Caroline West
Legal Director
Caroline West is a Legal Director at HFW. As part of HFW's Commodities team, Caroline has particular expertise in commodities, shipping and international trade.
Caroline works with banks, commodities traders and charterers on both disputes and advisory work. Caroline drafts and reviews contracts and charterparties. She also represents clients in arbitration and litigation matters and regularly works on arbitrations under ICC, LCIA, SIAC, LMAA, RSA, GAFTA and FOSFA rules.
Caroline has represented clients in the following High Court and Court of Appeal matters:
- Euro-Asian Oil SA (formerly Euro-Asian Oil AG) v Credit Suisse AG [2018] EWCA Civ 1720
- Unicredit Bank AG v Euronav NV [2022] EWHC 957 (Comm) and [2023] EWCA Civ 471
- CA Indosuez (Switzerland) SA v Afriquia Gaz SA [2022] EWHC 2871 (Comm) and [2023] EWCA Civ 1072
- Olam Global Agri Pte Ltd v Holbud Ltd [2025] EWHC 3187 (Comm)
In addition to practising as a solicitor, Caroline has lectured on shipping law at the University of Fribourg.
Practice Area
Panel
- Contributing Author
Qualified Year
- 2014
Qualifications
- BA (Law) (2011)
- Legal Practice Course (2012
Education
- Selwyn College, University of Cambridge (2008-2011)
- Kaplan Law School (2011-2012)
1 Contributions by Caroline West
PRACTICE NOTES
Commodities trade association arbitration: GAFTA, FOSFA and others—procedure, arbitrators, trade representatives, time bars, appeals and enforcement (England and Wales)
An introduction to commodities arbitration
In commodities disputes, arbitration conducted pursuant to trade association rules is a defining feature. In some markets, sale contracts almost invariably stipulate that disagreements will be settled by arbitration under a trade association’s rules. This, in turn, supplies association arbitration departments with a steady flow of cases and supports a flourishing community of arbitrators, lawyers and trade representatives working within those bodies. A trade association is a membership organisation created to bring together the leading participants in a particular trade. For instance, the Grain and Feed Trade Association (GAFTA) is made up of traders, brokers, superintendents, analysts, fumigators, arbitrators and other professionals active in the international grain trade.
Note: guidance on arbitration under the GAFTA Arbitration Rules No. 125 is available in the following Practice Notes:
Gafta—commencing an arbitration under Gafta Arbitration Rules No. 125
Gafta—the arbitration process under Gafta Arbitration Rules No. 125
Gafta—appeals under Gafta Arbitration Rules No. 125
As part of their service to members, trade associations provide a framework for resolving disputes by arbitration, usually set out in a set of ‘Arbitration Rules’. The associations also offer a pool of trade...
Arbitration
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