United Kingdom > London Bar > International arbitration
Index of tables
- International arbitration – Leading Sets
- International arbitration – Leading Silks
- International arbitration – New Silks
- International arbitration – Leading Juniors
International arbitration – Leading Sets
International arbitration – Leading Silks
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- Michael Black QC XXIV Old Buildings
- Michael Crane QC Fountain Court Chambers
- Graham Dunning QC Essex Court Chambers
- Colin Edelman QC Devereux
- Ian Glick QC One Essex Court
- Jonathan Hirst QC Brick Court Chambers
- Ian Hunter QC Essex Court Chambers
- Gavin Kealey QC 7 King’s Bench Walk
- Toby Landau QC Essex Court Chambers
- Iain Milligan QC 20 Essex Street
- Alistair Schaff QC 7 King’s Bench Walk
- Nigel Tozzi QC 4 Pump Court
- Timothy Young QC 20 Essex Street
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- Michael Brindle QC Fountain Court Chambers
- Christopher Butcher QC 7 King’s Bench Walk
- Neil Calver QC Brick Court Chambers
- Stuart Catchpole QC Thirty Nine Essex Street
- Philip Edey QC 20 Essex Street
- Richard Fernyhough QC Keating Chambers
- Vernon Flynn QC Essex Court Chambers
- David Foxton QC Essex Court Chambers
- Clive Freedman QC Littleton Chambers
- Stephen Furst QC Keating Chambers
- Steven Gee QC Stone Chambers
- Jeffrey Gruder QC Essex Court Chambers
- Timothy Howe QC Fountain Court Chambers
- David Joseph QC Essex Court Chambers
- Dominic Kendrick QC 7 King’s Bench Walk
- Simon Lofthouse QC Atkin Chambers
- Ali Malek QC 3 Verulam Buildings
- John McCaughran QC One Essex Court
- Ewan McQuater QC 3 Verulam Buildings
- Ian Mill QC Blackstone Chambers
- Stephen Moriarty QC Fountain Court Chambers
- Lionel Persey QC Quadrant Chambers
- Khawar Qureshi QC Serle Court
- David Railton QC Fountain Court Chambers
- Richard Salter QC 3 Verulam Buildings
- Joe Smouha QC Essex Court Chambers
- David Streatfeild-James QC Atkin Chambers
- Michael Swainston QC Brick Court Chambers
- John Tackaberry QC Thirty Nine Essex Street
- Marcus Taverner QC Keating Chambers
- Bankim Thanki QC Fountain Court Chambers
- Andrew White QC Atkin Chambers
- Antony White QC Matrix Chambers
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- Andrew Bartlett QC Crown Office Chambers
- Helen Davies QC Brick Court Chambers
- Stephen Dennison QC Atkin Chambers
- Nicholas Dennys QC Atkin Chambers
- David Edwards QC 7 King’s Bench Walk
- Richard Gillis QC One Essex Court
- Charles Graham QC One Essex Court
- Mark Howard QC Brick Court Chambers
- Robert Howe QC Blackstone Chambers
- Finola O’Farrell QC Keating Chambers
- Roger ter Haar QC Crown Office Chambers
- Stephen Hofmeyr QC 7 King’s Bench Walk
- Stephen Males QC 20 Essex Street
- Philip Marshall QC Serle Court
- Terence Mowschenson QC Wilberforce Chambers
- Simon Rainey QC Quadrant Chambers
- Philippe Sands QC Matrix Chambers
- Christopher Symons QC 3 Verulam Buildings
- David Thomas QC Keating Chambers
- David Wolfson QC One Essex Court
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- Philip Boulding QC Keating Chambers
- Veronique Buehrlen QC Fountain Court Chambers
- Derrick Dale QC Fountain Court Chambers
- Chantal-Aimée Doerries QC Atkin Chambers
- Robert Englehart QC Blackstone Chambers
- Andrew Green QC Blackstone Chambers
- Sarah Hannaford QC Keating Chambers
- Richard Harding QC Keating Chambers
- Siobán Healy QC 7 King’s Bench Walk
- Hilary Heilbron QC Brick Court Chambers
- Stephen Kenny QC 7 King’s Bench Walk
- Charles Kimmins QC 20 Essex Street
- Peter Leaver QC One Essex Court
- Alan Maclean QC Brick Court Chambers
- Manus McMullan QC Atkin Chambers
- Christopher Moger QC 4 Pump Court
- Fidelis Oditah QC 3-4 South Square
- Mark Raeside QC Atkin Chambers
- David Reade QC Littleton Chambers
- Klaus Reichert SC Brick Court Chambers
- Andrew Rigney QC Crown Office Chambers
- Charles Samek QC Littleton Chambers
- Akhil Shah QC Fountain Court Chambers
