Ravi Aswani

Introduction

LL.B (First Class Hons) - University of London (UCL), 1999
Bar Vocational Course - Nottingham Law School, 2000
Called to the Bar of England and Wales - Lincoln's Inn, 2000
Judicial Assistant in the Court of Appeal, September 2001 to April 2002
Admitted to Register of Practitioners of the Dubai International Financial Centre Courts, 2008
CEDR Accredited Mediator, 2009

 

Particular Areas of Expertise

Ravi Aswani is a commercial dispute resolution barrister.  Within his broad civil and commercial practice, he has particular expertise in all aspects of shipping and international trade, insurance and re-insurance and banking and finance, as well as general commercial and chancery work. Ravi has experience of both non-contentious and contentious matters in his various fields of practice, including litigation in the High Court (both Chancery and Queen's Bench Divisions including Companies Court, Admiralty Court, Commercial Court and London Mercantile Court) and the Court of Appeal, as well as mediation and arbitration under various sets of procedural rules.

Ravi is recommended in the UK Legal 500 as a leading junior in shipping law (and will be recommended in shipping and commodities in the forthcoming Chambers and Partners UK Guide).  He has in the recent past been instructed to appear alone against QC opposition in a number of different cases.

Ravi has a broad domestic and international client base, and in addition to his practice as Counsel he offers services as a mediator (since 2009) and arbitrator (since 2010). 

 

Significant Cases

Ravi is currently instructed in a considerable number of Commercial Court actions and commercial arbitrations, many of which may come on for trial during 2010 and 2011.

In the past few years Ravi has acted as counsel in a number of substantial LMAA hearings (primarily as sole counsel but also as junior counsel in larger cases). Ravi is currently instructed in an ongoing LMAA arbitration reference involving disputes arising out of an aborted ship sale where the sums in issue are over US$40 million (led by Steven Gee QC), as well as on a number of other LMAA arbitrations (instructed as sole counsel).

D/S Norden A/S v Samsun Logix Corporation [2009] BPIR 1367 - factors to be considered by Court when determining application for permission to bring proceedings and/or enforce security against a foreign insolvent company;

BTC Bulk Transport Corporation v Glencore International AG [2006] EWHC 1957 (Comm) - whether alleged error of law in award where application under s69 Arbitration Act 1996 not possible for want of reasoned award could be relevant to irregularity for purposes of s68 Arbitration Act 1996 application;

Exfin Shipping (India) Ltd v Tolani Shipping Co Ltd [2006] 2 Lloyd's Rep 389 - whether an admitted but unpaid liability constitutes a "dispute" within the meaning of an arbitration clause;

Bernuth Lines Ltd v High Seas Shipping Ltd (The Eastern Navigator) [2006] 1 Lloyd's Rep 537 - whether arbitration can validly be commenced by email sent to general information email address;

LG Korbetis v Transgrain Shipping BV [2005] EWHC 1345 (Comm) - application of postal rule to misdirected letters of acceptance;

Triton Navigation Ltd v Vitol SA (The Nikmary) [2004] 1 Lloyd's Rep 55 - Appeal to Court of Appeal on point concerning timing of charterer's obligation to provide / load cargo (led by Timothy Hill).

 

Education

1996 - 1999 University College London LL.B Law (first class honours)	Andrews Prize, Simmons & Simmons EC Law Prize, Titmuss Sainer Dechert / CCH Company Law Prize, Sweet & Maxwell Prize, Dean's List
1999 - 2000 Nottingham Law School Bar Vocational Course (very competent)	Taylor Prize Runner Up
Lincoln's Inn	Hardwicke Entrance Award (1998), Sir Thomas More Bursary (1999), Buchanan Prize (2000), Megarry Scholarship (2000)

Languages

Fluent Gujarati

 

Publications

Enforcement of Covenant not to Sue - International Trade & Transport Newsletter, LexisNexis, December 2009

In 2009 Ravi was invited to join the editorial panel for the Informa Professional Academy self study course "An Introduction to Admiralty Law and Practice" with responsibility for the "Collisions at Sea Part II" module

"Non disclosure in insurance law, a more principled approach" (2006) 64 Amicus Curiae 10

"Transactions in Fraud of Creditors: The Foreign Element" [2005] 1 International Corporate Rescue 29 (co-authored with Steven Gee QC)

 

Lecturing

Ravi is on the board of supporting practitioners for the Bar Professional Training Course at Kaplan Law School.

Ravi has delivered lectures on commercial dispute resolution, commercial law and in particular shipping law topics to a variety of legal and trade audiences both in the UK and abroad.

 

Professional Memberships

Bar Pro Bono Unit
Bentham Club
British Maritime Law Association
CEDR Exchange Network
Commercial Bar Association
FDI International Moot Competition - College of Arbitrators
London Common Law and Commercial Bar Association
London Court of International Arbitration - Young International Arbitration Group
London Maritime Arbitrators' Association - Supporting Member
UK India Business Council - Next Generation Network Member