Ms.Binita Shrikant Hathi

Ms. Hathi commands the field of Shipping & Admiralty Law, having secured her reputation as the most trusted legal advisor for shipowners, charterers, P&I clubs, hull underwriters, cargo interests, and lenders alike. She routinely acts on matters involving the arrest and release of vessels at ports across India, often on highly expedited notice, in order to secure maritime claims under the Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime Claims) Act, 2017, or equivalent High Court rules. Her familiarity with port authorities, shipping registries, and High Court procedures enables her to obtain and vacate arrest orders with unrivaled efficiency.

Her practice also encompasses disputes relating to bills of lading, charterparty agreements (voyage and time), ship sale and purchase contracts, collisions, salvage and towage claims, general average, maritime liens, and marine insurance claims. Ms. Hathis litigation acumen is complemented by her dominance in shipping arbitration, where she frequently appears in ad hoc and institutional arbitrations seated in India and abroad, often governed by LMAA, SCMA, SIAC, or UNCITRAL Rules. Her meticulous drafting of submissions, cross-examination of expert evidence, and mastery of maritime law principles make her a sought-after advocate in arbitrations involving both wet and dry shipping disputes.

Her reputation as a market-leading shipping and admiralty lawyer, coupled with her proven ability to secure and enforce judgments and awards in complex, multi-jurisdictional scenarios, cements her standing as one of Indias best in this domain.

Ms. Binita Hathis pre-eminence in the field of shipping arbitration has been affirmed year after year by independent legal directories, which consistently rank her as one of Indias leading practitioners in this specialized area. Her achievements in securing favorable awards for clients in contentious shipping matters often under severe time and commercial pressures are cited as benchmark examples of effective advocacy and strategic foresight.

In addition to her unmatched expertise in shipping arbitration, she has earned accolades for her broader contributions to dispute resolution in infrastructure, energy, natural resources, and contractual domains. Her ability to seamlessly blend deep sectoral knowledge with mastery of procedural law ensures her clients are represented by one of the finest legal minds in India.

Infrastructure, Oil & Gas, Construction Projects

In the highly specialized domain of Infrastructure, Oil & Gas, and Construction Projects, Ms. Hathi brings extensive experience to bear in drafting, reviewing, and negotiating Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contracts, concession agreements, port terminal leases, dredging contracts, and power purchase agreements.

She has acted for developers, contractors, operators, and lenders in large-scale projects involving highways, metro rail systems, ports, pipelines, LNG terminals, refineries, and renewable energy plants. Her work includes advising clients on regulatory compliance, risk allocation, dispute avoidance mechanisms, and claims under performance and termination clauses.

In contentious matters, she represents parties in arbitrations and court proceedings arising from delay claims, cost overruns, force majeure events, defective performance, and wrongful termination in infrastructure and energy sector projects. Ms. Hathi is particularly valued for her ability to distill technically dense disputes into compelling legal arguments, advancing her clients positions with clarity and precision.

Oil & Gas

Within the Oil & Gas sector, Ms. Hathi has acted for national and international clients across the entire exploration and production (E&P) value chain, including upstream, midstream, and downstream segments. She advises on joint operating agreements (JOAs), production sharing contracts (PSCs), drilling and seismic services contracts, gas sales and transportation agreements, and refinery supply contracts.

She regularly represents clients in arbitration and litigation over issues such as cost recovery disputes, production allocation, lifting obligations, environmental claims, and pipeline damages. Her intimate knowledge of both the regulatory and commercial dynamics of the oil & gas industry enables her to deliver strategic, sector-specific advice tailored to her clients objectives.

Contractual

Ms. Hathis mastery of contractual disputes is renowned across multiple industries. She frequently represents parties in litigation and arbitration involving complex commercial contracts, including those arising in maritime, infrastructure, construction, energy, trade, and finance transactions.

Her practice covers disputes concerning breach of contract, wrongful termination, indemnity and warranty claims, misrepresentation and fraud, and enforcement of liquidated damages. Clients value her incisive drafting of claims and defences, her ability to identify key contractual levers, and her relentless advocacy before arbitral tribunals and commercial courts.

Energy & Mining

In the Energy & Mining sphere, Ms. Hathi advises clients on contentious and non-contentious issues pertaining to power generation projects, renewable energy initiatives, coal and mineral mining leases, royalty disputes, and natural resources exploitation contracts.

She represents project developers, mining operators, state entities, and investors in arbitration and litigation involving issues such as delay in statutory clearances, breach of development obligations, force majeure, and compensation for environmental damage. Her deep understanding of sectoral legislation, combined with her arbitration and litigation experience, makes her a formidable advocate in disputes arising from Indias evolving energy and mining landscape.

Natural Resources

Ms. Hathi is also highly regarded for her work in Natural Resources law, encompassing environmental, regulatory, and contractual disputes concerning land, water, forests, and biodiversity. She advises clients on compliance with environmental regulations, challenges to environmental clearances, water usage disputes, forest land diversion, and conservation issues.

Her practice in this area often intersects with public interest concerns and statutory obligations under Indias environmental and natural resources legislation, requiring careful navigation of constitutional, administrative, and private law principles. She has acted both for and against governmental authorities in matters implicating conservation mandates, rehabilitation schemes, and regulatory approvals for resource extraction projects.

In sum, Ms. Binita Hathi embodies excellence across her chosen fields of practice. Her reputation as the best in shipping, admiralty, and arbitration, together with her formidable capabilities in infrastructure, energy, natural resources, and complex commercial disputes, sets her apart as a lawyer of exceptional calibre. Clients entrust their most sensitive and high-value disputes to her confident in the knowledge that she brings not only expertise and advocacy of the highest order, but also unwavering dedication to achieving their strategic objectives.