Justice Deepak Verma

About the Lawyer
Justice Deepak Verma is a distinguished former Judge of the Supreme Court of India and a leading figure in arbitration and mediation. Justice Verma’s career in law spans over five decades and combines extensive practice at the bar with distinguished service in the Indian judiciary. In 2012, he retired as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India and now acts as an independent mediator and arbitrator in domestic and international disputes, as well as an expert on matters of Indian law before foreign courts and international tribunals. His legal opinion is regularly sought by leading national and international law firms and global corporations on complex legal situations relating in particular to arbitration and dispute resolution arising out of high-value commercial transactions across multiple sectors. Post-retirement, he has presided over more than 200 domestic and international arbitrations, rendering awards in complex cases valued at several billion dollars, and is widely recognized as an expert in Indian law who has appeared as an expert witness in precedent-setting multijurisdictional disputes in courts and arbitral forums worldwide.
Experience
Justice Verma was enrolled as an advocate in 1972 and practiced predominantly before the High Court of Madhya Pradesh under the mentorship of his father, late Shri R.P. Verma, a distinguished lawyer of his time. As counsel, he was frequently instructed by leading law firms in complex and challenging disputes before trial and appellate courts. His work during this phase included substantial exposure to commercial and public law disputes that later informed his judicial and arbitral approach.
In 1994, he was elevated as a Judge of the High Court of Madhya Pradesh. During his judicial career on the High Court bench, he dealt with a wide array of appellate matters, including disputes involving arbitration clauses and enforcement of arbitral awards, which deepened his familiarity with procedural and substantive issues in arbitration. He was appointed Administrative Judge of the High Court of Madhya Pradesh in 2005 and also served as Welfare Commissioner for victims of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, an appointment that required oversight of large-scale claims and settlement processes with features analogous to complex claims resolution mechanisms often seen in arbitral practice.
In 2008, he was transferred to the High Court of Karnataka as the senior-most judge and served as Acting Chief Justice, before being appointed Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court. From 2009 to 2012, he served as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India, contributing to several hundred judgments across diverse areas of law, including arbitration law and related commercial and administrative disputes. His tenure on the Supreme Court further consolidated his reputation as an authority on procedural fairness, contractual interpretation, and enforcement of rights in commercial contexts, all of which are central to modern arbitration practice.
Since his retirement from the Supreme Court in 2012, Justice Verma has devoted his practice almost exclusively to arbitration and mediation. He has acted as an arbitrator and expert witness in over 200 domestic and international arbitrations seated in India, Singapore, London, and Paris, under both ad hoc and institutional rules such as UNCITRAL, the Indian Arbitration and Conciliation Act, ICC, LCIA, SIAC, ICA, DIAC, and ICADR. As presiding, sole, and co-arbitrator, he has rendered awards in more than one hundred complex arbitrations under Indian law, English law, and Singapore law, involving claims valued in several billion dollars.
His arbitral work spans high-stakes disputes in sectors including airports and aviation, construction and infrastructure projects, energy (covering natural resources as well as renewable and non-renewable sources), oil and gas, real estate, insurance and reinsurance, maritime and shipping, international trade and commerce, and joint ventures and shareholders’ agreements. He has also overseen internal investigations and acted as inquiry authority for multinational corporations and financial institutions, roles that often intersect with arbitration through post-investigation disputes, indemnity claims, and shareholder or contractual conflicts.
In his capacity as an expert on Indian law, Justice Verma has provided opinions and given evidence before international tribunals and courts in jurisdictions including the United States (Federal Courts in New York and Washington, D.C.), the Senior Courts of England and Wales, courts in the Netherlands, the Commission for Control of INTERPOL Files, and the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague. His expert work has included participation in high-profile proceedings such as the Vijay Mallya bankruptcy and an inter-state arbitration under Annex VII of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. He has also acted as mediator and conciliator in several high-value commercial disputes, using his judicial and arbitral experience to facilitate negotiated settlements.
Specialty
Justice Deepak Verma is primarily known for his expertise in arbitration and mediation. His core focus is on complex commercial arbitration, both domestic and international, often involving multi-party, multi-jurisdictional elements and substantial quantum of claims. He regularly serves as presiding arbitrator, sole arbitrator, or co-arbitrator in disputes arising out of:

