law-firm

Abhishek Kalla

Abhishek is a Partner in the Firm and heads the M&A, Energy & Infrastructure and Corporate Governance teams of the Firm. Abhishek is also the managing partner of the Muscat office of the Firm. Over the years, Abhishek has developed reputation as a lawyer with unique inter- personal skills that continue to be utilized by him in large cross jurisdictional transactions with a nexus to Sultanate of Oman.

Prior to joining the Firm, Abhishek worked at a leading Omani law firm where he advised a plethora of international clientele on M&A transactions and IPOs. Abhishek has worked directly with international finance, accounting and business advisory firms in advising clients on Sultanate of Oman law issues and has, over the years acquired reputation as one of the leading counsel on capital markets and as someone with the unparalleled “amalgam” of know-how and skills required to close complex and large international transactions. Abhishek has a penchant for conducting seminars on Omani Law including corporate governance, project finance and Islamic finance and has conducted these seminars for employees and staff of several banks and international and local financial institutions.

Abhishek’s dispute resolution practice comprises of acting for domestic and
international companies and consultancies, construction companies and
contractors on a wide range of arbitration matters.  Abhishek understands that expensive and prolonged litigation is not always in the client’s best commercial interests and endeavours to help clients resolve issues without resorting to court. Abhishek has experience of all types of alternative dispute resolution including structured settlement discussions, mediation and expert determination and are often successful in achieving out- of-court settlements.

Experience Highlights

  1. Advising a number of companies in the power, water and insurance sectors with respect to their respective IPOs.
  • Acting as General Counsel for the Khimji Ramdas Group, one of the largest business houses in Oman.
  • Advising Vodafone Group with respect to the incorporation of their Omani entity.
  • Advising and assisting a UAE based telecom distributor with respect to the stake sale of its distribution business in Cyprus.
  • Advising a number of companies in the power, water and insurance sector with respect to their corporate governance restructuring.
  • Acting as the Board Secretary for Phoenix Power Company SAOG and Oman Fiber Optic Company SAOG.
  • Advising upon and appearing as counsel in several Omani law arbitrations, most recently;
  1. for a government owned company (waste water management company) in a dispute arising under a operation and maintenance contract
  2. for the three prominent local contractors (claimants) in a dispute arising from the long-running refurbishment of the Sheraton Hotel in Muscat.
  3. for a government-owned company in a dispute over the operation and maintenance of a hotel in Duqm.
  • Defending an of Omani company in the ICC arbitration brought against it by another company.
  • Representing Omani companies in the DIFC-LCIA arbitration proceedings.
  • Acting both for plaintiff and defendant companies in numerous high value construction disputes before both institutional and adhoc arbitration.
  • Acting for a number of foreign and local companies in disputes submitted for arbitration in Sultanate of Oman.
  • Advising consortia comprising German, French, Japanese and Belgian companies in financing, construction, operation and maintenance of independent water, power and solar projects.
  • Advising the promoters of one of the first Islamic banks in the Sultanate of Oman in connection with its establishment and IPO.
  • Advising the promoters of one of the first Takaful companies in the Sultanate of Oman in connection with its establishment and IPO.
  • Advising the Ministry of Finance of the Government of Sultanate of Oman on the divestment of a part of its stake in various high profile companies.
  • Advising one of the leading telecommunication companies in the Sultanate of Oman with respect to its privatisation.
  • Advising an Omani based education company on the establishment of a joint venture with GEMS, a leading regional education Education.

Education

  • Jai Narayan Vyas University, India, Master of Laws (LL.M.), (2005-2006).
  • Panjab University, India, Bachelor of Laws (L.L.B.), (2001-2004).
  • Panjab University, India, B.A. Pre-law political science, (1998-2001).
  • Department of Law, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden, Exchange programme, (2004).

Admissions

  • Supreme Court of India
  • Delhi High Court

Languages

  • English
  • Hindi
  • Punjabi
  • Urdu