Iain Sharp

Iain is an English solicitor and partner in the Commodities team. He specialises in international trade and commodities, shipping and dispute resolution (including alternative dispute resolution).

Download Card

Prior to joining the firm, Iain was Asia-Pacific head of legal at a major trading house. His principal areas of practice are international trade and commodities, shipping and international dispute resolution, including arbitration under institutional (ICC, LCIA, SIAC, HKIAC, LMAA), ad hoc, and trade association rules (including LME, GAFTA and FOSFA).

Iain regularly advises on a broad spectrum of contracts and legal issues surrounding the sale and purchase of commodities, letters of indemnity, trade and economic sanctions, operational and legal risk management, and trade finance.

He has a wide range of in-depth experience (both contentious and non-contentious) and has been involved with matters ranging from oil and gas, metals and other commodities, shipping, banking and finance, civil fraud, intellectual property and technology, and insurance/reinsurance.

He is a contributing author to Oil and Gas Trading: A Practical Guide published by Globe Law and Business.

Iain studied French at the University of Birmingham, spending a year at the University of Tours. He subsequently studied for the Common Professional Exam and Legal Practice Course, and qualified as a solicitor in London in 1998.

Experience
Clearlake Shipping Pte Ltd and Gunvor Singapore Pte Ltd -v- Xiang Da Marine Pte Ltd [2019] EWHC 2658 (Comm); [2019] EWHC 2284 (Comm)
Uttam Galva Steels Ltd -v- Gunvor Singapore Pte Ltd [2018] EWHC 1098 (Comm) – disputes under bills of exchange and scope of arbitration clause
The Chang Hang Guang Rong [2020] 1 All E.R. (Comm) 61 – obtained anti-suit injunction on vexatious and oppressive basis
The Miracle Hope [2020] EWHC 726, 805 and 995 (Comm) – injunctions and important guidance about IG standard LOI wording
The “Jag Ravi” [2011] EWHC 1372 (Comm); [2011] 1 Lloyd’s Rep Plus 65 – sale and purchase of coal and LOI claims
Raiffeisen Zentralbank Osterreich AG -v- China Marine Bunker (Petrochina) Co. Ltd. [2006] All ER (D) 37 (Jan); [2008] 1 Lloyd’s Rep. Plus 18 (Comm)
Affiliations
Member of the Law Society
Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (MCIArb)
Member of the LCIA Asia Pacific Users’ Council
Languages
Cantonese (basic)
French (fluent)
Italian (basic)
Mandarin (basic)
Spanish (basic)
Swedish (conversational)