Benedict Tompkins > Essex Court Chambers > London, England > Barrister Profile
Essex Court Chambers Offices
24 LINCOLN'S INN FIELDS
LONDON
WC2A 3EG
England
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Benedict Tompkins
Position
Benedict’s practice is focused on high-value commercial litigation and arbitration, specialising in civil fraud, banking and finance, and both commercial and investment arbitration across a range of sectors.
Benedict has acted in proceedings at all levels of the English courts, and increasingly takes on significant advocacy roles as junior counsel.
He is also developing a practice in offshore work focussed on fraud and asset recovery, and has experience both at first instance in the Commercial Division of the BVI High Court and on appeal before the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal.
In arbitration, he has appeared in or advised on proceedings under the ICSID, ICC, LCIA, HKIAC, SIAC, LMAA, ICDR and UNCITRAL Rules, seated both in London and abroad.
Highlights of Benedict’s recent or current work include acting:
- for the primary defendant in Suppipat v Narongdej [2023] EWHC 1988 (Comm), a $2 billion multi-party fraud claim arising out of the sale of Thailand’s largest renewable energy firm, tried over 20 weeks in 2022–2023;
- for the beneficial owner of a shares in a $200 million fund in just and equitable winding up proceedings arising from serious misconduct by fund management (BVI High Court and ECCA);
- for the claimant in Lonestar Communications Corporation LLC v Kay (Commercial Court), a conspiracy claim concerning a large-scale cyber attack on a Liberian telecommunications network; and
- for the Republic of India in Vedanta Resources Ltd v India, a multi-billion dollar claim alleging breaches of an investment treaty by way of a taxation measure.
Career
Called 2016, Lincoln’s Inn.
Prior to joining Essex Court Chambers Benedict qualified in New Zealand (2012), where he prosecuted serious criminal cases before moving to commercial practice.
Memberships
COMBAR
Education
University of Auckland, BA / LLB (Hons) (2007–2012, ranked first in year);
Gonville and Caius College, University of Cambridge, LLM (2015–2016, ranked first in year).
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > Commercial litigation
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 5Benedict Tompkins – Essex Court Chambers ‘Benedict has a brilliant and incredibly quick legal mind, good judgement, and communicates really well with team members. He is an outstanding barrister and very valuable team member.’
London Bar > International arbitration: counsel
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 3Benedict Tompkins –Essex Court Chambers ‘Benedict is an absolute star: he has perfect command of the law, works incredibly hard, and is a fantastic team player. He is a consummate advocate, who uses his complete command of the documentary record and of the witness evidence to develop and present his arguments in a way which always invariably finds favour with the tribunal.’
London Bar > International arbitration: arbitrators
Arbitrators at 24 Lincoln’s Inn Fields is ‘top notch in international arbitration’ and ‘has an outstanding roster of arbitrators’ that cater to the full spectrum of industries, most notably construction, energy, insurance and reinsurance, and shipping. Chambers, an affiliate of Essex Court Chambers, fields an impressive array of high-ranking former judges, esteemed silks, including David Mildon KC, Jeffrey Gruder KC, Iain Quirk KC, Graham Dunning KC and David Joseph KC and up-and-coming arbitrators, such as Angeline Welsh KC and Benedict Tompkins. Lord Collins is a full-time arbitrator in demand.