Ms Caroline Pounds > Chambers of Poonam Melwani KC > London, England > Barrister Profile
Quadrant Chambers Offices
Quadrant Chambers
QUADRANT HOUSE, 10 FLEET STREET
LONDON
EC4Y 1AU
England
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Ms Caroline Pounds
Position
Caroline is an experienced and sought after junior whose practice encompasses all aspects of general commercial litigation and arbitration, including international arbitration. Her particular areas of specialism include shipping, energy / offshore, shipbuilding and commodities. As regards her shipping practice, Caroline has extensive experience of bill of lading and charterparty disputes, including claims for damage to/mis-delivery of cargo, unsafe port claims, claims for early/late/wrongful redelivery, off-hire disputes, claims for demurrage/damages for detention and claims concerning the application and effect of the Hague/Hague-Visby/Hamburg Rules. Caroline’s practice in the energy sector has gone from strength to strength in recent years, with a focus on upstream matters in particular. She is regularly instructed on high-value and complex disputes arising out of contracts for (e.g.) the construction / operation of semi-submersible drilling rigs and FPSOs. Caroline’s practice also includes a broad range of other shipbuilding, ship sale and purchase and commodity disputes. Please visit www.quadrantchambers.com for Caroline’s detailed CV.
Career
Called to the Bar in 2003; recognised as one of Legal Week’s ‘Stars at the Bar’ in 2013; Chambers and Partners ‘Shipping Junior of the Year’ in 2015 and 2020; named as one of the top 10 maritime lawyers of 2020 by Lloyd’s List.
Languages
French.
Memberships
COMBAR; LCLCBA; Young International Arbitration Group of the LCIA; Young Arbitrators Forum of the ICC; WISTA.
Education
Hertford College, Oxford University (BA Law with French Law, first class honours).
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > Shipping
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 1Caroline Pounds –Quadrant Chambers ‘Caroline is incredibly bright, extremely thorough, is a true shipping specialist, and has a phenomenal eye for detail.’
London Bar > Energy
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 3Caroline Pounds –Quadrant Chambers ‘Caroline is clever, patient and intellectually nimble – a super senior junior.’
Quadrant Chambers ‘offers an excellent roll call of lawyers at all levels of qualification with expertise in the shipping, commodities, energy and international arbitration space’. Energy is a key growth area for the set, within which the set focuses predominantly on the oil and gas industry, both upstream and downstream. Lionel Persey KC remains a go-to counsel and arbitrator in high-value energy disputes. ‘Extremely effective advocate’ Simon Rainey KC is ‘a joy to listen to and very quickly wins the confidence of judges and tribunals’. ‘Intelligent, succinct’ and increasingly popular junior Caroline Pounds acted for the claimant in Vitol S.A. v J.E. Energy Ltd, a Commercial Court dispute concerning the sale fuel oil on an FOB Tema/SE Ghana basis, which raised important issues around the terms and conditions in the contract of sale, including whether the claimant was under any obligation to load the fuel oil pending the provision of a letter of credit. After a four-day hearing the court decided in Vitol’s favour, providing useful guidance regarding the liability obligations of an FOB Buyer.
Asia Pacific - The English Bar > Shipping and commodities
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 1Caroline Pounds–Quadrant Chambers ‘A diligent, quick and intelligent junior.’