Dr. Srinivas Pala is a highly experienced legal professional with a career spanning over 25 years. He is currently based in the United Arab Emirates and serves as a group general counsel, specialising in and overseeing commercial and corporate transactions, construction projects, litigation and arbitration strategy, and corporate governance and compliance matters.

He earned his master’s in mercantile law from Osmania University, his PhD on emerging trends in international commercial arbitrations from Kakatiya University, India, and his project management from Cranfield University. This diverse educational background has equipped him with a profound understanding of the legal landscape, making him a highly sought-after speaker on contracts, arbitrations, data privacy, and litigation matters. His thought leadership in these areas keeps him at the forefront of legal developments, ensuring his advice is always informed and up to date.

As an in-house counsel, Dr. Srinivas Pala has worked with Indian Railways, Atkins, L&T, ADNOC Offshore, and Utico Group. He has led and overseen corporate legal affairs, contract management and negotiations, litigation advisory, international compliance, strategic corporate transactions, M&A and JV proceedings, business partnerships, and tactical investments to achieve the organisation’s revenue objectives across the oil and gas, infrastructure, water desalination, and construction sectors. He developed and implemented SOPs, compendium, and anti-corruption policies for seamless corporate governance and compliance.

Dr. Srinivas Pala has a proven track record of conducting high-level dispute-resolution negotiations with clients and contractors. He has successfully settled disputes for many multi-million dollar claims in the construction, oil and gas, infrastructure, and water sectors. His leadership in chairing the task force to settle the disputes between the client and contractors arising out of variation claims was particularly commendable, as he successfully settled them to the satisfaction of all parties involved. His appearances as a counsel in institutional and ad hoc arbitrations in the UAE and India have also been met with acclaim, further solidifying his reputation as a skilled negotiator and mediator.

His solid determination to achieve and manage a multimillion USD business portfolio, strategising legal solutions, handling multiple matters simultaneously with favourable outcomes in a fast-paced and deadline-driven environment, and efficiently managing legal crises received accolades from the stakeholders and partners.

Dr. Srinivas Pala’s expertise and contributions to the legal field have been widely recognised. With his strong leadership capabilities, Dr. Srinivas Pala has consistently delivered in a fast-paced environment. He has successfully handled processes and projects synchronously, using the latest legal standards and methodologies, current business practices, and prolific communication. His thought leadership has been instrumental in developing and implementing ESG initiatives, governance, policies, and protocols for the Utico Group over the past five years. Dr. Srinivas Pala is part of the senior management team at Utico Group. He works closely with the board and shareholders in several different business lines in the GCC, focusing on water and energy sector strategy and legal risk. Dr. Srinivas Pala seeks to provide innovative and practical legal advice that takes into account the unique challenges and expectations within the water and energy sector.