Christina is a commercial arbitration and disputes lawyer with over twelve years of experience in international arbitration, litigation, and contract management, with a particular focus on construction and infrastructure projects. She is an Attorney-at-Law of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka and holds a BA (Hons) in Law and Politics from Queen Mary University of London. Christina has also completed specialized training in construction arbitration and adjudication, and commercial arbitration. She regularly appears as counsel in international arbitrations and before the courts of Sri Lanka.

Christina’s arbitration practice spans a wide range of institutional and ad hoc proceedings, including those under the rules of the LCIA, ICC, and UNCITRAL. She has acted in arbitrations seated in London, Singapore, and Colombo, representing multinational clients in high-value disputes involving government entities and state-owned enterprises. She has specialist experience in construction and infrastructure arbitrations, having handled disputes arising relating to construction contracts, dredging operations, and public infrastructure projects. Christina is also experienced in assisting in dispute management within ongoing projects, handling DB/DAB proceedings and has successfully negotiated settlements in complex cross-border disputes.

In litigation, Christina has acted in a broad spectrum of commercial disputes, including intellectual property, minority suits, insurance, banking, tax and regulatory matters. She has represented clients in both trial and appellate courts and has acted on behalf of leading local and international corporations.

Christina is actively involved in pro bono work and professional development initiatives. She currently serves as the Secretary of the Asia Pacific Sub-Committee of the Equal Representation in Arbitration Pledge, is a Core Committee Member of the Asian International Arbitration Centre Young Practitioners Group and a Director of the South Asia Foundation – Sri Lanka Chapter.

Arbitration and ADR Highlights

• Successfully represented an Italian turnkey contractor in an ICC arbitration seated in Singapore against a Sri Lankan state-owned entity, obtaining a unanimous award of EUR 9 million.
• Successfully represented Scandinavia’s largest dredging contractor in an ad hoc arbitration against the Government of Sri Lanka, resulting in a unanimous award of USD 3.8 million.
• Successfully represented a global traceability solutions provider in an ICC arbitration seated in Sri Lanka, securing a unanimous award exceeding LKR 3 billion.
• Successfully represented a leading global construction contractor in an UNCITRAL arbitration concerning a major Sri Lankan infrastructure project, obtaining a unanimous award for EOT and additional costs.
• Acted as local law counsel for an Indian construction giant in an LCIA arbitration seated in London against a Sri Lankan government apex body, securing a unanimous award.
• Successfully renegotiated commercial terms of a public infrastructure project based on an arbitral award, securing a project-wide EOT of over 350 days and additional costs exceeding USD 2 million.
• Negotiated a settlement in DAB proceedings on behalf of a Japanese construction company against the Government of Sri Lanka, resolving claims amounting to JPY 5 billion.
• Represented a Chinese state-owned construction company in DAB proceedings involving a mixed development project dispute with a Chinese state-owned employer.

Litigation Highlights

• Defended a subcontractor’s application for injunctive relief relating to performance guarantees in a major mixed development project.
• Represented a GCC multimedia conglomerate in an intellectual property rights dispute.
• Acted for a UK-based freight forwarding company in a minority shareholder oppression and mismanagement suit in Sri Lanka.
• Represented a leading Sri Lankan hotel chain in concurrent civil and criminal proceedings against an international bank for foreign currency violations.
• Successfully defended Sri Lanka’s top-ranked stockbroker in an intellectual property dispute involving trading rights on the Colombo Stock Exchange.
• Defended an Indian construction company in litigation initiated by a local subcontractor, successfully vacating interim orders and securing dismissal of the case.
• Represented multiple foreign parties in the enforcement of international arbitral awards against the Government of Sri Lanka.
• Acted for Sri Lanka’s largest insurance company in obtaining regulatory approval for the segregation of its general and life insurance businesses.
• Represented a multinational apparel manufacturer in the liquidation of its Sri Lankan subsidiaries, involving the retrenchment of over 700 employees.