WilmerHale's Shanelle Irani joins Pinsent Masons as Partner in Dubai

Pinsent Masons has appointed Shanelle Irani as a Partner in its International Arbitration team in Dubai.

Irani is a 2012 graduate of Government Law College, Mumbai. She earned her LLM from Georgetown Law in 2016. She is triple-qualified, admitted to practice in India, New York, and England & Wales. 

She possesses extensive experience advising clients on complex commercial disputes spanning multiple jurisdictions, with a strong emphasis on the energy and natural resources, financial services, defence and security, construction, and life sciences sectors. She is particularly skilled in handling disputes involving an India nexus.

Her professional journey includes roles at several leading international law firms across various jurisdictions, including the Middle East. She has represented clients in high-value disputes often exceeding US$1 billion, participating in arbitrations seated in major global arbitration centers and governed by the laws of jurisdictions throughout Europe, Asia, and the United States.

Prior to joining Pinsent Masons, Irani was a Counsel at WilmerHale in London.

Head of Litigation and Compliance in the Middle East Damian Crosse commented,

"We are excited to welcome Shanelle to the partnership. The international arbitration market in the Middle East is growing at pace, and our clients require advisors who can manage high-stakes, cross-border disputes with precision and commercial acumen. Shanelle is exactly that kind of lawyer, combining outstanding technical ability with deep sector knowledge and a track record of delivering results in some of the most complex disputes in the world. Her appointment is a statement of our ambition in this region.”

Irani herself shared,

“It is an incredibly exciting time for international arbitration in the Middle East. The region is establishing itself as a truly global hub for dispute resolution, attracting significant investment and world-class talent. Businesses operating and investing here need advisors who combine deep subject matter expertise with an understanding of the local landscape. I am very much looking forward to returning to Dubai and bolstering Pinsent Masons' arbitration offering in the region.”

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