People

“Afridi delivers international quality advice on local law matters. The team meets deadlines and bring a commercial understanding to their work product. They are also responsive and personable in their dealings.” - Legal 500 EMEA

Areas of Expertise

  • Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
  • Construction
  • Dispute Resolution
  • Insurance
  • Litigation
  • Shipping and Maritime
  • Transport

Qualifications

  • Professional
  • Attorney-at-Law of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka, called to the Bar in 2006
  • Languages
  • English
  • Academic
  • LL.M., Harvard Law School, Fulbright Scholar, 2007
  • LL.B. (Honours) University of Colombo, Sri Lanka, 2004
inBriefs
    Notable Matters
    • Successfully represented a Swiss bank in a claim involving exposure in excess of AED 400 million.
    • Construction Dispute: Counsel to Employer in large commercial tower development dispute heard under DIAC Rules with claims and counterclaims of approximately AED 200 million.
    • Construction Dispute:  Counsel to Employer in prominent hotel development dispute heard under DIAC Rules with claims and counterclaims of over AED 100 million.
    • Construction Dispute:  Represented Dubai Government entity in matters arising from a termination of European contracting company and attending to claims in ad hoc arbitration to the value in excess of AED 1 billion.
    • Construction Dispute: Acted for a high-profile real estate investment and development company in an AED300 million construction claim brought against them by the trustee of a company in bankruptcy. This matter is one of the first cases under the UAE Bankruptcy Law.
    • Construction Dispute: Counsel in a high-value construction arbitration in connection with the Abu Dhabi Airport.
    • Construction Dispute:  Acted for the owners of a hotel project in Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai in respect of a multi-million arbitration of claims and counter claims for construction defects and delays.
    • Hotel Management Dispute: Counsel to Employer in Hotel Management contract dispute heard under ADCCAC Rules of approximately AED 50 million.
    • Commercial Contract Dispute: Counsel to Supplier to machinery in dispute heard under DIAC Rules with a claim of over AED 4 million.
    • Commercial Air Freight Dispute: Advised prominent air freight operator in Dubai Court litigation with respect to licensing claim of over USD 5 million.
    • Commercial Dispute: Advised prominent Asian Bank with respect to claims of misrepresentation filed in Dubai Court.
    • Maritime Dispute: Advised one of the world’s largest ship building companies with respect arrest of vessel for claim of over USD 100 million.
    • Maritime Dispute: Advised ship owning company with respect to arrest and release of vessel in the Sharjah Court.
    • Commercial Dispute: Advised prominent Sri Lankan group of companies with respect to ownership dispute over a Sharjah Company.
    • Banking Dispute: Acting for a major UAE bank in a commercial claim in excess of AED 250 million in court and ADCCAC Arbitration.
    Speaking Engagements
    • Panelist, Challenging an Arbitration Award under V(II)(b) of the New York Convention, what is “public policy”?, Colombo Arbitration Week, 8th August 2023, Colombo, Sri Lanka
    • Speaker, New Year’s Legal Update: Decriminalising Bounced Cheques, 25 January 2022
    • Panelist, Impact of the Global Pandemic on Construction Disputes, AIJA Conference, 18 November 2021, Dubai
    • Panelist, Financing / Litigation Funding, FIRE Conference organised by Thought Leaders 4, 16 November 2021, Dubai
    • Panelist, When arbitration and fraud meet, Asset Recovery Middle East Virtual Conference organised by Informa, 17 February 2021, Dubai
    • Panelist, Virtual chat with Afridi & Angell: answers to COVID-19 related questions on employment, risk management & disputes among others, webinar organised in collaboration with the Association of Corporate Counsel, 23 April 2020, Dubai
    • Speaker, Force majeure clauses in contracts governed under UAE law, webinar organised in collaboration with the Association of Corporate Counsel, 11 March 2020, Dubai
    • Speaker, ‘Dispute Smart’: Exploring Ways to Develop Efficient and Innovative Solutions, Asian Legal Business UAE In-House Summit 2019, 22 October 2019, Dubai
    • Speaker, Understanding Debt Recovery in the UAE, seminar organised by The Oath as part of the GC Talk Series, 1 May 2019, Dubai
    • Panelist, Litigation Funding as an Asset Class, AIM Summit Abu Dhabi, 7 April 2019, Abu Dhabi
    • Moderator, Litigation Funding Developments in MENA Region, 2nd International Litigation Legal Conference Dubai, 25 March 2019, Dubai
    • Panelist, The future of ADR: where do we go from here? 2nd International Litigation Legal Conference Dubai, 26 March 2019, Dubai
    • Panelist, How Your Law Firm Can Help You Avoid Complex Debt Recovery Proceedings, Lex Mundi Africa and Middle East Regional Forum, 26-28 February 2019, Dubai
    • Speaker, The early stages of arbitration, seminar organised by Emirates Maritime Arbitration Centre (EMAC), 30 September 2018, Dubai
    • Speaker, Federal law No. 6 of 2018 – The New Arbitration Law, seminar organised by Afridi & Angell, 27 June 2018, Dubai
    Awards and Testimonials

