The Legal 500

Within Aviation,

Also recommended are David Joseph QC and Huw Davies QC at Essex Court Chambers; John Steel QC* at 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square, who is active on airport development matters; and 7 King’s Bench Walk’s Gavin Kealey QC, who acted in PK Airfinance and Balli v Insurers. *John Steel QC is now at Thirty Nine Essex Street.

Within Commercial litigation, 7 King’s Bench Walk (Gavin Kealey QC) is a second tier set,

7 King’s Bench Walk’s background in shipping and insurance matters is complemented by several very strong commercial litigation barristers. Jonathan Gaisman QC is ‘among the best and brightest; he has incredible focus and is a highly skilled advocate’. The ‘very effective’ Gavin Kealey QC has been involved in Masri v CCC, one of the largest contempt actions in the Commercial Court. James Brocklebank is ‘clever, diligent and easy to get along with. The fact that he is usually tied up on long cases is a testament to his popularity’.

Within Commodities, 7 King’s Bench Walk (Gavin Kealey QC) is a second tier set,

7 King’s Bench Walk’s high-calibre silks include Robert Bright QC, Dominic Kendrick QC, Alistair Schaff QC and Richard Southern QC. Newer silks Siobán Healy QC and Peter MacDonald Eggers QC are also recommended, as are top juniors Charles Priday and Charles Holroyd.

Within Energy, tier 4

7 King’s Bench Walk’s raft of leading silks includes offshore expert Timothy Brenton QC, Alistair Schaff QC, who is active in oil drilling matters, and Dominic Kendrick QC, who has ‘a strong grasp of the complex regulatory framework surrounding electricity generation’. Gavin Kealey QC, Simon Picken QC and Andrew Wales QC are also recommended.

Within Insurance and reinsurance, 7 King’s Bench Walk (Gavin Kealey QC) is a first tier set,

7 King’s Bench Walk houses a number of silks and juniors with ‘outstanding’ reputations as ‘undeniable leaders’ in the insurance sector, including head of chambers Gavin Kealey QC, who is an expert in Bermuda form matters. Jonathan Gaisman QC is ‘an accomplished advocate with unparalleled breadth and depth of knowledge’, and recently represented underwriters in a series of professional indemnity and D&O claims stemming from the high-profile Tchenguiz and Madoff cases. Christopher Butcher QC and Alistair Schaff QC are also highly rated, as is David Edwards QC, who is ‘undoubtedly one of the next generation of real stars’. New silk Rebecca Sabben-Clare QC receives high praise from both peers and clients. On the junior side, the ‘very user-friendly and commercially astute’ Timothy Kenefick, ‘rising star’ Michael Holmes and Sarah Cowey are recommended.

Within International arbitration, 7 King’s Bench Walk (Gavin Kealey QC) is a second tier set,

7 King’s Bench Walk is best known for shipping and insurance disputes, and more than holds its own on general commercial arbitrations. Among the silks, Alistair Schaff QC and Gavin Kealey QC are both considered ‘top picks’; and Jonathan Gaisman QC is ‘an accomplished and polished advocate with an unparalleled breadth and depth of knowledge’. The ‘exceptionally bright and very hardworking’ Richard Waller QC recently took silk and is ‘excellent’. The ‘dependable and very personable’ Jawdat Khurshid ‘gives advice which always instils confidence’, and Timothy Kenefick is ‘very user-friendly, pragmatic and commercially astute’.

Within Product liability Product liability – Leading Silks

Within Professional negligence, tier 4

Clients praise the ‘responsiveness and availability’ at 7 King’s Bench Walk, which is highlighted for its insurance expertise. Key individuals include the ‘highly regarded’ Jonathan Gaisman QC, and Christopher Butcher QC, who has a ‘strong reputation’. N G Casey, James Brocklebank and Rebecca Sabben-Clare QC are also recommended.

Within Shipping, 7 King’s Bench Walk (Gavin Kealey QC) is a second tier set,

7 King’s Bench Walk’s raft of leading silks in the shipping field are utilised extensively for dry shipping work. ‘First-rate’ silk Timothy Brenton QC stands out for his broad expertise in ‘collision and salvage work, or more intricate issues of admiralty law’, and combines ‘tenacious cross-examination skills with a deft touch and incisive analysis’. Stephen Hofmeyr QC’s ‘grasp of detail is fantastic’, and Dominic Kendrick QC has ‘an extensive knowledge of the complex regulatory framework surrounding electricity generation’. ‘Efficient and charming advocate’ Robert Bright QC is recommended for complex shipbuilding and charterparty disputes, and Christopher Butcher QC is ‘expert in marine total loss incidents’. The ‘forceful, stimulating and very effective’ Richard Southern QC also stands out, as do Stephen Kenny QC and Peter Macdonald Eggers QC. ‘Heavy-hitter and class act’ Alistair Schaff QC, David Bailey QC, who has ‘a first-class intellect’, and Jonathan Gaisman QC are also recommended. Charles Priday is ‘a superb advocate and very effective in cross-examination’, and Benjamin Parker is ‘extremely assiduous and thorough’. Rebecca Sabben-Clare QC and Richard Waller QC have recently taken silk.