Aphiwan Natasha King

Instruct Aphiwan Natasha

To instruct Aphiwan Natasha please contact our clerks on +44 (0)20 7842 5555 or email [email protected].

Natasha King is developing a broad practice across all of Chambers’ areas of expertise, including commercial litigation and international arbitration.

Natasha has a first class degree in commerce from the University of Melbourne, a first class degree in law from the University of Cambridge, and a specialist LL.M. in international business and economic law from Georgetown University. She has won multiple academic awards and prizes, including the top scholarship awarded by Lincoln’s Inn for the bar course.

Before coming to the Bar, Natasha served as a dispute settlement lawyer in the Legal Affairs Division of the World Trade Organization for three years, advising panelists on State-to-State disputes. She has written several publications on issues of international trade law, international investment law, and international commercial arbitration. She also writes for and assists on the editorial team of Opinio Juris, a leading public international law blog.

In her spare time, Natasha is deeply committed to teaching, mentoring, and pro bono work. She has taught on the Inns of Court College of Advocacy (ICCA) Bar Course and judged in moot court competitions including the John H. Jackson Competition, Phillip C. Jessup Competition, and Willem C. Vis Moot. She has previously worked and volunteered with the Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights Coalition, Muslim Advocates, and Lawyers without Borders.

Natasha’s recent experience includes:

International Arbitration
Shipping and International Trade
Energy
Technology & Telecoms
Construction and Construction Adjudication
Commercial Litigation
Sanctions
WTO, International Investment Law, and Public International Law
Other Experience

International Arbitration

Natasha is developing a particular expertise in international arbitration. As counsel, Natasha has previous experience in arbitrations under the ICC, LCIA, and LMAA Rules, as well as challenges in the Commercial Court under the Arbitration Act 1996. She has also spent time as a secondee in the international arbitration group of a leading London law firm. Prior to coming to the Bar, Natasha received the highest score in several international arbitration modules at Georgetown University. She also received funding from Lincoln’s Inn to complete further studies on private international law and international arbitration at the Hague Academy.

Featured International Arbitration cases

Appeared as junior counsel (with Nick Vineall KC) in the Commercial Court for the successful applicant seeking security for costs under s.70(6) and sums awarded under s.70(7) of the Arbitration Act 1996

Instructed as junior counsel to advise on a potential LCIA arbitration arising out of a share purchase agreement between two video game developers

Instructed as junior counsel on an LCIA arbitration arising out of the design and construction of an LNG terminal with claims in excess of GBP £150 million

Assisted as a seconded barrister on multiple commercial arbitrations under LCIA and ICC rules

Shipping and International Trade

Natasha is regularly instructed in complex shipping disputes, frequently with an international element. Prior to coming to the Bar, Natasha worked on a major WTO dispute involving the imposition of economic embargos at ports in the Middle East. She has previous experience in both wet and dry shipping disputes and has a particular interest in cases involving economic sanctions and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Natasha is a contributing author to various Lexis practice notices on the international carriage of goods by sea including on such topics as bills of lading, charterparties and the Hague-Visby Rules.

Featured Shipping and International Trade cases

Instructed as junior counsel (with Sean O’Sullivan KC and Alex Wright KC) on an arbitration involving a defence of illegality under the principles in Patel v Mirza and Ralli Brothers

Instructed as sole counsel to advise on the formalities of extending the term of a time charter

Instructed as junior counsel (with Alex Wright KC and Ed Jones) on an LMAA arbitration involving a claim of fraudulent misrepresentation in the sale of a vessel

Appeared as junior counsel (with Ed Jones) on an urgent application in the High Court involving the purchase of coastal passenger vessels from a Russian sanctioned entity

Energy

Natasha is regularly instructed in complex energy disputes, in both litigation and arbitration, frequently with an international element. She has previous experience in both LCIA and ICC arbitrations arising out of offshore infrastructure projects.

Featured Energy cases

Instructed as junior counsel on an LCIA arbitration arising out of the design and construction of a Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU)

Instructed as junior counsel to advise on a potential ICC arbitration arising out of defects in the construction on a Floating Production, Storage and Offloading Unit (FPSO)

Appeared as sole counsel for the successful energy client striking out a claim for half-secret commissions and procurement of a breach of fiduciary duty

Technology & Telecoms

Natasha is regularly instructed in Chambers’ leading IT work, including assisting in high-value and complex software and software licensing disputes. Prior to coming to the Bar, Natasha worked part-time for a legal technology start up and studied conflict of law issues relating to cyber-torts. She has previous experience on disputes involving the Agreement on Trade‑Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement) and World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Treaty.

