Gautam Bhattacharyya

Gautam focuses on international commercial arbitration and litigation in a broad number of areas. He is a former member of Reed Smith’s global board, its executive committee. He has been a partner in the firm since 2000 and is the former managing partner of Reed Smith’s Singapore office. Gautam is also chair of our India Business Team.

Experience

Representative matters

Defending an Indian pharmaceuticals company in an LCIA arbitration seated in London and subject to English law, brought against it by a U.S. pharmaceuticals company. The $1 billion claim arose from alleged breaches of a contract relating to the development of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Acted for a hotel operator in an ICC arbitration relating to the operation and management of a major hotel

Acted for the various shareholders of a hotel operator in an ICC arbitration against a hotel group relating to alleged breaches of a shareholders’ agreement

Acted for a hotel operator in an ICC arbitration relating to the operation and management of a major hotel

Acted for the various shareholders of a hotel operator in an ICC arbitration against a hotel group relating to alleged breaches of a shareholders’ agreement

Acted for a syndicate of Indian banks in arbitration proceedings brought under the UNCITRAL Rules by a syndicate of offshore banks, arising out of the Dabhol power plant in India

Acted for the Mongolian government in its successful defense of litigation in the English Commercial Court and Court of Appeal relating to the law of guarantees

Acted in an ICC arbitration against a European energy and engineering company relating to a major power plant in South India

Acted for the Tanzanian state-owned power company in two ICC arbitrations arising out of a gas-fired power project in Tanzania, and in two subsequent applications before the English Commercial Court

Obtained judgment for Barclays Bank PLC as agent bank, and as part of a syndicate of lenders, in English High Court litigation against a Dutch company and its Indian parent company

Acted for a major aviation and transport group in an UNCITRAL arbitration arising out of a high value fit-out of a wide-bodied aircraft

Represented BBC Worldwide Limited in substantial international litigations involving several jurisdictions

Represented the BBC in the landmark English Premier League soccer television rights case before the UK’s Restrictive Practices Court

Acted for an Indian mining company in an ICC arbitration against a Middle East party, a core issue in which was the recoverability of liquidated damages

Acted for a Kazakhstan state-owned hydro-energy company in litigation in the English Commercial Court and Court of Appeal arising out of an arbitration agreement and involving an anti-suit injunction

Acted for a U.S. company in an ICC arbitration in the transportation sector in Stockholm subject to Swedish law arising out of the alleged infringement of a manufacturing agreement and other alleged breaches of contract

Acted for an Indian chemicals group in an ICC arbitration against a European company arising out of a joint venture

Acted for an international pharmaceuticals company in an ICC arbitration against a Korean company subject to New York law

Acted for a U.S. pharmaceuticals company in an ICC arbitration against a Portuguese company subject to New York law

Acted for a mining company in a dispute with a private equity firm, and also acted for the same mining company in an ICC arbitration against a Middle East counterpart arising out of iron ore supply agreements

Acted for an Indian media company in an ICC arbitration against a French company arising out of a distribution agreement

Acted for a Indian coal trading company in an arbitration with another coal trading company arising out of a long term coal supply agreement

Acted for an international pharmaceuticals company in two Singapore arbitrations against an Australian company subject to Singapore and English law, in which we successfully defended our client against claims of approximately $500 million

Acted for an oil exploration company in an UNCITRAL arbitration arising out of the contract for the drilling of two wells

Acted in four arbitrations, two under the LCIA rules, one ad hoc and one under the SIAC rules, involving disputes in the construction of jack-up drilling rigs and other projects in the offshore oil and gas sector

Acted in four LCIA arbitrations and several English Commercial Court litigations on behalf of a large Indian pharmaceuticals group arising out of the sale by various international banks of complex financial derivatives products, involving both English and Indian law

Acted on behalf of the Republic of Kazakhstan in an ICSID arbitration brought by a Cayman Islands-incorporated investor company relating to a power plant in Kazakhstan

Acted for a Middle East-based financial services group in an LCIA arbitration brought by one of its investment partners arising out of bond transactions

Acted on behalf of the Republic of Kazakhstan in an ICSID arbitration brought by two Turkish companies relating to a telecommunications enterprise, and in the subsequent ICSID annulment proceedings before a different tribunal in The Hague

Acted for the Bolivian state-owned telecommunications company, Entel, in obtaining the release of approximately $50 million held by Deutsche Bank, London, which involved the application by the English Commercial Court of “the Act of State Rule” in public international law

Acted for the Republic of Kazakhstan in a Stockholm arbitration involving disputes under a series of contracts

Acted for the Republic of Kazakhstan in an UNCITRAL arbitration arising out of the acquisition of an oil refinery

Acted for a Middle East state in its defense of an application under the English Arbitration Act 1996 arising out of an arbitration involving an oil contract

Acted for a U.S. multinational financial services group‎ in a dispute subject to UNCITRAL arbitration against its joint venture partner in an Asian business

Acted for an Asian company in a dispute with U.S. and Asian entities involving Singapore arbitration and Tennessee litigation

Acted for an Indian company in a joint venture dispute with its U.S. partner arising out of a joint venture in the IT sector

Acted for a U.S. company in a dispute subject to Singapore arbitration against a Philippines party

Acted for a Korean company in a dispute subject to arbitration arising out of a distribution agreement

Acted for a major European group in proceedings before the English Commercial Court to obtain an injunction to restrain an Indian company from commencing proceedings in India in contravention of a contractual provision requiring disputes to be resolved by way of LCIA arbitration in London

Acted for an entertainment services company in an UNCITRAL arbitration administered by the LCIA against a Danish entertainment company

Acted for a U.S. film finance company in an AFMA arbitration against an Italian company

Acted for an Indian party in an LMAA arbitration against a Middle East company

Acted for an Indian IT group in an LCIA arbitration against a U.S. company arising out of a shareholders’ agreement

Advised in several matters involving the enforcement of arbitral awards in different jurisdictions

Acting for a global merchandising and licensing group in an ICC arbitration arising out of its acquisition of a significant business and advising in relation to other proceedings in three other jurisdictions arising out of that acquisition

Acting for an international technology and communications group in an LCIA arbitration against an international real estate services group involving claims arising out of two services agreements.

Acting in litigation before the English High Court arising out of a fire at a property involving a number of other parties

Acting for a Singapore party in an LCIA arbitration and subsequent enforcement against a Mauritius party arising out of the acquisition of a power project

Acting in a number of regulatory and investigation matters for a major global group

Acted for a European client in an LCIA arbitration relating to a joint venture dispute and in litigation dealing with enforcement of an arbitration award and an application for a third-party debt order.

Acted for our client in seeking declaratory relief in an ICC arbitration arising out of a joint venture dispute concerning liability for additional funding required by the joint venture and related dilution of shareholding issues.

Acted in a London-seated ICC arbitration brought by our client against sellers of a business purchased by it.

Recognitions

Listed as a “Leading Partner” in The Legal 500 UK 2026 for International Arbitration and for Emerging Markets
Ranked in Chambers UK for UK-wide International Arbitration, 2022-2026
- "Gautam Bhattacharyya is known for his astute representation of clients in proceedings under ICC, UNCITRAL and LCIA rules. He is commended for his ability to handle disputes in Asia and the Middle East." Chambers UK 2022
- "He always has inputs that are very valuable and he is very approachable to work with." "He is a very effective team leader...gives commercial advice to clients and he's incredibly hard-working." Chambers UK 2022