Former judge of Supreme Court of India Justice S Ravindra Bhat has joined Arbitration Chambers in Singapore.

Justice Bhat will be available for appointment as an arbitrator in complex international commercial disputes from September 1.

Justice Bhat is the first Indian member of the Arbitration Chambers.

Minn Naing Oo, Partner at Allen & Gledhill and former SIAC CEO and Registrar is also joining the Chambers along with Justice Bhat.

Arbitration Chambers has highly reputed arbitrators, including Lord Hope Of Craighead, Lucy Reed, David Rivkin, Neil Kaplan and more.

Commenting on this development, Gavin Denton, Head of Arbitration Chambers said,

"With the addition of Justice Bhat to Arbitration Chambers, we have not only gained one of the most respected former judges of India’s Supreme Court, but also a man of tremendous intellect, modesty and integrity...As a set, we are truly honoured and delighted to have him join us."

Senior Advocate Gourab Banerji, who is the current President of the Arbitration Bar of India and an international arbitrator with Essex Court, echoed the sentiment saying.

“Justice Bhat’s legacy is one of intellectual brilliance, forged through sheer hard work and upheld by unwavering integrity. He is an exceptional addition to Arbitration Chambers, and I am confident this marks the beginning of a fruitful collaboration.”

Justice Bhat enrolled as an advocate with the Delhi Bar Council in 1982 and was first appointed as an Additional Judge of the Delhi High Court in 2004 and as a permanent judge in 2006.  He was appointed as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Rajasthan in May 2018 and elevated as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India in September 2019. 

During his tenure as a judge, Justice Bhat had dealt with important public law issues, trade law, commercial disputes, intellectual property disputes and international taxation matters. He retired from the bench in October 2023.

Justice Bhat was on the committee that founded the Delhi International Arbitration Centre in 2009, which he later chaired for three years, and was a member of the committee that recommended changes to India’s arbitration law in 2017, which resulted in Parliament amending the Arbitration and Conciliation Act in 2019, introducing time limits for domestic arbitrations in India and entrenching arbitrators’ immunity.

Arbitration Chambers was established in Hong Kong in 2012 and has grown to become the pre-eminent chambers for international arbitrators.

In response to growing demand and in recognition of the cities’ importance as seats of international arbitration, Chambers expanded to London in 2017, to New York in 2020 and, as Arbitration Chambers Tras Street, to Singapore in 2023.

Members of Arbitration Chambers are independent professionals who operate independently of one another. Members are not under any obligation to share or refer work to one another, nor do they share fees or profits.

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