Featured Technology & Telecoms cases

Successfully appeared as sole counsel for a major technology company in an application for strike out and summary judgment

Instructed as junior counsel in Commercial Court proceedings involving a dispute about termination obligations under an IT support services contract

Assisted as a pupil on a dispute involving the post-termination software licensing rights of a major European design software company

Assisted as a pupil on an IT infrastructure dispute involving a cyber-attack on a major UK clothing retailer

Construction and Construction Adjudication

Natasha is regularly instructed to draft pleadings and appear in construction matters. She has previous experience in both construction adjudications and proceedings before the Technology and Construction Court (TCC).

Featured Construction and Construction Adjudication cases

Instructed as junior counsel on a construction adjudication under a JCT Design & Build Sub-Contract Agreement involving claims in excess of £25 million

Instructed as sole counsel to advise on a claim involving property damage due to leakages and claims of breach of a commercial tenancy agreement

Assisted as a pupil on a construction adjudication involving major works on the stadium of a major Premier League football club

Assisted as a pupil on various adjudication enforcement proceedings in the TCC

Commercial Litigation

Natasha has experience in complex commercial disputes, in both litigation and arbitration, frequently with an international element. Natasha is well-placed to act on disputes involving multiple jurisdictions, having worked as a research assistant on a comparative law project (French, Belgian, and German law) and studied commercial law in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Featured Commercial Litigation cases

Instructed as sole counsel in multiple cases in the gas and energy sector involving claims of hidden commissions and procurement of breach of fiduciary duty

Instructed as sole counsel to advise on a contractual and Consumer Credit Act 1974 dispute involving the pawning of luxury goods

Assisted as a pupil on an LCIA arbitration concerning an infrastructure project in the gas and energy sector involving allegations of fraud and cross‑examination of handwriting experts

Assisted as a pupil on drafting pleadings in a prospective claim involving personal indemnities and guarantees, breach of directors’ duties, and invalid transfer of company shares

Sanctions

Natasha has a particular interest in cases involving sanctions. Prior to coming to the Bar, Natasha worked on a number of disputes at the WTO involving the invocation of unilateral economic sanctions as a defence under Article XXI of the GATT 1994. Natasha is well-placed to act on sanctions disputes involving in multiple jurisdictions, having studied law in both the United Kingdom and the United States.

Featured Sanctions cases

Instructed as junior counsel to advise on the application of a contractual sanctions clause to trade measures under Section 301 of the Trade Act 1974

Instructed as junior counsel to advise on the bailment of a sanctioned cargo and a potential sale under Section 12 of the Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1997

Appeared as junior counsel on an urgent application in the High Court involving the purchase of coastal passenger vessels from a Russian sanctioned entity

Assisted as a pupil on an arbitration involving a defence of economic sanctions under the principle in Ralli Brothers and as an overriding mandatory rule of international public order

WTO, International Investment Law, and Public International Law

Natasha has a broad range of experience in WTO law, international investment arbitration, and public international law. Prior to coming to the Bar, Natasha was employed as a lawyer in the WTO Secretariat working on State-to-State disputes. She has also spent time as a secondee in the international arbitration group of a leading London law firm working on both commercial and treaty-based arbitrations. She is a member of the Steering Committee of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law’s Young Investment Treaty Forum (Young ITF) and the editorial team of Opinio Juris, a leading public international law blog.

Featured WTO, International Investment Law, and Public International Law cases

Instructed as junior counsel to advise a major shipyard on the impact of an investigation by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) on maritime transport services under Section 301 of the Trade Act 1974

Assisted as a pupil on arbitration proceedings involving a defence of economic sanctions under the principle in Ralli Brothers and as an overriding mandatory rule of international public order

Assisted as a pupil on an urgent injunction in the High Court involving the right to protest at sea under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)

As a dispute settlement lawyer at the WTO, worked on several of the leading cases on the security exceptions under the GATT 1994, GATS, and TRIPS Agreement

Other Experience

Natasha has been instructed as sole counsel in numerous contested applications and trials in the County Court, including in relation to RTA, PPI, and Credit Hire matters.

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