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Pranay Lekhi

Associate

Email

pranay.lekhi@aoshearman.com

Phone

+44 20 3088 1682

Offices

London

V-CARD

Pranay is a dual-qualified lawyer, qualified as a solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales, as well as an advocate in India.

His areas of practice include public international law, international investment arbitration and international commercial arbitration. Pranay also regularly acts in arbitration-related litigation before English courts as well as cases relating to the enforcement of arbitration awards in multiple jurisdictions.

Pranay has acted as counsel in investment treaty arbitrations under ICSID and UNCITRAL Rules, as well as commercial arbitrations under the LCIA and ICC Rules involving complex financial instruments, joint-venture agreements, sanctions and insolvency-related disputes. Pranay regularly advises corporates and financial institutions on investment structuring and public international law issues that may impact their operations. He has also acted in matters before English courts relating to anti-suit injunctions, challenges to arbitration awards and enforcement. Pranay has also advised on and managed litigation relating to enforcement of arbitration awards in the United States, Poland and Ukraine.

Pranay has represented the Republic of Djibouti before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in Hamburg in the request for an advisory opinion submitted by the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law. Previously, Prana has been the legal adviser to the delegation of the Republic of Maldives for the 41st session of UNCITRAL Working Group III: Investor-State Dispute Settlement Reform, and the 63rd session of UNCITRAL Working Group IV: Electronic Commerce. He was also a member of the Law Commission of India’s expert sub-committee analysing the 2015 Draft Model Indian Bilateral Investment Treaty.

Pranay completed his undergraduate law degree from the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata. Following this, he completed his Master of Law degree from the University of Cambridge, with a specialization in international law. At Cambridge, Pranay was awarded the Senior Harris Scholarship for outstanding academic performance in LL.M. examinations by Downing College. Pranay was also an editor of the Cambridge International Law Journal and the Co-Head for the Cambridge Pro Bono Project with the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

Pranay has previously published his research in key areas of international law, including international arbitration, nuclear disarmament and international space law. He is also a part of A&O Shearman's Future Disputes Group, specialising in outer space law. Pranay has presented his research at various conferences in the United States of America, France and India.

Expertise

Experience

Representative matters

  • The Korea National Oil Corporation in an ICSID investment arbitration against Nigeria.
  • The Republic of Djibouti in advisory proceedings before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.
  • Commerzbank in their proceedings before English courts relating to the grant of anti-suit injunctions in respect of foreign-seated arbitration.
  • A major commodities multinational in relation to a challenge to an arbitration award before English courts. Successfully obtained an order for security for costs and eventually a summary dismissal of the challenge.
  • A hedge fund in relation to investment-structuring advise for their potential investments in South Asia.
  • A large commercial bank in an ICC arbitration relating to issues of sanctions.
  • A group of individuals and companies on a dispute in relation to the separation of a partnership which involved various operations in Africa. This complex dispute has involved three ad hoc arbitrations in Israel, proceedings before the Israeli courts, an LCIA arbitration in London, three ad hoc arbitrations (Larnaca seat) and three applications for the appointment of an arbitrator by the ICC.
  • The financial services subsidiaries of a major commodities multinational in 27 parallel LCIA arbitration proceedings against various entities of a large company in the food and drink sector and its owner for the recovery of debts under trade finance arrangements and associated guarantees. The proceedings were successfully consolidated into a single arbitration. Our clients obtained a wholly successful merits award in December 2022.
  • A delegation of the Republic of Maldives for the 41st session of UNCITRAL Working Group III and 63rd session of UNCITRAL Working Group IV.

Pro bono

  • Advising applicants for citizenship registrations with Coram Children’s Legal Centre.

Published Work

  • Aman Lekhi, Pranay Lekhi (2022), “The Objective Non-arbitrability of Insolvency Related Disputes”, Austrian Yearbook on International Arbitration, p. 3-23, Vienna:Manz
  • Pranay Lekhi (2021), “The Nuclear Problem: A Communitarian Response”, Netherlands International Law Review, 68, p. 89-119, T.M.C. Asser Press
  • Pranay Lekhi (2021), “Failure to comply with no oral modification provision prevent effective novation”, CompactContract, Blog post
  • Pranay Lekhi, Tanishtha Vaid (2019), “A Case for the Protection of Space Tourists – Reimagining the Vacuum in Space”, ZLW – German Journal of Air and Space Law, 2, p. 229-247, Carl Heymanns Verlag

Speaking Engagements

  • Speaker, Technical Session on Dispute Settlement at the 73rd International Astronautical Congress, 19/09/2022
  • Speaker, American Society of International Law’s Midyear Meeting, 2018

Leadership Positions And Professional Affiliations

  • Steering Committee Member, British Institute of International and Comparative Law’s Young Investment Treaty Forum
  • Member, International Institute of Space Law

Qualifications

Admissions

Admitted as a Solicitor (England and Wales), 2022

Admitted as an Advocate (India), 2019

Academic

B.A., LL.B. (Hons.), West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata, 2019 (First Class Honours, Gold Medallist)

LL.M., University of Cambridge, 2020 (Specialisation in International Law) (First Class Honours, Senior Harris Scholarship from Downing College)

Languages

English, Hindi
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.