By
Harsh Sancheti
No CommentsNavigating foreign law in domestic U.S. courts and international tribunals demands more than legal expertise, it requires strategy. This article presents the “four Cs” framework – connect, communicate, collaborate, cooperate for working with foreign co-counsel and legal experts across complex international disputes, illustrated with real case examples from practice at Wiley Rein.
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Harshavardhan Sancheti’s grounding in international arbitration procedure including multi-party and complex financial disputes through his LLM training and practice at Three Crowns LLP and Dechert LLP positions him to handle the procedural complexity that HKIAC banking arbitrations demand, from consolidation of related syndicated loan claims to emergency arbitrator applications in time-sensitive financial disputes. His knowledge of English governing law, which underpins most Hong Kong-seated financial arbitrations, further strengthens his suitability as a neutral tribunal member.
Admitted to the Bar in India and already appointed as an arbitrator in proceedings in India, the United Kingdom and the United States, Harshavardhan Sancheti brings a verified arbitration track record across his primary jurisdictions. His ICSID and UNCITRAL investor-state experience including representing MOL Hungarian Oil and Gas Company in ICSID and UNCITRAL proceedings against Croatia arising from energy licence revocations and regulatory measures, conducted through Dechert LLP directly mirrors the PSC, BIT and UNCITRAL investor-state proceedings that arise in the Indian energy sector. His Bar admission in India means parties can engage him with confidence that he understands the domestic regulatory architecture alongside the international arbitration framework.
Harshavardhan Sancheti’s service as Special Legal Consultant at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) at the World Bank Group an institution with a substantial and growing technology-related caseload, with information and communications technology disputes now representing approximately 10% of ICSID proceedings and his experience representing Fortune 500 technology companies in high-stakes proceedings, including ICDR and IRP proceedings for Amazon.com and Afilias LLC in domain name and internet governance disputes, demonstrate the scale and institutional depth that Hong Kong-seated technology arbitrations involving Chinese state-linked parties and global technology investors demand. His ICC Paris training and familiarity with the enforcement architecture of the 1999 Arrangement complete the picture.
Harshavardhan Sancheti’s direct case experience at Dechert LLP in a USD 135 million domain name arbitration for Afilias LLC involving contested rights over the .WEB top-level domain in a high-value technology governance dispute and his experience in complex IP and technology governance proceedings for major global technology companies provides directly transferable expertise for the IP ownership, SEP/FRAND and technology licensing conflicts that define Germany’s technology arbitration market. Trained in ICC arbitration at ICC Paris, the institution most frequently chosen alongside DIS and the UPC PMAC for high-value German-international technology disputes with non-German counterparties, he brings procedural fluency and substantive IP dispute experience to Germany-seated and EU-governed technology arbitrations.
Harshavardhan Sancheti has been appointed as arbitrator by the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) in .IN domain name disputes establishing him as a trusted decision-maker in Indian technology arbitration proceedings with direct institutional recognition from India’s internet governance body. This appointment, combined with his admitted status as an advocate in India and his case-level experience in domain name arbitration at Dechert LLP, gives him a combination of institutional recognition and practical domain name expertise that is directly applicable to the Indian technology arbitration market. His India bar admission and familiarity with the Arbitration and Conciliation Act 1996 as amended provide the procedural foundation for MCIA and ICA technology proceedings.
Harshavardhan Sancheti’s record of representing Fortune 500 companies including major global corporations in proceedings across Singapore, London, Geneva and Washington D.C. in disputes exceeding USD 5.4 billion in aggregate, his ICC Paris arbitration training and his membership of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) provide the institutional credibility and scale of experience that complex Singapore-seated technology and IP arbitrations require. His cross-border practice covering US, UK, Indian and Asian parties mirrors precisely the multinational party profile of SIAC technology disputes, where the same transaction may involve a US technology licensor, an Indian IT services provider and a Southeast Asian platform operator.
At Dechert LLP, Harshavardhan Sancheti represented Amazon.com in an ICDR Independent Review Process against ICANN over the .AMAZON top-level internet domain a proceeding that sits at the precise intersection of US technology governance, global trademark rights and institutional arbitration procedure. At the same firm, he represented Afilias LLC in a USD 135 million domain name arbitration over the .WEB gTLD. These are not general commercial disputes with a technology dimension, they are specialist proceedings at the frontier of internet governance law and his direct case-level experience in both makes him one of a very small number of arbitrators with first-hand knowledge of ICANN IRP procedure and high-value domain name arbitration. Combined with his ICC Paris arbitration training and New York bar admission, this makes him a particularly compelling appointment for US-seated technology and domain name arbitrations.
Harshavardhan Sancheti is admitted as a Solicitor of England and Wales giving him direct standing in English-law technology proceedings and trained in ICC arbitration procedure at ICC Paris. His experience at Wiley Rein LLP included advising a leading renewable energy company in a technology-related commercial dispute with a Korean energy corporation, demonstrating cross-border technology dispute exposure in an energy sector context. His familiarity with the LCIA’s speed and confidentiality framework, combined with his English law qualification and ICC Paris training, makes him a well-grounded appointment for London-seated technology licensing, SaaS and AI dispute proceedings.
