Vivek Kapoor is a barrister and arbitrator at 39 Essex Chambers. He is specialist advocate with a practice in international arbitration and commercial litigation. He is recognised for his expertise in high-value, multijurisdictional cases related to energy, infrastructure and construction, natural resources, mining and commodities, banking and financial services, civil fraud and asset tracing, sanctions, investor-state dispute settlement and public international law.
He is described in leading legal directories as “an excellent litigator”, “an expert in law”, “an excellent advocate” and “a great strategic decision maker”. Clients rate “his ability to find novel legal solutions to some of the most difficult situations is remarkable” and that he “thinks of every scenario for a case and prepares for each one, including complex and difficult ones”. His “ability to make simple arguments explaining complex legal points in both law and fact” is described as “a case winner”. In a leading judgment in the English High Court, the Judge described Vivek’s submissions as “able and persuasive”.
Vivek acts for Sovereign states and state-entities, leading Fortune 500 corporations, multinational and regional corporations, principals and their businesses from a wide range of geographies.
Vivek has an established practice as counsel before the English courts and in international arbitration. He also acts in courts of India, DIFC and ADGM, and has in the past acted in matters before the highest courts of Singapore and Hong Kong.
He also acts as arbitrator in international arbitrations. He is frequently appointed as presiding, sole, co-arbitrator and emergency arbitrator in LCIA, ICC and SIAC arbitrations, amongst others.
Most of Vivek’s counsel work is as lead counsel or sole counsel, though he regularly acts as part of large counsel teams. His work often has connections in India, Africa, Middle East, and Central and East Asia.