Mr Simon Rainey KC > Chambers of Poonam Melwani KC > London, England > Barrister Profile

Chambers of Poonam Melwani KC
Quadrant Chambers
QUADRANT HOUSE, 10 FLEET STREET
LONDON
EC4Y 1AU
England

Position

Simon Rainey QC is one of the best-known and most highly regarded practitioners at the Commercial Bar with a high reputation for his intellect, advocacy skills, commercial pragmatism and commitment to client care. He has established a broad commercial advisory and advocacy practice spanning substantial commercial contractual disputes, international trade and commodities, shipping and maritime law in all its aspects, energy and natural resources and insurance and reinsurance. He appears mainly in the Commercial Court and Court of Appeal and has extensive experience of arbitration, regularly appearing before all of the main domestic and international arbitral bodies and trade associations. He particularly relishes complicated legal disputes and also cross-examination, especially in cases involving heavy expert evidence, of both technical disciplines and foreign law. He is well-known as a cheerful and easy to work with team player who rolls his sleeves up in long and complex trials and arbitrations. He is frequently appointed as arbitrator (LCIA, ICC, LMAA and ad hoc, sitting both sole and as co-arbitrator) and has given expert evidence of English law to courts in several countries. He also sits as a Recorder in the Crown Court and as a Deputy High Court Judge. He has been cited for many years as a Leading Silk in the areas of shipping, commodities, commercial litigation and dispute resolution, international arbitration, energy and natural resources, and insurance and reinsurance by Chambers & Partners and/or The Legal 500.

Career

Qualified 1982; Lincoln’s Inn; QC 2000; appointed Recorder of Crown Court 2000 and Civil Court 2004; appointed Deputy High Court Judge 2008. Publications: numerous – see website.

Languages

French

Memberships

Supporting Member of London Maritime Arbitrators Association (since 1998); Visiting Fellow of Institute of International Trade and Shipping Law, University of Swansea (2010); Honorary Professor in the College of Business, Economics and Law, University of Swansea (2013); Panel Member of the Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration (2012); Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (2013).

Lawyer Rankings

London Bar > Shipping

(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1

Simon Rainey KCQuadrant Chambers ‘His excellent analysis of a case and working out what is important is very good.’

London Bar > International arbitration: counsel

(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1

Simon Rainey KCQuadrant Chambers ‘Brilliantly clever, seemingly with all of commercial law at his fingertips. Excellent at directing a case in the right direction to get a favourable result. A pleasure to work with.’

London Bar > Commodities

(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1

Simon Rainey KCQuadrant Chambers ‘Simon has a very strong reputation and great intellectual clout, allowing him to master the detail of difficult expert evidence in a way that is impressive.’

London Bar > Energy

(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1

Simon Rainey KC – Quadrant Chambers ‘Simon is an extremely effective advocate who sees straight to the heart of the issue. His presentation is a model of clarity and he is a joy to listen to, quickly winning the confidence of judges and tribunals.’

Quadrant Chambersoffers 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 advocateSimon 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.

London Bar > Insurance and reinsurance

(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 3

Simon Rainey KCQuadrant Chambers

London Bar > Commercial litigation

(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1

Simon Rainey KCQuadrant Chambers ‘Outstanding in court – precise, authoritative and very clear.’

Asia Pacific - The English Bar > Construction, energy and infrastructure

(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 2

Simon Rainey KC – Quadrant Chambers

 

Asia Pacific - The English Bar > Shipping and commodities

(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1

Simon Rainey KCQuadrant ChambersSimon is simply excellent. A brilliant advocate with a superb intellect.’