Siddharth Dhar KC KC > Essex Court Chambers > London, England > Barrister Profile
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Siddharth Dhar KC KC
Position
Siddharth has a broad practice in substantial commercial litigation and arbitration disputes spanning the full breadth of Chambers’ work. In recent years he has appeared in cases before the Supreme Court, Privy Council, Court of Appeal, all divisions of the High Court, and in very high value commercial and investment treaty arbitrations operating under a wide variety of institutional rules.
Notable recent hearings over the past year or so include:
- Hydro & Ors v Republic of Albania (ICSID, September 2017). Defending Albania as sole lead counsel, in a €700 million ICSID arbitration, to be heard over 2 weeks in September 2017.
- A v B (Commercial Court, July 2017). Acted in a four-day Commercial Court fraud trial challenging a series of arbitration awards (led by James Collins KC) and involving control over a major investment in the Ukrainian retail sector.
- Albaniabeg v Albania (ICSID, April 2017). Acted as sole lead counsel for the Respondent in a two-week €440 million Energy Charter Treaty claim.
- Taurus v SOMO (Supreme Court, March 2017). Acted (with Graham Dunning KC and Dan Sarooshi KC) for the State Oil Marketing Company of Iraq before the Supreme Court. Case gave rise to issues of construction and situs of letters of credit, state immunity, and receivership orders.
- Ruby Roz v Republic of Kazakhstan [2017] EWHC 439 (Commercial Court, Feb 2017). Acted for Kazakhstan (with Paul Key KC) in the Commercial Court in its successful defence of a 5-day jurisdictional challenge to an UNCITRAL arbitration award.
- X v Eastern European State (ICC, December 2016). Acted (as sole lead counsel) for a State in Eastern Europe, defending against a €150m claim relating to a failed hydropower project.
- Major Indian Conglomerate v Middle-Eastern State (ICC, August 2016). Acted (as sole lead counsel) for the State in a $ 25 million claim relating to exploration in two large on-shore oil exploration blocks.
Career
Called 2005, Middle Temple.
Memberships
COMBAR; LCIA Young International Arbitrators Group.
Education
Nottingham High School; Downing College, Cambridge University (2003 MA Hons, Double First); Harvard (2004 LLM); St Catherine’s College, Oxford (2006 BCL, Distinction).
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > International arbitration: counsel
(2023 Silks)Ranked: Tier 1Siddharth Dhar KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘Sid is first and foremost an excellent lawyer. He is a very impressive advocate – his presentation is clear and persuasive and he thinks well on his feet. He is equally strong on paper, producing excellent, clearly and thoroughly argued written submissions.’
(2023 Silks)Ranked: Tier 1Siddharth Dhar KC – Essex Court Chambers ‘Very calm and unflustered, very willing to help out on any aspect of a case and provides highly sophisticated advice and advocacy.’
Essex Court Chambers is ‘a market leading set with an excellent line up of senior and junior counsel‘ for international arbitration work. Members are instructed as counsel to lead on the most complex, high-profile arbitrations and often politically sensitive matters, from commercial to investment treaty claims, involving the full spectrum of arbitral rules, spanning a broad geographical area and sectors. Alison Macdonald KC is representing the claimant telecom operator in Axiata Investments v Nepal, an ICSID case in concerning a disputed 22.5bn NPR (£134m) tax bill. Governments draw on Ben Juratowitch KC’s expertise for sensitive arbitrations, including an Energy Charter Treaty dispute concerning the RAFO Onești refinery in Romania. Angeline Welsh KC and Siddharth Dhar KC and took silk in March 2023, boosting the set’s senior ranks further. With expertise in international commercial arbitration, Thomas Sebastian, who is also qualified in India, joined the set in July 2023 from Monckton Chambers.
London Bar > Insurance and reinsurance
Essex Court Chambers have acted in a number of well-known market disputes both in the domestic and international market involving international insurers, policyholders and brokers. David Scorey KC has acted in excess liability insurance cases, alongside domestic and international arbitrations, including the case of Pizza Express Group Limited & Subsidiary companies v Liberty Mutual Insurance Europe SE and XL Insurance Company SE which involved a non-damage business interruption claim arising out of Covid-19 lockdowns. Mark Templeman KC has been involved in a number of major market disputes, including international claims for constructive total loss. Angeline Welsh KC, Siddharth Dhar KC and Ruth Den Besten KC were all appointed silk in 2023.
London Bar > Energy
(2023 Silks)Ranked: Tier 1Siddharth Dhar KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘His depth of knowledge is mighty impressive, as is the cool judgment which he brings when deploying that expertise.’
(2023 Silks)Ranked: Tier 1Siddharth Dhar KC – Essex Court Chambers ‘Calm and unflustered, Siddharth is very willing to help out on any aspect of a case.’
London Bar > Banking and finance (including consumer credit)
Essex Court Chambers‘ members high-profile and high-value international banking and finance litigation, with members receiving instructions from a number of magic circle and US firms. Louise Hutton KC, who is ‘calm and clear under pressure,’ has been involved in leading banking cases this year, including Stanford International Bank v HSBC, a case involving the Quincecare duty with its factual origins in Allen Stanford’s Ponzi scheme. Joe Smouha KC is a notable name in this space, while Stephen Houseman KC has developed a strong cross-border practice, in areas including Singapore, Dubai and the Cayman Islands. Ciaran Keller is noted for his cross-border work on high-profile cases acting for and against banks, hedge funds and private equity. Angeline Welsh KC, Siddharth Dhar KC and Ruth Den Besten KC were all appointed silk in 2023.