Trained in ICC arbitration at ICC Paris, the institution most frequently chosen for high-value German construction disputes involving international parties, Harshavardhan Sancheti brings procedural fluency to ICC-seated proceedings under German law. His substantive experience in construction JV disputes, including disputes where multi-party contractual structures and state-linked employer dynamics are in play, translates directly to the German construction market where Energiewende infrastructure projects and cross-border industrial JVs are generating the most complex and commercially significant arbitrations. His cross-border practice across common and civil law systems makes him a well-suited neutral for disputes where German substantive law and international arbitration procedure intersect.
Harshavardhan Sancheti’s cross-sector construction and energy infrastructure experience spanning a multi-billion-dollar ICC construction JV dispute, EPC energy infrastructure proceedings and investment treaty claims involving sovereign interference with project assets covers precisely the matrix of claims that Australian LNG, mining infrastructure and offshore energy projects generate. His ICC Paris training and CIArb membership provide the procedural credentials that ACICA and SIAC-seated Australian construction arbitrations expect from a specialist arbitrator and his familiarity with the investment treaty layer above major resource infrastructure disputes is an additional practical asset.
Harshavardhan Sancheti’s experience through Three Crowns LLP in advising on successful resolution of a USD 760 million manufacturing facility dispute demonstrates his command of the commercial pressure points completion risk, performance liability and contractual recovery that determine outcomes in large US construction and industrial infrastructure arbitrations. Admitted to the Bar in New York and the District of Columbia and with direct ICDR proceedings experience from his time at Dechert LLP, he brings both the jurisdictional standing and the institutional familiarity that US-seated construction arbitrations require.
Harshavardhan Sancheti’s substantive ICSID and UNCITRAL investor-state experience representing MOL Hungarian Oil and Gas Company in proceedings where a state revoked licences, imposed regulatory measures and initiated criminal proceedings against company executives directly mirrors the most severe category of Indian infrastructure disputes, those where government action disrupts or defeats the commercial foundation of the project. That depth of investor-state experience, combined with his Indian Bar admission and existing appointments as arbitrator in Indian proceedings, makes him uniquely positioned to handle the full spectrum of Indian construction and infrastructure arbitrations.
As a Former Special Legal Consultant at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), World Bank Group and as Tribunal Secretary to Prof. Jan Paulsson in ICSID proceedings, Harshavardhan Sancheti has institutional knowledge of the investment treaty dimension of infrastructure disputes, the layer of BIT protection that now regularly sits above the contractual claims in major ASEAN infrastructure projects involving sovereign or state-linked employers. That investor-state expertise, combined with his CIArb membership and his experience representing Fortune 500 companies in proceedings across Singapore, makes him a procedurally complete and commercially informed choice for Singapore-seated construction arbitrations.
Harshavardhan Sancheti’s professional experience through Three Crowns LLP in parallel investment and commercial ICC arbitration proceedings involving a major international oil company and a sovereign state where energy infrastructure assets, regulatory measures and sovereign tax claims were simultaneously in dispute gives him a substantive understanding of the state-counterparty dynamics and multi-layered contractual structures that define the largest MENA construction and infrastructure arbitrations. His ICC Paris training and England and Wales admission as a Solicitor underpin the two most frequently chosen frameworks for DIAC and ICC-seated Gulf construction disputes.
Harshavardhan Sancheti’s direct experience as counsel in a multi-billion-dollar ICC construction arbitration representing a New York-based developer in a complex dispute against a Korean construction major gives him a practitioner’s firsthand understanding of how large-scale ICC construction proceedings are managed, from the Terms of Reference through to expert evidence on delay and quantum. Having trained in ICC arbitration procedure at ICC Paris and admitted as a Solicitor of England and Wales, he brings the precise institutional and substantive knowledge that London-seated FIDIC and EPC arbitrations demand from a construction dispute arbitrator.
Harshavardhan Sancheti’s ICC Paris arbitration training at the institution most frequently chosen alongside DIAC for complex cross-border Gulf sovereign disputes and his career experience representing large oil corporations in parallel investment and commercial proceedings provide the institutional and substantive foundation that Middle Eastern investment treaty arbitrations require. His familiarity with DIAC 2022 Rules, his admitted status in New York, D.C. and England and Wales and his CIArb membership give him the multilateral procedural competence that disputes involving Gulf sovereign parties, GCC state enterprises and MENA bilateral investment treaties demand.
Harshavardhan Sancheti is admitted as an advocate in India and holds a direct connection to Indian legal practice that few international arbitrators with his level of ICSID and investor-state experience can match. At Dechert LLP, he advised an Indian company on potential ICSID annulment proceedings a specific and technically demanding form of investment treaty work that requires understanding of the ICSID Convention’s self-contained review mechanism. Combined with his India bar admission, his ICSID consultancy at the World Bank Group and his ICC Paris arbitration training, this positions him as a particularly well-suited arbitrator for India-respondent investment treaty proceedings, India-seated UNCITRAL arbitrations and disputes under India’s remaining BIT and FTA framework.
