
Mr. Sachin Kerur
Head of Middle East Region, Reed Smith
Sachin is a partner in the firm’s Energy and Natural Resources practice and Office Managing Partner of the firm’s Middle East offices. He has over 24 years of experience advising Government and the private sector on privatised and publicly procured infrastructure and development works, particularly across the Middle East and India.
He has advised on some of the most important airports, road and rail networks, power plants, commercial and residential developments, oil and gas facilities, water supply plants, hotels and education facilities throughout the Middle East and Sub-continent.
For the last three years, Sachin has been listed among the 100 most influential figures in the Middle East construction industry by the region’s leading construction publication, Construction Week; is listed in the Who’s Who Legal Guide to the best Global Construction Lawyers; and has most recently been named in the top 100 international lawyers by Indian Business Law Journal. Sachin is ranked as a leading individual for construction in Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners and a leading India expert based abroad (Construction) in Chambers Global. Sachin is frequently called to speak and write on the Middle East and Indian infrastructure sectors.
“[A]n extremely experienced construction lawyer – one of the best, if not the best in the Middle East.” – Chambers Global 2020, UAE Construction
“Sachin Kerur’s technical background, wealth of experience and commercial astuteness means he is a go-to for construction advice, ad-hoc, strategic and transactional.” – Legal 500 2020, UAE Construction
Representative Matters
Oil & Gas/Energy
- Advising regional oil company in current arbitration proceedings in London.
- Advising regional oil company on suites of EPC agreements.
- Advised on the Habshan-Fujairah Cross-Emirates oil pipeline project.
- Advised on the development of oil & gas/petrochemical suite of agreements in East Africa (including the EPC agreements, consultant agreements and ancillary security documentation) for 1500 km oil pipeline, and pumping stations and marine terminal works.
- Advised on power plant in Iraq.
Infrastructure
- Advised on international airports at Maldives, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Dubai Istanbul, Delhi, Hyderabad, Cebu and Salalah
- Advising regional airlines on engineering procurement.
- Advised on the procurement of regional University UAE.
- Advised on major regional retail development in Doha.
- Advised on a major light rail system in India.
- Advised on procurement issues relating to a central business re-development in the Dubai.
- Advised major Indian construction contractor on the setting-up of building and cement operations in Dubai.
- Advised on a water supply project in Dubai.
- Advised on construction/facilities management issues for logistics hub project in Dubai.
- Advised main contractor on a major hotel development in Dubai.
- Advised on rig/hull purchase in Dubai.
- Advised on setting up of UK education establishments in Dubai.
- Advised on operation, maintenance and management contract in relation to the privatisation of a water supply system in Abu Dhabi.
- Advising on a residential power project in Sharjah.
- Advised on the development of a part captive plant in India.
- Advised on the turnkey agreement on behalf of an African provincial government procuring a major rail system.
- Advised on development of precedent standard form construction contracts for Caribbean Government.
- As International Counsel on two Indian annuity highway projects.
- Advised on procurement of regional stock exchange.
- Advised on infrastructure to major residential development in Qatar.
- Advised on the World Development in Dubai.
- Advised contractor on the Dubai Waterfront Development.
Honors and Awards
- Ranked in Chambers Global for China Capital Markets: Equity (International Firms) and China Corporate/M&A: Highly Regarded (International Firms), 2020-2021
- Listed as Highly Regarded in IFLR1000 Global for UAE Project development, 2020-2021
- Listed in the Hall of Fame in The Legal 500 EMEA for UAE Construction, 2020-2021
Publications
- 1 September 2021
UAE’s landmark mediation law; Co-Author: Alison Eslick - 28 January 2021 “Update to the DIFC-LCIA Rules”
Reed Smith Client Alerts; Co-Author: Michelle Nelson - 15 December 2020 “UAE-Israel normalization creates new opportunities”
Navigating the next normal: Global disputes in 2020 and beyond Post-conference report; Co-Authors: Daja Apetz-Dreier, David Ashmore, Diane A. Bettino, Nicolas Borda, Nick Brocklesby, Katherine A. Campbell, Chloe J. Carswell, Stephen Chan, Eleanor E. Chapman, Douglas E. Cherry, Liza V. Craig, Anthony B. Crawford, Jennifer Yule DePriest, Clément Fouchard, Michael B. Galibois, Anette Gärtner, Geert Goeteyn, Betty S.W. Graumlich, Leigh T. Hansson, Peter Hardy, Kohe Hasan, Stéphane Illouz, Aaron Javian, Constantine Karides, Rosanne Kay, Waseem Khokhar, Dusty Elias Kirk, William T. Kirkwood, Peter L. Kogan, Justin J. Kontul, Janet H. Kwuon, Casey D. Laffey, Ben Love, Michael J. Lowell, Thor Maalouf, Michelle A. Mantine, Yves Melin, Adela Mues, Ed Mullins, Michelle Nelson, Cynthia O’Donoghue, Mark Pring, Rizwan A. Qureshi, Oliver Rawkins, Carolyn H. Rosenberg, Patrick Schumann, Asha Sharma, Lora Spencer, Andreas Splittgerber, Gerard M. Stegmaier, Ben Summerfield, Elizabeth R. Tabas Carson, Dora Wang - 14 October 2020 “Stories from the front line in international arbitration”
Arbitral Insights; Co-Authors: Jane Miles, Alison Eslick - September 2020
Future-proofing businesses post COVID-19: The Middle East perspective - 28 February 2020 “The New KSA Government Tenders and Procurement Law”
Reed Smith Client Alerts; Co-Author: Chris Edwards - 30 January 2020 “2020 Declaration – enforcement of UAE judgments in India”
Reed Smith Client Alerts; Co-Author: Rhys Monahan - 5 August 2019 “UAE raises ownership limits to catalyse diversification”
Reed Smith Client Alerts; Co-Author: Tufayel Hussain - 23 July 2019 “Reed Smith drives progress with #SeeHerTM featuring Sachin Kerur”
- 10 June 2019 “Reed Smith’s “Hot topics in International Arbitration” roundtable series – highlights from the third roundtable in Dubai” Co-Authors: José Astigarraga, Michelle Nelson
Speaking Engagements
- 26-29 October 2020 Navigating the next normal: Global disputes in 2020 and beyond, United Kingdom
- 27 February 2019 Join us as we celebrate 40 years in the Middle East, Downtown Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- 26 February 2019 Join us as we mark 40 years in the Middle East, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- 18 September 2016 Construction Summit, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- September 2016 Accelerating Infrastructure Growth in India, Chennai, India
Professional and Community Affiliations
- Advocate and Solicitor (England and Wales), 1998