Darshendev Singh

Practice Areas

Construction & Engineering

Energy & Natural Resources

Oil & Gas

Infrastructure Projects

Adjudication

Domestic Arbitration

International Arbitration

Professional Memberships

Panel Arbitrator, AALCO Hong Kong Regional Arbitration Centre (AALCO-HKRAC)

Panel Arbitrator, Asian Institute of Alternative Dispute Resolution (AIADR)

Panel Arbitrator, Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC)

Panel Arbitrator, Bali International Arbitration and Mediation Centre (BIAMC)

Panel Arbitrator, Bangalore International Mediation, Arbitration & Conciliation Centre (BIMACC)

Panel Arbitrator, Borneo International Centre for Arbitration and Mediation (BICAM)

Panel Arbitrator, Brunei Darussalam Arbitration Centre (BDAC)

Panel Arbitrator, Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC)

Panel Arbitrator, Korean Commercial Arbitration Board (KCAB), KCAB International

Primary Panel Arbitrator, Maldives International Arbitration Centre (MIAC)

Panel Arbitrator, Russian Arbitration Center (RAC)

Panel Arbitrator, Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) Reserve Panel of Arbitrators

Panel Arbitrator, Thailand Arbitration Center (THAC)

Panel Adjudicator, Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC)

Panel Mediator, Bali International Arbitration and Mediation Centre (BIAMC)

Fellow of the Asian Institute of Alternative Dispute Resolution (AIADR)

Fellow of the Bali International Arbitration and Mediation Centre (BIAMC)

Fellow of the Malaysian Society of Adjudicators (MSA)

Chairperson, Young Members Group of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Malaysia) (2017-2018)

Deputy chairperson, Young Members Group of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Malaysia) (2016-2017)

Member, Arbitration Law Sub-Committee of the Malaysian Bar Council (since 2012)

Member, Asian International Arbitration Centre Young Practitioners Group

Member, Construction Law Sub-Committee of the Malaysian Bar Council (since 2012)

Member, Society of Construction Law Malaysia

Publications

Contributor – Malaysian Civil Procedure (White Book), 2024

Contributor – Chambers and Partners Global Practice Guides, Construction Law 2023

Contributor – Force Majeure And Hardship in The Asia-Pacific Region (2022, JurisNet, LLC)

Contributor – Malaysian Civil Procedure (White Book), 2021

Contributor – Hishamudin Yunus: Celebrating Judicial Independence (2018)

Contributor – CIDB (Construction Industry Development Board) Construction Law Report (2018 Edition)

Contributor – Chambers and Partners Global Practice Guides (Construction) 2018

Contributor – Malaysian Civil Procedure (White Book), 2018

Contributor – Arbitration in Malaysia, A Practical Guide (2016, Sweet & Maxwell)

Contributor – Arbitration World (5th Edition), International Series (2015, Thomson Reuters)

Personal

A lawyer who “provides critical yet practical insight with his sharp intellect and surgical precision of the facts”, “is reliable, efficient, and experienced”, “always delivers in a timely fashion” and “is very focused and constantly thinking outside the lines to come up with creative ways to solve a complex problem”.

Darshendev’s primary area of practice is commercial dispute resolution with a focus on complex disputes relating to construction, engineering, oil & gas, and infrastructure projects.

Besides regularly sitting as an arbitrator and an adjudicator, Darshendev also represents clients in international and domestic arbitration, litigation, mediation, and adjudication. He has been involved in numerous ad hoc as well as institutional arbitrations.

The sole Malaysian recipient of the 2019 Asia-Pacific Top 10 Arbitrators Award (under the age of 40 category), Darshendev has recently been individually ranked a “Band 4” for Construction by Chambers and Partners in its Asia-Pacific 2025 Ranking. He is also ranked as a “Next Generation Partner” for both Dispute Resolution, and Real Estate and Construction in Malaysia by The Legal 500 in its Asia-Pacific Rankings. He was listed in the Private Practice Arbitration Powerlist (Southeast Asian Region) by The Legal 500. asialaw has acknowledged Darshendev as a “Notable Practitioner” for Construction. He is recognised as a “Future Star” for Construction by Benchmark Litigation in its Asia-Pacific 2023 and 2024 Rankings, and 2021 “Rising Star” in the Malaysian Legal Industry (under the age of 40 category) by the Asian Legal Business. Darshendev received the Lexology Client Choice Award 2021 for Construction in Malaysia.

