Lomesh Kiran Nidumuri

Partner (Head – Disputes, South India)

people

Lomesh heads the disputes practice for South India and is part of the leadership team for the disputes practice of the Firm. He is also a key member of the international arbitration practice team.

Lomesh has more than two decades of experience in advising clients in broad range of civil and commercial disputes, cross border disputes, domestic and international arbitrations. In many disputes, he has acted as a lead counsel conducting trial and arguments before courts and arbitral tribunals. Over the years, he has also acted for clients in a variety of civil and commercial disputes including technology related disputes, shareholder disputes, and disputes pertaining to real estate, construction, employment, intellectual property rights, restructuring and corporate insolvency and white-collar crimes (particularly money laundering).

Lomesh is a registered foreign lawyer with the Singapore International Commercial Court (SICC) and a qualified Specialist Mediator (Foreign) with Singapore International Mediation Centre (SIMC). He is a member of the Reserve Panel of Arbitrators at Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) and an empanelled arbitrator with the Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC).

He was part of the Committee of the Young Singapore International Arbitration Centre (YSIAC) for the tenure 2019-2021 and for the renewed term 2021-2023. He was also part of the Steering Committee of the International Arbitration and Mediation Centre (IAMC) for the term 2022-2024.

Lomesh has been consistently ranked as a leading lawyer by various publications including Chambers and Partners, Lexology (formerly Who’s Who Legal), Legal 500, Asia Law and Benchmark. He is a visiting faculty at Jindal Global Law School and is frequently invited to law schools across the country to deliver lectures. He has contributed to several publications and is regularly invited to speak at ADR and industry events. He is also part of forums that aim to contribute to the development of ADR in the country.

He is actively involved in various social projects through the Rotary Club of Bangalore and passionate about community service and mentoring the youth. Lomesh is a keen sports enthusiast. He was formerly co-owner of the ‘KGF Wolves’ team in the Grand Prix Badminton League (GPBL), which won the inaugural edition of the GPBL in August 2022.

Relevant Experience

  • Represented a leading crypto currency company in criminal proceedings initiated by the Enforcement Directorate for money laundering before the authorities and the courts.
  • Advising some shareholders of Think and Learn Private Limited (Byju) in litigations before the National Company Law Tribunal, Bengaluru and the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC).
  • Represented ARCIL in proceedings before the National Company Law Tribunal, Bengaluru, against Manyata Developers, for claims more than INR 1200 Crores.
  • Advising the majority shareholders of Indus Motors Private Limited in an oppression and mismanagement petition filed by minority shareholders before the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal, Chennai.
  • Represented Wipro Limited in its litigation against Mr Jatin Dalal (former CFO) for breach of certain clauses in the agreement by joining a competitor.
  • Representing US based Ameri Group in litigations filed before the National Company Law Tribunal, Bengaluru, and various other forums in disputes against former Indian promoter.
  • Represented Bitsport Private Limited before the Karnataka High Court challenging the circulars of the Badminton Association of India restricting badminton players from participating in private tournaments on the ground that it violates their constitutional rights.
  • Represented a leading technology company in arbitration proceedings against the erstwhile shareholders of a company it acquired, for damages on account of fraud and misrepresentation in the accounts at the time of acquisition.
  • Representing a leading pharmaceutical company in proceedings initiated against the company and director under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.
  • Representing a leading builder in defamation proceedings against certain persons before the Civil Courts, Bangalore.
  • Representing a leading builder before a three-member tribunal in disputes arising from a joint development agreement with respect to a prime property in Bangalore.
  • Representing Axis Bank in proceedings against a defaulter before the Debt Recovery Tribunal and the Karnataka High Court for claims in excess of INR 150 Crores.
  • Representing a leading hospital group in litigation against the Bureau of Civil Aviation with respect to wrongful cancellation of permission to operate from the airport premises.

*Experience listed below is that of the Partner before he joined the Firm.

  • Represented a leading international financial institution in arbitration proceedings initiated against the promoters of a company, before a sole arbitrator (retired Supreme Court Judge), at Bangalore. The arbitrator awarded damages of approximately USD 100 Million making each of the promoters jointly and severally liable.
  • Represented a leading cab service aggregator, in challenging the ban on its services before theDelhi High Court, as well as defending petitions filed by its competitors before the National GreenTribunal, New Delhi, alleging non-use of clean fuel in the NCR region.
  • Represented SAIF III Mauritius Company Limited, in an action for oppression and mismanagement against the TV9 Group before the National Company Law Tribunal, Hyderabad.
  • Represented a popular South Indian actress in a suit for defamation filed by her against media houses in relation to the alleged ‘drug scam’ that caught the eye of the media in June 2020.
  • Represented CG Foods (the owners of Wai Wai Noodles) in an action for passing off filed by ITC before the Bangalore Civil Court and the Karnataka High Court.
  • Represented Just Dial in an action for copyright and trademark infringements against a subsidiary company of the Network 18 group before the Delhi High Court.

Awards & Recognition

  • ‘Band 1’ Lawyer for Chambers and Partners (2020 to 2025)
  • ‘Top 15 Disputes Lawyers in Asia’, Asian Legal Business (ALB) 2022.
  • ‘Forty Under Forty’ lawyers in the Asia-Pacific region, Asian Legal Business 2017. ALB recognizes forty outstanding professionals in the Asia-Pacific region who are under the age of forty and have worked on significant deals and disputes in the past year and earned accolades from their peers and clients.
  • ‘Distinguished Practioner’ for Dispute Resolution, Asia Law Profiles (2024-2025).
  • ‘Disputes Star’ in the categories of international arbitration and commercial transactions, respectively, Benchmark Litigation 2020-2025.
  • ‘Recommended Lawyer’ for Dispute Resolution, Litigation, and Intellectual Property disputes, Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2021-2024.
  • ‘Notable Practitioner’ for Dispute Resolution, Asia Law Profiles (2017-2023).

 

Memberships

  • Karnataka State Bar Council.
  • Fellow – Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb)
  • Member of International Bar Association

Qualifications

  • 2004 Bachelor of Laws (LL.B), Campus Law Centre, Delhi University
  • 2008 Master of Laws (LL.M), New York University School of Law
expertise

Expertise

Practice Areas

  • Dispute Resolution