Archives: Team Members

Mr. Christopher Thomas KC

John Christopher Thomas QC practices in the field of international trade and commercial law with an emphasis on trade and investment regulation, commercial disputes and international dispute settlement. He was educated at the University of British Columbia , B.A. and LL.B., Sussex University, M.A., and Columbia University, LL.M. He is the founding editor of InvestorState LawGuide, an online legal research database on investment treaty arbitration law. He is a national of Canada and was appointed Queen’s Co unsel in 2002

He is presently the Head of the International Dispute Resolution (Practice Skills) programme at the National University of Singapore’s Centre for International Law. While in private practice he acted he acted as an external legal advisor in the negotiation of international investment and trade agreements such as the NAFTA and other regional treaty negotiations. In addition to advising on treaty negotiations, he acted as an external legal counsel in many international disputes before GATT, Ca nadaU.S. Free Trade Agreement, WTO, and NAFTA panels and tribunals. He also acted in many in domestic administrative law procedures (antidumping and countervailing duty cases), and in contentious proceedings before the superior courts of Canada.

Mr. Tho mas has acted as an arbitrator in many international commercial and investment treaty disputes, administered under the ICSID, UNCITRAL, SCC, SIAC, HKIAC, and ICSID Additional Facility Rules.

Ms. Leyou Tameru

Leyou Tameru is a legal consultant and the founder of IArb Africa, the online portal for arbitration in Africa. Her expertise is in international Arbitration focused on Africa. She regularly consults on international arbitration cases and investment and policy matters concerning different African countries, including advising the African Union on the ICSID rules amendment process. She has worked with a range of institutions and law firms including WilmerHale, Emahizee Global Consulting, World Bank and the Inter national Finance Corporation (IFC). She is a Court Member of the International Court of Arbitration at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). She is also on the Board of Directors of the African Arbitration Association (AfAA).

Mr. Nish Shetty

Nish Shetty is a partner at Clifford Chance (Singapore Office), where he heads its Litigation and Dispute Res on many complex cross solution practices for the Asia Pacific region . He has advised jurisdictional disputes in the past 22 years including arbitrations in Europe and Asia. Nish is on the panel of arbitrators of the key arbitral institutions in the region. He is the founder and ex-chairman of the SIAC’s Users Council and the first in Asia to be appointed as a Judge of Appeal on the F IA International Court of Appeal in Paris. Nish is qualified in both England & Wales and Singapore.

His Arbitration experience includes acting for:

• PNGSDP in an ICSID arbitration in relation to the (alleged) expropriation of shares in the Ok Tedi gold and copper mine in PNG by the PNG Government. This largest ICSID claim in history by Singapore is the company
• Churchill Mining and Planet Mining in their ICSID arbitrations against the Indonesian government arising from the cancellation of their mining licenses
• an international company in a US$350 million BIT dispute with an Asian government
• a global bank in a SIAC arbitration proceeding arising out of a dispute under a shareholder agreement regarding a US$60 million investment in an Indian technology company and its Dubai-based subsidiary. The dispute involved allegations of significant fraud and legal proceedings in various jurisdictions, including India, London, Dubai, and South Africa. It involved one of the first-ever applications to obtain emergency relief, including worldwide Mareva relief, under the SIAC emergency arbitrator provisions
• companies owned and controlled by one of India’s most prominent developers on four LCIA arbitrations against a UK listed entity arising out of US$2.5 billion de velopment projects in India
• a leading Dubai based conglomerate in a SIAC arbitration against a BVI entity backed by an Indian promoter. This is a shareholder dispute between the parties arising out of investment in a power plant in India (worth US$1.1 billion) under a joint venture
• JPMP (a subsidiary of JP Morgan) in an SIAC International Arbitration arising out of the Leveraged Buyout of the Metalform Group of Companies and related proceedings in Singapore & Mauritius
• a leading Iranian manufacturing compa ny in a dispute with a local manufacturing company and its Japanese parent company, in an International Arbitration in relation to a claim in excess of US$40 million (SIAC)
• an oil and gas contractor pursuing claims against the owner of an FPSO facility und er SIAC arbitration. The dispute concerned a potential claim of US$22 million with a counterclaim by the owner for a similar amount
• Alstom against Insigma in relation to a jurisdictional challenge based on the ability of the SIAC to administer an ICC arbitration
• a major corporate in a series of parallel SIAC arbitrations against a state-owned Vietnamese shipbuilding company. Our clients achieved a complete victory and the Awards were rendered within nine months of the appointment of Tribunal
• private investo director. rs in a SIAC arbitration against a Thaibased fund and fund Our clients achieved a complete victory and the Tribunal rendered the Award within six months of its appointment
• Korean and Swiss entities in respect of a SIAC arbitration regarding the goods and services for a construction project in the Middle East
• a leading Indian trading house in a multisupply of million dollar SIAC international arbitration against a Korean multinational chaebol for the supply of iron-ore

Mr. Daniel H. Sharma

Dr. Daniel H. Sharma is a partner in the Frankfurt office of DLA Piper. A German Rechtsanwalt and Solicitor of England and Wales, he has extensive experience in advising clients in international disputes. He regularly acts for private companies as well as governments, governmental institutions and international organizations in a variety of industry sectors, including infrastructure, power, aviation, oil and gas, automotive, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, financial services and manufacturing. Daniel has advised clients in dozens of ad hoc and institutional arbitrations in the English, French, and Germa n language. He regularly sits as an arbitrator. Daniel also acts as Co-Chair of the Firm’s global India Group.

Mr. Wesley Pydiamah

Wesley is a partner at Eversheds Sutherland admitted to practice law in France. Wesley is specialized. Wesley is a Mauritian national and is in international arbitration and public international law. His experience includes advising and representing States, State multinational companies in proceedings before the Iran before numerous institutional and private US Claims Tribunal, as well as on and ad hoc arbitral tribunals (including under ICC, SIAC, PCA, LCIA and UNCITRAL Rules). Wesley’s regional focus is on Africa. He has particular expertise in investment arbitration and has recently acted for Iran in a major telecommunications dispute brought pursuant to a bilateral investment treaty that was successfully defended by the respondent State. Wesley is also currently engaged in several commercial arbitrations including acting for a major African telecommunications operator, and two North African investment funds, all of which are administered by the ICC in Paris. Wesley lectures on OHADA arbitration and disputes in Africa at the University of Paris 2 Panthéon Assas. Wesley holds law degrees in international law from the Universities of Pa Panthéonris 1 Sorbonne and Paris Ouest Nanterre and is fluent in English and French.