Akshay Kishore

I am a UK and India qualified partner in Bird & Bird's Dispute Resolution team in Singapore. I specialise in advising on cross-border commercial disputes, with a particular focus on achieving the most practical and commercially viable resolution for my clients.

I most often advise and represent clients in international commercial arbitrations, mediations, adjudications, and investigations regarding anti-bribery and corruption issues.

I have experience of advising on arbitration matters under many international arbitration Rules, including, AIAC, CIETAC, DIAC, ICC, LCIA, MCIA, SIAC, SICC and UNCITRAL. While I have a particular focus on disputes emanating from the oil & gas, construction and infrastructure sectors, my advisory and representational experience ranges across many other sectors like, mining, shipping, railways and road infrastructure, telecoms, private equity, banking & finance, hospitality, franchising, pharma & bio-medical devices, and commercial disputes emanating from cross-border investments – including share-holder and corporate management related disputes.

Besides focusing on my client mandates, I also manage time to remain an active member of the arbitration community in Singapore, and am involved with arbitration related institutions like the CIArb, SIArb, YSIAC and ICC-YAF. I am also a member of the steering group of the Legal Services Interest Group at the Singapore International Chamber of Commerce.

I am also on SIAC's panel of arbitrators and often am appointed as an arbitrator.

• Advised a leading international shipping terminal management company in three different potential disputes with the owner of a port in western India. Matters related to supply of electricity at the terminal, and use of railway facilities at the port. We managed to secure continued supply of electricity, and usage of the railway facilities, for the client.
• Advised a group of international Private Equity investors in a potential dispute with an Indian fund manager. The dispute involved issues over poor management of a Mauritius based fund, investing in Indian real estate projects. We managed to secure the interests of the PE investors through a negotiated settlement with the Indian fund manager.
• Advised the world's leading alcohol manufacturer in handling tax investigations and dawn raids by the Enforcement Directorate in India, in relation to corruption and tax evasion allegations.
• Advised a European polymer business in conducting investigations to determine the veracity of corruption allegations against employees in charge of the company's manufacturing plant in India.
• Advised a Middle East based telecom company in disputes arising from the cancellation of 2G mobile telecom licences by the Supreme Court of India.

• Advised and successfully represented Sellers of LNG in a price review arbitration concerning long term supply of LNG to Hong Kong, from a major gas field in Western Australia. The dispute arose due to conditions of economic force-majeure, created by the sharp decline in global crude oil prices. The relevant contract did not provide for a mechanism for escalation of price (UNCITRAL arbitration in Hong Kong, governed by English law).
• Advised and successfully represented an Australian mining company in a US$ 3billion dispute with Indonesian joint venture parties, concerning investments in a copper and gold mine in East Java (SIAC arbitration in Singapore, governed by the laws of Queensland, Australia).
• Advised and successfully represented a Thai oil and gas company in an expert determination under a Gas Sales Agreement, concerning re-determination of reserves of a gas field offshore Myanmar (expert determination in Myanmar, governed by English law).
• Advised and successfully represented a global hotel brand in two arbitrations involving illegal termination of a hotel management agreement and a technical services agreement, for the operation of a five star hotel in Mumbai (ad-hoc arbitration in Mumbai, governed by Indian law).
• Advised and successfully represented a consortium of South Korean and Sri Lankan construction companies, in relation to disputes relating to the delays in construction of a waterfront integrated resort in Sri Lanka (UNCITRAL Arbitration in Singapore, governed by English law).
• Advised and successfully represented the INEOS Group, in relation to disputes over development of petrochemical facilities for the Essar Group in Gujarat, India (UNCITRAL Arbitration in Singapore, governed by Indian law, with related proceedings in Indian courts).