Anirudh Mathur

Anirudh has a significant interest in all areas of commercial law, including civil fraud and asset recovery. He is well placed to act in cases with an international angle.

His significant commercial instructions to date include:

• Acting as part of the Claimants’ core team in Mariana v BHP (junior counsel in team led by Charles Hollander QC). This multi-billion pound commercial group action, arising from the collapse of a Brazilian dam, is one of The Lawyer’s Top 20 Cases for 2020. The 8-day interim application hearing before the High Court raised nascent issues of private international law.
• Acting for a Claimant in a multi-million pound bonus dispute, which raised issues regarding contract formation (as junior counsel to David Reade QC).
• Advising on a £4m asset recovery matter raising issues under the Proceeds of Crime Act and involving multiple jurisdictions (as junior counsel to James Ramsden QC).
• Advising on the merits of a £250k civil fraud claim (as sole counsel).
• Acting for the Defendants in a six-figure dispute including at contestsed interim hearing.

His experience during pupillage includes assisting on:

• The first cryptocurrency summary judgment hearing before the English Courts.
• A high-profile trusts fraud case in Jersey, involving an applicaton to discharge a worldwide freezing order.
• An advice raising novel issues of private international law in the context of civil and criminal fraud.
• An issue to do with sanctions following US withdrawal from the JCPOA.
• Interim hearings in a civil fraud claim that raised novel issues on the law regarding undisclosed principals.
• A number of arbitrations, including a gas contract price dispute and one India-seated arbitration.
• A number of company law cases, including by way of unfair prejudice petition, involving alleged breaches of fiduciary duty.
• A committal application for breach of a court order, in the context of a civil fraud claim.

Anirudh has experience dealing with claims across the full range of employment law. This covers statutory employment work, including unfair dismissal, direct and indirect discrimination, harassment and victimisation. It also covers commercial employment work, including restrictive covenants, misuse of confidential information and team moves.

Highlights include:

• Acting for a Claimant in a case raising allegations of sexual harassment, discrimination and victimisation, scheduled for a 7 day ET trial (as junior counsel to Lucy Bone).
• Acting successfully for a Second Respondent (alleged harasser) seeking to be removed from harassment proceedings (as sole counsel).
• Drafting a Particulars of Claim in a particularly sensitive sexual harassment and discrimination case.
• Drafting a Defence in a High Court case regarding misuse of confidential information.
• An advice on worker status in light of proposed changes to IR35 legislation.
• Advising whether restrictive covenants in an agreement were binding.
• Advising on the calculation of interest on damages in a High Court employment case, and related issues of taxation and foreign law.
• Preparing for a Rule 3(10) EAT Hearing challenging findings of victimisation and indirect sex discrimination.

Anirudh welcomes instructions involving international law (for example on diplomatic immunity) and human rights law.

Anirudh is a Member of the Littleton Sports Law Group and welcomes instructions in sports law.

During pupillage he assisted John Mehrzad QC on a FA Rule K arbitration relating to unpaid commission.

He has been involved in developing Littleton’s Sports Law Podcast. He hosted the inaugural episode: on the Legal Realities of an Extensions to the Football Season, given the Covid-19 crisis.

Anirudh welcomes instructions in public international law. He is developing a busy practice advising lawyers outside England & Wales (particularly in India) on public international law issues and English comparative law analysis relevant to human rights litigation.

This builds on his experience prior to pupillage:

• Assisting on the ‘Rohingya case’ before the Indian Courts, challenging the proposed deportation of India’s Rohingya refugees. Anirudh continues to provide pro bono assistance on this matter drawing on particular expertise in international refugee law.
• Assisting on the ‘Aadhaar case’ before the Indian Courts, challenging the constitutionality of a national biometric identity scheme.
• Assisting on a ‘protest rights case’ before the Indian Courts, particularly on ensuring guidelines to regulate protest were international human rights law compliant.
• As a legal researcher to a UN Human Rights Council body, on a number of issues of international human rights law, international humanitarian law and international criminal law.

He also welcomes private international law instructions (see ‘commercial’ – and particularly the instruction in Mariana v BHP). As well as instructions in other practice areas that raise issues of international law.

His ‘international work’ to date includes arguing for an Indian anti-corruption NGO against mineral miners (represented by top-tier Indian Silks), before a Committee comprising retired Indian Supreme Court Justices.

He also conceived and organised the Justice Verma Advocacy Programme – a one-week advocacy training course on handling vulnerable witnesses, for graduating Indian law students (pilot project at National Law University Delhi).

Anirudh is currently instructed for the Claimants in a SEN challenge to a Local Authority’s refusal of an EHC plan. He regularly acts for applicants in immigration detention seeking immigration bail.

Prior to Littleton he completed his 12-month pupillage at a leading public law Chambers. He gained significant experience of judicial review, particularly in the context of civil liberties and human rights, asylum and immigration and environmental law.

This includes:

• A Supreme Court appeal regarding the amenability of the Investigatory Powers Tribunal to judicial review in light of a statutory ouster clause.
• Appeals to the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court on a variety of immigration matters, including on entry clearance and the scope of effective out-of-country appeals. These raised complex issues under Article 8 ECHR.
• A judicial review regarding a decision to deprive someone of citizenship.
• A judicial review regarding the Civil Aviation Authority’s decision to re-allocate airspace around London.

He welcomes instructions in public law and human rights, as well as in other practice areas (i.e. employment and equalities) that raise public law and human rights issues.

Education

• 2016 – 2017: Bar Professional Training Course (City University)
• 2015 – 2016: GDL (City University), Top of year with one of highest set of marks ever awarded
• 2014 – 2015: MSc International Development (LSE), Top of year
• 2011 – 2014: BA Philosophy Politics and Economics (Balliol College, Oxford)

Scholarships and prizes

• Worshipful Company of Arbitrators, Best Team (decided by Tribunal including Sir Peter Cresswell) (2019)
• Inner Temple, Sir Joseph Priestley Award (2017)
• City University, 3 Verulam Buildings Prize for Best Overall Performance in GDL (2016)
• Inner Temple, GDL Major and BPTC Princess Royal Scholarships (2015 and 2016)
• LSE, Prize for Best Overall Performance in MSc (2015)
• Balliol College (Oxford), Scholarships and Prizes (2012 and 2013)

Positions of Responsibility

• Trustee of Good Chance – charity and theatre company that uses art to help social outsiders (i.e. refugees) rediscover agency (since September 2018). Production company of award winning play ‘The Jungle’.

Broadcast Experience

• Debated for LSE at the Festival of Spoken Words in Kolkata, India, which was televised on national Indian TV (2016).
• Broadcast experience on Indian TV including as prime-time news show panellist (2013).

Other relevant experience

• Experience in political speechwriting and journalism (including interview with the Dalai Lama).
• Intern at the Bank of England.