Shobana completed her pupillage at a leading commercial set in 2002 before being appointed as a judicial assistant to the Court of Appeal in 2004. She has a wealth of professional experience in employed and independent practice.

Under the Bar Council’s Public Access Scheme, Shobana may be instructed directly by professionals (including Patent and TM Attorneys, Directors, Accountants, Designers, Artists, Musicians and Publishers) as well as solicitors on most aspects of intellectual property, commercial and employment matters.

Shobana has gained experience in various different aspects of contentious and non- contentious areas from advising on and drafting contracts, to interlocutory, appellate and trial advocacy, particularly in the following areas of practice:

Commercial practice including:

• General commercial litigation and remedies, from simple contractual disputes to complex company law matters and civil fraud;
• International arbitration proceedings conducted under institutional rules (including LCIA, ICC, ICSID, CIETAC and UNCITRAL) and ad-hoc arrangements, for and against private and state owner entities;
• EC & competition law, including free movement of goods and services; and advising on joint ventures etc.
• International private law (conflict of law issues on jurisdiction & applicable law);
• Insurance & Reinsurance (including aviation and transport);

Intellectual Property and computer law and related fields:

• including patents (principally pharmaceutical),
• copyright, registered and unregistered design rights,
• trade marks & passing off,
• confidential information and trade secrets,
• software and the internet matters;
• advertising and e-commerce;
• media and entertainment, having obtained broadcasting experience with the BBC Event Team on programs such as CRIME WATCH and WATCH DOG

Employment matters:

• advising and drafting specialist contracts and compromise agreements;
• advising committees and local authorities on internal procedures;
• dealing with discrimination, unfair and wrongful dismissal and breach of contract cases.

Shobana also has experience in public law and judicial review proceedings particularly in the commercial context and general common law.

Appointments: 2004 Judicial Assistant to the Court of Appeal formally assigned to Lord Justice Brooke Vice-President of the Civil Appeals Division and, in particular, assisted the Master of the Rolls Sir Anthony Clarke, and Sedley and Jacob LJJ.

Publications: Shobana is a contributor to “Engelman’s Intellectual Property Update” (2005 Tottel Publishing)

Professional Memberships include:

• Young International Arbitration Group (YIAG) of the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA)
• Intellectual Property Bar Association
• British Insurance Law Association (BILA)
• Employment Law Bar Association
• Bar European Group (BEG)
• South Eastern Bar Circuit Mess
• European Circuit
• Bar Human Rights Committee
• Constitutional & Administrative Bar Association (ALBA)
• Society for Computers and Law