Mr Ben Gardner > 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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Mr Ben Gardner
Work Department
Commercial litigation.
Position
Ben is a commercial barrister, with a particular focus on international arbitration, commodities, shipping, energy and insurance work. Much of his work is in international arbitration, including under the rules of the ICC, LCIA, LMAA, SIAC, HKIAC and DIAC and in jurisdictions including Dubai, Geneva, The Hague, Hong Kong, Paris and Singapore. He also appears regularly in the English Courts, including in three Supreme Court cases (JTI Polska v Jakubowski [2023] 3 WLR 50, The New Flamenco [2017] 1 WLR 2581 and Versloot Dredging v HDI Gerling [2017] AC 1).
For a detailed CV, please visit www.quadrantchambers.com.
Career
MA (Cantab), LLM (Cantab), LLM (Harvard)
Called 2010; Middle Temple
Memberships
COMBAR; LMAA (supporting member); ICC YAF; TECBAR; Chancery Bar Association
Education
MA, Double First (Cantab.); LLM, First (Cantab.); LLM (Harvard).
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > Shipping
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 2Ben Gardner –Quadrant Chambers ‘Ben is very sharp, which shows in how quickly he can get to the heart of matters, but remains approachable and is always open to discussion. His written advocacy is excellent, even when produced under significant time pressure.’
London Bar > Commodities
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 2Ben Gardner –Quadrant Chambers ‘His technical legal skills, knowledge and drafting skills are first-rate.’
Quadrant Chambers is ‘very highly regarded for commodities and has many excellent barristers practicing in this area‘. The team is well versed in handling commodities disputes, acting for sellers, buyers and interested parties in litigation, and is also sought after for its strength in international arbitration, advising on matters under LCIA, ICC, GAFTA, FOSFA and RSA rules. Simon Rainey KC and Simon Croall KC are highly respected silks, with excellent reputations in acting for major trading houses and energy companies in disputes. Yash Kulkarni KC acted for the claimants in Africa Sourcing v Rockwinds, a challenge to an arbitration award issued by the Federation of Cocoa Commerce, which involved issues surrounding duty of disclosure. Among the juniors, Benjamin Coffer, who is often instructed to advise on arbitrations heard under trade association rules, and Ben Gardner are key contacts. Bolstering the team at the senior end, Paul Toms KC took silk in March 2024.
London Bar > International arbitration: counsel
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 3Ben Gardner –Quadrant Chambers ‘Phenomenally intelligent, a pleasure to work with, team player and outstanding mind.’
London Bar > Energy
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 3Ben Gardner –Quadrant Chambers ‘Ben has an outstanding intellect and a user-friendly approach.’
Quadrant Chambers is home to an ‘extremely strong team across the board‘. The group continues to handle a growing workstream of energy matters, and has been kept especially busy advising on upstream and downstream oil and gas projects and LNG issues. Simon Rainey KC and Ben Gardner recently appeared in litigation arising from a joint operating agreement concerning the development of a gas field off the coast of East Africa. Among the juniors, Gaurav Sharma stands out for his expertise in international arbitration, and is regularly instructed by oil and gas majors.
Regional International Arbitration – The Bar > Shipping and commodities
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 2Ben Gardner – Quadrant Chambers ‘An excellent shipping lawyer.‘
Quadrant Chambers ‘has stellar barristers at all seniority levels, covering every possible type of shipping and shipbuilding disputes‘, and the set is also ‘widely recognized for its strength-in-depth in commodities arbitration and litigation‘. In a recent high-profile case heard before the UK Supreme Court, Chirag Karia KC and Ben Gardner acted for the successful buyers in Sharp Corp Ltd v Viterra BV, a dispute concerning the importation of peas and lentils into India. The case involved issues arising from the construction of the default clause included in GAFTA) forms, and the effect of the clause on the quantification of losses for non-acceptance of goods. In a boost to chambers, Paul Toms KC was elevated to silk in March 2024.