SINGAPORE CONVENTION
WEEK EVENTS
SINGAPORE CONVENTION WEEK EVENTS
Shareholder & M&A Disputes in the APAC Region
by AAA-ICDR Asia Case Management Centre
27 August 2025, Wednesday
11:00 – 13:30
Maxwell Chambers
Shareholder and M&A Disputes in the APAC Region: Commercial Risks, Legal Strategies, and Regional Trends
As deal activity across Asia-Pacific regains momentum—driven by strategic consolidation, evolving capital flows, and regulatory reform—disputes arising from shareholder arrangements and M&A transactions are on the rise. These disputes often sit at the intersection of commercial expectations and legal frameworks, involving complex issues around valuation, governance, control, and exit.
This panel brings together leading arbitration practitioners, legal and quantum experts to examine the types of disputes emerging at both the entry and exit stages of investment transactions. In particular, the panel will focus on breach of warranty and misrepresentation claims, disputes involving purchase price and earn-out calculations, and enforcement of exit rights and deadlock resolution clauses.
With a focus on practical insights and regional nuances, the panel will offer an in-depth look at how parties are anticipating and addressing risks in transactional relationships across the APAC region.
*This event is an in-person event.
Speakers

Calvin LIANG
Advocate, Duxton Hill
Commercial disputes are Calvin’s areas of expertise. As counsel before the High Court, Court of Appeal and in international arbitrations, Calvin has successfully acted in cases involving shareholders’ disputes and transnational fraud. Calvin has also taught Public Law at NUS and SMU. An article he co-authored in this area was favourably cited by the Singapore Court of Appeal and the Federal Court of Malaysia. Before joining private practice, he was a Justices’ Law Clerk and Assistant Registrar. Calvin graduated with First Class Honours from the London School of Economics, and obtained a BCL (Distinction) from the University of Oxford.

Dheeraj NAIR
Partner and Co-Chair, Disputes Practice, JSA Advocates & Solicitors
Dheeraj Nair is Co-Chair of the Disputes Practice at JSA, India with over two and half decades of experience in complex arbitrations, litigations and corporate commercial advisory. He has acted for numerous Indian and International Companies in numerous disputes across sectors before Indian Courts and in Domestic & International adhoc as well as Institutional Arbitrations. He serves as a Delegate to the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR (2024–2027) and has been ranked by Chambers, ALB, Forbes, Legal 500, Legal Era, and IBLJ’s A-List. His broader practice also includes Anti-corruption Anti Bribery practice, Investigations, Insolvency & restructuring and employment.

Montek MAYAL
Partner and Practice Head, Asia and Middle East, Osborne Partners
Montek is a Partner and the Head of the Asia and Middle East Practice at Osborne Partners. His specialization encompasses the valuation of businesses, shares, and assets, and the quantification of damages in contexts such as M&A and shareholder disputes, investment treaty claims, intellectual property and other contractual matters. Montek had deep expertise in financial modelling and economic analysis, including for spectrum auctions. His experience covers a broad range of sectors, including energy, TMT, oil and gas, mining, real estate, hospitality and financial services.
Appointed as an expert in over 100 litigation, arbitration and competition cases, he has provided oral testimony on more than 50 occasions in matters with claims up to USD 3 billion. He has been consistently recognized as a Global Elite Thought Leader by Lexology/ Who's Who Legal. Montek is both a CFA and CVA Charterholder and holds a BA from Colgate University. He was recently awarded an Honorary Doctorate for his contributions to corporate finance and economics.

Rohit BHAT
Partner, Freshfields
Rohit is a partner in Freshfields’ international arbitration group in Asia. He has significant experience representing clients in complex, high-profile commercial arbitrations in multiple sectors, including shareholder, M&A and joint venture disputes. In addition to his broad disputes practice across various regions, Rohit leads Freshfields’ India Disputes practice. Rohit is ranked by Chambers Asia-Pacific in both Singapore Dispute Resolution (Arbitration) and India Dispute Resolution (International Firms) categories. He is also recognised as a Future Leader in Arbitration by Lexology Index. He accepts occasional appointments as arbitrator.

Rebecca JAMES
Partner, Linklaters
Rebecca James, a Partner at Linklaters based in Singapore, specialises in international arbitration in the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. With extensive experience practising in Singapore, England and Australia, she has expertise in resolving clients’ most challenging international disputes in a wide range of sectors, including technology, energy, mining, infrastructure, finance (including private equity and fintech), aerospace and telecommunications. Her experience includes acting on shareholder and M&A disputes. She has acted as counsel in many international arbitrations (institutional and ad hoc) under all of the major sets of international rules, and with a wide range of seats and governing laws. Her expertise also includes acting for investors and States in investment arbitrations and advising on public international law matters. Rebecca is dual-qualified in England & Wales and Victoria, Australia, has co-lectured on international arbitration at Queen Mary University of London, and has been recognised for arbitration in legal directories.

Sharmishta CHAKRABARTI
Partner, Skadden
Sharmistha Chakrabarti advises clients in complex matters before arbitral tribunals, domestic courts, and regulators globally across industries such as telecommunications, oil and gas, intellectual property, media, and cryptocurrencies. She has represented clients in commercial and investor-state arbitrations before tribunals constituted under the rules of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), the American Arbitration Association/International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR), the Netherlands Arbitration Institute (NAI) and the United Nations Commission of International Trade Law (UNCITRAL).

Thara GOPALAN
Vice President, International Centre for Dispute Resolution
Thara is Vice President at the International Centre for Dispute Resolution, the international division of the American Arbitration Association, the world’s largest provider of ADR services. She leads strategy and operations across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Oceania, including oversight of the AAA-ICDR Asia Case Management Centre in Singapore. A commercial disputes lawyer by background, she is admitted as an Advocate and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore. Thara has acted in complex, high-value litigation and arbitration across sectors and jurisdictions. She holds an LLB (Hons) from the University of Bristol and an LLM from University College London.

THIO Shen Yi, SC
Joint Managing Partner, TSMP Law Corporation
Shen Yi read law at St John’s College, Cambridge University, graduating in 1991. He topped the English Bar Examinations and was called to the Singapore Bar in 1993. He was appointed Senior Counsel in 2008 at 40 and elected a Master Bencher of The Middle Temple in 2016. He served as the President of the Law Society from 2015-2016 and is currently a Board Member of Pro Bono SG.
Shen Yi has been recognised as a top tier disputes lawyer in global journals. He has been described as a “heavy hitter”, "stellar litigator", "exceptional advocate" and "celebrated as a prominent figure in the arbitration market" for his "outstanding work on major construction, engineering, restructuring and insolvency disputes".