Team

Team

Baldev Bhinder

Baldev is the Managing Director of the Firm. He is dual qualified in Singapore and England with more than 18 years of international experience across the world’s leading global law firms. He was previously at UK Energy specialist law firm, Ashurst LLP and US arbitration heavyweight, White & Case, before he set up the Energy & Commodities practice at a Singapore law firm.

Baldev is a leading expert in O&G and Commodities and advises on all aspects of the supply chain from trading and trade finance arrangements to international recoveries and arbitration. He is a leading name in trade fraud cases and his views have been featured in the Singapore Business Times, Bloomberg, CNBC, CNA and the Financial Times.

He is a regular speaker at the Financial Times Asian Commodities Conference alongside industry titans and ministers as well as a contributing writer to the Singapore Business Times. He is particularly active in the Indonesian and South Asian markets where he acts for foreign investors, financiers, international companies, and conglomerates.

Baldev is recognised as a trailblazer in the legal sector: he was nominated as Asia’s top “40 under 40” lawyers by Asian Legal Business, as one of 20 rising Singapore legal luminaries in the Singapore Business Review and in Prestige Magazine’s top 40 list of leaders. He is also ranked for his work in international arbitration and trade by the legal directories of Legal 500, Benchmark Litigation and Who’s Who Legal. In 2023, Baldev was ranked by Asian Legal Business as one of the top 50 litigators in Asia.

Baldev Bhinder

Baldev is the Managing Director of the Firm. He is dual qualified in Singapore and England with more than 18 years of international experience across the world’s leading global law firms. He was previously at UK Energy specialist law firm, Ashurst LLP and US arbitration heavyweight, White & Case, before he set up the Energy & Commodities practice at a Singapore law firm.

Baldev is a leading expert in O&G and Commodities and advises on all aspects of the supply chain from trading and trade finance arrangements to international recoveries and arbitration. He is a leading name in trade fraud cases and his views have been featured in the Singapore Business Times, Bloomberg, CNBC, CNA and the Financial Times.

He is a regular speaker at the Financial Times Asian Commodities Conference alongside industry titans and ministers as well as a contributing writer to the Singapore Business Times. He is particularly active in the Indonesian and South Asian markets where he acts for foreign investors, financiers, international companies, and conglomerates.

Baldev is recognised as a trailblazer in the legal sector: he was nominated as Asia’s top “40 under 40” lawyers by Asian Legal Business, as one of 20 rising Singapore legal luminaries in the Singapore Business Review and in Prestige Magazine’s top 40 list of leaders. He is also ranked for his work in international arbitration and trade by the legal directories of Legal 500, Benchmark Litigation and Who’s Who Legal. In 2023, Baldev was ranked by Asian Legal Business as one of the top 50 litigators in Asia.

Baldev is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, UK. He speaks English, Punjabi, Bahasa, Hindi & Spanish.

“Baldev Bhinder is the first person I contact if I have a question about the commodity market. He has immense knowledge that topic and he is unquestionably an expert in that field. Whilst I appreciate his technical ability, the thing I admire the most is his integrity and his willingness to help regardless of whether there is a financial incentive. He cares about people and that shows in his work. It is a pleasure to know and deal with him.”

Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2023

“Baldev Bhinder is well known in the market for his commodities work and network. His understanding of international trade is second to none and he brings that expertise to any claim or arbitration”

Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2022

“Baldev is stellar. He is plugged into the cases, the commodities market and has a great instinct for his cases. He is able to measure up his opponent as well as the judge when running the cases.”

“Baldev Bhinder is a quality lawyer, who is technically and strategically adept.”

Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2020

“Baldev Bhinder is ‘exceptional, ‘understands the practicalities of international trade’, is ‘well connected in the commodities market’, knows the arbitration process inside and out’ and ‘instinctively knows where the pressure points are and can map out an effective strategy from the get go”

Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2019

Recent Engagements

Publications

Indifference to the Truth: Does a Beneficiary’s Reckless Presentation under LCs amount to Fraud?
Navigating US sanctions in Singapore – Part 1: Bank Payments under Letters of Credit
Detecting Trade Fraud: Tunnel Vision, Blind Spots and Human Biases

Samuel Tan

Samuel is a Consultant with the Firm. He qualified as a Solicitor of England and Wales and has worked in London and Singapore with a leading international law firm from 2009 to 2017. Sam & Baldev were previously colleagues at the market-leading Energy practice of Ashurst. He subsequently took on a business role with a family office.

