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Katie Pritchard
Partner
Katie Pritchard is a partner in the Litigation Practice Group and Commodities & Shipping Industry Group, specializing in international commercial disputes in the commodities, international trade and shipping sectors.
Katie regularly acts for commodity producers, trading companies, vessel charterers and owners, logistics companies, financiers and insurers in litigation and arbitration and advises on contract drafting. She represents clients in the English High Court and in commercial arbitration, in particular before LCIA, LMAA, GAFTA and FOSFA tribunals. Katie’s court experience includes seeking the assistance of the English High Court to enforce arbitration awards and agreements to arbitrate, and she regularly obtains anti-suit injunctions, asset disclosure orders and worldwide freezing orders. She has obtained contempt of court orders, including penal sanctions against defendants breaching High Court injunctions. She also regularly represents clients in court challenges and appeals from arbitration awards.
Katie has spoken at international grain conferences and delivered international training courses on commodity trading and shipping for GAFTA. She supports events and initiatives highlighting the role of women in the law and in the shipping and commodities industries.
- During 2025, advising commodity trading and commercial clients on the impact of tariffs introduced by the US government on their sale and purchase contracts.
- During 2025, advising shipping and commodity chartering clients on the effect of the US government’s Section 301 Investigation into China’s Maritime and Shipbuilding Sector and the resulting service fees to be imposed on Chinese-built vessels calling at US ports.
- Acting for international ethanol producer in two LCIA arbitrations involving disputes under ethanol supply contracts.
- Acting in High Court challenge of preliminary issue arbitration award on jurisdiction under section 67 of Arbitration Award 1996.
- Acting for sovereign state in enforcement of ICC Award in UK.
- Acting for sovereign state in challenge to ICC Award under section 68 of the Arbitration Act 1996.
- Acting for global agricultural company to enforce GAFTA award against Iranian company through asset disclosure order and worldwide freezing injunction.
- Defending Asian hedge fund in US$70 million English High Court claim by Austrian Bank for an alleged breach of sale and purchase agreement for suite of loans and collateral relating to Indonesian mining assets.
- Acting for international grain major to enforce GAFTA award against Moroccan company through asset disclosure order and worldwide freezing injunction, obtaining six-month prison sentence against director of defendant.
- Acting for international energy trading company in dispute under coal sale contract, including obtaining LCIA award and anti-suit injunction and worldwide freezing injunction from High Court.
- Acting for US company in two New York NAEGA commodity arbitrations administered by the American Arbitration Association.
- Acting for US grain multinational in GAFTA arbitration and then enforcing awards through obtaining worldwide freezing injunction and contempt of court orders, including 24-month prison sentences against directors of defendant.
- Acting in two LCIA arbitrations, each involving claims worth US$250 million plus, between grain trading companies arising out of joint venture agreements relating to a grain terminal and oilseed crushing plant in Ukraine.
- Acting in several LMAA arbitrations for vessel charterers or owners, dealing with issues such as cargo damage, off-hire, laytime and demurrage and unsafe ports.
- Representing commodity trading companies in several disputes and providing advice on sale and purchase contracts on issues including cargo quality, letter of credit discrepancies, non-compliant shipping documents and force majeure.
- Advising various insurers and insured parties on construction of marine insurance policies.
Education
- London School of Economics and Political Science, LL.M., 2003
- Inns of Court School of Law, Bar Vocational Course, 2002
- London School of Economics and Political Science, LL.B., 2001
Admissions
- Senior Courts of England and Wales, 2008
- England and Wales (barrister), 2002
- Recommended in Legal 500 UK 2026 for commodities disputes, shipping and international arbitration and by Chambers & Partners UK Guide 2026 for Commodities: Physicals
- Legal 500 UK 2026 interviewees describe Katie as:
- “Very sharp and strategic” and “calm under pressure, reassuring presence, excellent at marshalling her team to deliver results for clients”.
- The Chambers & Partners UK Guide 2026 interviewees describe Katie as “a great litigator” and “a safe pair of hands”.