Shanta practices in commercial law, common law, public law, and international law.
Prior to coming to the bar, Shanta was a partner specialising in international disputes at London-based law firm, Leigh Day. She previously practised as a commercial litigation solicitor, including in construction litigation, at Mallesons Stephen Jaques (King & Wood Mallesons).
Shanta has significant experience in commercial contract disputes, including joint venture disputes involving allegations of breach of fiduciary duties, and breaches of Australian Consumer Law.
She also has a strong background in group litigation arising from personal injuries (including silicosis) and environmental claims.
Shanta has a substantial history in cases involving jurisdictional challenges and conflict of laws issues, and in obtaining freezing injunctions and anti-suit injunctions.
Her particular expertise is in cases that cut across commercial law, common law and public law. She is available for advisory work and litigation on business and human rights.
While practising as a solicitor in England and Wales, she pioneered litigation on modern slavery and was a Legal 500 recommended lawyer (2018).
Shanta read with Alistair Pound and her senior mentor was Bernie Quinn QC.
As a solicitor, Shanta's major cases included the following:
Contract Disputes
- Acting for a vinyls manufacturer in relation to a claim for breach of an international supply agreement.
- Acting for a major corporate hospital group in a dispute with the Victorian State Minister for Health.
- Representing Telstra in a dispute regarding provision of IT services.
Joint venture disputes
- Acting for major petrochemical companies in a joint venture dispute involving allegations of breaches of the Trade Practices Act (Australian Consumer Law).
- Acting for three major Japanese steel companies in a breach of joint venture contract and fiduciary duties claim.
Commercial Construction Litigation
- Representing a major energy company in a US$65M construction claim against an engineering firm.
Injunctions
- Representing a Japanese engineering company in a claim of fraud, including seeking a freezing injunction in aid of foreign proceedings.
- Obtaining a freezing injunction in Antuzis & Ors v DJ Houghton Catching Services & Ors (2018)
- Obtaining an antisuit injunction in Kesabo & Ors v African Barrick Gold & Anor 2013 EWHC 4045 (QB).
Silicosis
- Test case on behalf of 23 silicosis sufferers in South Africa against Anglo American South Africa (Blom & Ors v AngloAmerican South Africa).
- Mass group action by over 4,300 silicosis sufferers in South Africa against AngloGold Ashanti and Anglo American South Africa (Qubeka & Ors v Anglo American South Africa & Anglo Gold Ashanti).
- Jurisdictional challenge in the Court of Appeal of England and Wales regarding the meaning of domicile under European law: Young v Anglo American South Africa Limited & Ors [2014] EWCA Civ 1130
Personal injury
- Claims by Tanzanian villagers injured or killed by gunshot in the case of Kesabo and others v African Barrick Gold and North Mara Gold Mine, case no. HQ13X02118, identified by The Lawyer magazine as one of the top 20 global disputes of 2015.
- Claims by 33 Peruvian farmers detained and tortured at a mine site in Peru (Tabra & Ors v Monterrico Metals, case nos. HQ09X02331, HQ10X01362).
- Human rights and personal injury claims by Afghan civilian claimants against the Ministry of Defence for alleged unlawful detention and abuse by the British Forces.
Modern Slavery
