Jainil Bhandari

Practice Areas

Jainil Bhandari is a partner of the firm’s Shipping & International Trade practice group.

He is named as a Senior Accredited Specialist for Maritime and Shipping Law by the Singapore Academy of Law’s Specialist Accreditation Scheme. He is also a qualified arbitrator and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

Jainil has been in active litigation and arbitration practice since 1989 and has appeared in the Singapore and Malaysian courts at the highest levels, and as counsel in ad hoc as well as institutional commercial arbitrations administered under the SIAC, SCMA, AIAC, LMAA and UNCITRAL Rules. He also has extensive experience in commodity contract arbitrations administered by various trade bodies such as GAFTA, FOSFA and PORAM.

Jainil is vastly experienced in shipping and trading disputes and has acted for shipowners, charterers, insurers, international commodity traders and oil majors in disputes relating to amongst others, bills of lading, charterparties and transportation contracts, offshore construction projects, marine insurance, shipping casualties, oil pollution and commodity contracts involving shipments of coal, iron ore and oil.

He is recognised as a Recommended Leader by Who’s Who Legal: Transport – Shipping 2024, and has been consistently ranked as a Leading Lawyer in shipping law by Chambers Asia-Pacific, The Legal 500, Asialaw Profiles and Best Lawyers.

Chambers Asia-Pacific stated “Jainil Bhandari is very sharp in the analysis of complex issues, and his cross-border practice and qualification is extremely helpful for dealing with shipping matters“, and lauds Jainil as “a distinguished lawyer in Singapore and also has expertise in Malaysian shipping matters. He has substantial experience in shipping disputes, assisting clients with ship safety and cargo damage matters.“ The Legal 500 attests that Jainil “is a precision lawyer, and one able to answer any question we put to him quickly, clearly and comprehensively.”

Jainil was an adjunct tutor for the advocacy course at the National University of Singapore from 1990 to 1997. In addition, he tutored Admiralty law for the Preparatory Course Leading to Part B of the Singapore Bar Examinations (formerly known as the Postgraduate Practical Law Course).