Arbitration & Mediation

The disputes we handle in this field arise out of construction and infrastructure contracts, engineering, procurement and construction agreements, works contracts with government and public bodies, supply and distribution agreements, dealership and franchise arrangements, partnership and joint venture disputes, shareholder disputes, real estate development agreements, information technology and software contracts, and disputes between the buyers and suppliers registered as micro, small, and medium enterprises.

Our work runs across the whole life of an arbitration. Before a dispute arises we draft arbitration clauses that hold up later. Once a dispute begins we issue and reply to the notice invoking arbitration, apply for the appointment of an arbitrator under Section 11, and where needed challenge the appointment or the jurisdiction of the tribunal. We seek and resist interim protection under Section 9 before the court and under Section 17 before the tribunal, draft the statement of claim, defence, and counterclaim, lead the evidence, and argue the matter to award.

When the award is passed we act on both sides of what follows, filing and opposing petitions to set aside an award under Section 34, appeals under Section 37, and applications to enforce a domestic award, and we enforce and resist foreign awards. We also take disputes to mediation under the Mediation Act, 2023, and before the Micro and Small Enterprises Facilitation Council. Section 37 appeals and questions of law from arbitration are carried to the High Court of Andhra Pradesh and, by special leave, to the Supreme Court of India. Where a fair settlement serves the client better than a long fight, we say so plainly.