Chambers Review
Provided by Chambers
Shipping & Commodities - UK
What the Team is Known For
36 Stone is commended for its members' expertise across significant commodities and shipping disputes. International trade is a particular area of competence for many counsel, who frequently act in overseas jurisdictions. Tenants have recently handled significant cases, such a collision between VL Nichioh and the Shandong Zheng Tong which raises issues as to the application of crossing rules and apportionment. One source remarks that "36 Stone is an excellent shipping set with highly diligent members and great clerks", with another interviewee adding they would "rate the service levels and responsiveness of 36 Stone as outstanding".
Reiss Nott is the senior clerk.
Strengths
I've been interacting with the clerking team for a long time. They are approachable and client-focused, have good barrister choices and at the same time are very commercial.
They have an excellent clerk service and are quick in resolving any issues.
Notable practitioners
Vasanti Selvaratnam KC is a highly experienced barrister with considerable ability in wet and dry shipping matters as well as commodities disputes. She is capable of taking on knotty legal issues such as the force majeure principle and interim relief applications. She regularly acts as an arbitrator.
I find her very user-friendly, she is excellent to work with and I enjoy the cooperation.
Vasanti is absolutely at the top of her game and would be a go-to silk for complex multi-jurisdictional disputes for me.
Vasanti is brilliant at everything she does and is lovely to work with.
Elizabeth Blackburn KC is an experienced and highly regarded silk with specialist expertise in wet shipping disputes. Her diverse practice includes marine insurance, pollution, collision and salvage actions as well as shipbuilding and international maritime law. She is also regularly appointed as an arbitrator.
Elizabeth has a huge amount of experience, and is a broad thinker and client-friendly.
Elizabeth is very knowledgeable and experienced, a heavyweight in her field.
Ravi Aswani is an excellent practitioner with a wide-ranging shipping, commodities and international trade practice. He has notable experience acting as an advocate, arbitrator and mediator. He has undertaken an interesting selection of cases over the years, relating to such matters as shipbuilding and repair, collisions, damaged cargoes and violated charter party agreements.
Ravi is an able advocate and lawyer.
Ravi is an outstanding senior junior who really goes all out for the client. He is a very good advocate and is highly supportive when working with him.
Ravi is an excellent and knowledgeable shipping lawyer who shared his knowledge and assisted with the case in a thorough way.
Mark Jones is a prominent junior with a strong international trade, commodities and shipping practice regularly handling charter party disputes, collisions and general average. He has further expertise in complex shipbuilding and ship sale and purchase disputes. He also advises on cargo disputes, acting for large commodity trading houses. A skilled litigator, he also frequently appears in arbitration proceedings.
Mark is a pleasure to work with, collaborative and highly experienced.
My clients are in safe hands with Mark, who is able to navigate complex legal issues like an expert kayaker navigates river rapids.
Mark is extremely responsive, quick and accurate. He has a very commercial approach to his analysis.
Charles Debattista is highly respected for acting as both advocate and arbitrator in shipping matters such as charter party, letters of credit and ship management disputes. He is particularly well known for his large advisory practice.
Charles is one of the nicest people at the Bar and brilliant at what he does.
Charles gives clear advice on complex issues of law, and is enthusiastic about discussing legal points with the legal team and client.
Charles is academically excellent with great commercial acumen.
Rachel Toney is a highly commended junior with ability across wet and dry shipping matters including collisions, indemnity claims and charter party actions. She offers niche expertise in shipping-related employment and personal injury claims. Toney has a flourishing shipbuilding and superyacht disputes practice. She also routinely acts as a mediator and arbitrator.
Kishore Sharma has a notably broad and impressive practice in the shipping space, advising on insurance issues, commercial fraud and carriage of goods, among others.
Kishore is very commercially minded, and has a real breadth and depth of experience.
Kishore is very user-friendly and doesn't sit on the fence.
Kish is an excellent barrister. He always makes himself available and is very responsive.