As a trained marine engineer with sailing experience, Bala adept in dealing with engineering disputes and matters of a technical nature. He has been involved in disputes involving ship building, equipment & machinery damage and repairs. He has extensive experience in commodity and trade finance as well as ship sale and purchase, charterparties, contracts of affreightment, pooling arrangements, tankage, pilotage, bunkering, and port related disputes.

Bala’s reputation as a market leading practitioner is endorsed by global legal directories such as Chambers, Best Lawyer and Asialaw. He is also lauded by clients for having "vast experience" in shipping and arbitration matters.