Vasanti Selvaratnam KC

Practice Areas

Vasanti Selvaratnam KC is a senior KC practising as Counsel and International Arbitrator within 36 Stone and joint head of Chambers of The 36 Group for the last 4 years.

Her practice embraces all aspects of international commercial litigation and arbitration, including shipping (wet, dry and shipbuilding), commodities, banking and finance, conflict of law and jurisdiction disputes, all forms of interim urgent relief, including freezing orders and anti-suit injunctions, and civil fraud. She is particularly noted for her user friendly hands-on approach to cases and for her ability quickly to get to grips with disputes raising complex factual and technical issues which require a sound grasp of expert evidence and mastery of detail.

She was shortlisted as Shipping Silk of the year 2022 at the Chambers UK Bar Awards and is shortlisted by Legal 500 as Shipping Silk of the year 2023.

Career

Called 1983 Middle Temple; Recorder 2000-2018; Queen’s Counsel 2001. Bencher of Middle Temple. Joint Head of The 36 Group 2019.

Professional Memberships

ICC Member

COMBAR

Chancery Bar Association

LCLBA

BMLA

LMAA supporting member

LCIA

SIAC Panel arbitrator

SCMA Panel arbitrator

HKIAC Panel arbitrator

IBA

London Shipping Law Centre (Head of education sub-committee)

European Circuit

Bar European Group

Law Society European Group

Institute of Advanced Legal Studies

ICC’s Banking and Finance committee

ICCA

Personal

Her expertise was acknowledged again when she was announced as the highest ranked member of the UK Bar to feature in ‘All About Shipping’s Top 100 women in shipping for 2019’; a list of remarkable women who have substantially contributed to the international maritime industry over the years.

Industry Sector Expertise

As Counsel

Clients include the major P&I clubs, shipowners, charterers and salvors as well as large commercial organisations involved in commercial court litigation or international commercial arbitration in non-shipping matters.

Recent notable cases include; The Alexandra 1 (2021), the leading case in the Supreme Court on the scope of the Crossing Rule in the International Collision Regulations; Rubicon Vantage v KrisEnergy [2019] EWHC 2012 (Comm), the first reported case to consider a hybrid guarantee which is part "on demand" and part "see to it" and the role of the Marubeni principle in relation to construction of the scope of the "on demand" portion of the guarantee; Emirates Trading Agency LLC v PMEPL [2014] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 457, regarding friendly discussions clause a condition precedent to right to commence arbitration; she is appearing in the Supreme Court in RTI v MUR, an important case on the meaning of reasonable endeavours in a force majeure clause in the context of sanctions against Russia and currency of payment.

As Arbitrator:

Vasanti Selvaratnam KC has significant experience of dispute resolution in both a judicial and quasi-judicial capacity. She was appointed a Recorder in 1999, is an accredited mediator, and receives regular appointments to act as an arbitrator across a wide range of industry sectors, including but not limited to shipping and international trade disputes.

She accepts appointments under all the major industry rules, including LCIA, ICC, LMAA, LOF, SCMA, SIAC, HKIAC and UNCITRAL and has particular expertise in cases raising complex technical issues as well as novel or difficult points on assessment of damages.

Recent arbitrations include:

Chair of an LCIA Panel relation to disputes under contract relating to the sale of crude oil. Chair of an ICC Panel relating to contractual disputes governed by Iraq law concerning removal of unexploded materials at Basrah port. Sole arbitrator in an UNCITRAL governed dispute relating to disputes under a guarantee (appointed by the LCIA). Co-arbitrator in an ICC India law governed and seated matter in the pharmaceutical sector. Numerous LOF appointments by Lloyds Salvage Arbitration Branch, including an ongoing matter which involves the largest LOF fund since records began. Numerous LMAA party appointments, including by well-known oil and commodity traders.

Languages Spoken

Working knowledge French.