Former chairperson of the Young Members Group of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Malaysia), Darshendev is a frequent speaker on the international circuit on issues related to his areas of practice and contributes to global publications on the arbitration and construction law landscape.

Work Highlights

Advising on disputes concerning the Merdeka 118 Tower, which once completed will be the second tallest building in the world after the Burj Khalifa.

Advising and representing an international oil and gas company in its dispute relating to the development and production of hydrocarbons at oil and gas blocks.

Advising in disputes concerning the Light Rail Transit (LRT) project.

Advising a Switzerland based company on the supply of steels for a railway project.

Advising on matters relating to the manufacturing, supply, delivery of new car trains, upgrading and related works for the Kelana Jaya Railway Line.

Advising on matters relating to the KL Monorail Fleet Expansion Project.

Advising on matters concerning the KTMB Railway Network Project.

Advising on matters relating to the construction of the Pan Borneo Highway (Asian Highway 150).

Advising a Russian development company in disputes concerning a mixed development.

Advising a multinational corporation in disputes concerning supply of telecommunication systems.

Advising a Chinese construction company in disputes concerning a mixed development.

Advising one of the largest palm oil processors in disputes relating to the supply of Crude Palm Oil.

Advising in disputes relating to the construction of waste treatment plant.

Advising India’s largest biopharmaceutical company in disputes relating to the construction of a biopharmaceutical plant in Malaysia.

Advising a Malaysian public listed company in disputes relating to the construction of waste disposal facilities.

Advising the subsidiary of a Malaysia’s Fortune 500 oil and gas company in disputes relating to construction of fuel hydrant pipeline in KLIA.

Advising one of Malaysia’s strongest brands in property and infrastructure in disputes relating to the constructions of various projects.

Advising one of the major contractors involved in the construction of a highway project.

Advising and representing a developer in its dispute on the construction of apartment project.

Advising Malaysia’s leading independent power producer in its dispute relating to the construction of a coal-fired power plant.

Advising a developer in its dispute relating to the supply of construction materials to a road project.

Advising a Japanese global engineering company, which has presence since the 1920s, on construction contracts related queries.

Advising on various standard form construction contracts in major projects, including reviewing various standard terms agreements including:

i. Public Works Department (Jabatan Kerja Raya) - JKR;

ii. Malaysian Institute of Architects (Pertubuhan Arkitek Malaysia) - PAM;

iii. Construction Industry Development Board (Lembaga Pembangunan Industri Pembinaan) - CIDB; and

iv. International Federation of Consulting Engineers - FIDIC.

Advising in disputes arising out of the failure of reclamation works.

Advising in disputes arising out of the construction of petrochemical facilities in Sudan.

Advising in disputes arising out of alleged defective timber products.

Advising in disputes arising out of building projects.

Advising in disputes arising out of the destruction of petroleum shore tank facilities.

Advising in disputes arising out of the construction of a methanol petrochemical plant.

Advising in disputes arising out of power purchase agreements.

Advising in disputes arising out of fire insurance policies.

Advising in disputes arising out of the construction of transmission lines.

Advising in disputes arising out of concession agreements related to KLIA.

Advising in disputes arising out of an engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning contract for a gas compression system.

Advising in disputes arising from the expansion of the KL Monorail fleet.

Advising in disputes arising from the fabrication and installation of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system.

Advising in disputes relating to the construction of a hangar.

Advising in disputes relating to the construction of hotels, service apartments and condominiums.

Advising in disputes relating to dredging agreements.

Advising clients in all methods of dispute resolution, including mediation, litigation, arbitration, adjudication, and other alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, arising out of complex construction and infrastructure projects both locally and internationally.