Overview  

Vinayak graduated with an LLB (Hons) from the University of Singapore in 1973 and was admitted to the Malaysian Bar in August 1974. He led the University’s team in the Phillip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court competition in Washington, D.C. He was made a partner in Skrine in July 1981 and was called to the Singapore Bar in November 1991. Vinayak is also an Associate Member of Littleton Chambers, King’s Bench Walk, London.

Vinayak handles all aspects of civil and commercial litigation. He heads the firm's Construction, Engineering & Arbitration Practice Group, the bulk of work of which concerns arbitration and alternative dispute resolution.

Quotes

• Ranked in Band 1 as a leading individual for Construction Dispute Resolution by Chambers Asia 2010 and cited as a “tremendous lawyer to work with in every way – an excellent arbitrator, top counsel and a skilled litigator”.

• Ranked in Band 1 as a Leading Individual for the Most In-Demand Arbitrators Asia-wide for international arbitrations by Chambers Asia 2010. He is also cited as being one of “the two best arbitrators when it comes to Malaysian work.” 

• Ranked as a leading individual for the Most In-Demand Arbitrators Asia–wide for international arbitrations in Chambers Asia 2009. In his capacity as Counsel, he has been described by the same publication as being an “eloquent lawyer” and “a leading name in arbitration circles”. 

• Consistently nominated by the Who’s Who Legal (The International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers) as a leading individual in commercial arbitration. 

• Asia Pacific Legal 500, 2013: “Senior partner Vinayak Pradhan is ‘a doyen of the arbitration circuit’, and ‘one of the finest advocates Malaysia has ever known’”.

  Further Details  

Areas of Practice
Arbitration & Alternative Dispute Resolution, Banking & Finance, Bankruptcy/ Insolvency, Construction & Engineering, Contracts, Corporate & Commercial Disputes, Mediation, Partnerships.

Professional Affiliations

• Commissioner of the United Nations Compensation Commission (Geneva, Switzerland), 1998 – 2003
• Member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the Hague Chartered Arbitrator
• Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK)
• Fellow of the Malaysian Institute of Arbitrators
• Fellow of the Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration 
• On the panel of arbitrators of Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre for Arbitration, Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Singapore International Arbitration Centre 
• Member of the London Court of International Arbitration and the Swiss Arbitration Association
• Member of the Court of Arbitration for Sport
• Register of Arbitrators of the Olympic Council of Malaysia
• Vice Chair ICC Commission for Arbitration

Qualifications
LLB (Hons), University of Singapore

Advocate & Solicitor, High Court of Malaya and Singapore

FCI Arb (U.K.)

FMIArbs

Chartered Arbitrator

Special Appointments

• 1st August 1998 to 31 August 2003: a Commissioner with the United Nations Compensation Commission dealing with construction and civil engineering claims from corporate entities.
• May 2003 - appointed a Member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration ("PCA"), The Hague.
• 2006 - appointed a member of the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Lausanne.
• 2006 - appointed on the Register of Arbitrators of the Olympic Council of Malaysia.
• January 2008 - appointed Vice Chair of the ICC Commission on Arbitration.
• 22 July 2008 - appointed to the Panel of Conciliators and Panel of Arbitrators of ICSID.
• 2009 - appointed on the Council of Advisors of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre.
• June 2009-appointed as head of Ministry of Transport’s Task Force to enquire into and report on cost overruns in respect of the Port Kelang Free Zone Project.
• October 2009-appointed on to the Prime Minister’s Special Task Force to make recommendations in respect of the Port Kelang Free Zone Project.
• 2013 - President, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK).
• April 2011 - appointed as a Commissioner, Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission, Malaysia.
• August 2011 - appointed as a Member of Advisory Board of the Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre for Arbitration.
• January 2012 - appointed as an independent member of the Trust Management Committee of the Olympic Council of Malaysia.
• June 2012 - appointed as a Member of PEMUDAH, the Govt. of Malaysia's Special Task Force to Facilitate Business.

  Experience  

As solicitor and counsel:

• Has appeared at all levels of the Courts of Malaysia.

• Reported cases include commercial matters, banking, insurance, medical negligence, construction and engineering, arbitration.

• Acted for the senior appellate judge facing a Constitutional Tribunal to enquire into the conduct of 5 judges of the highest Court in Malaysia in 1988.

• Has given expert evidence in the courts of the Republic of the Philippines.

• Acted extensively as solicitor and counsel in commercial arbitrations, including those concerning the construction and engineering and energy industries.

Commercial Arbitration:

• Chartered Arbitrator and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK). Currently President of the Institute.

• Fellow of the Malaysian Institute of Arbitrators.

• Fellow of the Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration.

• Experience as arbitrator encompasses both domestic and international arbitrations.

• Has acted in domestic and international arbitrations as presiding arbitrator, co-arbitrator and sole arbitrator. These arbitrations include those conducted under the ICC Rules, in which he has been appointed Chairman in a number of arbitrations, the Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre for Arbitration Rules, the UNCITRAL Rules, the LCIA Rules, the HKIAC Rules, the PORAM Rules and the SIAC Rules. Many of these disputes are cross-border disputes.

• On the panels of various international arbitration institutions.

Publications

• Regularly appears as a guest speaker and has delivered lectures and papers at more than 70 local and international conferences, seminars and workshops.

• Has written articles and chapters on construction law and arbitration and other dispute resolution processes which have been published in legal journals and in books on arbitration.