Sam has specific expertise in negotiating and managing complex multi-party commercial transactions that form part of the broader energy value chain; including international commodities sale and purchases, M&A for oil and gas assets/infrastructure, as well as other related business activities such as storage, maintenance, and shared usage of common facilities.  Notably, he has advised key LNG market players and terminal users /developers in Southeast Asia including Pavilion Gas, PETRONAS, and Pertamina.

Having valuable first-hand commercial experience in petrochemical trading operations and industry benchmark pricing – clients seek out Sam’s unique ability to appreciate the transaction from both legal and commercial perspectives.  Sam’s previous legal experience helps him to customize solutions that address, and dovetail with, the specific pressures facing his clients. He is now a non-practising Consultant on oil, gas, and LNG related matters.

Samuel Tan

Samuel is a Consultant with the Firm. He qualified as a Solicitor of England and Wales and has worked in London and Singapore with a leading international law firm from 2009 to 2017. Sam & Baldev were previously colleagues at the market-leading Energy practice of Ashurst. He subsequently took on a business role with a family office.

Sam has specific expertise in negotiating and managing complex multi-party commercial transactions that form part of the broader energy value chain; including international commodities sale and purchases, M&A for oil and gas assets/infrastructure, as well as other related business activities such as storage, maintenance, and shared usage of common facilities.  Notably, he has advised key LNG market players and terminal users /developers in Southeast Asia including Pavilion Gas, PETRONAS, and Pertamina.

Having valuable first-hand commercial experience in petrochemical trading operations and industry benchmark pricing – clients seek out Sam’s unique ability to appreciate the transaction from both legal and commercial perspectives.

Samuel graduated with a degree in law from the University of Cambridge, UK.

Recent Engagements

Publications

Indifference to the Truth: Does a Beneficiary’s Reckless Presentation under LCs amount to Fraud?
Navigating US sanctions in Singapore – Part 1: Bank Payments under Letters of Credit
Detecting Trade Fraud: Tunnel Vision, Blind Spots and Human Biases

V Kumar Sharma

Kumar is an Associate Director with the Firm. He trained and qualified with a Big Four law firm in Singapore and was previously at a leading international law firm that specialized in the energy, trade & commodities and infrastructure sectors. He has worked with prominent Senior  and Queen’s Counsel, and has over seven years of litigation and arbitration experience.

Kumar’s contentious disputes experience spans areas such as projects and construction, ship building, trade disputes, hospitality, complex commercial fraud, joint ventures and shareholder/directors’ disputes. He regularly appears before the Singapore Courts and is experienced in arbitrations under all major rules.  Kumar is also experienced in mediation and adjudications under the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act.

Added to this, Kumar is active in the cryptocurrency industry. He has advised on a fraudulent Initial Coin Offering in Canada and is a strategic advisor to a blockchain technology company at the forefront of NFT and AI technology.

Kumar graduated Magna Cum Laude with double degrees in Law and Social Science (majoring in political science) from Singapore Management University (Dean’s List 2009).

 He speaks English and Hindi.

V Kumar Sharma

Kumar is an Associate Director with the Firm. He trained and qualified with a Big Four law firm in Singapore and was previously at a leading international law firm that specialized in the energy, trade & commodities and infrastructure sectors. He has worked with prominent Senior  and Queen’s Counsel, and has over seven years of litigation and arbitration experience.

Kumar’s contentious disputes experience spans areas such as projects and construction, ship building, trade disputes, hospitality, complex commercial fraud, joint ventures and shareholder/directors’ disputes. He regularly appears before the Singapore Courts and is experienced in arbitrations under all major rules.  Kumar is also experienced in mediation and adjudications under the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act. 

Added to this, Kumar is active in the cryptocurrency industry. He has advised on a fraudulent Initial Coin Offering in Canada and is a strategic advisor to a blockchain technology company at the forefront of NFT and AI technology.

Kumar graduated with a degree in law from the Singapore Management University.

