AZB & Partners‘ dispute resolution practice, described as a ‘beacon of excellence in the legal landscape,’ is a tour de force in the Indian market due to its extensive expertise in handling a range of disputes, both domestic and international. The group has deep experience assisting with civil, criminal, corporate, commercial, and constitutional disputes before various courts and tribunals. With an impressive reputation, the team has amassed an equally impressive client roster consisting of businesses from the power, technology, and banking sectors, among others. Co-leading the department are Rajendra Barot and Vijayendra Pratap Singh, both of whom are noted for their aptitude in leading on national and cross-border arbitration proceedings. Barot concentrates on disputes arising from the real estate, construction, and media and entertainment sectors, while Singh has a track record for acting on precedent-setting commercial arbitrations. Aditya Vikram Bhat notably departed the firm in April 2024.

With cross-border capabilities and experience acting on high-value and high-profile proceedings, the arbitration practice at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas remains a popular choice for both national and multinational clients from a variety of sectors including infrastructure, technology, and education. The group frequently acts before the LCIA, HKIAC, SIAC, and MCIA in disputes arising from mergers, investments, and intellectual property matters, among others. Indranil Deshmukh, Shaneen Parikh, and Amita Katragadda co-lead the practice and bring a wealth of knowledge to the team; Deshmukh stands out for his breadth of expertise which span corporate insolvency and shareholder disputes to construction contracts and media rights contracts, while Parikh concentrates on cross-border commercial disputes such as M&A disputes, contractual disputes, and financial and structured products disputes. Katragadda is noted for her aptitude in leading on constitutional challenges and corporate governance issues.

Economic Laws Practice remains a powerhouse in the Indian market due to its extensive dispute resolution offering which covers arbitration proceedings arising from insolvency and bankruptcy, contractual disputes, and criminal allegations, to name a few. Additionally, the group’s cross-border capabilities have attracted an impressive client roster consisting of businesses from the energy, oil and gas, and mining sectors. Naresh Thacker heads up the practice and is highly regarded for his expertise in international arbitration and mediation. He has a particular focus on infrastructure project arbitrations and post-M&A arbitrations and has experience acting before the LCIA and the SIAC. Another standout name in the group is Alok Jain, who specialises in construction disputes and is regularly instructed by trading houses, oil and gas companies, and IT businesses. On the private equity and venture capital disputes front, Ashishchandra Rao is the main contact in the practice.

Khaitan & Co.‘s capabilities have notably been bolstered by the recent opening of the Ahmedabad office which complements its presence in Kolkata, New Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Pune, and Singapore. With national and cross-border reach, alongside its extensive experience acting before a variety of arbitration centres including the SIAC, LCIA, and the HKIAC, the dispute resolution practice continues to attract new clients from the infrastructure, mining, and aviation sectors, to name a few. Sanjeev Kapoor, Ajay Bhargava, and Raj Panchmatia co-head the department alongside Chakrapani Misra, Kingshuk Banerjee, and Vanita Bhargava. Kapoor specialises in commercial and investment arbitration and stands out for his aptitude in handling matters before domestic and international institutional and ad hoc arbitral tribunals, while Bhargava concentrates on commercial arbitration and subsequent enforcement proceedings. On the contractual dispute front, Panchmatia is the main contact in the group.

Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co is a notable name in the arbitration space for its extensive experience acting on both international and domestic arbitration before the likes of the ICC, LCIA, and the HKIAC. The group has a broad range of expertise which spans commercial and treaty arbitrations, as well as general advisory and conducting arbitration hearings. With impressive capabilities, the practice continues to attract new and impressive clients from a wide range of industry sectors including hotels and leisure, technology, and energy, to name a few. Co-heading the team are Pallavi Shroff – noted for her ‘deep legal knowledge and finely honed strategic instincts’ – and commercial disputes specialist Tejas Karia. Shroff’s current position as a member of the governing committee of the MIAC makes her an asset to the team, while Karia stands out for his aptitude in handling commercial disputes arising from the private equity, construction, and real estate sectors.

