Karnan specializes in international arbitrations and cross-border disputes.

Having previously worked with a leading dispute resolution practice in Hong Kong and with the arbitration team of an international law firm, Karnan has significant experience in dealing with and managing complex commercial disputes across Asia. Areas in which he is particularly experienced are shipping, international trade, insurance and oil & gas.

Karnan handles all aspects of “dry” shipping disputes - including disputes under charterparties, contracts of affreightment and bills of lading - and regularly acts for clients in shipping arbitrations in London, Hong Kong and Singapore.

He has also handled arbitrations in London, Paris, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore and Bangkok involving international trade, corporate, oil & gas, insurance, mining and construction disputes under the various regimes such as the ICC, HKIAC, SIAC, CIETAC, LMAA, GAFTA, FOSFA and PORAM rules.

Karnan is often instructed on cases involving fraud where it is necessary to obtain urgent freezing injunctions and to trace assets across jurisdictions. In handling such cases, Karnan works closely with the authorities as well as with investigators and lawyers in various jurisdictions to coordinate the recovery of misappropriated assets.

Below are some of the notable cases Karnan has been involved in.

 

• Advised a major Japanese electronics manufacturer in respect of claims arising out of a US$110 million acquisition of a Hong Kong battery manufacturer with assets in Mongolia.

• Acted for a mining company in a Hong Kong arbitration for claims relating to a mineral exploration project in Gansu Province, China.

• Acted for insurers in a Bangkok arbitration involving a multi-million dollar claim for business interruption losses caused by the 2004 tsunami.

• Acted for sellers in an international trade dispute involving shipments of scrap metal from Argentina to China worth over US$100 million.

• Acted for shipowners in relation to disputes with a major oil exploration company arising from the supply of vessels to an offshore oilfield off the coast of Vietnam.

• Advised liquidators of a Hong Kong registered ship-owning company in relation to the winding-up of the company and the arrest of the vessels in the company’s fleet.

• Acted for the disponent owners of the vessel “VORIOS IPIROS HELLAS” in relation to a conspiracy by the charterer and various other entities to defraud the owner. The case involved obtaining various Mareva Injunctions and disclosure orders in the Hong Kong Courts as well as assisting the Hong Kong Commercial Crimes Bureau in criminal investigations;

• Acted for a major US defense contractor in the arrest of the
  ”ASIAN ATLAS” – a heavy-lift semi-submersible – for claims arising out of a collision in the Mississippi. The case involved novel arguments as to what is considered “damage done by a ship” for the purposes of establishing jurisdiction to arrest.

• Acted for a subsidiary of the large Asian bank in relation to misdelivery claims brought against the carrier. The case involved issues concerning the effect of exemption clause in the bill of lading to exclude the carrier’s liability for misdelivery.
  
  
• Acted for the Korean owners of the vessel “HYUNDAI FORTUNE” in the leading Singapore Court of Appeal decision on the enforceability of foreign exclusive jurisdiction clauses.