Rohit B

Proust Questionnaire

Name: Rohit Bhat

Age: 36

Hometown: Mangalore, India

Current City: Singapore

Current Employer: Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Education: BA LLB at University Law College, Bangalore &

LLM at Harvard Law School

How did you get involved in international arbitration? By

chance. I started my career as a litigator in India, focusing on constitutional and commercial litigation
in the Indian Supreme Court. I did that for many years and loved it. But my wife, who is a journalist, has
a more international career and I decided to make the switch to something more international myself.

What is your favourite virtue? Optimism

What are your favourite qualities in another person? Kindness and honesty

What is your chief characteristic? Courage

What is your main fault? Stubbornness

What is your favourite occupation? I love being a lawyer, but if I woke up tomorrow as a professional
golfer, I would be pretty stoked

What is your idea of happiness? Watching my son grow

What is your idea of misery? Boredom and bad coffee

If not yourself, who would you be? Captain (or even a crew member!) on a Start Trek ship, exploring
strange new worlds, boldly going where no woman or man has gone before

Where would you like to live? A part of me says everywhere! But on the other side of 35, I’ve had an
epiphany: home is where my family is, and that is currently Singapore

Who is your favourite prose author? Elena Ferrante and Haruki Murakami

Who is your favourite hero/heroine in fiction? Atticus Finch and Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise in a Few
Good Men)

Who is your hero in real life? My wife

What historical person do you most dislike? All those who perpetuated racism and misogyny

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What is your favourite name? Arjun, my son’s name

What do you hate the most? Hate is a strong word, and I try not to hate anything. Still, I hate bullies

What is your natural talent? Being upbeat. I’m also pretty handy in the kitchen if what you’re cooking
is south Indian food

What is your favourite arbitration-related decision? I am not sure I have an all time favourite. I am
currently interested in ISDS decisions that deal with corruption and fraud

Who is your favourite arbitrator? A well-prepared one

Who is your mentor? My former boss, ex-Attorney General of India Mr. K.K. Venugopal, from whom
I learned that good guys finish first

What is your motto? The one about lemons and lemonade

What do you hope to contribute to Young ICCA as co-chair? I hope to focus on diversity and
mentorship.

International arbitration has a diversity problem – gender, race, age, ethnicity – and I believe that as
young practitioners we need to do more to change that. Change begins with honest conversation about
the barriers and the solutions, which I hope to facilitate.

On the mentorship front, I believe deeply in the value of connecting experienced professionals with
those who are still finding their feet. Creating those opportunities to meet, greet, share life experiences
and talk shop would be a priority.