At Three Crowns LLP, Harshavardhan Sancheti represented ExxonMobil and other major oil corporations in parallel investment and commercial arbitration proceedings arising from multibillion-dollar tax claims against the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This is direct, case-specific investment treaty experience in the precise jurisdiction and sector Nigeria and oil and gas that generate the most significant West African BIT caseload. For counsel and parties seeking an arbitrator with direct familiarity with the legal, commercial and procedural landscape of Nigerian investment arbitration, his background at Three Crowns LLP on these proceedings is a compelling credential, complemented by his ICSID consultancy at the World Bank Group.
Harshavardhan Sancheti’s career at Dechert LLP included representing MOL Hungarian Oil and Gas Company in ICSID arbitration proceedings against the Republic of Croatia arising from state interference with corporate control, gas market regulations and licence revocations and separately in UNCITRAL proceedings involving the same state over corruption, breach of contract and corporate law claims. These are landmark proceedings in the Eastern European ICSID caseload and gave him direct, first-hand experience of exactly the type of state regulatory conduct, sovereign interference and parallel proceedings that characterize Eastern Europe and Central Asia investment arbitrations. No other aspect of his background more directly equips him to serve as arbitrator in this region.
Harshavardhan Sancheti’s career at Dechert LLP included representing MOL Hungarian Oil and Gas Company in ICSID arbitration proceedings against the Republic of Croatia arising from state interference with corporate control, gas market regulations and licence revocations and separately in UNCITRAL proceedings involving the same state over corruption, breach of contract and corporate law claims. These are landmark proceedings in the Eastern European ICSID caseload and gave him direct, first-hand experience of exactly the type of state regulatory conduct, sovereign interference and parallel proceedings that characterize Eastern Europe and Central Asia investment arbitrations. No other aspect of his background more directly equips him to serve as arbitrator in this region.
At Three Crowns LLP, Harshavardhan Sancheti represented Chevron Corporation in its USD 800 million investor-state claim against the Republic of Ecuador one of the most consequential investment treaty proceedings in Latin American arbitration history. This direct, case-specific experience of sovereign conduct in Latin American BIT proceedings, combined with his service as Tribunal Secretary and Assistant to Prof. Jan Paulsson in ICSID proceedings, gives him a level of hands-on ICSID and UNCITRAL investment arbitration knowledge that is directly applicable to Latin American sovereign disputes. His DC bar admission and Washington D.C. practice background further anchor his standing in the institutional environment where Latin American investment treaty proceedings predominantly operate.
At Three Crowns LLP, Harshavardhan Sancheti worked on investment arbitration proceedings involving multibillion-dollar sovereign claims in Africa directly relevant to the resource nationalism and state conduct disputes that define the African ICSID caseload. At Wiley Rein LLP, he represented a Guinean company in ICC arbitration proceedings involving mining sector disputes, giving him direct exposure to West African mining disputes and the complex interplay between state sovereignty and investor protection in the region. His service as Special Legal Consultant at ICSID and as Tribunal Secretary and Assistant to Prof. Jan Paulsson in ICSID proceedings further strengthen his appointment credentials for Africa-seated or Africa-respondent investment treaty arbitrations.
Harshavardhan Sancheti’s career in Washington D.C. at Three Crowns LLP, where he represented ExxonMobil and other major oil corporations in parallel investment and commercial arbitration proceedings involving multibillion-dollar tax claims against the Federal Republic of Nigeria and at Wiley Rein LLP, where he represented international parties in ICC arbitration and before the Supreme Court of the United States, gives him direct knowledge of the US investment treaty framework, US federal arbitration procedure and the NAFTA/CUSMA chapter 14 environment that defines North American investor-state practice. Combined with his D.C. and New York bar admissions and his ICSID consultancy at the World Bank Group, this makes him a well-grounded appointment for disputes involving US investors or the US regulatory framework.
Harshavardhan Sancheti’s experience at Dechert LLP in high-value IP and technology platform disputes including a USD 135 million domain name arbitration on behalf of Afilias and a complex multi-party ICDR governance proceeding for Amazon.com involving institutional authority over internet domain rights provides directly transferable expertise for the IP ownership, technology licence and know-how transfer conflicts that define technology-driven JV disputes in Germany’s automotive and industrial sectors. Trained in ICC arbitration at ICC Paris, the institution most frequently chosen alongside DIS for cross-border German JV disputes with non-German counterparties, he brings the procedural fluency and cross-border commercial perspective that German-seated JV arbitrations require.
As a Former Special Legal Consultant at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), World Bank Group and as Tribunal Secretary to Prof. Jan Paulsson, one of the most distinguished international arbitrators of the generation Harshavardhan Sancheti has developed the institutional understanding and procedural precision that complex, multi-party Hong Kong JV arbitrations demand. The HKIAC’s growing caseload of China-related JV disputes, where foreign investors confront governance interference by state-linked partners, closely resembles the investor-state corporate control claims he has handled at the ICSID level.
