Lakshanthi Fernando

Practice Areas

Lakshanthi is a Partner at CMS Singapore and the Managing Director of CMS Holborn Asia*, the Formal Law Alliance between CMS Singapore and Singapore law practice, Holborn Law LLC.

Lakshanthi specialises in international arbitration, litigation and mediation, with a focus on cross-border disputes and High Court litigation.

As an advocate and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore, Lakshanthi has acted as first chair before all levels of the Singapore courts, including the Singapore High Court and the Court of Appeal.

With particular specialism in international arbitration, Lakshanthi has advised and represented clients as lead party counsel in ad hoc and administered arbitral proceedings under most major institutional rules and procedures, including the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC), London Court of International Arbitration Centre (LCIA) and United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL).

In addition to her experience in commercial litigation and international arbitration, Lakshanthi has specific expertise in employment issues, both contentious and non-contentious. She has advised multi-national corporates and senior executives on the protection of their business and reputation during a crisis, from the management of data security breaches and employee wrongdoing to dealing with confidential information and attacks from competitors.

Lakshanthi’s practice has spanned most major jurisdictions and key emerging markets in Asia, including Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, India, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and the People’s Republic of China.

Lakshanthi is the editor of the Singapore International Arbitration Blog and sits on the SIAC’s Users Council. Her commentary on dispute resolution has been featured in the Financial Times, the Straits Times, the Singapore Business Times, the Daily FT and on BBC World News.

*CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang (Singapore) LLP and Holborn Law LLC are registered as a Formal Law Alliance in Singapore under the name CMS Holborn Asia. The Formal Law Alliance allows the two firms to provide the broadest range of Singapore and international law services from one platform, with Singapore litigation representation provided by Holborn Law LLC.