Kiran Unni photo
Kiran Unni
Lawyer
London
Tower 42
25 Old Broad Street
London, EC2N 1HQ
+44 (0) 20 3301 6586
London
Tower 42
25 Old Broad Street
London, EC2N 1HQ
+44 (0) 20 3301 6586

Kiran Unni advises investment funds, private equity firms, financial institutions, individual investors, companies and insolvency practitioners on high-stakes disputes arising from special situations, restructuring and other complex transactions. He acts for and against creditors, debtors, sponsors and other participants across the capital structure, reflecting Kobre & Kim's conflict-free model.

Mr Unni's practice spans English High Court litigation and international arbitration, with substantial experience in disputes involving distressed debt, restructuring (including liability management exercises, or LMEs), insolvency, banking, civil fraud, energy and technology. He has significant experience in international asset recovery and the cross-border enforcement of judgments and arbitral awards, including against sovereigns. He also acts for clients defending such claims. His work includes devising and executing strategies to identify, preserve, recover and protect assets across litigation, arbitration and insolvency proceedings.

Before joining Kobre & Kim, Mr Unni practised at Baker Botts LLP, where he litigated complex commercial disputes. Earlier in his career, he served as a judicial assistant to Lord Mance, Lord Brown and Lord Carnwath at the UK Supreme Court.

Admissions

  • Barrister, England & Wales
  • Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) Courts

Education

  • St Edmund Hall, Oxford, BCL
  • Queens’ College, Cambridge, BA, LLM (First Class)
  • College of Law, London, Legal Practice Course

Select Engagements

  • Representation of an engineering company in the enforcement of a US multi-billion dollar arbitration award against an African state.
  • Representation of certain New Zealand trusts to anticipate and develop strategies for pre-empting or defending against claims in numerous jurisdictions arising from allegations about the trusts’ settlor.
  • Representation of several executives of an oil company operating in the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa, in providing a strategy to release and protect assets in the U.S., the UK, the Cayman Islands and several other offshore jurisdictions in light of a foreign bribery investigation being conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice and UK authorities.
 

Publications & Presentations

  • Co-author, “UK Supreme Court Shows Flexibility in Enforcement of International Arbitral Awards: Taurus Petroleum Ltd v State Oil Marketing Co of the Ministry of Oil, Iraq [2017] UKSC 64” (Lexology, 29 November 2017)
  • Co-author, "English Courts Provide Guidelines to Address Inconsistent Jurisdictional Provisions in Related Agreements" (International Arbitration Law Review, Volume 19, Issue 4, August 2016)
  • Co-author, "When is Referral to a Dispute Adjudication Board a Precondition for Court or Arbitration Proceedings?" (International Arbitration Law Review, Volume 19, Issue 1, February 2016)
  • Author, "Case Note: Diag Human SE v Czech Republic [2014] EWHC 1639 (Comm)" (International Arbitration Law Review, Volume 18, Issue 4, August 2015)
  • Author, "Case Note: BDMS Ltd v Rafael Advanced Defence Systems [2014] EWHC 451 (Comm)" (International Arbitration Law Review, Volume 18, Issue 4, August 2015)

Credentials

Admissions

  • Barrister, England & Wales
  • Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) Courts

Education

  • St Edmund Hall, Oxford, BCL
  • Queens’ College, Cambridge, BA, LLM (First Class)
  • College of Law, London, Legal Practice Course

Engagements

  • Representation of an engineering company in the enforcement of a US multi-billion dollar arbitration award against an African state.
  • Representation of certain New Zealand trusts to anticipate and develop strategies for pre-empting or defending against claims in numerous jurisdictions arising from allegations about the trusts’ settlor.
  • Representation of several executives of an oil company operating in the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa, in providing a strategy to release and protect assets in the U.S., the UK, the Cayman Islands and several other offshore jurisdictions in light of a foreign bribery investigation being conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice and UK authorities.

News

Professional & Community Involvement

  • Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, Member

Publications & Presentations

  • Co-author, “UK Supreme Court Shows Flexibility in Enforcement of International Arbitral Awards: Taurus Petroleum Ltd v State Oil Marketing Co of the Ministry of Oil, Iraq [2017] UKSC 64” (Lexology, 29 November 2017)
  • Co-author, "English Courts Provide Guidelines to Address Inconsistent Jurisdictional Provisions in Related Agreements" (International Arbitration Law Review, Volume 19, Issue 4, August 2016)
  • Co-author, "When is Referral to a Dispute Adjudication Board a Precondition for Court or Arbitration Proceedings?" (International Arbitration Law Review, Volume 19, Issue 1, February 2016)
  • Author, "Case Note: Diag Human SE v Czech Republic [2014] EWHC 1639 (Comm)" (International Arbitration Law Review, Volume 18, Issue 4, August 2015)
  • Author, "Case Note: BDMS Ltd v Rafael Advanced Defence Systems [2014] EWHC 451 (Comm)" (International Arbitration Law Review, Volume 18, Issue 4, August 2015)