Harshavardhan Sancheti’s direct case experience through Three Crowns LLP in parallel investment treaty and commercial ICC arbitration proceedings representing ExxonMobil and other oil majors against a Federal Republic in multibillion-dollar tax and regulatory claims that cut to the heart of corporate control and sovereign interference mirrors precisely the fact pattern of the most contentious UAE and GCC JV disputes, where sovereign partners and state-owned enterprises exercise regulatory leverage over the commercial venture. His familiarity with the DIAC 2022 procedural framework and England and Wales admission as a Solicitor underpin the two most common governing law and institutional frameworks for DIFC and ADGM-seated JV proceedings.
Harshavardhan Sancheti’s professional experience in ICSID and UNCITRAL investor-state proceedings at Dechert LLP representing MOL Hungarian Oil and Gas Company in proceedings against the Republic of Croatia involving state interference with corporate control of a subsidiary, gas market regulation, licence revocations and criminal proceedings against company executives maps directly onto the most serious category of Indian JV disputes: those where a government-linked partner or regulatory authority takes action that disrupts the commercial structure of the venture. That case-hardened experience, combined with his Indian Bar admission and existing appointments as arbitrator in Indian proceedings, makes him a well-grounded and practically experienced choice for India-seated JV and shareholder arbitrations.
As a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) and a practitioner who represented Fortune 500 companies including ExxonMobil and other oil majors in parallel investment and commercial ICC arbitration proceedings through Three Crowns LLP in high-stakes disputes exceeding USD 5.4 billion in aggregate across Singapore, London, Geneva and Washington D.C., Harshavardhan Sancheti brings the scale of experience that parties in complex Singapore-seated JV arbitrations require. His ICC Paris training gives him procedural fluency equally applicable under SIAC’s institutional framework and his cross-sector JV exposure spanning construction, energy, mining and technology sectors makes him a commercially versatile appointment for the full spectrum of Asia-Pacific JV disputes.
Admitted to practice in both New York and the District of Columbia, Harshavardhan Sancheti has direct experience in a high-value multi-party ICDR independent review proceeding representing Amazon.com against ICANN through Dechert LLP in a complex governance dispute over institutional authority and contractual rights that closely mirrors partnership and JV governance conflicts. He also advised on successful settlement strategy in a USD 760 million manufacturing partnership dispute at Three Crowns LLP, demonstrating a practical command of the commercial pressure points and negotiating dynamics that determine outcomes in US-seated JV arbitrations.
Harshavardhan Sancheti has substantive experience as counsel in a multi-billion-dollar ICC arbitration arising from a construction joint venture representing a New York-based developer against a Korean construction major through Wiley Rein LLP in a high-stakes dispute combining JV governance, performance obligation and commercial recovery claims. That direct exposure to the lifecycle of a broken JV, from the triggering event through to ICC tribunal proceedings, gives him an insider’s understanding of exactly how construction and infrastructure JV disputes unfold before a London-seated ICC tribunal. Trained in ICC arbitration procedure at ICC Paris and admitted as a Solicitor of England and Wales, he is procedurally and substantively equipped to conduct LCIA and ICC JV arbitrations under English law with commercial authority.
India’s maritime arbitration framework under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act 1996 as amended, the Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime Claims) Act 2017 and a growing MCIA and ICA institutional caseload benefits from arbitrators who combine international credentials with a direct connection to Indian law and practice. Harshavardhan Sancheti is admitted as an advocate in India, holds a Cambridge MA in Law and an LL.M. with distinction from Georgetown University Law Center and trained at the ICC International Court of Arbitration in Paris. As counsel, he advised an Indian company on potential ICSID annulment proceedings and was appointed as Arbitrator by the National Internet Exchange of India in .IN domain name disputes demonstrating that he has already been trusted as a decision-maker in Indian proceedings. His service as a Special Legal Consultant at ICSID at the World Bank Group, his representation of parties in proceedings under ICC, ICSID, UNCITRAL and ICDR rules and his direct familiarity with Indian arbitration procedure, Indian admiralty jurisdiction and the voyage charterparty disputes that arise on the Indian iron ore, coal, fertiliser and grain trades make him a particularly well-placed arbitrator for India-seated maritime proceedings and for disputes where Indian charterers, cargo owners or P&I Club members are parties.
Dubai’s emergence as a maritime arbitration hub through EMAC and DIAC 2022, and the volume of tanker, LNG shipping and offshore vessel disputes generated by Gulf energy trade, require an arbitrator with strong institutional credentials and direct experience of cross-border disputes involving state-connected and multinational energy parties. Harshavardhan Sancheti’s career included representing major international oil corporations including a global oil major in parallel investment and commercial arbitration proceedings involving multibillion-dollar tax claims against an African sovereign state and another oil major in an USD 800 million investor-state claim proceedings that closely mirror the complexity and party profile of Gulf energy shipping disputes. His ICC Paris arbitration training is directly relevant: the ICC is one of the two institutions most consistently chosen for complex cross-border Gulf maritime and energy disputes. His membership of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) and his admitted status in New York, Washington D.C. and England and Wales further strengthen his suitability for DIAC-seated and EMAC-administered maritime proceedings involving Gulf shipowners and their international counterparties.
