Shamila Neelakandan

Personal Bio

Job Title: Partner, Head of Operations

Areas of Expertise:

Shamila Neelakandan is a dual qualified Lawyer (Malaysia and UK) with over 25 years of legal, contracts and commercial experience in the construction industry. She is a Fellow with the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and is on the panel of arbitrators at the Asian International Arbitration Centre.
Shamila is experienced in major projects, including power generation and water desalination, oil and gas, rail and infrastructure opportunities throughout Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia. She previously had a regional role in HKA with a practice responsibility for the consulting group’s businesses in Africa, Middle East and Asia. Shamila now heads the HKA Malaysian and Singapore operations and has profit and loss responsibility within the business for the local region. Her responsibilities include business development, heading commissions and managing teams with various skill sets in the delivery of client assignments.

Shamila commenced her career as an international lawyer focusing on dispute resolution before progressing to consulting. Her expertise includes tender negotiations, procurement, commercial strategy and claims management. She specialises in strategic project implementation, risk evaluation and risk management and has advised and assisted the boards of directors of multi-national organisations around the world on project turnaround and financial recovery assignments. Shamila has an extensive projects portfolio comprising of the London Underground, Dubai Metro Link, Bosphorus Crossing, Istanbul, Shuaibah IWPP, Saudi Arabia, Kusile Power Plant, Africa and the Sealine Offshore Project, Iraq.
Clients find Shamila’s legal and commercial experience in both civil and common law jurisdictions an asset in managing their disputes. She is familiar with most current standard forms of contract and has an excellent working knowledge of the FIDIC suite of contracts.