Kavan Gunaratna > Chambers of James Pickering KC > London, England > Barrister Profile
Enterprise Chambers Offices
Enterprise Chambers
9 OLD SQUARE, LINCOLN'S INN
LONDON
WC2A 3SR
England
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Kavan Gunaratna
Position
Kavan represents clients in disputes across the full spectrum of commercial-chancery litigation. He is ranked by the legal directories as a leading junior in several disciplines, reflecting his strength and expertise across the board, including in the fields of: insolvency and restructuring; property/ real estate disputes; and chancery-commercial litigation, where he is described as “unfailingly brilliant” and “one of the best barristers in the area” (see below). Kavan’s work is exclusively contentious and he is often on his feet, appearing in the Business and Property Courts of the High Court, in the specialist County Court lists, in Tribunals, and in the Appellate Courts in all of his fields of practice.
Kavan won Chambers & Partners – Company/Insolvency Junior of the Year award in 2022
Kavan deals with all aspects of corporate and personal insolvency.
His experience includes, all aspects of company, LLP, partnership and individual insolvency. His experience ranges from applications to set aside statutory demands, injunctions, bankruptcy petitions, administration applications, antecedent transaction claims (misfeasance, TUVs, preferences, s.423 IA 1986), unlawful dividends and distributions, wrongful trading and all other areas of insolvency.
Kavan covers all types of real estate litigation, commercial landlord and tenant disputes, and residential lease and tenancy disputes
All aspects of general commercial litigation and banking litigation, including commercial fraud, asset recovery, guarantees, secured lending and contractual disputes
All types of company law, including directors’ disqualification, directors’ duties and shareholder’s disputes
Kavan has dealt with a range of banking enforcement matters such as guarantees and mortgages acting for both banks and sureties,
Kavan has regularly advised and acted in partnership and LLP disputes. His assistance is often sought in the context of disputes among partners/members of professional partnerships/LLPs.
His multi-disciplinary expertise enables him to give complete advice on other aspects which regularly arise in partnership/LLP disputes, such as contract, insolvency, professional negligence, civil fraud, insurance and commercial property.
As well as acting in cases involving alleged breaches of duties of care and skill by company directors and banks, Kavan regularly acts in professional negligence claims against solicitors, accountants, financial advisers and insolvency practitioners
Career
Called 2004, Lincoln’s Inn (Lord Mansfield Scholar and Sir Robert Megarry Scholar); Enterprise Chambers 2006.
Memberships
Member of the Chancery Bar Association
Member of Commerical Bar Association
Member of the Property Bar Association
Member of the Insolvency Lawyers’ Association
Member of the Association of Business Recovery Professionals (R3)
Member of INSOL International
Education
Kavan read law at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, before being called to the Bar with an ‘Outstanding’ classification (ranking in the top 10 of over 500 pupils in his year at bar school), and was awarded Lord Mansfield, Sir Robert Megarry and Hardwicke scholarships from Lincoln’s Inn as well as its Buchanan prize as the top scholar at his call.
Leisure
Travel, reading.
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > Property litigation
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 2Kavan Gunaratna – Enterprise Chambers ‘There is no junior barrister who prepares a case better throughout and for trial. Meticulous and exacting, Kavan knows exactly the line to tread when presenting a case to the court and is absolutely uncompromising to devastating effect.’
Property litigation remains a primary focus area for Enterprise Chambers. The set specialises in landlord and tenant matters, with an offering supplemented by specialist expertise in the areas of insolvency and property-related professional negligence. Kavan Gunaratna acted for the claimant in Circus Apartments Ltd v Domus BWW Group, a High Court case in which the landlord was seeking unpaid rent and disrepair claims following the collapse of the tenant into insolvency administration. Edward Francis acted on behalf of various lessees in Camden Hill Gate Ltd v Duchess of Bedford House RTM Company Limited, which concerned the scope and application of the principle that parking enjoyed as of right by residents of a block can be converted into an easement of parking.
London Bar > Company
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 5Kavan Gunaratna – Enterprise Chambers ‘Kavan has a huge intellect and is really impressive to watch in court.’
London Bar > Insolvency
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 2Kavan Gunaratna – Enterprise Chambers ‘Confident and measured advocate.’
‘Efficient and friendly’ Enterprise Chambers have been involved in significant cross-border cases and high profile litigation, such as Octavian Security Ltd v Ghuman which saw James Pickering KC led a team in a contested freezing injunction and then various contested bankruptcy proceedings against the former directors. Stephen Davies KC has acted in cases relating to the interface of the law and practice of insolvency in the banking and finance space, while Kavan Gunaratna has expertise in disputes concerning insolvent tenant companies, including advising creditors on the insolvencies of Debenhams. Hugo Groves is noted for his work in litigating claims involving directors and third parties in and around a variety of insolvency scenarios.