Dr. Gunawansa is a distinguished legal professional with extensive international and local experience and expertise in several areas including Commercial Law, Foreign Investment Law, Construction Law, Project Financing and Arbitration. He holds several prominent positions locally and internationally, and is also a significant contributor to the legal industry, shaping legal practices and policies through his work and expertise.
The legal landscape in Sri Lanka is expanding extensively across diverse areas of practice in both the public and private sectors. The country has undergone a number of developments aligned with the legal trends in other common law jurisdictions and the ever-evolving private international law concepts covering areas such as foreign investment, international trade and dispute resolution. Consequently, there is a rise in demand for specialized legal services across practices including litigation, arbitration, negotiation of disputes, project financing and more.
Within this industry, Colombo Law Alliance (CLA), established twelve years ago, and headed by Dr. Asanga Gunawansa, Senior Counsel, who has been recently appointed as a President’s Counsel, stands out as a multi-specialization legal services provider.
Consisting of several remarkable attorneys with powerful backgrounds, CLA is one of the premier law chambers in the region, guiding clients, both domestic as well as international through legal issues. Dr. Gunawansa’s extensive experience and widespread expertise, garnered over decades has led the Chamber to become one of the most sought after law chambers.
Collective Solutions across Diverse Specializations
Providing legal services across a diverse set of practice areas including arbitration & mediation, public-private partnerships, insurance law, trade law, industrial relations & labor law, civil & commercial litigation, banking & finance, contract negotiations, environmental law, company law, commercial & corporate law, construction & procurement law, defamation, human rights law, IP and maritime law, CLA takes careful measures to tailor solutions to meet the unique needs of the clients.
Dr. Gunawansa, having served as a Legal Counsel for over 30 years, with extensive past experience working as a Legal Advisor for the Government of Sri Lanka in the capacity of a State Counsel attached to the Attorney General’s Department, and there after, as a Lawyer attached to the United Nations and also as an
academic attached to the National University of Singapore, prior to venturing into private practice approximately 12 years ago, provides solid leadership to Colombo Law Alliance. Together with him, his team of seasoned professionals, focus on providing business oriented legal solutions to their clients. Their strategy is to provide customized legal solutions to clients, ensuring that legal issues faced by the clients are solved effectively and efficiently without interrupting their regular business.
Growing his career in a diverse and international setting, having obtained an LLM from the University of Warwick and thereafter, a PhD in Law from the National University of Singapore, Dr. Gunawansa is adept at representing both Sri Lankan and international clients. He also extends his services as an arbitrator and mediator to clients and is a Fellow of the Singapore Institute of Arbitrators and is listed as an Arbitrator with several International Arbitration Centres including the Singapore International Arbitration Centre, Asian International Arbitration Centre and the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre. His strength and ability to move forward with the changing times and provide effective and efficient legal services to clients is well known. He has also authored several books and published several articles in international journals in areas such as construction law, arbitration, contracts and environmental law.
“The services of the CLA team are much sought after by foreign investors engaging with private and public sector entities in Sri Lanka and the South-Asian region for infrastructure development. Our team has a strong working relationship with a network of leading international experts and law firms. We at CLA unrelentingly strive to achieve results that exceed the expectations of the clients. We strive to best serve clients by solving challenging and complex problems. The team is committed to delivering the highest standards of service across all areas of practice”, shares Dr. Gunawansa.
Growing through Global Exposure
Along with his powerful and keen team, and a global exposure, Dr. Gunawansa expertly manages the varying legal expectations and regulatory environments across different jurisdictions by ensuring that the team’s knowledge is up-to-date with the necessary legal and policy related developments in Sri Lanka and other relevant jurisdictions. Dr. Gunawansa’s extensive experience
and widespread expertise, garnered
over decades has led the Chamber to
become one of the most sought after
law chambers
Another aspect of his professional life that Dr. Gunawansa benefits from, is his BIARI fellowship at Brown International Advance Research Institute, Brown University. Through this prestigious fellowship, he has not only exchanged knowledge and shared ideas, but learned valuable lessons and built a vibrant network with leading professionals, which have helped him and CLA in developing and refining the legal practice within Sri Lanka and abroad, particularly in the areas of arbitration and environmental law.
In terms of environmental law, the change in Sri Lanka, and across the globe is evident. The public today is very concerned with issues of national development, with a particular focus on sustainability. Today, governments and companies need to be more vigilant about environmental issues, keeping in mind that public interest litigation is gaining a lot of momentum. With the prevalence of concepts like ‘public trust’ and ‘good governance’, environmental consciousness before executing projects is now critical.
“As a Lawyer who has both academic and professional expertise and experience in the field of environmental law and in the legal aspects of sustainable development, I believe that together with my team, we will be able to help clients engage in projects which are not only economically viable but also environmentally, socially and culturally sustainable”, further shares Dr. Gunawansa.
Keeping up with the dynamic legal landscape within Sri Lanka and overseas, the CLA, led by Dr. Gunawansa has emerged as a reliable partner dedicated to resolving commercial disputes quickly.
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