Mahesh Rai

Practice Areas

International Arbitration, Litigation, Construction

Career

Mahesh commands praise for being “a first-rate litigator” and “an excellent disputes lawyer and a master strategist with a deserved reputation for solving complex issues”. Clients praise him for being a lawyer who “is quick on his feet, pays attention to detail and is clear and concise in his explanations”.

Mahesh is called to the Singapore and New York bars and is admitted as a solicitor of England & Wales. He acts as counsel in litigation and arbitration matters with a particular focus on complex disputes across a range of industries including construction, telecommunications, IT, shipping, energy and commodities. He has represented both commercial parties and state entities in arbitrations under the major institutional rules including ICC, SIAC, LCIA, UNCITRAL and VIAC.

He is consistently ranked in several respected legal publications. Mahesh has also won several prestigious awards including the Joseph Grimberg Outstanding Young Advocate Award in 2021 (after being selected by a panel of 5 Singapore judges), the ALB Young Lawyer of the Year Award 2019. Mahesh was placed on the Supreme Court’s Young Amicus Curiae list in 2014 and various advocacy awards.

Professional Memberships

Director, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators Singapore Branch; Fellow, CIArb and SIArb; Panel Arbitrator, SIAC Reserve Panel; Arbitrator, AIAC Panel; Panel of Arbitrators, THAC; Panel of International Arbitrators, KCAB; Assessor, Ministry of Law Panel of Assessors for COVID-19 Temporary Relief; Accredited Specialist (Building and Construction), Singapore Academy of Law; Chairman, CIArb Young Members Group; Member, YIAG; Member, Young ICCA; Member, IPBA; Member, IBA; Member, Law Society of Singapore; Committee Member, International Relations Committee of Law Society of Singapore; Lead Counsel, Legal Assistance Scheme for Capital Offences