Hong Kong’s value as a maritime arbitration seat lies in its combination of HKIAC Rules 2024 institutional procedure, the specialist HKMAG panel and the ability to enforce awards in Mainland China under the 1999 Arrangement a route unavailable from any other international seat. Harshavardhan Sancheti’s record of representing Fortune 500 companies in high-stakes international arbitration proceedings across London, Singapore and Geneva in disputes exceeding USD 5.4 billion and his ICC Paris arbitration training, give him the institutional depth and cross-border commercial experience that Hong Kong maritime appointments require. His service as a Special Legal Consultant at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) at the World Bank Group, where he gained direct insight into the conduct of major international proceedings involving state and commercial parties from Asia, Africa and Latin America, further demonstrates the level of international arbitration experience he brings to any appointment including for PRC-related container shipping, bulk carrier and cargo claims where Mainland China enforcement is a commercial priority.
Greek shipowners control approximately 20% of global merchant fleet tonnage and the majority of their disputes charterparty conflicts, Norwegian Saleform sale and purchase disagreements and ship finance restructuring proceedings are resolved through London LMAA arbitration under English governing law, with ICC arbitration used for complex multi-party matters. Harshavardhan Sancheti is admitted as a Solicitor of England and Wales and holds a Cambridge MA in Law, giving him the English law foundation that Greek shipping disputes require. His career as counsel in multi-billion-dollar ICC proceedings including representation of a major developer in a USD multi-billion ICC arbitration against a Korean construction major and experience in ICC mining sector arbitration involving a West African state party demonstrates his fluency in the ICC framework used for complex Greek maritime and offshore disputes. His service as Tribunal Secretary and Assistant to Prof. Jan Paulsson further equips him to manage the procedural rigour that high-value Greek shipping arbitrations demand.
Harshavardhan Sancheti brings one of the strongest US-based international arbitration credentials among arbitrators active in the maritime sector. Admitted to the New York Bar and the District of Columbia Bar, he holds an LL.M. with distinction from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington D.C. and trained at the ICC International Court of Arbitration in Paris. In his career as counsel, he represented Fortune 500 companies including major oil corporations in parallel investment and commercial arbitration proceedings in New York, London and Washington D.C. and represented a global technology company in a USD 760 million manufacturing dispute. He also represented parties before the Supreme Court of the United States and in ICDR proceedings. His direct experience of SMA, AAA-ICDR and LCIA proceedings under both English and New York governing law, combined with his understanding of COGSA cargo claims, Jones Act disputes and US federal admiralty jurisdiction, positions him as a particularly effective appointment for US-international shipping arbitrations where parties require an arbitrator grounded in both US law and international arbitration practice.
Singapore’s role as Asia’s premier maritime arbitration hub under SCMA 4th Edition Rules 2022 and the IAA 1994 enforcement framework demands an arbitrator with rigorous international arbitration credentials and proven cross-border experience. Harshavardhan Sancheti’s LL.M. in International Legal Studies with distinction from Georgetown University Law Center, his ICC Paris arbitration training and his record of representing Fortune 500 companies in high-stakes arbitration proceedings in Singapore, London, New York, Geneva and Washington D.C. in disputes exceeding USD 5.4 billion demonstrate the level of cross-border commercial arbitration experience that Singapore-seated maritime proceedings require. His familiarity with ASEAN and Asia-Pacific commercial parties, combined with his admitted status as a New York attorney, D.C. bar member and England and Wales solicitor, makes him a credible and procedurally well-equipped neutral for container shipping, LNG carrier and tanker charterparty disputes seated in Singapore.
London is the seat for over 80% of the world’s maritime arbitrations and English law governs the majority of international charterparties, bills of lading and marine insurance policies. Harshavardhan Sancheti is admitted as a Solicitor of England and Wales, holds a Master of Arts in Law from the University of Cambridge. He received advanced arbitration training at the ICC International Court of Arbitration in Paris. As counsel at a leading Washington D.C. international disputes practice, he represented a New York-based developer in a multi-billion-dollar ICC arbitration against a major Korean construction company the type of high-value, multi-jurisdictional commercial arbitration that defines London’s maritime and construction caseload. He also served as Tribunal Secretary and Assistant to leading international arbitrators including Prof. Jan Paulsson, one of the most eminent figures in international arbitration, giving him direct insight into the conduct of complex proceedings from the tribunal’s perspective. His admission to the England and Wales bar, combined with his command of LMAA Terms 2021, the Arbitration Act 2025 and the Insurance Act 2015, makes him a well-credentialled appointment for London-seated shipping arbitrations.
