Disputes powerhouse Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill covers the full spectrum of commercial disputes, including contract, corporate, banking, insolvency, construction, insurance, defamation, and international trade. Its arbitration practice is also a market leader. The team is jointly run by Lambert Rasa-Ratnam, who regularly acts as trusted counsel to the Malaysian Securities Commission and Kumar Kanagasingam, who regularly leads on the fraud, corporate governance, insolvency and money laundering claims. Standout features of the team also include technology expert Vijay Kumar; Mong Chung Seng, who is a key contact for liquidators, receivers and financial institutions; Chia Oh Sheng, who excels in banking and insolvency litigation; Sean Yeow Huang-Meng, who is active in corporate insolvency disputes; Andrew Chiew Ean Vooi, who is regarded for his fraud, boardroom disputes and restructuring expertise; and Nitin Nadkarni.
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Profile
Work Department
Dispute Resolution - Construction
Position
Consultant (Energy, Projects, Infrastructure & International Arbitration and Tax, Customs & Trade)
Career
A lawyer with a reputation for energy, construction and tax disputes
Nitin is a Consultant and Head of the Firm’s International Arbitration and Tax, Customs & Trade Practices. His main area of practice is in international arbitration, with a focus on oil & gas, energy, construction, engineering, and infrastructure projects. Nitin also handles income tax and customs litigation and disputes.
With over 38 years of experience, Nitin has represented major governmental organisations, multinational corporations, national and international contractors, sub-contractors, financial institutions, and high-profile individuals in arbitration, litigation, income tax, and customs disputes.
Nitin has acted as counsel, or sat as an arbitrator, in disputes arising from projects in, or arbitrations seated in, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, London, Switzerland, Vietnam, the United Arab Emirates, Sudan, Paris, and Algeria under ad hoc and institutional rules.
In the first case of its kind in Malaysia, he currently represents the Republic of Zimbabwe before the Malaysian courts, to resist applications by Swiss and German investors to enforce ICSID arbitration awards.
Nitin has also acted as counsel in benchmark income tax disputes on major points of tax law. Remarking that the Tax team has “demonstrated that they are up to date with developments in the law”, Chambers Asia-Pacific 2025 notably ranked Nitin as a “Band 3” practitioner in Tax Practice, as well as a “Band 1” practitioner in Construction practice. They have also noted that he is “experienced and well versed with legislation and points of law”, and his “depth of knowledge has consistently guided us through intricate GST matters and legal procedures with clarity and precision”.
He has been consistently ranked by Chambers & Partners as a leading lawyer (Band 1 from 2013-2026) who is very polished and sought-after, and by Asia-Pacific Legal 500 as a leading dispute resolution, and real estate, and construction lawyer, who is highly regarded for construction disputes. The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific 2025 ranked Nitin as a “Leading Partner” in three categories (Dispute Resolution, Real Estate and Construction, and Tax). He has also been recognised as an “Elite Practitioner” by asialaw 2025 and as a “Litigation Star” for Construction by Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific 2025. Nitin has been recognised in Lexology’s Who’s Who Legal (WWL) 2024 in the field of Construction in Malaysia. At the 8th Asian Legal Business Malaysia Law Awards held virtually in July 2021, Nitin was named “Dispute Resolution Lawyer of the Year”, and at the Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific Awards 2023, Nitin was recognised as “Malaysia Lawyer of the Year”.
In its January-February 2022 issue, Asian Legal Business, a leading provider of legal news and information for legal professionals in the region, recognised Nitin as one of Asia’s Top 15 Litigators 2022. The second edition of the annual ranking highlights 15 of the region’s outstanding lawyers who have demonstrated their ability to solve complex problems and adapt quickly to changing circumstances, especially since the outbreak of Covid-19. Nitin is the only Malaysian lawyer in the list.
Languages
English, Malay.
Memberships
- Chairman, Arbitration Sub-Committee of the Malaysian Bar Council (2015-2017, 2019-2024)
- Court Member, ICC International Court of Arbitration (2024 – 2027)
- Co-Chairman, Arbitration and Construction Law Sub-Committee of the Malaysian Bar Council (2017-2019)
- Fellow, Malaysian Institute of Arbitrators
- Panel Arbitrator, Asian International Arbitration Centre
- Panel Arbitrator, International Chamber of Commerce Malaysia
- Panel Arbitrator, Singapore International Arbitration Centre
- Panel Arbitrator, China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission
- Panel Arbitrator, Bangalore International Mediation, Arbitration & Conciliation Centre
- Panel Arbitrator, Hainan International Arbitration Court
- Panel Arbitrator, China Chongqing Arbitration Commission
- Accredited Mediator, Malaysian Mediation Centre
Education
- LLB Hons, London School of Economics and Political Science
- Called to the Bar of England and Wales (Middle Temple)
- Advocate & Solicitor, High Court of Malaya
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Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Vijay Kumar's team has good urgency of responsiveness, they have displayed good team collaborations with the client and understands client's needs and requirements. ’
‘Vijay Kumar is a skilled and competent litigator, with strategic thinking and practical legal solutions with his clients. I highly recommend him for his sound judgment, sharp mind and clear advises to his client.'
‘The team is experienced, able to provide practical advice and highlight legal implications for management's consideration. Advice is sound, succinct and in plain language.’
‘Quick and accurate advice. Good understanding of our needs.’
‘Personal attention to our matter. Able to accommodate our last minute requests.’
‘Their legal know-how is unmatched.’
‘The partner and the associates we work with are very much well-versed in the laws relevant to the industry. Their advisory work is always all-encompassing.’
‘The ability of team members of diverse level from associates to senior partners giving full commitments to client needs. ’
‘Knowledgeable both in law and current issues’
‘Very responsive, on top of things, always think ahead and in terms of overall strategy.’
Work highlights
Advised Maybank on recovery efforts and successful opposition to corporate rescue attempts involving the 8 Conlay Project following borrower default.