Bhavish is of Counsel in Watson Farley & Williams’ Dispute Resolution Group.

He specialises in Asia-based international commercial arbitration and is a key member of our team in dealing with disputes from the ASEAN region, China and South Asia. He is also actively involved in developing the firm’s technology practice, having obtained an LLM focussed on competition and regulatory policy over the digital economy and new business models.

Before joining Watson Farley & Williams in 2012, Bhavish spent five years working in one of Singapore’s most prestigious disputes practices.

Bhavish has extensive advisory experience and has acted as lead counsel in international commercial arbitrations under the UNCITRAL, ICC, SIAC, HKIAC and ICDR regimes. He has also acted for parties at the trial and appellate levels in commercial cases before the Singapore courts. Bhavish has particular expertise in matters involving ongoing commercial relationships such as shareholder and JV disputes, representing clients across sectors from real estate to traditional and renewable energy.

Bhavish’s matters are run in compact teams prioritising cost efficiency and expeditious disposal. His diverse range of clients include major regional corporations and multinationals, financial institutions, sovereign wealth funds, governments, state-linked entities, and UHNWIs.

Bhavish is admitted in Singapore, England & Wales and the State of New York. He is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. He is fluent in English, Mandarin and French, and holds an LLM in Law and Economics which he obtained under the EU’s Erasmus+: Erasmus Mundus scholarship.

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  • Advising New York-listed investment banks on issues with their joint-venture in a landmark real estate project in Bangkok’s CBD. Claims valued in excess of USD300m were involved under a suite of shareholder and financing agreements.
  • Advising a listed Thai electricity company on issues arising under their joint-venture hydroelectricity project in Laos triggered by a dam collapse. Claims valued in excess of USD500m were involved under a suite of shareholder agreements, EPC and O&M contracts, syndicated financing agreements and insurance policies.
  • Acting for telecommunication companies of an Indonesian conglomerate in shareholder disputes with a Malaysian conglomerate concerning failure of a Pay-TV joint-venture. Claims amounting to US$400m were involved.
  • Representing Thai state-linked energy corporations in various commercial disputes involving acquisition of Indonesian coal mining and palm oil assets, pricing of Oil and Gas products, and trading disputes. Claims totalled more than USD100m.
  • Representing a Singapore brewery against S$117m in claims brought by international banks over fraudulent bank transactions. Claims in restitution, vicarious liability and negligence were involved (Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken v Asia Pacific Breweries (Singapore) [2009] SGHC 197; [2011] SGCA 22).

Education

  1. 2022 · LLM European Master in Law and Economics (Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam-Université Aix-Marseille)
  2. 2018 · Diploma in International Arbitration (Chartered Institute of Arbitrators)
  3. 2006 · Bachelor of Laws, 2nd Class Honours Upper (National University of Singapore)
  4. 2004-2005 · McGill University, Faculty of Law (Student Exchange Programme)

memberships & associations

  1. Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
  2. Singapore Academy of Law
  3. Singapore Institute of Arbitrators