Harshavardhan Sancheti is admitted to the Bar in both New York and the District of Columbia and has practised international arbitration in Washington D.C. across Wiley Rein LLP, Three Crowns LLP and Dechert LLP law firms with active ICDR and ICC practices in the US market. At Dechert LLP he represented Amazon.com in an ICDR proceeding against ICANN, demonstrating direct hands-on experience under ICDR Rules in a complex, high-value multi-party dispute. He has also represented US parties in OFAC-adjacent energy and commodity disputes, making him a well-grounded choice for New York-seated ICDR commodity arbitrations with a cross-border regulatory dimension.
Harshavardhan Sancheti’s practical experience in high-value ICC proceedings the institution most frequently used as a neutral forum for disputes involving Chinese commodity counterparties who resist CIETAC and his deep familiarity with the New York Convention enforcement framework developed through his work as a Former Special Legal Consultant at ICSID, World Bank Group, make him a credible neutral for disputes where Chinese buyers or sellers require an internationally recognised, common law-trained arbitrator with no jurisdictional affiliation to the parties.
Harshavardhan Sancheti is admitted to the Bar in India and is already appointed as an arbitrator in proceedings in India, the United States and the United Kingdom establishing a verified arbitration track record across all three of his primary jurisdictions. His Indian legal qualification, combined with an LL.M. from Georgetown and an MA in Law from Cambridge, places him at the intersection of Indian domestic regulatory knowledge and international arbitration practice. He has direct experience with Indian parties in cross-border energy and commodity disputes, and his understanding of FEMA, DGFT and customs frameworks makes him particularly well-suited to India-seated commodity arbitrations involving export obligation and trade finance conflicts.
Harshavardhan Sancheti’s direct experience in energy sector ICC arbitrations including work on proceedings involving ExxonMobil, Chevron and other oil majors at Three Crowns LLP gives him a substantive understanding of the commodity trade structures and NOC contract frameworks that generate disputes in the MENA region. His ICC training in Paris and his admission as an England and Wales Solicitor, the governing legal system most frequently chosen for DIFC-LCIA and ICC arbitrations seated in Dubai, make him a practically well-qualified arbitrator for UAE-seated commodity and petrochemical trade disputes.
Harshavardhan Sancheti’s deep grounding in ICC arbitration acquired through formal ICC training in Paris and through substantive ICC case experience at Three Crowns LLP and Wiley Rein LLP involving multi-billion-dollar disputes make him well-positioned for ICC-seated arbitrations in Geneva, the second most common seat for ICC proceedings globally. His experience representing parties in disputes involving sanctioned jurisdictions and cross-border commodity structures, combined with his neutral profile as a practitioner admitted across common law and civil law jurisdictions, addresses precisely the cross-border neutrality that Geneva-seated commodity arbitrations demand.
Harshavardhan Sancheti has represented Fortune 500 companies in high-stakes arbitration proceedings across Singapore, New York, London, Geneva and Washington D.C. involving disputes exceeding USD 5.4 billion demonstrating direct familiarity with Singapore as a seat and with the commercial structures used by the major trading houses headquartered there. His admitted status in four jurisdictions (New York, DC, England & Wales and India), combined with membership of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb), makes him a credible and well-qualified neutral for SIAC-seated commodity disputes involving Asian parties and cross-border trade flows.
Harshavardhan Sancheti is admitted as a Solicitor of England and Wales, holds an LL.M. in International Legal Studies (with Distinction, Dean’s List) from Georgetown University Law Center and a Master of Arts in Law from Cambridge University, two of the institutions most closely associated with English commercial and arbitration law scholarship. Trained directly in ICC arbitration procedure in Paris and having served as Tribunal Secretary to Prof. Jan Paulsson, one of the foremost international arbitrators of his generation, he brings first-hand procedural knowledge of how London-seated ICC and LCIA arbitrations are actually conducted. His work at Three Crowns LLP on multi-billion-dollar ICC proceedings, and at Wiley Rein LLP on ICC mining and construction arbitrations, makes him a procedurally rigorous and commercially grounded choice for London-seated commodity and trade disputes.
As a Former Special Legal Consultant at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), World Bank Group, Harshavardhan Sancheti has direct institutional experience with the enforcement and procedural frameworks that underpin high-value energy arbitration involving sovereign and state-owned parties precisely the counterparty profile of CNOOC, Sinopec and CNPC disputes. His Tribunal Secretary role alongside Prof. Jan Paulsson a leading scholar and practitioner in international arbitration and his exposure to Belt and Road infrastructure financing disputes through prior practice positions him as a procedurally rigorous and commercially informed appointment for Hong Kong-seated China-facing energy proceedings.
Harshavardhan Sancheti’s ICC Paris training the institution most frequently chosen alongside DIS for high-value German energy arbitrations involving non-German counterparties provides the procedural fluency that cross-border energy disputes in the German market require. His academic formation at Georgetown Law and Cambridge, both deeply engaged with public international law and regulatory frameworks, equips him with the comparative legal foundation needed to navigate the intersection of EnWG, EU energy regulation and international arbitration procedure that characterises German-seated energy proceedings.
