the Year for four consecutive years and holds Legal 500 Hall of Fame status in both dispute resolution and international arbitration. He has been ranked Chambers Band 1 for litigation for sixteen consecutive years and for arbitration for fourteen years. Further accolades include Global Commercial Litigation Lawyer of the Year in 2024, the Benchmark Litigation Hall of Fame Award, and Asia Business Law Journal A-List recognition. He serves as Vice President of the SIAC Court of Arbitration, sits on the ICCA Governing Board and the ICSID Panel of Arbitrators, and previously chaired the SGX Disciplinary Committee from 2017 to 2023 and served on the World Bank Sanctions Board from 2018 to 2023.
Education & Career
What areas of law does Cavinder Bull practice?
Cavinder Bull appeared most frequently in Limitation of Actions (4 cases), Insolvency Law (4 cases), and Arbitration (3 cases) between June 2025 to March 2026, across 7 total case appearances in Singapore courts.
Limitation of Actions 4 cases
Cavinder Bull appeared as counsel in 4 Limitation of Actions cases between June 2025 to June 2025.
Insolvency Law 4 cases
Cavinder Bull appeared as counsel in 4 Insolvency Law cases between September 2025 to March 2026.
Awards & Recognition
Show all 20 awards
Notable Matters
Professional Memberships & Appointments
How many cases has Cavinder Bull appeared in?
Cavinder Bull appeared as counsel in 7 cases before Singapore courts between June 2025 and March 2026. Four cases were heard in the High Court (General Division), two in the Singapore International Commercial Court, and one in the Court of Appeal.
Which law firm does Cavinder Bull belong to?
Cavinder Bull is the Chief Executive Officer of Drew & Napier LLC, one of Singapore's Big Four law firms. He joined Drew & Napier in 1994, made partner in 1998, and became CEO in August 2017 following Davinder Singh's departure.
Is Cavinder Bull a Senior Counsel?
Yes, Cavinder Bull was appointed Senior Counsel of the Supreme Court of Singapore in 2008 at the age of 39. He is also admitted to practice in England and Wales (1993) and New York (1996), holding qualifications in three jurisdictions.
Where did Cavinder Bull study law?
Bull graduated from Trinity College, Oxford with a First Class Honours BA in Jurisprudence in 1992 and earned his LLM from Harvard Law School in 1996 on a Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship. He attended Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) and Anglo-Chinese Junior College before university.
What notable cases has Cavinder Bull been involved in?
Bull's headline cases include the US$926 million Ivanishvili v Credit Suisse judgment before the SICC, the S$3.5 billion Hin Leong Trading liquidation judgment, and the US$600–800 million De La Sala family trust dispute. He also led a US$3 billion arbitration for Sharp Corporation and three arbitrations worth over US$1.2 billion relating to Indian Premier League broadcasting rights.
What awards has Cavinder Bull received?
Bull has been named Asian Legal Business Dispute Resolution Lawyer of the Year four consecutive times, holds Legal 500 Hall of Fame status in dispute resolution and international arbitration, and has been ranked Chambers Band 1 for litigation for sixteen years and arbitration for fourteen. He also received the Benchmark Litigation Hall of Fame Award and Asia Legal Awards Litigator of the Year in 2025.
What areas of law does Cavinder Bull practice?
Based on court records, Bull's recent practice includes limitation of actions (4 cases), insolvency law (4 cases), arbitration (3 cases), civil procedure (2 cases), and statutory interpretation (2 cases). His broader practice focuses on complex commercial litigation and international arbitration.
What professional bodies is Cavinder Bull a member of?
Bull is Vice President of the SIAC Court of Arbitration, a member of the ICCA Governing Board, and sits on the ICSID Panel of Arbitrators and the KCAB Panel. He is a Fellow of the Singapore Academy of Law and serves on the NUS Law Faculty Advisory Council. He previously chaired the SGX Disciplinary Committee from 2017 to 2023.