Rajendra Navaratnam obtained his first degree in Electrical Engineering and started his career as an Engineer in the Power industry. He has worked in wide and various capacities in the then National Electricity Board of Malaysia, ranging from construction and maintenance of high voltage transmission lines and substations, test and instrument functions, culminating in managing international procurement contracts, for about 10 years before he retrained in law and started his legal career with Azman Davidson and Co in 1988. He became a Partner in 1993.

Qualifications and Admissions

• BSc (Hons) Electrical Engineering, University of Manchester Institute of Science & Technology (1974)
• LLB (Hons), University of Buckingham (1986)
• Member of the Institution of Engineers, Malaysia(1979)
• Professional Engineer (1979)
• Barrister at Law, Middle Temple (1987)
• Advocate & Solicitor, High Court of Malaya (1988)
• Advocate & Solicitor, Supreme Court of Brunei (1999)
• Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, United Kingdom (2000)

Areas of Practice

Rajendra practises primarily in the areas of construction law and insurance in both litigation and arbitration.

Experience

The matters Rajendra has handled include the following:

• Appears as counsel in the Court of Appeal and the Federal Court. He acts for and advises employers, contractors and sub-contractors on construction issues, and mainly Insurers on insurance claims with technical content. Sits as arbitrator in international and domestic arbitrations.
• Provided comments on draft standard conditions of contracts for construction works.
• Drafting and vetting of main contracts, sub-contracts and consultancy agreements of construction projects.
• Resolution of contractual disputes and claims with foreign and domestic contractors.
• Acting for contractors in various arbitrations and court suits involving delay, extension of time, liquidated damages, value of work done, defects, termination of contract, valuations, prolongation and disruption claims, etc.
• Advising and acting for Insurers on insurance claims involving contractor’s all risk, professional indemnity, industrial all risk, machinery breakdown, business interruption policies, in particular those with technical content.
• Conducting major tort litigation.

Others

Past Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Malaysia Branch).

Sits on the Dispute Resolution Committee, Institute of Engineers Malaysia.

Sits on the Arbitration sub-committee of the Legal Affairs Committee, ICC Malaysia.