Professional practice

Ruben has a broad practice encompassing commercial litigation, international arbitration and public international law. He also has a particular expertise in cases involving quantitative, technical or scientific material.

Ruben’s ongoing and recent instructions include:

  • UC Rusal v Whiteleave Holdings, Potanin, Crispian Investments and Abramovich: High-value civil fraud proceedings regarding the shareholders’ agreement of Norilsk Nickel, the world’s largest nickel producer. Listed for a 14-week trial in the Commercial Court from April 2027 (acting for the Claimant, led by Nathan Pillow KC, Fionn Pilbrow KC, Tom Ford, with Sophia Hurst, Bibek Mukherjee and Francis Cardell-Oliver)
  • Commercial Court proceedings for the recovery of monies transferred in alleged breach of a BVI freezing order (led by David Joseph KC and Claudia Renton)
  • An ICC Arbitration concerning the authenticity and genuineness of alleged loan agreements said to give rise to the tribunal’s jurisdiction (led by David Joseph KC and Claudia Renton)
  • An LCIA Arbitration concerning a licence to design, manufacture and distribute products for a notable fashion brand (led by David Joseph KC and Angeline Welsh KC)
  • Acting for a joint-venture company and its directors in Commercial Court proceedings defending a conspiracy claim relating to alleged breaches of a contract containing an arbitration agreement (led by Angeline Welsh KC)
  • R (KP) v Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs [2025] EWHC 370 (Admin): Seconded as external counsel to the FCDO team that defended this judicial review regarding the presence of migrants in the British Indian Ocean Territory

Ruben is equally comfortable being instructed as junior or sole counsel. His unled practice has included acting for clients in full-day hearings and trials, drafting pleadings, and advising on the enforceability of security arrangements over cryptoassets. He is a member of the Attorney General’s Junior Juniors panel and was seconded as external counsel to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, advising on law of the sea, refugee law, and the UK-Mauritius treaty concerning the Chagos Archipelago.

Ruben studied mathematics and law as an undergraduate at the University of Sydney, graduating with First Class Honours in both. He then read for the Bachelor of Civil Law at the University of Oxford, receiving the Vinerian Scholarship for placing first in the year.

Prior to coming to the Bar, Ruben qualified as a solicitor in Australia before working in the dispute resolution team of a City firm. Ruben has also worked as a judicial assistant in the Federal Court of Australia on matters spanning commercial, employment, public, and international law. Throughout his undergraduate studies in Sydney, Ruben worked at both an international commercial firm and a litigation boutique.

 

Career

2024 – Present Tenant at Essex Court Chambers

2023-2024 Pupil at Essex Court Chambers (supervised by Ciaran Keller)

2023 Called to the Bar of England and Wales (Gray’s Inn)

2022-2023 Contract Lawyer (Litigation and Arbitration), Simmons & Simmons LLP

2022 Research Assistant, University of Oxford

2021 Admitted as a Lawyer of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, Australia

2020-2021 Associate (Judicial Assistant), Federal Court of Australia

2017-2019 Tutor in Mathematics, University of Sydney

Education

2022 Austrian Arbitration Academy Diploma, University of Vienna (ranked =1st)

2021-2022 BCL, Magdalen College, University of Oxford (Distinction, ranked 1st in year)

2014-2019 LLB, University of Sydney (Hons I)

2015–2016 Exchange in Mathematics and Physics, University of California Los Angeles

2014-2017 BSc in Advanced Mathematics, University of Sydney (Hons I)

Awards

2022

  • Vinerian Scholarship for Best Performance in the BCL
  • Law Faculty Prize for Comparative Constitutional Law
  • Law Faculty Prize in International Environmental Law
  • Law Faculty Prize in Legal Concepts in Environmental Law

2021

  • James Fairfax Oxford Australia Scholarship
  • Eleanor Sophia Wood Postgraduate Research Travelling Scholarship

