Neeraj Melwani
Associate
Neeraj is a shipping and insurance litigator, adept at navigating complex cross-border disputes with strategic insight and commercial clarity.
Associate
Neeraj is a shipping and insurance litigator, adept at navigating complex cross-border disputes with strategic insight and commercial clarity.
Languages - English, Spanish
Jurisdiction - England & Wales
Neeraj is a shipping and insurance Associate and has worked on a wide-range of complex, high value, cross-border litigation in the English High Court and arbitration disputes under LMAA, SCMA and CMAC rules.
His shipping practice is broad and covers both wet and dry work. He has advised clients in complex contractual disputes arising under bills of lading, charterparties, ship sale agreements and shipbuilding contracts, as well as in tortious disputes arising out of vessel collisions, allisions and groundings.
His insurance practice has focused on both marine and non-marine insurance and has advised (re)insurance clients on multi-jurisdiction reinsurance disputes under H&M, P&I, D&O, BBB and political risk (re)insurance policies working closely with cedants, brokers and local counsel in the process. He has also worked on professional liability matters with a particular focus on claims arising from solicitors’ negligence.
He is a native Spanish speaker and has significant experience working on international matters across multiple languages, taking evidence and conducting proceedings in both English and Spanish.
Owners v Head Time Charterers; Head Time Charterers v Sub Time Charterers
Acting for head time charterers of a vessel that ran aground off the west coast of South Africa. The incident led to the loss of cargo and bunkers as well as the vessel becoming a wreck. Advising in relation to significant claims arising from the incident.
C v D1; C v D2
Acting for a global commodities trader in respect of a $12 million LMAA arbitration dispute concerning damage to a cargo of jet fuel.
Buyers v Sellers
Successfully defended disputes concerning the early termination of 10 shipbuilding contracts for the construction of large container ships entered into between the Sellers and nominee SPV Buyers under control of two major ship-owning companies. The Buyers commenced 10 separate arbitration references against the Sellers, English law and LMAA Terms 2021 to apply, under the shipbuilding contracts in which they collectively sought to recover damages for loss of bargain and loss of trading profit of c.$1 billion.
B v J; B v C
Acted for two Peruvian entities of a global seafood and fishing enterprise in respect of a $14 million LMAA arbitration dispute concerning the transfer of a fishing vessel and involving allegations of fraud and sham, and an associated $50 million CMAC arbitration in the PRC involving related guarantee and indemnity claims.