• Airports and aviation projects, including concession agreements, EPC contracts, and operation and maintenance arrangements
• Construction and large-scale infrastructure projects, such as highways, urban infrastructure, and major public works
• Energy sector disputes, covering power purchase agreements, renewable energy projects, and upstream and downstream oil and gas contracts
• Real estate and development projects, including joint development, sale, and long-term lease arrangements
• Insurance and reinsurance disputes, particularly those connected with major industrial risks and large claims portfolios
• Maritime and shipping matters, including charterparties, carriage of goods, and related trade finance issues
• International trade and commerce, including supply contracts, distribution agreements, and cross-border sale of goods
• Joint ventures and shareholders’ agreements, involving governance rights, exit mechanisms, valuation disputes, and claims for breach of investment obligations

He has extensive experience under leading institutional rules, including ICC, LCIA, SIAC, and various Indian arbitration centres, as well as in ad hoc arbitrations conducted under UNCITRAL Rules and the Indian Arbitration and Conciliation Act. His familiarity with proceedings governed by Indian, English, and Singapore law allows him to navigate choice-of-law and conflicts issues that frequently arise in international arbitration.
Beyond acting as arbitrator, Justice Verma frequently appears as an expert witness on Indian law in international arbitration proceedings and foreign court litigation, particularly in cases involving enforcement of arbitral awards, interpretation of arbitration agreements, issues of arbitrability, and the interaction between Indian regulatory regimes and cross-border commercial contracts. His mediation work focuses on high-stakes commercial disputes where parties seek a pragmatic and confidential resolution parallel to or in place of arbitral proceedings.
He is empanelled as an arbitrator with several arbitration institutions and centres, including the Arbitration Centre of the Karnataka High Court at Bangalore, the Bangalore International Mediation, Arbitration and Conciliation Centre (where he has served in leadership roles), the Delhi International Arbitration Centre, the Indian Council of Arbitration, the International Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolution, the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, the Singapore International Arbitration Centre, the Pacific International Arbitration Centre, and other specialist forums. These associations reflect his standing as a preferred arbitrator for complex disputes in India and abroad.
Education
Justice Deepak Verma was born on August 28, 1947, in Jabalpur. He completed his schooling at Christ Church, Mahakaushal High School, Model High School, and finally Naveen Vidya Bhawan, Jabalpur, where he obtained his matriculation. He initially took admission in the B.Sc. programme at Government Science College, Jabalpur, before opting for a Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Aloysius College, Jabalpur. He subsequently completed his LL.B. from Jabalpur University and was enrolled as an advocate in 1972, laying the foundation for his long-standing career in advocacy, judging, and arbitration with a strong grounding in Indian civil procedure and commercial law.

• Achievements and Recognition
  • Awards / Honors: Recognized by Global Law Experts as an “Exclusive Member for Arbitration Law in India” for the Chambers of Hon'ble Mr. Justice Deepak Verma, reflecting his standing in arbitration and mediation. Source
  • Industry Standing / Rankings: Profiled by Global Law Experts as a leading arbitration expert in India, with experience spanning over 200 domestic and international disputes and awards in complex matters valued at several billion dollars. Source
  • Leadership Roles: Served as a former Judge of the Supreme Court of India and later established himself as an independent mediator and arbitrator; also served in high-responsibility roles including Ombudsman of the Delhi & District Cricket Association. Source | Source
  • Major Case Successes: Has presided over more than 200 domestic and international arbitrations and rendered awards under Indian, English, and Singapore law in disputes involving sectors such as construction, energy, insurance, and maritime. Source
  • Contributions to High-Profile / Award-Related Work: Acted as an expert on Indian law in major international disputes, including the multi-billion-dollar Vijay Mallya matter, and served as an expert witness before foreign courts and international tribunals. Source