Eesvan has a wide-ranging practice with core strengths in Commercial law, Public & Regulatory law, EU and Competition law, and Civil Liberties & Human Rights. Eesvan also has significant experience of financial services matters. Many of his cases have a substantial international element, involving expert evidence on foreign law and issues of private and/or public international law. 

Easvan is recognised by Legal 500 as a leading junior. A previous comment: "He brings endless energy and positivity." - Legal 500

In 2017, Eesvan was appointed to the Panel of Counsel for the Serious Fraud Office. He was part of the counsel team that acted for the SFO in SFO v ENRC [2019] 1 WLR 791 (CA), the landmark case on legal professional privilege in the corporate context. 

Experience

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Public & Regulatory

Eesvan has acted in and advised on public law and regulatory matters as diverse as the use of post-offer undertakings under the Takeover Code, the issuing of mining licenses, the setting of the personal injury discount rate, and (in one of The Lawyer's Top 20 Cases of 2017 and 2018, SFO v ENRC) questions of legal professional privilege in the context of a corporate self-report to the Serious Fraud Office.

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Civil Liberties & Human Rights

Eesvan has a long-standing interest in civil liberties and human rights, having lectured, researched, and volunteered in the field.

Prior to joining Chambers, Eesvan assisted counsel for the detainee in Zaoui v Attorney General [2005] 1 NZLR 666; [2006] 1 NZLR 289 (SC), New Zealand’s first case of detention on the grounds of national security.

Eesvan co-founded student pro bono programmes at the two universities in which he studied. In 2005, he co-founded The Equal Justice Project, the first such programme at the University of Auckland. In 2009, he co-founded Oxford Legal Assistance, the first undergraduate pro bono law clinic at the University of Oxford. 

Cases

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Commercial

Eesvan has acted in a wide range of commercial matters, with a particular emphasis on disputes with an international dimension. 

Led by Shaheed Fatima QC, he recently acted in landmark Commercial Court litigation concerning the chairmanship of the Libyan sovereign wealth fund. 

Led by Tom Weisselberg QC and David Lowe, Eesvan is presently acting for an international hotel chain in an arbitration with a franchisee concerning contractual termination payments.

Prior to joining Chambers, Eesvan practised as a barrister at Shortland Chambers, New Zealand, appearing in and assisting other counsel with a broad range of contractual, employment, agency, planning disputes before the New Zealand High Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court.

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Financial Services & Banking

Eesvan has a keen interest in financial services law and has acted in a number of financial services disputes, including (led by Andrew George QC) one of the first proceedings for compensation under s.90 FSMA (compensation for statements in listing particulars of prospectus). He has also advised on a wide range of financial services matters, such as the approved persons regime, the scope of the Conduct of Business sourcebook, responsibilities in relation to appointed representatives, pensions regulations, and the jurisdiction of the Financial Ombudsman Service.

Eesvan also advised the Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority on an investigation into the conduct of an insurance intermediary.

Eesvan is presently advising the FCA on a dispute arising concerning the interepretation of its FEES handbook. 

In 2014-2015, Eesvan was seconded to the Financial Conduct Authority for five months, where he worked in the General Counsel’s Division. Eesvan’s primary responsibility was to draft an FCA rules instrument amending the FCA Handbook to implement part of the Mortgage Credit Directive 2014/17/EU. Eesvan also advised on a variety of other matters such as the supervision of firms and the scope of the FCA’s regulatory responsibilities.

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EU & Competition

Eesvan acted for the claimants in a substantial follow-on damages claim in the Chancery Division arising from the setting of interchange fees by MasterCard (with Kieron Beal QC and Tristan Jones). The substantive claim was settled, after judgments on various issues in the Chancery Division ([2015] EWHC 3749 (Ch)), the Competition Appeal Tribunal ([2017] CAT 14; [2017] Bus LR 63], and the Court of Appeal ([2017] EWCA Civ 272).

Eesvan has also conducted training in EU competition law. 

Having studied and taught economics, Eesvan has a good working knowledge of the economics of competition law. 

On EU law more generally, Eesvan recently acted (with Tom de la Mare QC) for Novartis in a challenge to an NHS policy on the grounds of compatibility with the EU Medicines regime (see Novartis v Darlington CCG et al, above). 

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Environment

Eesvan has advised on a wide variety of environmental law matters, in particular on litigation relating to climate change. 

Eesvan recently advised a leading NGO on routes for legal advocacy concerning the the response of the insurance industry to climate change.  

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Achievements

Education

LLB and BCom (First Class Honours) (Auckland); BCL (Dist.) and DPhil in Law (Oxon)

Prizes & Scholarships

  • Rhodes Scholarship, 2007–2010
  • Merton College Prize Scholarship, 2010
  • Modern Law Review Scholarship, 2009–2011
  • Member of winning team, Global Business Challenge, Seattle, 2004
  • A.G. Davis and Sir Alexander Johnstone Scholarships in Law, University of Auckland, 2004
  • Prizes, Economics and International Business, University of Auckland, 2004

Publications

  • "Decolonising the Common Law: Reflections on Meaning and Method" [2020] Auckland U. L. Rev 37
  • “Private Speculations and the Public Interest: N. C. Kelkar’s Land Acquisition Bill” [2013] Socio-Legal Review 127
  • “Assessing the Value of Contract Economics” [2005] Auckland U. L. Rev 116

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