Rahul Donde is an independent arbitrator and counsel with nearly two decades of experience in international commercial and investment arbitration. Trained in the common law and with over sixteen years of practice in a civil law jurisdiction, he sits as sole arbitrator, presiding arbitrator and co-arbitrator in institutional and ad hoc proceedings seated across Europe, Asia and the Middle East. As counsel, he has acted for multinational companies in international arbitrations and in annulment proceedings before the Swiss Federal Tribunal, and he advises companies, family offices and high-net-worth individuals on cross-border matters where the Swiss, English and Indian legal systems intersect.
“A true common law expert with broad civil law experience.”
“The go-to person for disputes with India and Europe connections.”
“He is always very well prepared and excellent as an arbitrator.”
“He resolves complicated legal issues with clarity and speed.”
Arbitrator
Arbitrator experience
Rahul Donde regularly sits as sole arbitrator, co-arbitrator and presiding arbitrator in disputes under the LCIA, ICC, SIAC, DIAC, HKIAC, MCIA and Swiss Rules, as well as in ad hoc proceedings under the Indian Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. His cases frequently involve international sanctions, anti-suit injunctions and parallel court proceedings, urgent applications for interim and conservatory measures, including security for costs, disputes arising from settlement agreements, multi-party and multi-contract disputes, termination of services and contractor agreements, and expedited procedures, with particular concentration in trade and commodities, construction, and energy and infrastructure.
He is included in the LCIA’s database of arbitrators and is empanelled as an arbitrator with CRCICA, Delos, DIAC, HKIAC (List of Arbitrators), MCIA, NPAC, THAC (Panel of Arbitrators), SIAC and WIPO (List of Neutrals).
As arbitrator he has applied English, Singaporean, Hong Kong, Indian, UAE, Swiss, French and Russian substantive law.
Role
Sector
LCIA
Sole Arbitrator
Dispute between Swiss and Egyptian companies arising out of a contract for the sale of oil country tubular goods (OCTG steel), including payment obligations and interest.
Dispute between British and Hong Kong companies concerning a contract for the sale of iron ore pellet chips, including payment and performance obligations.
Dispute between a Russian industrial enterprise and an Italian company arising out of equipment supply contracts for a fertilizer plant, involving EU sanctions, advance payment recovery and force majeure.
Dispute between British and American companies arising out of the sale of chemicals, including claims for unpaid goods, storage costs and disputes over CFR delivery terms.
Dispute between a French industrial-technology company and an Italian engineering company concerning payment obligations under a settlement agreement.
SeatParisLawFrench lawSectorTrade and Distribution
Sole Arbitrator
Dispute between a Kenyan company and an Italian company arising out of construction contracts for grain silos and warehouses, including claims for delays and defects.
SeatGenevaLawEnglish lawSectorConstruction
Sole Arbitrator
Expedited arbitration between Bahraini and Turkish companies arising out of a subcontract for instrumentation and control installation works at a 1,800MW combined-cycle power plant, including disputes over delays and cost overruns.
SeatZurichLawEnglish lawSectorConstruction / EPC / Power
Sole Arbitrator
Dispute between Swiss and German entities arising out of a supply agreement for ferrotitanium, involving the application of European and Swiss sanctions instruments.
SeatGenevaLawSwiss lawSectorMetals / Trading
Co-Arbitrator
Dispute between a Spanish company and a Russian state-owned entity arising out of a railway equipment and services contract, involving anti-suit injunctions, applications to restrain parallel court proceedings and arbitrability disputes.
SeatParisLawRussian lawSectorRailway / Transport
DIAC
Sole Arbitrator
Dispute between an Emirati sub-contractor and the UAE subsidiary of a Chinese state-owned construction group arising out of a sub-contract for the construction of 120 villas, including claims for site hand-over failures, design non-compliance, payment defaults and wrongful termination.
SeatDIFC, DubaiLawUAE lawSectorConstruction / Residential Development
SIAC
Sole Arbitrator
Dispute between Singaporean and Indonesian companies concerning demurrage charges and port dues arising out of CFR contracts for the purchase of crude oil, including disputes over laytime calculations.
Dispute concerning guarantee and surety obligations and an assignment agreement between Singaporean, Lithuanian and Russian entities, including claims for unpaid amounts.
SeatHong KongLawHong Kong lawSectorConsumer Goods / Guarantees
Swiss Arbitration Centre
Sole Arbitrator
Dispute between Swiss and Czech entities arising out of blockchain-based debt securities, including payment claims and contested jurisdictional objections.
SeatZurichLawSwiss lawSectorBanking & Finance / Digital Securities
MCIA / Ad hoc (India)
Sole Arbitrator
Dispute between two Indian hospitality companies concerning a commercial agreement in the hospitality sector.
SeatMumbaiLawIndian lawSectorHospitality
Sole Arbitrator
Dispute concerning a pharmaceutical distribution agreement.
SeatMumbaiLawIndian lawSectorPharmaceuticals / Distribution
Sole Arbitrator
Dispute between Indian companies arising out of a supply agreement for lubricants, including payment disputes.
SeatMumbaiLawIndian lawSectorTransport / Supply
Presiding Arbitrator
Ad hoc arbitration under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, between Indian companies concerning the sale of a power plant, including disputes over warranties and completion obligations.
