Essex Court Chambers

Siddharth has a broad practice in substantial commercial litigation and arbitration disputes spanning the full breadth of Chambers’ work. In recent years he has appeared in cases before the Supreme Court, Privy Council, Court of Appeal, all divisions of the High Court, and in very high value commercial and investment treaty arbitrations operating under a wide variety of institutional rules.

Notable recent hearings over the past year or so include:

• Hydro & Ors v Republic of Albania (ICSID, September 2017). Defending Albania as sole lead counsel, in a €700 million ICSID arbitration, to be heard over 2 weeks in September 2017.
• A v B (Commercial Court, July 2017). Acted in a four-day Commercial Court fraud trial challenging a series of arbitration awards (led by James Collins KC) and involving control over a major investment in the Ukrainian retail sector.
• Albaniabeg v Albania (ICSID, April 2017). Acted as sole lead counsel for the Respondent in a two-week €440 million Energy Charter Treaty claim.
• Taurus v SOMO (Supreme Court, March 2017). Acted (with Graham Dunning KC and Dan Sarooshi KC) for the State Oil Marketing Company of Iraq before the Supreme Court. Case gave rise to issues of construction and situs of letters of credit, state immunity, and receivership orders.
• Ruby Roz v Republic of Kazakhstan [2017] EWHC 439 (Commercial Court, Feb 2017). Acted for Kazakhstan (with Paul Key KC) in the Commercial Court in its successful defence of a 5-day jurisdictional challenge to an UNCITRAL arbitration award.
• X v Eastern European State (ICC, December 2016). Acted (as sole lead counsel) for a State in Eastern Europe, defending against a €150m claim relating to a failed hydropower project.
• Major Indian Conglomerate v Middle-Eastern State (ICC, August 2016). Acted (as sole lead counsel) for the State in a $ 25 million claim relating to exploration in two large on-shore oil exploration blocks.

Called 2005, Middle Temple.

COMBAR; LCIA Young International Arbitrators Group.

Nottingham High School; Downing College, Cambridge University (2003 MA Hons, Double First); Harvard (2004 LLM); St Catherine’s College, Oxford (2006 BCL, Distinction).