Avital Berger
Avital is a Senior Associate in Asserson’s Dispute Resolution practice, specialising in commercial litigation and arbitration with particular experience in complex contractual disputes and public law matters.
Avital is currently acting for over 160,000 current and former students of various universities across the UK in claims against those universities for breach of contract, arising from disruption to teaching and access to facilities during industrial action by academics and the Covid-19 pandemic – the “Student Group Claim.” – in one of the largest group claims in UK history.
Avital studied Theology and Religious Studies at Cambridge University. She was awarded the Corrie and Otter prize and an Exhibition for outstanding work. Avital also holds Higher Rights of Audience.
Most notable work includes:
- Acting for a global mining group in an LCIA arbitration worth c. $1.45 billion in relation to substantial mining rights in West Africa.
- Acting for several companies operating in the solar power industry in a claim brought against the UK Government under the Human Rights Act for damages in excess of £200 million. The case was identified by The Lawyer magazine as one of the top 20 cases to shape the legal landscape in 2018.
- Acting in a high profile claim for the judicial review of a Senior Coroner’s policy which, in two landmark rulings, the Court decided was ‘unlawful’, ‘irrational’, and ‘discriminatory’. The case was recognised as one of the most significant inquest cases of 2018.
- Acting for Ms Abramovich (former wife of well-known businessman Roman Abramovich) in a claim brought against her former executive manager for breaches of contract, breaches of fiduciary duty, and restitution of tax.