2019

  • 4th Best Oralist, Jessup Moot, International Rounds
  • 3rd Best Written Memorials, Jessup Moot, International Rounds
  • Top 32 Teams 2019 Jessup Moot, International Rounds
  • 2nd Best Oralist, Jessup Moot, Australian Rounds
  • Winner 2019 Jessup Moot, Australian Rounds
  • =1st place LAWS3431: Law and Social Justice Clinic
  • 2nd best thesis at the Australian and New Zealand Undergraduate Law Honours Conference
  • Dean’s List of Excellence in Academic Performance
  • David Burnett Memorial Scholarship in Social Justice

2018

  • Winner 2018 Sir Harry Gibbs Constitutional Law Moot (Australia wide)

2017

  • Winner 2017 Sir John Peden Contract Law Moot (vs Macquarie University)
  • Winner 2017 SULS Public International Law Moot
  • Semi-finalist 2017 Castan Centre for Human Rights Moot (Australia wide)

2016

  • Dean’s Honors List (Winter Quarter)

2015

  • University of Sydney Physics Foundation Scholarship No I
  • First in Course – POLSCI 30 Politics & Strategy
  • Dean of Science Exchange Scholarship
  • International Exchange Scholarship

2014

  • Outstanding Achievement Scholarship
  • Academic Merit Prize
  • Dean’s List of Excellence in Academic Performance
Arbitration & related court applications

Ruben is instructed in large-scale commercial arbitrations conducted under a range of arbitral rules, most recently including:

  • An ICC Arbitration, seated in London, concerning the authenticity and genuineness of alleged loan agreements said to give rise to the tribunal’s jurisdiction (led by David Joseph KC and Claudia Renton)
  • An LCIA Arbitration, seated in London, concerning a licence to design, manufacture and distribute products for a notable fashion brand (led by David Joseph KC and Angeline Welsh KC)

Ruben also has experience of a range of arbitration-related court applications. He received a scholarship to study international and commercial arbitration at the University of Vienna’s Arbitration Academy and placed equal 1st in the course.

Banking & financial services

Ruben’s experience in banking and financial services disputes includes:

  • Advising a Singapore fund management company on the enforceability of security arrangements over cryptoassets, relating to a Guernsey insurer for a Bermuda-based fund
  • A Jersey matter raising issues of the Quincecare duty and the banker’s mandate
  • A Bermuda matter against a major investment bank for breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty
Civil fraud & asset recovery

A key focus of Ruben’s commercial practice is civil fraud and asset recovery. Current and recent instructions in this area include:

  • UC Rusal v Whiteleave Holdings, Potanin, Crispian Investments and Abramovich: High-value civil fraud proceedings regarding the shareholders’ agreement of Norilsk Nickel, the world’s largest nickel producer (acting for the Claimant, led by Nathan Pillow KC, Fionn Pilbrow KC, Tom Ford, with Sophia Hurst, Bibek Mukherjee and Francis Cardell-Oliver)
  • Commercial Court proceedings for the recovery of monies transferred in alleged breach of a BVI freezing order (acting for the BVI appointed receivers, led by David Joseph KC and Claudia Renton)
  • Commercial Court proceedings alleging unlawful and lawful means conspiracy in relation to alleged breaches of a contract and a joint-venture agreement (acting for the joint-venture company and its directors, led by Angeline Welsh KC)

Ruben also has experience of various ancillary proceedings that commonly arise in this context, including worldwide freezing orders, contempt of court and committal proceedings, and post-judgment procedures leading to enforcement.

Climate change and environmental law

Ruben has a particular interest in matters involving climate change and the environment, having studied science as an undergraduate and placing first in both Legal Concepts in Environmental Law and International Environmental Law on the BCL. Ruben has also worked as a research assistant at the University of Oxford on a project focusing on the liability of corporations in the context of climate change related litigation.

In a commercial litigation context, Ruben has experience of expert evidence on the technical assessment of environmental damage and legal liability under US environmental law statutes.

