In the intellectually demanding world of international arbitration, where law, policy, and global commerce intersect, Gautam Mohanty stands out as a thinker who blends academic depth with real-world advocacy. An Of Counsel at Jessel Attorneys at Law, a PhD candidate at Kozminski University, Warsaw, and Co-founder of The Arbitration Workshop, Gautam represents a rare profile — a lawyer who is equally at home in the classroom, the tribunal, and the research archive.
This Koffee Conversation opens the door to the life of an arbitrator-in-the-making who believes law is not linear, careers need not be predictable, and clarity emerges only through experience. Gautam’s journey is global, reflective, and grounded — shaped by setbacks, mentorship, teaching, and a relentless curiosity about how international arbitration truly works beyond textbooks.
Gautam’s professional journey began with an LLB from NLU Odisha, followed by early exposure to practice in Mumbai — a phase he describes as a “harsh but necessary reality check.” The experience pushed him out of the comfort of law school and into the real mechanics of the profession. His LLM at Central European University, Budapest, became a turning point, where he unlearned comparison, embraced non-linear growth, and developed a long-term vision anchored in self-belief.
His path evolved across academia and practice — teaching drafting and pleadings at Jindal Global Law School, clerking with Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, and working across jurisdictions in India, Europe, UAE, and Singapore. Today, as an Of Counsel handling complex arbitration research and pleadings, and as a PhD scholar specialising in third-party funding, Gautam operates at the intersection of theory, strategy, and global dispute resolution — building a career defined by depth rather than speed.
Key Highlights of the Koffee Conversation with Gautam Mohanty:
- Describes his career as deliberately non-linear and shaped by global exposure.
- Believes international arbitration is global in outlook but deeply local in execution.
- Highlights how advocacy styles differ across India, Singapore, and continental Europe.
- Explains why oral advocacy dominates in India, while written pleadings rule in Europe.
- Breaks down investor–state disputes as legally, politically, and commercially complex.
- Shares why strong ISDS claims may still be dropped for long-term business reasons.
- Views settlement as a powerful but under-discussed tool in ISDS matters.
- Calls third-party funding a “double-edged sword” in arbitration.
- Dispels the myth that third-party funding universally increases access to justice.
- Stresses funding, stipend, and supervisor as critical factors in choosing a PhD.
- Advises aspiring PhD scholars to prioritise support systems over university rankings.
- Credits teaching at Jindal for sharpening clarity, questioning, and simplification skills.
- Describes Justice Chandrachud’s work ethic as transformative and humbling.
- Co-founded The Arbitration Workshop to bring real-world arbitration insight to students.
- Believes young lawyers must engage more deeply with transnational arbitration practice.
🎥 Watch the full Koffee Conversation with Gautam Mohanty on YouTube — a thoughtful deep dive into international arbitration, PhD journeys, investor–state disputes, and the mindset required to build a truly global legal career.
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