Kanaga Dharmananda

Kanaga Dharmananda is a highly accomplished Senior Counsel, renowned for his expertise in commercial litigation and arbitration, with a particular emphasis on resources, finance, projects, and insolvency matters. Since his admission to practice in 1989, he has built an impressive career characterised by involvement in complex commercial disputes across courts, appeal processes, and arbitrations both in Australia and internationally. His legal acumen is particularly well-regarded in areas such as company law, schemes of arrangements, and directors' duties. Kanaga's legal journey commenced with Mallesons in Perth and Sydney, after which he held significant roles at Corrs, the Mitsubishi Corporation in Tokyo, and the United Nations in Geneva. His practice as Senior Counsel notably extends across the mining, energy, and commodities sectors, responding adeptly to matters within regulated industries, Royal Commissions, and diverse inquiries. His arbitration expertise is complemented by his engagements in various jurisdictions, including Australia, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast and North Asia, and Africa, where he also accepts arbitrator appointments. In addition to his broad arbitration practice, Kanaga serves as a mediator and expert determiner. His international presence is noted through his membership with Fountain Court Chambers, which operates in Singapore and London. His scholarly contributions are significant, with published works on contract, company law, equity, and arbitration. Notably, he co-authored A Practical Guide to Investment Treaties – Asia Pacific and Decoding International Arbitration. An Adjunct Professor at the UWA Law School, Kanaga imparts knowledge on International Commercial Arbitration and was instrumental in establishing the Perth Centre for Energy and Resources Arbitration, now part of ACICA. His professional credentials are further enhanced by his fellowship with the Australian Academy of Law. Kanaga's academic achievements include degrees from UWA (B. Juris, LLB, both with Honours), Oxford University (BCL with First Class Honours, receiving the Rupert Cross Prize), and Harvard Law School (LLM). These credentials underpin his authoritative practice in appeals, arbitration, banking and financial services, class actions, commercial disputes, company law, competition, construction and projects, energy and mining, insolvency and reconstruction, international law, regulatory law and investigations, trade practices, and white-collar crime.