As counsel, Rahul Donde has guided multinational companies through cross-border construction and commercial disputes, annulment proceedings before the Swiss Federal Tribunal, and settlement negotiations across jurisdictions. Before founding his own practice, he spent twelve years at Lévy Kaufmann-Kohler in Geneva, one of the world’s leading arbitration boutiques.
Representative counsel engagements
Counsel to an Indian multinational company in two LCIA arbitrations with its shareholders; also advised the company in annulment proceedings before the Swiss Federal Tribunal.
SeatGenevaLawEnglishSectorConsumer Goods
Counsel to an Indian multinational company in settlement discussions with another Indian multinational company.
SeatSingaporeLawEnglishSectorChemicals
Counsel to an American industrial manufacturer in its disputes with an Indian company concerning the long-term supply of machinery for an oil and gas project.
Counsel to an American multinational company in an ICC arbitration against a consortium of multinational commodity mining and shipping companies in Africa concerning shipping rights.
SeatGenevaLawContract / GuineanSectorCommodities
Counsel to an Indian multinational company in settlement discussions with an American bank and a Swiss entity.
SeatZurichLawSwissSectorAviation
Counsel to an Indian multinational company in its construction disputes with an African state-owned entity.
SeatGenevaLawFIDIC Yellow BookSectorConstruction
Counsel to an Indian multinational company in its disputes with an Italian company concerning the supply of steel pipes.
SeatGenevaLawSwissSectorEnergy & Infrastructure
Tribunal secretary and assistant experience
Tribunal Secretary in an LCIA arbitration between Middle Eastern and European oil and gas companies arising out of earn-out payment obligations under a share purchase agreement.
SeatLondonLawEnglishSectorOil & Gas
Tribunal Secretary in an ICC arbitration between Central Asian oil and gas producers and a state-owned oil and gas company concerning breaches of long-term gas supply agreements.
SeatGenevaLawGas supply agreements and trade usagesSectorOil & Gas
Tribunal Secretary in an ICC arbitration between Asian parties concerning LNG sales.
SeatParisLawNew YorkSectorOil & Gas
Tribunal Secretary in a SIAC arbitration between Asian parties concerning disputes in the gambling industry.
SeatSingaporeLawNew YorkSectorTourism
Tribunal Secretary in an UNCITRAL arbitration between Asian and African oil and gas companies arising out of a sale and purchase agreement.
SeatDubaiLawSudaneseSectorOil & Gas
Tribunal Secretary in an UNCITRAL arbitration between Middle Eastern parties arising out of a petrochemical supply contract.
SeatParisLawIranianSectorOil & Gas
Tribunal Secretary in Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation v. Yemen (ICC Case No. 19299/MCP), concerning a production sharing agreement and declaration of force majeure.
SeatParisLawYemeniSectorOil & Gas
Assistant to the Tribunal in CTIP Oil & Gas International Limited v. Arab Republic of Egypt (ICSID Case No. ARB/19/27), under the UAE–Egypt BIT, concerning a gas pipeline construction and operation agreement.
SectorOil & GasTypeInvestment treaty
Assistant to the Tribunal in Glencore International A.G. v. Republic of Colombia (ICSID Case No. ARB/21/30), under the Colombia–Switzerland BIT, concerning a coal mining project.
SectorMiningTypeInvestment treaty
Advisory
Strategic advisory
In parallel with his arbitration practice, Rahul Donde advises multinational companies, family offices and high-net-worth individuals on cross-border matters requiring strategic legal input: pre-dispute analysis, negotiation support, settlement structuring and multi-jurisdictional planning, particularly where Swiss, English and Indian legal systems intersect.
His advisory work spans aviation, commodities, energy, infrastructure, private wealth and international organisations.
International organisations and employment disputes
Rahul Donde advises on employment-related disputes arising within international organisations. That work has included the analysis of an organisation’s staff regulations and due-process requirements, the identification of potential procedural irregularities, and the jurisprudence of the ILO Administrative Tribunal.
About
About Rahul Donde
Rahul Donde is qualified in India and based in Switzerland, bringing a distinctive cross-system perspective that combines common law training with extensive experience in civil law jurisdictions. He has worked with parties, counsel and co-arbitrators from the United Kingdom, Switzerland, the United States, Russia, China, Singapore, India, the UAE, Kenya, and across Africa, the Middle East and continental Europe.
He founded Rahul Donde Dispute Resolution in Geneva in 2024, after twelve years at Lévy Kaufmann-Kohler, the leading Geneva arbitration boutique. In 2026 the practice opened its second office in Fort, Mumbai, placing it on the ground in both Europe and India. He is an Honorary Lecturer at the School of Law, University of Aberdeen.
An Indian national, he is fluent in English, Marathi and Hindi, with working proficiency in French.
Education
LL.M., Oil and Gas Law, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, 2018
LL.M., International Dispute Settlement (MIDS), 2nd rank, Graduate Institute and University of Geneva, 2011
Diploma in ADR, Distinction, International Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolution, 2009
B.L.S., LL.B., First Class, Honours, Government Law College, Mumbai, 2008
Career
Principal, Rahul Donde Dispute Resolution, Geneva & Mumbai, 2024–present
Honorary Lecturer, School of Law, University of Aberdeen, 2020–present
