People
Sheila Ahuja KC
Biography
Sheila co-heads the Asia-Pacific arbitration practice and is joint chair of the firm's India Group. She is one of the foremost arbitration practitioners in the Asia-Pacific region. She was appointed King’s Counsel in March 2025.
Sheila was the only solicitor-advocate among the 105 King’s Counsel appointments in 2025 and out of five solicitor candidates, was the sole successful applicant.
Sheila advises clients on complex international commercial arbitrations and investor-State disputes across the Asia Pacific region. She has particular expertise in disputes arising from joint ventures, distributorship arrangements, complex financial products, and energy and infrastructure projects. As an experienced advocate, Sheila regularly appears as lead counsel before courts and tribunals and sits as arbitrator under various rules. Her experience spans SIAC, HKIAC, ICC, UNCITRAL, ICSID, LCIA and DIAC arbitrations.
With over two decades of experience, Sheila is recognised as an internationally renowned arbitration specialist and a thought-leader in the field of international arbitration.
Sheila is the highest ranked female arbitration counsel in Singapore by Chambers Asia Pacific 2026. She is one of only three individuals ranked Band 1 for Dispute (Expertise Based Abroad) in India by Chambers Asia Pacific 2026 and the sole individual ranked Band 1 for Dispute Resolution (International Firms) in Malaysia by Chambers Asia Pacific 2026 as well as for Dispute Resolution (Expertise Based Abroad) in Malaysia by Chambers Global 2026. She is also ranked as a leading lawyer by Legal 500 Asia Pacific and Who's Who Legal. In 2026, she was named one of ALB’s Top Female Lawyers in Asia.
A trusted advisor to boards and general counsels of Fortune 500 companies, private equity houses, governments and state-owned entities in multiple sectors including financial services, private equity, energy, life sciences and many more, Sheila delivers strategic and commercial advice to help clients achieve their objectives and protect their business interests.
Practice areas
- Disputes
- International arbitration
- Foreign direct investment and CFIUS
- Sanctions and international trade
- Administrative and public law
Sectors
- Private capital
- Sports
- Technology
- Energy
Selected experience
- Her experience includes advising:
- A Southeast Asian-State owned telecommunications company in a Singapore-seated SIAC arbitration arising out of an investment in a Francophone African country worth USD400 million.
- A Korean biotechnology company on a Hong Kong law governed SIAC arbitration against a Hong Kong business partner regarding alleged breaches of a joint venture agreement relating to the regulatory approval of certain biomedical products.
- An Indian subcontractor in a DIAC construction arbitration against a UAE contractor for its unlawful termination of the subcontract.
- An international banking group in a Singapore-seated SIAC arbitration arising from financing of a construction project in Bangladesh.
- Shell (formerly BG) and Reliance on multi-phased arbitration proceedings commenced under the UNCITRAL Rules against the Government of India relating to disputes exceeding USD 5 billion arising out of two production sharing contracts, and also advising them in related court proceedings.
- Nissan on a claim against the Republic of India pursuant to the 2011 Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between Japan and India in connection to certain outstanding investment incentive sums owed to Nissan by the State Government of Tamil Nadu. We also advised on local proceedings in the Indian courts seeking to stay the treaty arbitration.
- Baggerwerken Decloedt en Zoon NV, in an ICSID arbitration against the Republic of the Philippines, arising out of the cancellation of a EUR280 million infrastructure project. This was the first successful ICSID award obtained against the Republic of the Philippines.
- A leading global financial software technology company based in Florida in relation to a dispute with a large Chinese alternative asset manager arising out of the sale of a financial software company.
- A global investment bank on court proceedings relating to its investment in an infrastructure project in Bangalore, India.
Education
- LLB, University of London, 2004
- PCLL, The University of Hong Kong, 2005
- MA, Law, University of Cambridge, 2007
- Oxford Women’s Leadership Development Programme, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, 2020
Admissions
- King’s Counsel, England and Wales, 2025
- Bar Council of Delhi, 2022
- Solicitor, England and Wales, 2011
- Solicitor, Hong Kong, 2010
Languages
- English
- Cantonese
- Hindi
- Sindi
- Mandarin