Deekshitha Swarna

Senior Associate

Dee has experience representing multinational companies and large financial institutions in complex, high-value and cross-border commercial litigation and international arbitration disputes (including investor-state disputes).

She has advised on disputes before the English courts and various arbitral tribunals on matters including contractual, banking, corporate, and civil fraud disputes. Dee has acted on proceedings under the arbitration rules of many major arbitral institutions (including HKIAC, SIAC, UNCITRAL, ICSID, LCIA, ICC and LMAA) as well as related litigation before the English and Indian courts. Her experience spans the financial services, technology, energy and infrastructure sectors.

Prior to joining Seladore, Dee spent three years in the London litigation team at a Magic Circle law firm focussing on commercial litigation. She trained in their London office and subsequently spent two years in their Singapore office focussing on international arbitration.

Dee is dual-qualified (India and England & Wales). She holds a B.A. L.L.B. (Hons.) from NALSAR University of Law, India, where she was awarded two gold medals. She is fluent in English, Hindi, Kannada and Marathi.

Experience

Acting for Shell (formerly BG) and Reliance on multi-phased, London-seated commercial arbitration proceedings commenced under the UNCITRAL Rules against the Government of India relating to disputes exceeding USD 5 billion arising out of two production sharing contracts, and also advising them in related court proceedings in India and England.
Acting for EFG Bank AG in one of the largest fraud claims ever heard in the English High Court (over USD 800m) brought by the Kuwait Public Institution for Social Security (PIFSS) against multiple defendants arising from alleged corruption spanning two decades.
Acting for six financial institutions in claims totalling USD 1.5 billion against a North African state and its central bank in the English High Court in respect of long-standing indebtedness under agreements dated back to the 1980s.
Advising a global telecommunications company in relation to a potential multi-billion dollar investment treaty claim arising out of regulatory interference in a South Asian country.
Acting for a Fortune 500 global financial software technology company based in Florida in a Hong Kong-seated, USD 45 million HKIAC arbitration against a large Chinese alternative asset manager arising out of the sale of a financial software company.
Acting for a UK financial technology company in a Part 8 claim before the English High Court, concerning allegedly unpaid and miscalculated commission of approximately USD 10 million.
Acting for a Middle Eastern state in an ICSID arbitration brought by an investor concerning a denial of justice claim arising out of a construction project.
Acting for a US-based private-equity fund in respect of their investment in an Indian non-banking financial company and financial misconduct by their joint venture partner, which involved potential Singapore-seated, SIAC arbitration and proceedings before the Indian courts.