Gita Chakravarty

Gita specialises in corporate and personal insolvency and has experience in various applications under the Insolvency Act 1986 and the Insolvency Rules 2016. Gita regularly appears in the High Court and County Court and is often instructed in contested insolvency applications, bankruptcy petitions and related applications. Gita also advises trustees, liquidators, companies, directors and third parties affected by insolvency.

Recent work includes:

• Defending a complex application for a declaration of a beneficial interest involving sensitive cultural issues and requiring translators for multiple parties;
• An urgent ex parte application to extend an administration order;
• A complicated annulment application involving COMI issues;
• A high value s.212/s.214 misfeasance/breach of duty application against a company director;
• A contested high value bankruptcy petition;
• Advising a director in respect of preliminary steps towards a misfeasance claim;
• An unusual and sensitive petition involving serious allegations of contempt of court based on damages arising from a criminal judgment.

Gita has undertaken high value commercial mediations and round-table negotiations. Gita advises on alternative dispute resolution where appropriate at all stages and is equally well-accustomed to high-pressure and last-minute negotiations.

Recent work:

• Successfully obtained an advantageous outcome for the Claimant in a formal mediation relating to a six-figure fraud claims;
• Advised the Defendant on settlement in a six-figure fraud and misrepresentation claim widely reported in the national press;
• Acted for the Claimant in a Court-led settlement in a high-stakes commercial claim against a well-known Defendant.

Gita has significant experience of working with major banks and private lenders on diverse issues including high value possession claims, land registration and priorities. She also has experience of claims against valuers arising from mortgage lending.

Recent work:

• Advising one of the ‘big four’ banks on prospects of recovering against a director of an insolvent company;
• Advising a bank on a major invoice redirection fraud;
• Defending a freezing injunction against a high net worth individual on the basis of a multi-million pound judgment in the UAE;
• Pursuing summary judgment in the High Court in a guarantee claim.

Gita is experienced in shareholder disputes, directors’ misfeasance claims and urgent injunctions.

Recent work includes:

• Advising on an onerous shareholder agreement with potentially devastating consequences for an SME;
• Presenting, defending and advising on unfair prejudice petitions;
• Defending a company director from an unusual s.303 application designed to remove him from office.

• B (Hons) Law, The University of Law, 2:1
• BA (Hons) English and German, The University of Warwick, 1^st (+distinction)
• Universität Konstanz, German, Erasmus

• Queen Mother Scholar, Middle Temple
• International Grant Programme for the English-Cypriot Bar conference, COMBAR
• Blackstone Entrance Exhibition, Middle Temple

Fluent German
Fluent Danish

The Commercial Bar Association (COMBAR)
The Chancery Bar Association
The London Common Law and Commercial Bar Association (LCLCBA)
R3 Association of Business Recovery Professionals

• “Personal insolvency law update” – LexisNexis webinar series
• “Freezing Point” – Solicitors Journal. A report on Windrush Intercontinental SA v Bitumen A/S concerning the grant of a freezing injunction pending an appeal against an arbitration award
• “No Guarantees” – Solicitors Journal. A report on Bank of Scotland PLC v Cohen on personal guarantees and economic duress