Rajah and Tann Singapore has hired Paras Lalwani and Reka Mohan as partners in its commercial litigation practice to strengthen its international arbitration and cross-border dispute practices.
“The hiring of Lalwani and Mohan is not about creating new practice areas, but rather about deepening existing ones, particularly in international arbitration, cross-border disputes and complex cases involving financial disputes, cryptocurrencies and joint venture and shareholder matters,” Adrian Wong, Rajah & Tann Singapore’s head of the dispute resolution group, told Asia Business Law Journal.
Lalwani joined the firm from Bayfront Law, a formal law alliance with Nishimura & Asahi, where he spent two years as the head of international arbitration and another two years as a director. Before his tenure at Bayfront Law, he served as a director at Drew & Napier for four years and at Dentons Rodyk for three years. He brings expertise in commercial disputes, international arbitration and regulatory investigations.
Mohan also joined from Bayfront Law, where she was a senior associate. She previously worked at Morgan Lewis Stamford, Norton Rose Fulbright and WongPartnership, respectively. She has a wide range of experience, including banking and finance disputes, corporate and commercial litigation, domestic and international arbitration, restructuring and insolvency, and shareholder disputes.
Both lawyers regularly appear before the Singapore courts and arbitral tribunals in both institutional and ad hoc proceedings.
Their main responsibilities will include leading complex cross-border disputes, advising on high-value commercial and investor-state arbitrations, and mentoring the next generation of disputes lawyers within the firm.
Wong added that both new partners will also contribute to strategic client development, especially in sectors and jurisdictions where they have strong experience, including matters involving India, Southeast Asia, and multinational corporations operating across diverse regulatory and legal frameworks.
The dispute resolution head also noted that while Rajah & Tann has long had a strong regional disputes practice, he viewed Lalwani and Mohan’s appointments as complementary to the firm’s existing strengths.
“They bring new perspectives and expand the firm’s capacity in this area to meet market demands, amid increasingly complex client needs, heightened adoption of ADR (alternative dispute resolution) methods, and greater volatility in the global landscape,” said Wong.
