Founding Partner of Kachwaha & Partners
NAME: Sumeet Kachwaha
PROFESSION: Advocate, Author, Businessman
BORN: 1955
EDUCATION: Scindia School, Gwalior – 1972, B.A. (Hons) English Literature, Delhi University – 1976, LL.B. Faculty of Law, Delhi University – 1979.
SPECIALISATION: Arbitration and Litigation.
COMMITTEE/PANEL HEADED:
- Member of Advisory Board of Asian International Arbitration Centre,
- Founding Fellow of the International Academy of Construction Lawyers,
- Former Chair – Dispute Resolution and Arbitration Committee,
- Former Chair – Inter Pacific Bar Association,
- Deputy Programme Co-ordinator – The Inter-Pacific Bar Association,
- Former Co-chair in subcommittee – International Construction Project committee, Indian Bank’s Association,
- Former Vice President – Asia Pacific Regional Arbitration Group.
Panels of Arbitration:
- Asian International Arbitration Centre,
- Singapore International Arbitration Centre,
- China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission,
- Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre
- Indian Council of Arbitration,
- Singapore Institute of Arbitrators,
- Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration,
- Thailand Arbitration Centre.
UPBRINGING & EDUCATION:
Kachwaha’s prime choice was to try for the Indian Administrative Service. He had done his graduation in English literature (honours), he also got a degree in law, which seemed to be appropriate for his choice.Thereafter, he got himself enrolled with the Bar Council of Delhi in 1979.
CAREER TIMELINE :
Sumeet started his legal profession in 1979 and worked with the senior partners of the top law firms in India – worked as a Junior Associate in JB Dadachanji & Co and was also a Chamber Junior to Kapl Sibal. He also had the privilege to work under the worldwide known lawyer Fali S. Nariman and he was also involved in the telecom sector.
He set up his own firm in 2002 which is now a leading dispute resolution firm in India – Kachwaha & Partners. The 40 years of his legal practice led to the expertise in various fields in law: Corporate and Commercial, Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution, International Commercial Transaction, litigation: Infrastructure, Power, Construction, Telecoms.
LANDMARK CASES:
Kachwaha worked under the team of Fali S. Nariman in the Union Carbide Case which was litigated for two years in the U.S. and many years in India.
Oleum Gas Leak Case, 1985, on behalf of the Sri Ram Group of Companies, where over 5000 individual suits arose due to the accident. This was the landmark case where the Supreme Court laid down significant principles of Environmental law and liability.
Sumeet has been appointed 5 times by the Delhi High Court in Writ petitions and in Vodafone – India Bilateral Investment Treaty Dispute Arbitration.
Apart from pleading in these cases, he also appeared as expert witness on Indian law before the High Court of England in relation to claims filed by the victims in the Taj Hotel terrorist attack case. He also gave expert witness testimony in Singapore Courts.
REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENT :
Top ranked by Chambers Asia and The Legal 500: Asia Pacific. He is also recognised by the Who’s Who Legal in their Arbitration, construction, government contracts and asset recovery guides.
He has a Band One ranking in the Dispute Resolution section of The Legal 500 Asia Pacific.
PUBLICATIONS :
As an Author, he has written: Arbitration Guide – India Chapter (International Bar Association Arbitration Committee), in 2017. And has Co-authored: The International Comparative Legal Guide to International Arbitration and PPP Problems.
Articles written:
The White Industries Australia Limited – India BIT award – A Critical Assessment.
The New Challenges and Opportunities for India in Bilateral Investment Treaties.
Interim Relief: Comments on the UNICTRAL Amendments and the Indian Perspective.
Other publications:
Arbitration Law of India – A Critical Analysis, Asian International Arbitration Journal.
The Indian Arbitration Law: Towards a New Jurisprudence, International Arbitration Law Review.
Enforcement of Arbitration Awards in India, AIALJ.
International Public Procurement – A Guide to Best Practice (Global Law and Business, UK).