Keystone Partners has made a name for itself in the arbitration space due to its dispute resolution focus. The arbitration practice specialises in construction arbitration, and it is also adept in handling disputes arising from the energy, technology, and trade industry sectors. With cross-border capabilities and a national reach, the team continues to attract new clients to its roster. Pradeep Nayak, Pritha Srikumar-Iyer, and Sita Kapadia co-head the department and bring a wealth of experience to the group. Nayak focuses on challenges and enforcements of arbitral awards, while Srikumar-Iyer’s position as an advocate-on-record for the Supreme Court makes her an asset to the practice. Kapadia stands out for advising on commercial arbitrations alongside Sulabh Rewari and Vikas Mahendra.

Kochhar & Co.‘s arbitration practice is noted for its expertise in both domestic and international construction and criminal arbitration. The group is a popular choice for businesses from an array of industry sectors, including banking and finance, construction, and oil and gas, among others, and its cross-border capabilities, alongside its experience acting before the ICC, LCIA, and DIAC, continue to attract new clients. Founding partner Rohit Kochhar and head of the Gurgaon office Krishna Vijay Singh jointly lead the team and stand out for their deep knowledge of national and cross-border arbitration laws. Kochhar specialises in handling criminal and employment disputes, while Singh concentrates on disputes arising from the construction and infrastructure sectors.

With a specialised international dispute resolution team that focuses on cross-border arbitration, Nishith Desai Associates is capable of handling complex and high-profile disputes for an impressive and expanding client roster consisting of businesses predominantly from the TMT sector. The group also has extensive experience advising on construction disputes, bilateral investment treaty matters, and energy treaty matters before the SIAC, LCIA, and ICC. Co-heading the department are investment treaty arbitration specialist Vyapak Desai, Sahil Kanuga – who stands out for his role as a member of the Asia Advisory Committee of American Arbitration Association-International Centre for Dispute Resolution – and international commercial arbitration expert Alipak Banerjee. Kshama Loya notably departed the firm in July 2023.

With experience advising on domestic, international, and bilateral investment treaty arbitrations, the dispute resolution practice at PSL Advocates and Solicitors is regularly instructed by businesses from the real estate, construction, and infrastructure sectors, to name a few. The group also offers pre-arbitration advisory services which bolsters its offering and continues to attract new clients. Founding partner Sameer Jain heads up the practice and is noted for expertise in handling cross-border arbitration. He has appeared before a range of international arbitration centres including the SIAC, LCIA, and the DIAC. Other key practitioners include Suvigya Awasthy, Jayashree Parihar, and Himesh Thakur, all of whom specialise in commercial arbitration. Co-founder Sandeep Bajaj notably departed the firm in July 2023.

The arbitration practice at S&A Law Offices stands out for its extensive experience handling both domestic and cross-border matters concerning contractual disputes arising from the real estate, construction, and infrastructure sectors. The group’s sector focus and cross-border capabilities continue to attract new clients such as aviation, mining, and steel companies. Manoj Kumar Singh, Vijay Kumar Singh, and Nilava Bandyopadhyay co-lead the team in New Delhi, while Gunita Pahwa leads the department in Gurugram. Manoj is noted for his expertise in infrastructure arbitration, while Vijay is recognised for his aptitude in representing clients before various arbitral tribunals as well as the State and National Consumer Dispute Redressal Forums. Both Bandyopadhyay and Pahwa are well versed in international arbitrations and regularly act before the ICC, LCIA, and SIAC, among others.

Trilegal‘s dispute resolution practice continues to attract new clients due to its broad offering which includes advocacy, court assistance, and interim reliefs, as well as award challenges and award enforcements. The group specialises in domestic and international arbitrations arising from shareholder and contractual disputes, construction, and infrastructure projects, and has extensive experience acting before the SIAC, LCIA, and ICC. Heading up the practice is Shankh Sengupta, who is regularly instructed by commercial banks, construction companies, and manufacturing businesses on commercial arbitrations initiated due to contractual disputes. Ashish Bhan stands out for his expertise in representing telecoms and infrastructure companies, while Tine Abraham concentrates on media rights licensing disputes. Ketan Gaur is another notable name due to his experience acting before the Singapore High Court in arbitration-related proceedings.

