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Sheila Ahuja is lone solicitor to be King’s Counsel
Alongside Ahuja, Supreme Court Senior Advocate and Twenty Essex Barrister Nakul Dewan, as well as One Essex Court Barrister Niranjan Venkatesan, have also been appointed as King’s Counsel.
Sheila Ahuja. / A&O Shearman
Sheila Ahuja, co-head of the India Group at A&O Shearman, has been appointed King’s Counsel (KC), becoming the only solicitor among 105 successful candidates in the prestigious annual list announced on Jan.24. Ahuja, who is based in Singapore, specializes in international commercial arbitration and investor-state disputes across Asia-Pacific and South Asia, including India.
The King’s Counsel Selection Panel, an independent body, reviewed 326 applicants last year, with only five solicitor candidates making submissions. Ahuja was the only solicitor to receive the title, marking a rare achievement in the legal profession, where barristers traditionally dominate the KC appointments.
King’s Counsel is a highly competitive title awarded to barristers and advocates in England and Wales who demonstrate outstanding advocacy and legal expertise. The process, overseen by the independent King’s Counsel Appointments (KCA) panel, involves a rigorous evaluation of candidates’ advocacy skills, legal knowledge, ethical standards, and contributions to the administration of justice.
Ahuja has extensive experience handling high-stakes disputes involving joint ventures, distributorship agreements, complex financial products, energy, and infrastructure projects. She has appeared as lead counsel in proceedings under SIAC, HKIAC, ICC, UNCITRAL, ICSID, LCIA, and DIAC rules. Recognized as one of the top arbitration specialists in the region, she is ranked by Chambers Asia Pacific 2024 for Arbitration in Singapore and Dispute Resolution in India. In the India rankings, she is one of only two individuals ranked Band 1 for Indian Disputes – Expertise Based Abroad.
The year 2024’s KC selection process was overseen for the first time by Labour’s Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood. The designation of King’s Counsel, previously known as Queen’s Counsel during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, is a mark of excellence in advocacy and legal expertise. The rigorous selection process involves detailed applications, references from judges and peers, and in-depth interviews before final approval by the Lord Chancellor.
Two Indian barristers also appointed KC
Alongside Ahuja, Supreme Court Senior Advocate and Twenty Essex Barrister Nakul Dewan, as well as One Essex Court Barrister Niranjan Venkatesan, have been appointed as King’s Counsel in England. Both received the designation in the “civil only” category and will be formally conferred in March.
Dewan, a Senior Advocate with a commercial litigation practice spanning India, Singapore, and London, has extensive experience in international arbitration, banking and finance, construction, and corporate disputes. He has appeared in high-profile cases before trial and appellate courts in all three jurisdictions. His legal career includes landmark victories such as Internet and Mobile Association of India v. Reserve Bank of India, where he successfully argued for lifting the cryptocurrency trading ban in India.
An alumnus of Sri Ram College of Commerce and the Faculty of Law at the University of Delhi, Dewan later earned his Master of Laws (LL.M.) from New York University and the National University of Singapore. His work has shaped arbitration law, particularly concerning the jurisdiction of arbitral tribunals and the joinder of non-signatories in arbitration cases.
Venkatesan, a barrister at One Essex Court, specializes in commercial litigation and arbitration. He has represented clients in high-profile disputes, particularly in the energy and natural resources sectors, and has appeared multiple times before the UK Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal. In addition to his legal practice, he is a lecturer at the University of Oxford.
A graduate of the National Law School of India University, Venkatesan pursued a Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL) at Oxford, where he won the prestigious Vinerian Scholarship. He is ranked in the top tier by Chambers and Legal 500 for his expertise in commercial disputes.
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