Gitanjali Bajaj
She/herPartnerGitanjali Bajaj is a leading international dispute resolution partner recognised for her representation of both Sovereign States and private clients in high-value and complex cross-border disputes. Gitanjali is the Asia-Pacific Co-Head for International Arbitration for DLA Piper and the Regional Lead for DLA Piper’s India Group in Australia. Gitanjali also serves as Vice President of the Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration.
Gitanjali regularly represents private and Sovereign State clients in international commercial arbitrations and various other forums of alternative dispute resolution, across the energy and resources, defence and major infrastructure sectors, where she brings together her in-depth knowledge of the subject matter and a practical understanding of the procedures of such forums to achieve commercially sustainable outcomes.
Gitanjali’s commercial practice is exemplified by high value, high publicity matters such as acting for the French defence Contractor, Naval Group, in the multi-billion dollar submarine dispute with the Commonwealth of Australia, and acting for the international joint venture in relation to a multi-million dollar ICC arbitration arising from the construction of Australia's largest LNG project.
Gitanjali’s Sovereign States’ practice is focussed on the fields of climate change, maritime and land boundary delimitation and law of the sea, exemplified by her continuing representation of Timor-Leste in its land and maritime boundary dispute with Indonesia, prior to which Gitanjali represented Timor-Leste in the first-ever UNCLOS compulsory conciliation proceedings with Australia that led to the Maritime Boundary Treaty between the two States. Gitanjali also represented Timor-Leste in the landmark climate change advisory ruling from the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea and is currently representing Tonga, Timor-Leste, Solomon Islands and Zambia in the climate change advisory proceedings before the International Court of Justice.
Gitanjali is recognised by Legal 500 as a Leading Partner for Dispute Resolution – Arbitration, as a Next Generation Partner for Construction, she is also recognised as Band 2 for Dispute Resolution - Arbitration in Chambers Global and Asia Pacific 2025, and was listed in the Legal 500’s inaugural arbitration private practice powerlist for Australasia.
Gitanjali has received national and international recognition for her achievements, having been named International ADR Practitioner of the Year 2025; Global Elite Thought Leader for Arbitration 2023 by Who’s Who Legal; Lawyer of the Year in The Best Lawyers in Australia 2022 list for International Arbitration; International ADR Practitioner of the Year 2024, 2021 and 2019; and Arbitration Practitioner of the Year 2020 at the Australian Dispute Centre's ADR Awards; and Partner of the Year at Lawyers Weekly Women in Law Awards 2018.
EXPERIENCE
- Acting for an international joint venture in relation to a multi-million dollar ICC arbitration seated in Singapore arising from a downstream EPC Subcontract relating to the construction of the Onshore LNG Facilities forming part of the Ichthys Onshore LNG Project (Northern Territory), Australia's largest LNG project.
- Acting for a renewable energy investor in relation to various claims by the D&C Contractor arising from the construction of a solar power plant in the Northern Territory, including commissioning delays and associated issues with the Network Service Provider and Regulator.
- Acting for a renewable energy investor in various claims arising from the development of a pumped hydro storage project in Queensland.
- Acting for an international renewable energy investor in a multi-million dollar SIAC arbitration seated in Singapore arising out of the construction of a bioethanol plant in the Philippines.
- Acting for a wind turbine installation contractor in relation to in relation to disputes on five different projects in Australia and in various dispute resolution forums, including Supreme Court proceedings and adjudications.
- Acting for the national petroleum authority of Timor-Leste in relation to an ICC arbitration seated in Singapore for claims arising out of a Production Sharing Contract (PSC) with major international Oil & Gas contractors for the exploration and exploitation of the oil and gas reserves in the Timor Sea.
- Acting for a D&C contractor in Supreme Court of Victoria proceedings arising from alleged defects in the Victorian Desalination Plant.
- Acting for a French Defence Contractor in successfully negotiating an AUD 830 million dollar settlement of its dispute with the Commonwealth of Australia with respect to the termination of the Future Submarines Program.
- Acting for a French Defence Contractor in relation to two separate disputes arising from alleged defects in certain Protected Mobility Vehicles.
- Acting for an intergovernmental organisation related to the United Nations in an arbitration seated in The Hague, administered by the PCA arising out of a procurement dispute with a US Defence contractor for certain militiary goods during the Ukraine-Russia Conflict.
- Advising Government of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste:
- in Timor-Leste's land and maritime boundary negotiations with the Republic of Indonesia;
- in the Compulsory Conciliation proceedings under Annex V of the 1982 United National Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) against Australia concerning the delimitation of the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf and the establishment of permanent maritime boundaries between the two States;
- in a dispute against Australia before the International Court of Justice relating to the seizure of documents and data by Australian Security and Intelligence Officers; and
- before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in the advisory opinion requested by the Commission of Small Island States regarding the obligations of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to protect and preserve the marine environment in the context of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions.
- Acting for the Government of Vanuatu in its negotiations with France in relation to the sovereignty of certain islands and maritime boundary delimitation.
- Acting for the Government of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, Government of Solomon Islands, Government of the Kingdom of Tonga and Government of the Republic of Zambia in separate representations before the International Court of Justice in the advisory opinion requested by the United Nations General Assembly concerning the Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change.
- Acting for the Government of Solomon Islands in claims against certain international companies arising out of the biggest environmental disaster in the history of the Pacific caused by an oil spill in 2019.
- Acting for the Government of the Argentine Republic in defending the enforcement of a US judgment in Australia.
- English
- Hindi
- The University of Queensland (with a certificate of specialisation in International law), LLB, Hons Class1, 2004
- The University of Queensland (with a Major in International Relations), BA, 2004
