Arshad Ghaffar

Arshad Ghaffar is a commercial dispute resolution barrister with over 20 years' experience whose practice spans the full business cycle. His main areas of expertise are commercial and international arbitration, litigation and mediation, EU law, shipping and aviation, and corporate work. His cases often involve the interplay between the interpretation of complex commercial contracts and their technical underpinnings, particularly in large infrastructure projects. His focus is international, but he also has substantial English commercial dispute resolution experience and is a member of the Commercial Court Users' Committee.

He has considerable experience of international commercial arbitration at both institutional and ad hoc levels, having conducted arbitrations under most of the frequently used institutional rules, including those of the ICC and the LCIA, and is familiar with the UNCITRAL Rules. As a qualified mediator and arbitrator he can act in either capacity, or advise as a barrister on mediations and arbitrations. He is familiar with all aspects of company law and a wide range of commercial disputes, including partnership disputes, merchandising rights, asset and share valuation agreements and contractual disputes, and acts for directors, shareholders, investors, partners and advisers across structures from companies limited by guarantee to partnerships. He also assists with transactional and drafting work, and speaks fluent Urdu and Hindi, with strong links across South Asia and the Middle East.

Areas of expertise

Company and commercial disputes including aviation; partnership and joint ventures; boardroom disputes; breach of warranty; claims against directors; company charges; derivative claims; fraud and breach of fiduciary duty; issue and transfer of shares; maintenance and reduction of capital; mergers and acquisitions; offshore company law disputes; and unfair prejudice petitions.

Professional & academic

• Westminster School; LLB (Hons) (Exon); LLM (Cantab)
• Harmsworth Entrance Exhibition, Middle Temple; EU "Stage" scholarship from the Bar Council
• Ambassador for the ICC Court of Arbitration Commission on the Belt and Road Initiative
• Chairman of the Steering Committee, CIArb (Oman Branch)
• ICC Task Force on Arbitration of Climate Change Related Disputes
• Vice President, Pakistan Branch of the International Law Association
• Public access accredited