Recent Engagements

Indifference to the Truth: Does a Beneficiary’s Reckless Presentation under LCs amount to Fraud?
Navigating US sanctions in Singapore – Part 1: Bank Payments under Letters of Credit
Detecting Trade Fraud: Tunnel Vision, Blind Spots and Human Biases

Shane Sim

Shane is an Associate Director with the Firm. He trained and qualified with a Big Four law firm in Singapore renowned for its disputes practice. He has worked with a prominent Senior Counsel and has over six years of litigation and arbitration experience. 

Throughout his practice, Shane has been actively engaged in a wide range of domestic and cross-border litigation and arbitration matters. He has represented clients at all levels of the Singapore Courts and is well-versed in arbitrations under all major rules.

His expertise in contentious disputes spans areas such as energy, international trade, banking and finance, shareholder rights, fiduciary duties, and breach of contract. He also has extensive experience in investigations, insolvency matters and debt-recovery work.

In The Legal 500, Shane is described as being “well versed in matters related to our request and go the extra mile to ensure our requests are professionally addressed”.

Shane Sim

Shane is an Associate Director with the Firm. He trained and qualified with a Big Four law firm in Singapore renowned for its disputes practice. He has worked with a prominent Senior Counsel and has over six years of litigation and arbitration experience. Throughout his practice, Shane has been actively engaged in a wide range of domestic and cross-border litigation and arbitration matters. He has represented clients at all levels of the Singapore Courts and is well-versed in arbitrations under all major rules.

His expertise in contentious disputes spans areas such as energy, international trade, banking and finance, shareholder rights, fiduciary duties, and breach of contract. He also has extensive experience in investigations, insolvency matters and debt-recovery work.

In The Legal 500, Shane is described as being “well versed in matters related to our request and go the extra mile to ensure our requests are professionally addressed”.

Shane graduated with a degree in law (Dean’s List 2013) from the National University of Singapore in 2015. In his final year, he represented NUS in the International Criminal Court Moot Competition held in The Hague, Netherlands. As an alumnus, Shane continues to coach budding mooters in NUS. Shane is fluent in English and Mandarin.

Recent Engagements

Publications

Indifference to the Truth: Does a Beneficiary’s Reckless Presentation under LCs amount to Fraud?
Navigating US sanctions in Singapore – Part 1: Bank Payments under Letters of Credit
Detecting Trade Fraud: Tunnel Vision, Blind Spots and Human Biases

Ramandeep Kaur

Raman is an Associate Director with the Firm. She trained and qualified with a leading international law firm in Singapore specializing in construction. Raman worked with Baldev in her previous role and moved with the team when BlackStone & Gold was set up. Her expertise covers a broad range of international trade and construction related issues in the energy and commodities sector.

Raman’s core focus is on international arbitration, but she has also appeared before the Singapore High Court for restructuring and contractual disputes. She has been recognized as a key lawyer in Legal 500 2022 and 2023 for International Arbitration and commended as “standing out” for her “knowledge, professionalism, service level and attention”, and for having proven to be a “worthy ally” for her clients.

She has considerable experience acting for lenders, traders and insurers in a variety of cases involving trade fraud, shipping, quality and contractual disputes involving jurisdictions such as Vietnam, China, UK, Bangladesh and India.

Ramandeep Kaur

Raman is an Associate Director with the Firm. She trained and qualified with a leading international law firm in Singapore specializing in construction. Raman worked with Baldev in her previous role and moved with the team when BlackStone & Gold was set up. Her expertise covers a broad range of international trade and construction related issues in the energy and commodities sector.

Raman’s core focus is on international arbitration, but she has also appeared before the Singapore High Court for restructuring and contractual disputes. She has been recognized as a key lawyer in Legal 500 2022 and 2023 for International Arbitration and commended as “standing out” for her “knowledge, professionalism, service level and attention”, and for having proven to be a “worthy ally” for her clients.

She has considerable experience acting for lenders, traders and insurers in a variety of cases involving trade fraud, shipping, quality and contractual disputes involving jurisdictions such as Vietnam, China, UK, Bangladesh and India.

Raman has contributed to leading legal publications on construction and arbitration.

Raman graduated with a degree in law(final year Dean’s list) from the National University of Singapore.

Recent Engagements

Publications

Indifference to the Truth: Does a Beneficiary’s Reckless Presentation under LCs amount to Fraud?
Navigating US sanctions in Singapore – Part 1: Bank Payments under Letters of Credit
Detecting Trade Fraud: Tunnel Vision, Blind Spots and Human Biases