Bhavish Advani
Of Counsel Bangkok
Bhavish is Of Counsel in Watson Farley & Williams’ Dispute Resolution group
He has a specialised focus on Asia-based international commercial arbitration and is a key member of the team in dealing with disputes from the ASEAN region, China and South Asia.
Before joining Watson Farley & Williams in 2012, Bhavish spent five years working in one of the largest and most prestigious disputes practices in Singapore.
Bhavish has extensive experience 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’s matters are run in compact teams and prioritise cost efficiency and expeditious disposal. His diverse range of clients include major regional corporations and multinationals, financial institutions, sovereign wealth funds, governments and state-linked entities, along with high net worth individuals.
Bhavish is admitted in Singapore, England & Wales and the State of New York. He is fluent in English, Mandarin and French. He is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.
- Advised two 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.
- Advised 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.
- Acted 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.
- Represented 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.
- Represented 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
- 2018: Diploma in International Arbitration (Chartered Institute of Arbitrators)
- 2006: Bachelor of Laws, 2nd Class Honours Upper (National University of Singapore)
- 2004-2005: McGill University, Faculty of Law (Student Exchange Programme)
memberships & associations
- Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
- Singapore Academy of Law
- Singapore Institute of Arbitrators