Badri Prasad Bhandari

Senior Fellow – Nepal

Badri Prasad Bhandari is a practicing attorney admitted to Nepal’s Supreme Court and an ADR consultant, who works with national and international organizations in Nepal.

About Badri Prasad Bhandari

Badri Prasad Bhandari is a practicing attorney admitted to Nepal’s Supreme Court. He works as a consultant to national and international organizations in the field of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in Nepal. In 2001, he was assigned as a mediation expert for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Nepal. As a coordinator for ARD, Inc. (Tera Tech International/USAID) Rule of Law Program in Nepal, he and his team implemented a court-connected mediation program.

While pursuing a Master’s Degree at Pepperdine University, Dr. Bhandari mediated small claims, temporary restraining orders, and limited jurisdiction cases in Los Angeles County Superior Court. In addition to his formal education in dispute resolution, Dr. Bhandari has served as a mediator and trainer in dispute resolution techniques conducted in conjunction with various national and international ADR providers.

Dr. Bhandari has presented at ADR conferences including as a panelist at the 12^th ABA ADR Conference held in San Francisco in 2010, and as a panelist at the Mediators Beyond Boarder’s (MBB) 5^th Annual Congress held in Baltimore, MD in 2012. In 2013, he spoke at the Nepal Mediators Society’s third annual conference.

Dr. Bhandari has been a member of MBB since 2010 and the Nepal project leader for MBB International. He was an onsite mediator and trainer at Harwell Institute, LLC, and its affiliate, Miracle Mile Mediation, Los Angeles (2014-2015). He has been a member of the Nepal Mediators Society since its establishment and currently serves as an advisor to the Society.

Litigation Practice

Dr. Bhandari’s early law practice included working as a defense attorney. As the scope of his consultancy expanded to policy formation and research on the implementation of Alternative Dispute Resolution in Nepal, he began practicing civil and commercial litigation, and provided legal advice to national and international non-governmental organizations. Dr. Bhandari’s practice includes but is not limited to:

Commercial law
Real property law
Labor management dispute
Foreign investment law
Civil right protection law
Issues under mediation and arbitration law
Local self-governance law

Dr. Bhandari was a treasurer of the Appellate Court Bar Association Patan and a National Council member of the Nepal Bar Association. He has also served as a member, member secretary, and coordinator of different committees formed by the Nepal Bar Association and Appellate Court Bar Association.

Mediation Practice

Dr. Bhandari has been a mediator since 2002 and has mediated several hundred cases. He was appointed a mediator by the mediation center of the Supreme Court of Nepal, Patan Appellate Court, which is now The High Court Patan. His mediation experience includes the following cases and area of laws:

Disputes related to trade and business law
Disputes arising under corporation and partnership laws
Real property law
Family law issues with a focus on separation, partitions, custody, and maintenance
Neighborhood laws

ADR Achievements and Training

ADR Achievements

Presenter, “A visitor’s view of ADR in the US,” 12th Annual Spring Conference of ABA Section of Dispute Resolution (April 8-10, 2010)
Weinstein JAMS International Fellowship (2009)
Legal Expert, (Negotiation) Nepal Bar Association (NBA)-WWF, on petroleum exploration and its impact on the environment (2008)
Resource Person for the development of the “Basic Training Guidelines on Mediation” for CeLRRD (2008)
42^nd Annual Academy of American and International law, organized by The Center for American and International Law, Plano, Texas, USA (May 29 – July 1, 2005)
Research consultant/Legal, Mediation Project–Baseline Survey, preparation of training materials and draft of by-laws for the pilot implementation of Judicial Rights of the Local Bodies for IGD/The Asia Foundation (2002-2003)
Legal Cum Mediation Expert-National “Enhancing Access to Justice through Media Campaign, Settlement of Fairs and Strengthening Community Mediation Practices,” UNDP (2002
Legal Expert, Rural Development Foundation (RDF)/DASU-DANIDA, for a study on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in Nepal–Measure to Operationalize the Existing Legal Provision (2002)
Legal Expert, DEVA/DANIDA/HUGOU, on the Local Conflict Arbitration/Mediation System in Surkhet and Kanchanpur District of Nepal (2000 – 2001)

ADR Training

Dr. Bhandari has extensive mediation training with JAMS Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York. As part of the Pepperdine Program, he also mediated small claims, temporary restraining orders, and limited jurisdiction cases of the Los Angeles Superior Court (2008-2010)
Legal Extern, JAMS, Los Angeles, CA (Summer 2009-Spring 2010)
Mediation Training of Trainers (TOT), Nepal, organized jointly by Carr, Swanson and Randolph, LLC, and USAID/ARD Rule of Law Project (February 5-9, 2007)
International Transnational Arbitration workshop, Plano, Texas, USA (June 16, 2005)

ADR Teaching and Mentoring

Dr. Bhandari has trained other mediation trainers regarding community mediation, commercial mediation and court-connected mediation programs in Nepal. As the team leader for Mediators Beyond Borders’ Nepal Project, he provided advanced mediation training for senior court officials, members of the Bar Association, former judges of district courts, and senior officials of the Nepal Mediators Society.
As an advisor to the Nepal Mediators Society, Dr. Bhandari helps to address the challenges faced by mediators in Nepal.

Publications and Education

Publications

“Local Conflict Mediation Practices in Kaski and Mustang Districts,” UNDP (United Nations Development Program)/Access to Justice Program (2005)

Co-authored a book with Professor Madhav Acharya, A Critical Analysis of Criminal Law, Bhrikuti Academy Publications (Awarded the best legal book of the year by Nepal Bar Council) (2006)

He has had various articles published by Nayadoot (Bi-Monthly Law Journal, a publication of Nepal Bar Association and other law journals in Nepal)

Educational Qualifications

Doctor of Juridical Science, International Legal Studies, Golden Gate University School of Law, San Francisco, USA (2016) and Master of Laws (LL.M), United States Legal Studies, Golden Gate University School of Law, San Francisco, USA
LL.M., Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine University School of Law, Los Angeles, California USA (2010)
LL.M., Bangalore University, Bangalore, India (1996)
Bachelor of Law, Nepal Law Campus, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal (1993)