Commercial dispute resolution

Ruben’s commercial dispute resolution practice spans the full range of commercial disputes, from acting as a junior in heavy Commercial Court litigation to acting unled on behalf of businesses in lower-value claims. His recent instructions include:

  • Acting unled for the successful Claimant in proceedings for the recovery of commercial debt where the Defendant alleged the relevant contracts should be rectified for mistake
  • Acting unled for the successful Defendant in proceedings involving a limited title sale of goods and allegations of implied agency
  • Advising (led by Thomas Sebatian) a property investment group on its contractual rights in relation to a high-value Central London development
  • Advising (led by Stephen Houseman KC) on witness evidence in Commercial Court proceedings regarding the sale of an asset management company providing services to a well-known cryptocurrency company
  • Advising (with Edward Batrouney) in relation to a dispute over an EV charger distribution agreement
Company law

Ruben’s experience in company law disputes includes:

  • UC Rusal v Whiteleave Holdings, Potanin, Crispian Investments and Abramovich: Dispute between shareholders of Norilsk Nickel, the world’s largest nickel producer, where the shareholders’ agreement reflects English law directors’ duties (acting for the Claimant, led by Nathan Pillow KC, Fionn Pilbrow KC, Tom Ford, with Sophia Hurst, Bibek Mukherjee and Francis Cardell-Oliver)
  • Advising (led by James Willan KC) on share transfer restrictions in a shareholders’ agreement, and the related assignability of a key commercial contract in the context of a US bankruptcy
  • A dispute relating to the sale of shares in an offshore investment fund, engaging issues of directors’ duties
Conflict of laws & private international law

Ruben has a particular interest in private international law following his academic studies in the field. The overwhelming majority of Ruben’s cases involve foreign parties and/or foreign law. His recent experience includes:

  • Advising on the application of the rule in Ralli Bros in the context of sanctions
  • Advising on the prospects of a foreign law illegality defence
  • Advising on the application of the presumption of similarity at trial
  • A dispute concerning the law applicable to a claim for breach of fiduciary duty
Offshore litigation

A number of Ruben’s cases involve offshore jurisdictions, including his current instructions in the Commercial Court acting on behalf of a BVI-appointed receiver to recover monies transferred in alleged breach of a BVI freezing order (led by David Joseph KC and Claudia Renton). He has particular experience with the British Overseas Territories (including the Cayman Islands, Bermuda and the British Virgin Islands), having been seconded as external counsel to the FCDO Legal Directorate in the team responsible for overseas territories.

Public & administrative law

Ruben has a particular interest in public and administrative law, having devoted attention to the area in his academic studies, including placing first in Comparative Constitutional Law on the BCL. He is a member of the Attorney General’s Junior Juniors panel and an Editor of the European Human Rights Reports.

Ruben has been seconded as external counsel at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office advising on public law matters including the judicial review R (KP) v Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs [2025] EWHC 370 (Admin), which involved rationality grounds and also a number of public interest immunity claims. He also advised on matters of international human rights law, immigration law, and the legality of forceful restraint and deprivation of liberty.

Public international law

Ruben’s ongoing and recent public international law instructions include:

  • Advising the FCDO on the International Seabed Authority’s draft regulations governing deep-sea mining (as sole counsel)
  • Advising the International Service for Human Rights on the scope of Article 96(2) of the UN Charter (with Ben Juratowitch KC and Callista Harris)
  • Vélez Loor v Panama(Inter-American Court of Human Rights): acted for an amicus curiae in case concerning a failure to investigate alleged acts of torture (including in light of the expiry of a statute of limitations), with a focus on the rights of asylum seekers and refugees (with Philippa Webb, Naomi Hart, Ali Al-Karim and Camille Boileau)

Ruben also has experience of matters raising issues of state immunity and attribution under international law in the English Courts.

Ruben was seconded as external counsel advising on international law matters at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. He studied public international law at both an undergraduate and postgraduate level, and has participated in a number of PIL mooting competitions, including the Jessup moot, where he was ranked 4th best oralist at the International Rounds.