    Chatura has been ranked as “Next Generation Partner” for Dispute Resolution for the second year in a row

    Legal 500 EMEA 2021

     

    “Chatura Randeniya has been very diligent in the advice given and provides timely support. He is very knowledgeable and effective and with him handling a matter I have every assurance that the job will get done and typically he exceeds expectations.”

    Legal 500 EMEA 2021

     

    “I have had the pleasure of getting to know and working with Chatura Randeniya for the past 3-4 years. He is one of the brightest and most innovative lawyers I have met in the UAE. His ability to manage complex disputes across several jurisdictions and to navigate the local courts and dispute resolution mechanisms of the local jurisdiction are rare. “

    Legal 500 EMEA 2021

     

    Extremely knowledgeable on local and international law,” adding that he is “very diligent in the advice given.

    Chambers Global 2021

     

    “Chatura Randeniya is a very able lawyer with excellent analytical skills and very quick to see the weaknesses in the opposition’s case.”

    Chambers Global 2020

     

    “Good attention to detail” and “practical in his advice and attentive to new laws and legal angles.”

    Legal 500 EMEA 2020

     

    “Provides strong common-sense guidance and exhibits broad local knowledge.”

    Legal 500 EMEA 2018

    About

    Chatura’s practice focuses primarily on dispute resolution. He advises and represents clients in arbitration, and has represented clients in DIAC, ADCCAC, ICC, and ad hoc arbitrations. In addition to representing clients in arbitration, he sits as an arbitrator. Chatura also works with local advocates on matters before the UAE Federal Courts, including the Federal Supreme Court in matters of national security, as well as the Courts of Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah.

     

    Chatura regularly acts for clients in high-value construction disputes. He also advises on maritime and shipping disputes, banking disputes, employment disputes, as well as disputes relating to commercial transactions. Much of his work has strong cross-border elements. He is a regular speaker at workshops and conferences on dispute resolution in the UAE. He is also known for pro bono work involving young families and children.

     

    Prior to joining Afridi & Angell in 2008, Chatura was in the private bar of Sri Lanka practicing in the Law Chambers of Dr. Harsha Cabral, President’s Counsel.  He was also a visiting lecturer in law at the Faculties of Law and Management at the University of Colombo.

     

    Chatura has been ranked as dispute resolution practitioner in both Chambers Global (‘Up and Coming’) and in Legal 500 EMEA (‘Next Generation Partner’). Clients’ comments include: “he is very knowledgeable and effective and with him handling a matter I have every assurance that the job will get done and typically he exceeds expectations“, “he is one of the brightest and most innovative lawyers I have met in the UAE. His ability to manage complex disputes across several jurisdictions and to navigate the local courts and dispute resolution mechanisms of the local jurisdiction are rare“, “extremely knowledgeable on local and international law“, “a very able lawyer with excellent analytical skills and very quick to see the weaknesses in the opposition’s case” and is “practical in his advice and attentive to new laws and legal angles.”