Rakesh Kirpalani

Rakesh Kirpalani is a Director in the Dispute Resolution & Information Technology practice at Drew & Napier and serves as the firm's Chief Technology Officer, specializing in Dispute Resolution. He has an active practice in complex commercial dispute resolution, including litigation and arbitration at all levels of the Singapore Courts, and advises on risk management and disputes concerning technology, electronic evidence, employment, technology‑related regulatory compliance, and cybersecurity.

Rakesh has defended a global financial services company in a claim for fraud and conspiracy, successfully discharging a freezing injunction; defended an Indonesian pulp mill in a construction dispute; acted for a Chinese state‑owned entity in an ICC arbitration in London; struck out a claim relating to utility tokens on a private blockchain; acted for a Caterpillar equipment distributor in a multi‑million dollar claim; and advised clients on ransomware attacks, personal data and cybersecurity issues, and data leakage disputes. He manages the interface between legal and technological issues for clients, regulators, judges, and arbitrators.

He holds an LL.B. (Hons) from the National University of Singapore (2006) and was admitted to the Singapore Bar in 2007. As a student, he was a speaker on the winning NUS team at the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition Asia‑Pacific Regional Rounds and appeared before members of the International Court of Justice at the World Finals. He also won the Law Society Prize for the Best Student in Advocacy in the Postgraduate Practical Law Course in 2006.

Rakesh teaches advocacy and coaches moot teams at the NUS Law Faculty on a voluntary basis.