- Marcus Smith QC Fountain Court Chambers
- Paul Stanley QC Essex Court Chambers
- Roger Stewart QC Four New Square
- Richard Wilmot-Smith QC Thirty Nine Essex Street
International arbitration – New Silks
International arbitration – Leading Juniors
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- Michael Bools Brick Court Chambers
- Serena Cheng Atkin Chambers
- Ricky Diwan Essex Court Chambers
- Zachary Douglas Matrix Chambers
- Orlando Gledhill One Essex Court
- Patrick Goodall Fountain Court Chambers
- Alexander Hickey 4 Pump Court
- Andrew Hunter Blackstone Chambers
- Patrick Lane SC Thirty Nine Essex Street
- David Lewis 20 Essex Street
- Roger Masefield Brick Court Chambers
- Sara Masters 20 Essex Street
- Ian Meakin XXIV Old Buildings
- Deepak Nambisan Fountain Court Chambers
- Sean O’Sullivan 4 Pump Court
- Rebecca Sabben-Clare 7 King’s Bench Walk
- David Scorey Essex Court Chambers
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- Dr Cyril Chern Crown Office Chambers
- Richard Clegg Selborne Chambers
- Jess Connors Thirty Nine Essex Street
- Nicholas Craig 3 Verulam Buildings
- Jasbir Dhillon Brick Court Chambers
- Karen Gough Thirty Nine Essex Street
- Christopher Harris 3 Verulam Buildings
- Michael Holmes 7 King’s Bench Walk
- James Howells Atkin Chambers
- Julian Kenny 20 Essex Street
- Jawdat Khurshid 7 King’s Bench Walk
- Edward Levey Fountain Court Chambers
- Christopher Lewis Atkin Chambers
- Michelle Menashy One Essex Court
- Michael Nolan Quadrant Chambers
- Matthew Parker 3 Verulam Buildings
- Ben Quiney Crown Office Chambers
- Chris Quinn Littleton Chambers
- Matthew Reeve Quadrant Chambers
- Philip Riches Stone Chambers
- Stuart Ritchie Littleton Chambers
- Marc Rowlands Keating Chambers
- Marion Smith Thirty Nine Essex Street
- James Turner Quadrant Chambers
- Geraint Webb Henderson Chambers
- Adam Zellick Fountain Court Chambers
The International arbitration section ranks barristers as advocates, rather than arbitrators. The number of arbitrators fielded by a chambers does not factor in the ranking; increasingly, international clients prefer their arbitrators and advocates to come from different chambers. Barristers are ranked for their experience and skill acting in a diverse array of international arbitral tribunals. Barristers’ knowledge of the form and procedure of various international modes of arbitration, their ability to adapt their advocacy style to suit arbitrators rather than judges, and their ability to deal with international clients are all relevant factors.
Essex Court Chambers has ‘some of the best talent in the country in international arbitration, so one feels secure when instructing it’. The ‘immensely articulate’ Toby Landau QC is ‘an outstanding lawyer and a brilliant advocate’, who ‘has a great feel for commercial arbitration and its international nature’. Graham Dunning QC is ‘a compelling advocate and very effective cross-examiner’, and clients also praise the ‘first-class’ Jeffrey Gruder QC. Vernon Flynn QC is ‘bright, user friendly and commercial’ and ‘prepared to roll up his sleeves and deal with some difficult issues’. The ‘formidably bright’ David Scorey is highly recommended for insurance and reinsurance arbitrations.
20 Essex Street ‘is one of the sets at the top of its game. Its recent move into Singapore shows it is on the ball and responsive to clients’ needs’. Extremely well regarded for shipping and commodities disputes, the set is also top notch for broader commercial arbitrations. Iain Milligan QC is ‘the best barrister in London Bar none’. The ‘young and energetic’ Philip Edey QC is ‘a very accomplished advocate. Strong on tactics and the reading of a tribunal’. Among the juniors, Julian Kenny is ‘a real star at the senior junior end’. The ‘fiercely intelligent’ David Lewis, who has returned from Singapore, gets excellent feedback for his ‘superb turnaround with work’, and is ‘excellent with clients’.