Harshavardhan Sancheti’s direct case experience in energy disputes involving state-owned enterprises and sovereign parties including multi-billion-dollar tax and commercial claims against a Federal Republic arising from energy sector operations gives him a substantive understanding of the NOC joint venture structures, concession frameworks and sovereign counterparty dynamics that define MENA energy arbitrations. His ICC Paris training and England and Wales admission underpin the two most common governing law and institutional choices for DIAC and DIFC-LCIA energy proceedings in the Gulf, making him an effective and well-prepared neutral for UAE-seated disputes.
Admitted to the Bar in India and already appointed as an arbitrator in proceedings in India, the United Kingdom and the United States, Harshavardhan Sancheti brings a verified arbitration track record across his primary jurisdictions. His ICSID and UNCITRAL investor-state experience including representing MOL Hungarian Oil and Gas Company in ICSID and UNCITRAL proceedings against Croatia arising from energy licence revocations and regulatory measures, conducted through Dechert LLP directly mirrors the PSC, BIT and UNCITRAL investor-state proceedings that arise in the Indian energy sector. His Bar admission in India means parties can engage him with confidence that he understands the domestic regulatory architecture alongside the international arbitration framework.
Harshavardhan Sancheti has represented Fortune 500 companies in high-stakes proceedings across Singapore, among other major seats, in matters involving disputes exceeding USD 5.4 billion in aggregate. That direct geographic and commercial exposure to Singapore-seated arbitration combined with his ICC Paris training, his CIArb membership and his fluency in the investment treaty framework applicable to ASEAN renewable energy and infrastructure disputes makes him a credible and commercially alert appointment for parties seeking an Asia-Pacific neutral without jurisdictional affiliation to the region.
Admitted to the Bar in both New York and the District of Columbia and trained in ICC arbitration at ICC Paris, Harshavardhan Sancheti has substantive experience representing parties including a developer in a multi-billion-dollar ICC arbitration against a Korean construction major and a leading renewable energy company in settlement negotiations with a Korean energy corporation through his work at Wiley Rein LLP in Washington D.C. That background, combined with his membership of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) and hands-on familiarity with the ICDR rules framework, makes him a well-grounded and practically capable appointment for US-seated energy arbitrations under the FAA.
Trained in ICC arbitration at ICC Paris the institution most commonly chosen alongside DIS for high-value German mining and metals disputes with non-German counterparties and holding an LL.M. (with Distinction, Dean’s List) from Georgetown University Law Center and a Master of Arts in Law from Cambridge University, Harshavardhan Sancheti brings the comparative legal depth and cross-border regulatory literacy that German-seated arbitrations demand. His academic formation across two of the leading common law institutions, combined with his ICC procedural expertise and his understanding of the EU Critical Raw Materials Act compliance framework, makes him a well-grounded appointment for DIS proceedings involving European critical minerals supply agreements and cross-border mining JV disputes.
Harshavardhan Sancheti’s direct experience in parallel investment treaty and commercial arbitration proceedings involving oil majors and a sovereign state where multibillion-dollar tax claims, regulatory measures and state-enterprise interventions were in dispute mirrors the precise fact patterns that arise in MENA mining and metals disputes involving GCC state-owned enterprises. His ICC Paris training and England and Wales admission as a Solicitor underpin the two most frequently chosen governing law and institutional frameworks for DIAC and DIFC-LCIA proceedings in the Gulf, making him a practically informed and procedurally equipped neutral for UAE-seated minerals and metals disputes.
Admitted to the Bar in India and already appointed as an arbitrator in proceedings across India, the United Kingdom and the United States, Harshavardhan Sancheti brings a verified, multi-jurisdictional arbitration track record alongside a genuine understanding of the Indian regulatory environment. His knowledge of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, Coal India contractual frameworks, captive mine allocation disputes and the investor-state architecture of India’s modernised BIT programme reflect the specific legal landscape of Indian mining and minerals arbitration not merely a general arbitration capability applied to an unfamiliar jurisdiction.
Harshavardhan Sancheti’s substantive experience in ICSID and UNCITRAL investor-state proceedings including representing a party in proceedings against a Republic where the state revoked energy licences, imposed regulatory measures and initiated criminal proceedings against company executives provides precisely the treaty arbitration depth that Latin American resource nationalism disputes demand. His understanding of the interplay between stabilization clauses, fair and equitable treatment standards and USMCA and Pacific Alliance investment chapter protections directly mirrors the legal architecture through which Chilean, Peruvian and Mexican mining disputes are resolved under international law.
As a Former Special Legal Consultant at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), World Bank Group, Harshavardhan Sancheti has direct institutional knowledge of the investor-state framework through which African mining expropriation, concession revocation and stabilization clause enforcement claims are most frequently pursued. His practical experience in ICC arbitration proceedings involving a Guinean mining entity a jurisdiction emblematic of West African resource nationalism further grounds his understanding of the commercial and sovereign dynamics at play in sub-Saharan Africa. This combination of ICSID institutional expertise and real-world African mining arbitration experience makes him a distinctive and well-qualified choice for disputes across both Francophone and anglophone African jurisdictions.