With experience acting before domestic and international tribunals and arbitration centres, the dispute resolution team at Bharucha & Partners is capable of handling arbitrations arising from a variety of disputes including contracts, construction agreements, and shareholder claims. MP Bharucha leads the practice and stands out for his expertise in representing clients before the SIAC and ICC, and is notably an empanelled arbitrator with the LCIA. Sneha Jaisingh is another key practitioner who is adept in leading on court-related arbitration mandates and assisting clients from the infrastructure, manufacturing, and energy sectors.

Clavius Legal is regarded as a ‘premier disputes boutique in Delhi, renowned for its formidable arbitration practice.’ The group specialises in international arbitration arising from construction and infrastructure disputes, and it also has expertise in handling technology, renewable energy projects, and environmental arbitration. With cross-border capabilities, the department has an expanding and impressive client roster consisting of businesses from the oil and gas, media and entertainment, and banking and finance sectors, among others. Sooraj Sharma, Vipul Agrawal and Jatin Kochhar co-head the practice and have extensive experience advising on domestic and cross-border arbitrations.

Offering representation in domestic and international arbitrations, including court-related arbitration matters, the arbitration practice at DSK Legal is capable of handling a range of disputes arising from the railway, oil and gas, and construction and infrastructure industry sectors, among others. The team’s experience acting before the SIAC, ICC, and DIFC continues to attract new and impressive clients to its roster. Heading up the group is Anand Desai who has expertise in handling arbitrations initiated due to contractual disputes. Other notable practitioners include Kirat Singh Nagra, Dinesh Pardasani, and Samir Malik, all of whom specialise in construction and infrastructure arbitration.

With cross-border capabilities and offices across India, the dispute resolution team at IndusLaw is adept at handling domestic and international arbitrations and continues to attract new clients from the hospitality, consumer goods, and infrastructure sectors, among others. Amit Jajoo is the main contact at the firm and is noted for his expertise in assisting on institutional and ad hoc arbitrations prompted by real estate and employment disputes. Mayank Mishra concentrates on commercial, construction, and engineering arbitrations, while Sushmita Gandhi stands out for her experience acting before the SIAC, LCIA, and DIAC.

P&A Law Offices‘ dispute resolution group specialises in commercial and investment treaty arbitration and has experience handling both domestic and international proceedings. The team’s client expanding client roster consists of impressive companies from a variety of industry sectors including pharmaceuticals, telecoms, and infrastructure, among others. Anand Pathak and Vijay Purohit co-lead the practice and bring a wealth of expertise to the department. Purohit frequently acts before domestic and international ad hoc and institutional tribunals including the SIAC, ICC, and NCLT on behalf of clients from the e-commerce, oil and gas, and healthcare sectors.

The dispute resolution practice at Samvad Partners specialises in commercial arbitration arising from the IT, hospitality, and construction sectors, as well as the pharmaceutical and automobile industries. With cross-border capabilities and experience acting before the SIAC, LCIA, and MCIA, the group continues to attract new and impressive clients to its roster. Founding partner Poornima Hatti, who ‘elucidates complex matters with admirable clarity,’ heads the team and concentrates on construction and infrastructure disputes. Arjun Krishnan stands out for his experience handling emergency arbitration proceedings, while Savani Gupte is adept at assisting on shareholder, contractual, and property disputes.

The dispute resolution practice at Singhania & Partners LLP has strengths in both domestic and international arbitration arising from the construction and infrastructure industry sectors, and its deep sector knowledge and cross-border capabilities have contributed to a growing client roster. Vikas Goel is a notable name in the group for his expertise in infrastructure arbitrations, while Shambhu Sharan stands out for his experience acting before the ICC and SIAC. Abhishek Kumar regularly represents clients before a range of national tribunals including the NCLT and NCLAT, while Yamandeep Kumar concentrates on arbitrations arising from EPC contract disputes.

Singularity Legal's recent caseloads include joint venture and contractual disputes, representing clients in the maritime, construction, oil and gas sectors.  Dubai-based Prateek Bagaria and Jimisha Dalal are the key names to note.