The ‘first-class’ Brick Court Chambers has a ‘range of very able counsel’ who are ‘value for money in complex, high-value cases’. Clients single out Jonathan Hirst QC, who has ‘a terrific manner with clients, who trust him implicitly ’. Mark Howard QC is ‘a brilliant, extremely talented advocate’ with an especially strong reputation for major utilities and infrastructure disputes, and the ‘very able’ Michael Swainston QC and ‘first-class’ Helen Davies QC are also very well regarded. The ‘top-notch’ Neil Calver QC is ‘hardworking and very approachable’ and particularly strong in insurance and reinsurance matters. Hilary Heilbron QC has ‘the most wonderful ability to command respect with the mere raising of one eyebrow’. The ‘extremely bright and tenacious’ Alan Maclean QC is ‘a brilliant technical lawyer with fine commercial skill’. The ‘excellent’ Simon Salzedo QC is ‘a clever strategic thinker’ whose ‘written work is strong’. Among the juniors, Roger Masefield provides ‘excellent legal analysis but with the right commercial focus’. Jasbir Dhillon is ‘extremely thorough in his analysis and can be relied upon to leave no stone unturned’. Michael Bools is ‘the top barrister for all-round academic brilliance, ease to work with and sense of humour under extreme stress’.
One Essex Court ‘strives to make itself an integral part of the team’ and is ‘simply the best for energy sector work’. The ‘bright, commercial, responsive’ John McCaughran QC ‘distils cases into core themes that come to the heart of proceedings before tribunals’. The ‘meticulous and intellectually faultless’ Charles Graham QC is ‘always enthusiastic’. The ‘very impressive’ David Wolfson QC ‘always gives solicitors and clients robust commercial judgement’. Among the juniors, Michael Fealy has a ‘real strength of conviction, which he supports with wonderfully considered legal argument’. Orlando Gledhill is ‘a very strong all-rounder and one of the best at the junior Bar’. Michelle Menashy is ‘an excellent lawyer but even more critically she is a fantastic team player’.
Fountain Court Chambers has ‘excellent strength and depth in brains and experience, and some really excellent lawyers’. The ‘commercial and pragmatic’ Michael Crane QC is ‘a pleasure to work with’, particularly for insurance and reinsurance matters. Michael Brindle QC is ‘a top name and delivers value accordingly’. The ‘extremely impressive’ David Railton QC is top of many solicitors’ lists. Stephen Moriarty QC is ‘a delight, always responsive, thoughtful, creative and very real’. Bankim Thanki QC has ‘a great reputation, which is justly deserved’. Veronique Buehrlen QC’s ‘ability to grasp complex engineering concepts such as those that arise in the energy world is an invaluable asset’. The ‘very bright and hardworking’ Patrick Goodall is ‘very practical and always delivers’. Deepak Nambisan has ‘a prodigious appetite for hard work and a thoroughly collegiate approach’. The ‘excellent’ Adam Zellick is ‘highly professional, with expert knowledge in commercial law’.
The ‘excellent’ 7 King’s Bench Walk is particularly well known for insurance, international trade and shipping disputes. The ‘unfailingly charming’ Gavin Kealey QC is ‘one of the best cross-examiners in the business’. The ‘very able’ Alistair Schaff QC is ‘definitely a case winner for the most difficult cases’. David Edwards QC is commended for his ‘thoroughness in analysis and preparation, and willingness to think originally’. James Drake QC’s ‘attention to detail and incisive analysis makes him an excellent choice for complex arbitration work’. Among the juniors, Richard Waller is commended for his expertise in insurance, reinsurance and shipping arbitrations.
Atkin Chambers, which has an excellent reputation for construction and infrastructure-related matters, ‘has some of the best barristers in their field in England’. Nicholas Dennys QC is an ‘outstanding counsel’ who ‘always works well at the top level’. Simon Lofthouse QC is ‘an excellent all-rounder’ and a ‘very safe pair of expert hands’. Manus McMullan QC ‘will go right to the very top’, and David Streatfeild-James QC is ‘superb on complex issues ’. Andrew White QC is ‘probably one of the leading construction silks practising at the Bar today. A real heavyweight’. The ‘good and fast’ Serena Cheng is ‘a very sound junior’. James Howells is ‘a hardworking senior junior who gets to the heart of the matter quickly and efficiently’.