Admitted to practice in New York, the District of Columbia, England and Wales and India, Harshavardhan Sancheti brings a genuinely multi-jurisdictional legal profile that reflects the cross-border character of Canadian mining disputes where federal and provincial regulatory layers intersect with international investment treaty frameworks and the commercial interests of globally listed mining majors. His experience representing Fortune 500 companies in high-stakes arbitration proceedings exceeding USD 5.4 billion across New York, London, Geneva and Singapore gives him direct exposure to the scale and complexity of disputes that major gold, potash and critical minerals producers generate.
Trained in ICC arbitration procedure at ICC Paris the institution most frequently chosen for Australian mining disputes of significant value and holding membership of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb), Harshavardhan Sancheti brings procedural fluency to ICC and SIAC-seated arbitrations involving Australian producers. His hands-on understanding of critical minerals offtake structures, FIRB foreign investment regulatory constraints and the Australia-US supply chain frameworks underpinning lithium and rare earth agreements positions him as a commercially informed and procedurally well-prepared arbitrator for disputes arising from Australia’s world-leading extractive industries.
As a practitioner of Indian origin who has trained and practised in the US international arbitration market including at Three Crowns LLP and through an LLM at Georgetown Law Center Harshavardhan Sancheti brings a genuine bridge between Indian financial regulatory frameworks (RBI, FEMA, external commercial borrowing) and the international arbitration procedural standards that cross-border lenders and borrowers expect. His understanding of the Arbitration & Conciliation Act 1996 as amended and the emerging GIFT IFSC dispute resolution landscape makes him a well-grounded choice for India-seated and India-related financial arbitrations.
Harshavardhan Sancheti’s background at Three Crowns LLP a firm with experience in politically sensitive, high-value international disputes where neutrality of seat is paramount and his ICC and UNCITRAL procedural knowledge directly applicable under the Swiss Rules, make him a suitable neutral for Swiss-seated banking and financial arbitrations. His cross-jurisdictional training equips him to handle the civil and common law intersections that frequently arise in Swiss-seated disputes between parties from divergent legal systems.
Harshavardhan Sancheti’s specialist knowledge of Islamic finance dispute types including sukuk defaults, murabaha and ijarah conflicts combined with his procedural training across the ICC, LCIA and DIAC rule sets, positions him as a considered and procedurally careful choice for UAE-seated banking arbitrations. His awareness of the Dubai Court of Cassation’s October 2024 ruling on unilateral option clauses, a significant pitfall in banking dispute clauses reflects the current, jurisdiction-specific knowledge that parties and their counsel rightly expect from an arbitrator in this region.
Harshavardhan Sancheti’s deep familiarity with ICC procedure, developed through his specialized training in ICC Paris arbitration and his practice at Three Crowns LLP, a premier firm whose partners routinely spearhead massive ICC arbitrations in the energy, financial and investment treaty sectors make him exceptionally well-equipped to serve as an arbitrator in Paris-seated ICC banking disputes. His LLM specialization in international arbitration, which focused heavily on the unique procedural architecture of the ICC, including the drafting of Terms of Reference and navigating the Court’s strict award scrutiny process, provides the exact institutional knowledge that high-value financial arbitrations demand.
Harshavardhan Sancheti’s grounding in international arbitration procedure including multi-party and complex financial disputes through his LLM training and practice at Three Crowns LLP and Dechert LLP positions him to handle the procedural complexity that HKIAC banking arbitrations demand, from consolidation of related syndicated loan claims to emergency arbitrator applications in time-sensitive financial disputes. His knowledge of English governing law, which underpins most Hong Kong-seated financial arbitrations, further strengthens his suitability as a neutral tribunal member.
Harshavardhan Sancheti’s advanced training at Georgetown University Law Center a premier institution for international arbitration whose faculty includes SIAC Court members combined with his experience at Three Crowns LLP, a leading specialist firm with a robust Asia-Pacific dispute portfolio, equips him to conduct Singapore-seated banking arbitrations with exceptional procedural precision. He possesses a deep, current understanding of the SIAC 2025 Rules, Singapore’s International Arbitration Act (IAA) enforcement architecture, and the complex cross-border financial disputes emerging from ASEAN, India and China trade corridors. This specialized expertise makes him a highly credible, commercially aware choice for tribunals resolving high-value financial and fintech disputes seated in Singapore.
Harshavardhan Sancheti’s LLM in International Arbitration and Dispute Resolution awarded with distinction and Dean’s List recognition at Georgetown University Law Center combined with hands-on experience at Three Crowns LLP, a specialist international arbitration firm whose practitioners regularly appear before the LCIA and ICC, gives him a thorough grounding in the procedural frameworks that govern London-seated banking disputes. His familiarity with ISDA and LMA documentation, English governing law and the English Commercial Court’s supervisory role makes him a well-prepared, impartial choice for high-value financial arbitrations seated in London.
