Sheila Ahuja
Image of Sheila Ahuja

Sheila Ahuja KC

Partner

Email

sheila.ahuja@aoshearman.com

Phone

+65 6671 6095

Offices

Singapore

V-CARD
Sheila co-leads the Asian arbitration practice and is joint chair of the firm's India Group. She is one of the foremost arbitration practitioners in the Asia-Pacific region. She was appointed King’s Counsel in March 2025.

Sheila was the only solicitor-advocate among the 105 King’s Counsel appointments in 2025 and out of five solicitor candidates, was the sole successful applicant.

Sheila advises clients on complex international commercial arbitrations and investor-State disputes across the Asia Pacific region. She has particular expertise in disputes arising from joint ventures, distributorship arrangements, complex financial products, and energy and infrastructure projects. As an experienced advocate, Sheila regularly appears as lead counsel before courts and tribunals and sits as arbitrator under various rules. Her experience spans SIAC, HKIAC, ICC, UNCITRAL, ICSID, LCIA and DIAC arbitrations.

Sheila is the highest ranked female arbitration counsel in Singapore by Chambers Asia Pacific 2025. She is one of only three individuals ranked Band 1 for Indian Disputes - Expertise Based Abroad by Chambers Asia Pacific 2025 and she is also the sole individual recommended by Chambers Global 2025 for Dispute Resolution (Expertise Based Abroad) in Malaysia. She is also recommended by Legal 500 Asia Pacific and Who's Who Legal.

A trusted advisor to boards and general counsels of Fortune 500 companies, private equity houses, governments and state-owned entities in multiple sectors including financial services, private equity, energy, life sciences and many more, Sheila delivers strategic and commercial advice to help clients achieve their objectives and protect their business interests.

With over two decades of experience, Sheila is recognised as an internationally renowned arbitration specialist and a thought-leader in the field of international arbitration.

Expertise

Industries

Experience

Representative matters

Her experience includes advising:

  • A Southeast Asian-State owned telecommunications company in a Singapore-seated SIAC arbitration arising out of an investment in a Francophone African country worth USD400 million.
  • A Korean biotechnology company on a Hong Kong law governed SIAC arbitration against a Hong Kong business partner regarding alleged breaches of a joint venture agreement relating to the regulatory approval of certain biomedical products.
  • An Indian subcontractor in a DIAC construction arbitration against a UAE contractor for its unlawful termination of the subcontract.
  • An international banking group in a Singapore-seated SIAC arbitration arising from financing of a construction project in Bangladesh.
  • Shell (formerly BG) and Reliance on multi-phased 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.
  • Nissan on a claim against the Republic of India pursuant to the 2011 Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between Japan and India in connection to certain outstanding investment incentive sums owed to Nissan by the State Government of Tamil Nadu. We also advised on local proceedings in the Indian courts seeking to stay the treaty arbitration.
  • Baggerwerken Decloedt en Zoon NV, in an ICSID arbitration against the Republic of the Philippines, arising out of the cancellation of a EUR280 million infrastructure project. This was the first successful ICSID award obtained against the Republic of the Philippines.
  • A leading global financial software technology company based in Florida in relation to a dispute with a large Chinese alternative asset manager arising out of the sale of a financial software company.
  • A global investment bank on court proceedings relating to its investment in an infrastructure project in Bangalore, India.
  • A Mauritian investment fund on various potential issues arising from third party rights in relation to the fund's proposed exit from its investment in an Indian company engaged in the operation of IT office parks.
  • An international investment bank in two HKIAC arbitrations, one against a Hong Kong company for its failure to pay a sum due in respect of derivatives trades under the 2002 ISDA Agreement and another against the company’s PRC parent for failing to honour a guarantee it had provided concerning the trades.
  • An international oil & gas company on potential arbitration proceedings relating to joint venture and shareholder disputes concerning two energy projects in Malaysia.
  • The Hong Kong branch of an Indian bank in disputes arising from sums of approximately USD0.5 billion owed to it under letters of undertaking issued by an Indian bank.

Published Work

  • Professional Conduct in International Arbitration – A Discipline of Its Own for a Discipline of Its Kind, co-authored with Matthew Gearing, for ASA Special Series No. 36, Advocacy in International Commercial Arbitration, July 2013 
  • Editor, HKIAC/HK45 Newsletter, 2013-2015 
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution: The Indian Perspective (Oxford University Press) 
  • Emerging Trends & Practices in International Arbitration (Thomson Reuters) 
  • International Commercial Arbitration: An Asia-Pacific Perspective (Cambridge University Press) 

Leadership Positions And Professional Affiliations

  • Member, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators 
  • Committee member, IBA Asia Pacific Regional Forum 
  • Committee Member, ICC Empowerment Sub-committee 
  • Member of the Appointments Committee, Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre 
  • Associate Professor, National University of Singapore 

Recognition

“Sheila is insightful, persuasive and very experienced in the arbitration field. She is one of the best partners in the international arbitration sector.”
Chambers Asia Pacific 2025, Singapore, Dispute Resolution: Arbitration: The Elite
“'A very skilful lawyer and manages complex legal issues with ease.' 'She is simply great.' ”
Chambers Global: Dispute Resolution: Arbitration Singapore, 2024

Qualifications

Admissions

King’s Counsel, England and Wales, 2025

Bar Council of Delhi, 2022

Solicitor, England and Wales, 2011

Solicitor, Hong Kong, 2010

Academic

LLB, University of London, 2004

PCLL, The University of Hong Kong, 2005

MA, Law, University of Cambridge, 2007

Oxford Women’s Leadership Development Programme, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, 2020

Languages

English, Cantonese
Disclaimer
A&O Shearman was formed on May 1, 2024 by the combination of Shearman & Sterling LLP and Allen & Overy LLP and their respective affiliates (the legacy firms). Any matters referred to above may include matters undertaken by one or more of the legacy firms rather than A&O Shearman.