Rajat Rana
rajatrana@quinnemanuel.comRajat Rana’s clients call him a master strategist who brings his relentless work ethic to every matter.
Rajat regularly advises individuals, multinational companies, and sovereign clients in complex, high-value arbitrations and litigations. He has a track record of delivering successful results before international arbitral institutions and in U.S. federal and state courts. Rajat recently secured a $126 million partial final award in an international arbitration. He is called upon to implement effective pre-litigation and pre-arbitration strategies and to then pursue aggressive defense in some of their most sensitive matters. He also advises individuals and companies in commercial and investment treaty disputes around the world, including in matters with ICSID and its Additional Facility. Rajat has significant experience managing complex parallel arbitrations, including landmark cases against Croatia, Algeria, Uganda, and Kenya. He also represented Malta in its first ever ICSID arbitration.
Rajat is known for his hands-on approach, responsiveness, and practical advice. His tireless dedication and relentless work ethic makes him exceptionally well-prepared for each case. Clients appreciate Rajat’s commitment to understanding their goals and objectives, valuing his forthright advice that guides them towards successful outcomes. Rajat is consistently recognized as a “Future Leader” in Arbitration by Who’s Who Legal, reflecting his standing among the next generation of leading-arbitration practitioners. In 2023, he was chosen as a Leadership Council for Legal Diversity) Fellow. He was also named “One to Watch” by Best Lawyers.
As an Indian American, Rajat has also earned a reputation as a trusted legal advisor for Indian multinational companies and ultra-high net worth individuals involved in international disputes, solidifying his prominent position within the global legal industry. In addition, Rajat has a particular interest in the clean energy sector, in particular, lithium and other rare-earth minerals, as well as manufacturers, retailers, and suppliers of electric batteries and vehicles.
Rajat earned a JD from University of Virginia School of Law and a master’s degree from Stanford Law School. His diverse legal experiences include clerking for a Supreme Court Justice in India and working for the U.N. International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. He was also part of Radovan Karadzic’s defense team at the U.N. International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia.
Practice Areas
Notable Representations
- Obtained a $126 million Partial Final Award for a Brazilian company in a highway construction dispute against a state-owned company in Trinidad & Tobago.
- Represented Vedanta Resources Limited in a treaty arbitration against India under the UK-India investment treaty in Switzerland.
- Represented Saama Technologies, Inc.’s former CEO and shareholder representative in an earnout litigation in the Delaware Court of Chancery
- Representied a pharmaceutical company in a commercial arbitration under the ICDR Rules in New York.
- Represented one of the world’s largest chemical companies in a contract dispute in Delaware.
- Represented India’s second largest private bank in a litigation in the Southern District of New York.
- Represented the Republic of Malta in its first ever ICSID arbitration commenced by a Chinese investor in relation to a Maltese bank under the China-Malta Bilateral Investment Treaty.
- Represented foreign investors in an ICSID arbitration against the Republic of Azerbaijan pertaining to a joint venture with SOCAR, the state-owned oil company, under the Energy Charter Treaty
- Represented Middle Eastern investors in an international arbitration against the Republic of Algeria involving cement plants under the Algeria-Egypt Bilateral Investment Treaty.
- Represented Middle Eastern investors in parallel investment and commercial arbitrations against Uganda and Kenya involving wrongful termination of a railway concession.
- Represented a Chinese State-owned company in matters pertaining to an infrastructure investment in Southern Africa.
- Represented foreign investors in an international arbitration against East African states under a contract under public international law.
- Represented a foreign investor in an ICSID Additional Facility arbitration against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
- Represented a German investor in an ICSID arbitration against the Republic of Croatia.
- Represented a multinational oil and gas company against the Republic of Croatia in an arbitration brought at the ICSID under the Energy Charter Treaty, as well as a related arbitration brought by Croatia under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules.
- Represented a Chinese company in a commercial arbitration under the ICC rules.
- Represented a large Indian textile company in an investor state arbitration dispute against the Republic of Uzbekistan under the Dutch-India Bilateral Investment Treaty.
- Represented a Russian investor in an arbitration involving the expropriation of a bank that was driven into bankruptcy by the Lithuanian state.
- Represented monoline bond insurer MBIA Insurance Corporation against Bank of America, Countrywide Financial Corporation, Countrywide Home Loans, Inc., and various subsidiaries and affiliates in an action arising out of fraudulent misrepresentations and breaches of contract in connection with residential mortgage back securitizations.
- Represented a major cement company as respondent in an ICC arbitration that awarded claimant zero and awarded millions of dollars to respondent based on a counterclaim.
Representative Clients
Education
- University of Virginia School of Law
(J.D., 2010) - Stanford Law School
(J.S.M., 2008) - National Law School of India University
(B.A./L.L.B, with Honors, 2006)
Admissions
- The State Bar of New York
- The State Bar of District of Columbia Bar
- United States Courts of Appeals:
- Second Circuit
- Third Circuit
- Fourth Circuit
- United States District Courts:
- Southern District of New York
- Eastern District of New York
Languages
- Hindi
Prior Associations
- Selendy Gay
- Partner, 2023-2025
- Alston & Bird
- Partner, 2023
- Senior Associate, 2018-2023
Awards
- Who’s Who Legal, Commercial Litigation and Arbitration (2024)
- Who’s Who Legal, “Future Leaders”, Arbitration (2024)
- Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch” (2024)
- Who's Who Legal: "Future Leader" (2023)
Publications and Lectures
- “Third Circuit Affirms Lower Court’s Denial of Non-U.S. Litigant’s § 1782 Discovery Request”, August 9, 2024.
- “Clean Energy Newsletter”, July 25, 2024.
- “Tracking China's Push To Invalidate Foreign Patents”, June 20, 2024.
- “Protecting Your Investments from Growing Resource Nationalism and Lawfare Offensive Through International Investment Treaties”, November 6, 2023.
Professional Activities
Rajat is on the NY Tri-State Board of the American Indian Foundation.