Varuna Bhanrale
Partner - Dispute Resolution and Arbitration
Commercial Disputes | Arbitrations| Cross-Border and Domestic Disputes
Overview
Varuna is a Partner in the Dispute Resolution practice. She specialises in high-stake commercial disputes.
Varuna’s expertise includes devising strategy in complex cross-border and domestic disputes and implementing it through a blend of pre-litigation/pre-arbitration actions and arbitrations/litigation. She excels in resolving situations involving nuanced issues of law while deftly managing the commercial objectives of her clients.
Varuna has extensive experience in representing clients before Indian courts, including the Supreme Court, High Courts, trial courts and tribunals (such as NCLT, NCLAT, PMLAT, DRT, SAT and NCDRC). Her arbitration experience encompasses representation in several ad-hoc arbitrations and arbitrations under rules of institutions such as SIAC, ICC and LCIA.
In addition to her experience in India, Varuna has also seconded with Nishimura and Asahi at their Tokyo office.
Education
- BA. LLB. (Hons) from Symbiosis Law School, Pune, India
Admissions
- Bar Council of India
Select representative clients/matters
- Goldman Sachs entities against Morgan Securities and Credits before the Delhi High Court in respect of certain claims raised by the latter for cancellation of shares issued to the Goldman Sachs entities by BPL Medical Technologies Pvt Ltd.
- Resolution Professional of Essar Steel India Limited (ESIL) and his advisors, Alvarez and Marsal, in interconnected disputes before the Calcutta High Court, Gujarat High Court and NCLT arising from the corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP) of ESIL and concerning one of their kind allegations of liquidation fraud, contempt of court and perjury.
- Vistra (ITCL) India Ltd on intertwined disputes before the Bombay High Court, Debt Recovery Tribunal, Securities Appellate Tribunal and Supreme Court concerning non-payments by Reliance Capital Ltd towards certain secured debentures issued by it, and Vistra’s rights over the security interest created in its favour vis-à-vis competing interests of other alleged secured creditors.
- Cooperatieve Rabobank UA in connection with the recovery of debt extended to various entities of the Coffee Day group, as well as initiation of corporate insolvency resolution process against such entities.
- Ricoh Company Ltd on a variety of disputes, including a first-of-its-kind petition before the National Company Law Tribunal by public shareholders regarding financial mismanagement and for recovery of their investments in a listed Indian subsidiary (Ricoh India Ltd), actions against delinquent employees, and insolvency.
- Noble Resources against the Steel Authority of India before the High Court of Delhi and Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd before Visakhapatnam District Court in relation to disputes concerning torts of interference in contracts with an Indonesian coal mining company.
- Quess Corp and Trimax Smart Infraprojects against Trimax IT Infrastructure & Services Ltd in a dispute concerning the implementation of an IT services project contracted to Trimax IT and subcontracted to Trimax Smart.
- JSC Cryogenmash against Steel Authority of India in an international arbitration governed by the ICC Rules in relation to certain construction disputes.
Recognition
- Recognised as a ‘Future Star‘ for Commercial & Transactions by Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific, 2026
- ‘Future Legal Leader‘ for Anti-Corruption, Anti-Bribery, Arbitration & ADR, Bankruptcy & Insolvency, Litigation, by India Business Law Journal Awards (IBLJ), 2026
