arbitration
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Court of Arbitration (ICA) has ramped up its Asia presence, opening a secretariat - primarily concerned with case management - in Singapore, in a bid to continue boosting its Asia footprint.
The Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) has seen a two-third increase in new cases filed in 2016 involving Indian parties, with India remaining the largest overseas jurisdiction to adjudicate in Singapore, way ahead of China.
The Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) has appointed Drew & Napier CEO and Singapore senior counsel Davinder Singh as its new board of directors chairman to replace Allen & Gledhill chairman Lucien Wong , who is stepping down from SIAC today due to his appointment as Singapore’s attorney general.
The Mumbai Centre for International Arbitration (MCIA) is nearly up and running, having published its rules and fees on its website, and now having a full-time registrar after hiring former Trilegal senior associate Neeti Sachdeva, who has previously also worked with Economic Laws Practice (ELP), the LCIA and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in Paris.
The London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) will shut down its India-based operation after a lack of uptake.
India slipped from being one of the five countries with the highest number of International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitrations in 2012, to bringing the 10th highest number of ICC arbitrations in 2014, according to data from the International Chamber of Commerce, where India lost its four-year lead on China after 2012.
Former Clifford Chance foreign legal consultant Pranav Mago is now heading the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) South Asia. Mago took over the role on 17 August from Scheherazade Dubash.
Commerce ministry joint secretary Sudhanshu Pandey told a US-Indian delegation today that the government would seek to pass an amendment to the Arbitration and Conciliation Act this session that would allow foreign lawyers to come to India to act for their clients in arbitrations in order to boost domestic arbitrations.
Delhi Suri & Co partner Shashank Garg has rejoined Advani & Co, which he had left around 18 months ago to explore growth opportunities outside Advani, where he was a partner.
Reliance Industries has replaced its ex-CJI SP Bharucha, who resigned last week as its arbitrator, with former UK appeals judge Bernard Rix as the third arbitrator in its dispute with the government over the KG-D6 basin, reported PTI.
Bharucha had reportedly recused himself after the government had objected to him because he had allegedly not disclosed his previous links to Reliance, after the parties had tussled for months to find mutually satisfactory arbitrators in the dispute.
The Supreme Court has selected former Australian high court judge Michael Kirby to chair over the arbitration between Reliance Industries and the Centre over KG Basin gas production, after five months ago Justice SS Nijjar, had already selected one and then another Australian ex-judge to preside after the first turned out to have been preferred by Reliance.
Justice JS Khehar has now confirmed Kirby, who will arbitrate alongside ex-Chief Justice of India’s (CJI) SP Bharucha and VN Khare - respectively Reliance and ministry nominees - reported the Times of India.
Senior Advocate and former Additional Solicitor General of India (ASG) Gourab Banerji will be joining London’s Essex Court Chambers as an overseas associate on 1 October.
Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) deputy registrar Vivekananda Neelakantan joins top Singapore firm Allen & Gledhill.
J Sagar Associates (JSA) Bangalore partner Promod Nair has started an independent arbitration practice.
The Supreme Court of India has appointed ex Australian high court judge Michael Hudson McHugh to preside over the $1.8bn arbitration between the government and Reliance Industries (RIL) relating to the KG basin.
Supreme Court Justice SS Nijjar had originally picked ex-Australian Supreme Court judge James Spigelman in late March but several days later withdrew his suggestion because Spigelman was on a list of preferred arbitrators of Reliance.
Reliance counsel Harish Salve had requested a foreign arbitrator, while the oil ministry was rooting for an Indian head arbitrator. [PTI] [2 April: SC U-turns]