Keating Chambers is the ‘set of choice for construction matters. It has an impressive depth of knowledge and breadth of experience’. Marcus Taverner QC is an ‘aggressive but tactically astute silk, down-to-earth with the common touch’. David Thomas QC has ‘enormous capacity for detail, absorbing and understanding information quickly to give clear legal and strategic advice’. The ‘very calm and very persuasive’ Stephen Furst QC’s ‘grasp of the issues is first-rate’. ‘Clients love’ Philip Boulding QC, who is ‘very practical and produces the best conference plans around’. Richard Harding QC’s ‘depth of knowledge and experience of international arbitration always shine through’, and ‘his command of the Arabic language gives him a competitive advantage’. The ‘clever, thorough and very commercial’ Adam Constable QC is ‘first class’. Marc Rowlands is praised for his ‘terrific technical ability’ and ‘broad experience of international arbitration’.
The ‘very strong’ 4 Pump Court is praised as ‘operating in a very modern, business-like manner’. The ‘very impressive’ Nigel Tozzi QC is ‘a very good communicator’, and ‘easy to work with’. Christopher Moger QC is ‘an outstanding advocate whose calm and measured style appeals to and captures the attention of arbitral tribunals’. Sean O’Sullivan is ‘one of the leading commercial juniors of his generation’, and is ‘the sort of advocate that a tribunal will instinctively trust’. Alexander Hickey ‘focuses on the key issues and does not get sidetracked by irrelevant points’.
The ‘quality of the work is excellent’ at 3 Verulam Buildings, which is ‘the best-clerked set in London’ and especially well known for its expertise in banking and finance matters. The ‘formidable’ Ali Malek QC is ‘a superb operator’, whose ‘oral advocacy is absolutely first class’. The ‘extremely clever and able’ Jonathan Nash QC has a ‘charming, understated manner’. ‘Few counsel are quicker on their feet’ than Ewan McQuater QC, who ‘has a good analytical mind and a very substantial presence as an advocate’. Nicholas Craig has ‘an encyclopaedic knowledge of arbitration rules and procedures’. Matthew Parker is recommended for his ‘good analytical approach’.
Blackstone Chambers ‘provides excellent service’, and clients also value the fact that it ‘is prepared to discuss fees on a pragmatic basis’. Ian Mill QC offers ‘excellent all-round service for his paperwork, conference and advisory’. The ‘attentive and courteous’ Robert Englehart QC has a good reputation as an arbitrator, and this extends to his role as counsel.
Crown Office Chambers has a ‘number of talented barristers at various levels’, and is noted for its expertise in construction disputes. Roger ter Haar QC is ‘an exceptional lawyer and advocate, whose advice and judgement is well respected by clients’. The ‘excellent’ Andrew Bartlett QC is also ‘top quality’. The ‘very approachable’ Andrew Rigney QC has ‘has a very calm, knowledgeable manner,’ and is ‘excellent with clients’. Dr Cyril Chern is ‘excellent both as an advocate and an arbitrator’.
Clients praise the ‘proactive and friendly’ clerks at Thirty Nine Essex Street, which has numerous ‘top-drawer barristers’. The set is especially strong in major construction and engineering disputes, where the likes of John Tackaberry QC have excellent reputations. The ‘exceptionally clever’ Stuart Catchpole QC is ‘wonderful on his feet, and clear minded and practical when preparing’. Richard Wilmot-Smith QC is ‘an excellent strategist, commercial and very astute’. Clients also value Marion Smith, whose ‘perseverance and determination are commendable and comforting to clients’. The ‘very thorough’ Karen Gough’s ‘response times are excellent’.
Littleton Chambers’ Clive Freedman QC has ‘excellent technical ability and attention to detail’, and is ‘effective in cross-examination’. Stuart Ritchie is ‘an excellent lawyer’. Other recommended arbitration counsel include David Reade QC and Charles Samek QC.
Matrix Chambers has a number of barristers with excellent reputations for major international disputes, particularly investment treaty arbitrations. Among the silks, Antony White QC and Philippe Sands QC are superb. At the junior end, Zachary Douglas is among the best-known arbitration specialists in the country.
Quadrant Chambers is well regarded for shipping, aviation and commodities related disputes, and praised for its ‘excellent clerks’. Simon Rainey QC is ‘a great tactician, super advocate’ who is ‘good with clients, and responsive’. Lionel Persey QC is ‘an excellent lawyer’. Among the juniors, Matthew Reeve ‘comes up to speed quickly and knows the papers very well, and his understated advocacy style is very effective, particularly for cross-examination’. James Turner is ‘particularly good on private international law issues’.