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At The Law Society Excellence Awards conferred on October 23, 2019, UK based Zaiwalla and Co LLP earned the "Highly Commended” certificate in the category "Excellence in International Legal Services.” "It is the first time that an English solicitors’ firm started by an Indian solicitor received this commendation,” wrote senior partner Sarosh Zaiwalla in an email to Parsiana. As he could not attend the awards function due to a prior commitment to participate in the 150th anniversary event in honor of Gandhiji at Somerville College Oxford, the certificate was received by his legal partners Leigh Crestohl and Kartik Mittal. 
"The winners of the 2019 Excellence Awards have tackled some of the biggest cases in England and Wales, implemented innovative new ways to grow their business and gone above and beyond in their own roles to help our society,” noted The Law Society website lawsociety.org.uk. Excellence in International Legal Services "recognizes law firms which have demonstrated an innovative approach to the delivery of legal services in today’s international marketplace. Zaiwalla and Company LLP were highly commended for taking internationalism to the heart of their firm. Through a series of landmark cases, Zaiwalla and Company showcased the strength and independence of the legal system in England and Wales,” specified the website.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earlier, in June 2019, Zaiwalla’s specialist sanctions team representing Bank Mellat successfully settled an unprecedented US $ 1.6 billion (Rs 114.9 billion) damages claim against the UK government. The claim had been initiated by one of Iran’s largest commercial banks against HM (Her Majesty’s)Treasury for the wrongful imposition of economic sanctions in 2009. Bank Mellat has around 2,000 national branches as well as foreign branches in South Korea and Turkey, and subsidiaries in the UK and Germany. The 2009 directive by HM Treasury had instructed all persons operating in the UK financial sector not to undertake any business relationships or transactions with Bank Mellat and the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines. This sanction was subsequently followed by similar restrictive measures at the European level as well as wide measures against almost the entire Iranian banking sector.
Following two unsuccessful attempts to challenge the restrictive measures, the Bank initiated an appeal before the Supreme Court of England and Wales that ruled in its favor in 2013 and referred the matter back to the English Commercial Court for the assessment of losses suffered by the Bank (see "Confidence in the Court,” Zoroastrians Abroad, Parsiana, July 21, 2013). "The unique nature of the claim led to novel legal issues being considered by the English courts, including the Supreme Court, for the first time in its history going into a closed session for the consideration of evidence against the Bank… The damages claim initiated by Bank Mellat was the largest ever economic sanction related damages claim of its kind in the English courts,” explained the press release from Zaiwalla whilst asserting, "This victory should encourage other foreign entities to believe that they will be treated with fairness by the UK courts in spite of conflicts at a political level.”
At Somerville College, Oxford, Sarosh Zaiwalla has initiated a scholarship in memory of his solicitor father Ratanshaw at the Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development offering £ 20,000 each year to an Indian student who wishes to pursue Bachelor of Civil Law or Masters in Law and Finance at the University of Oxford but does not have the financial means to do so (see "Scholarships at Oxford,” Zoroastrians Abroad, Parsiana, November 21, 2017). The scholarship covers a partial contribution towards course fees, college fees and living costs for full-time students. It specifies "the eligible applicant must demonstrate an interest in India’s sustainable development and a commitment to return to India.”