International arbitration: counsel

Leading Juniors
Rising stars

Leading Juniors

Leading juniors are those with significant experience of key cases, strong market recognition from both peers and clients, and are seen as future candidates for silk.

Georges Chalfoun

3 Verulam Buildings

'Superb barrister, far beyond his call, enormous capacity for factual analysis, a pleasure to work with.'

Cyril Chern

4 New Square

'Cyril is an absolutely outstanding advocate! Added to this is that fact that he possesses a commanding presence in trial and his gravitas commands respect especially due to his total encyclopaedic knowledge of the law - both UK and civil.'

'Edward is an outstanding junior. Hard working, clever, insightful, good tactically and a pleasure to work with. His advocacy is measured but forceful when required.'

Marcus Mander

7 King’s Bench Walk

'Marcus is witty, creative and incredibly bright. He is also a pleasure to work with.'

Belinda McRae

Twenty Essex

'Belinda is a superstar: she has amazing energy and industry, delivers astonishing turnaround times, and brings very strong written and oral advocacy. Plus she has dedicated expertise across both arbitration and public international law.'

Nehali Shah

One Essex Court

'Nehali is calm and collected. She is immensely bright and has great attention to detail. Responsive, proactive and a delight to work with.'

Can Yeğinsu

3 Verulam Buildings

'Can has the gravitas and erudition of a KC. He is also clever, charming and a pleasure to work with.'

Samar Abbas Kazmi

Atkin Chambers

‘Samar is highly intelligent and has excellent judgement. He is in the detail but is also able to sit back and see the big picture to develop overall strategy.’

Sushma Ananda

7 King’s Bench Walk

'Sushma's attention to deal is fantastic and she is a joy to work with. She is a great asset to have on your team.'

Ravi Aswani

The 36 Group

‘Ravi is an exceptional barrister. He is consistently a first port of call for complex international arbitration matters. His knowledge of his subject is extremely well-developed, coupled with excellent attention to detail. As an advocate, he is highly effective and persuasive, particularly in the arbitration arena. He is calm, incredibly well-prepared, and has a strong presence that allows him to effectively guide tribunals.’

Sean Aughey

Essex Court Chambers

'Sean is a standout senior junior at the bar. He can hold his own against any silk. He always punches above his weight. Sean is phenomenally clever - he gets right to the heart of the issues and his drafting is exceptionally strong. Sean is also a very intelligent and persuasive advocate. He has very good instincts and is extremely calm even with the most difficult witnesses.'

Harris Bor

Twenty Essex

'Always willing to help, approachable, client friendly.'

Peter Brogden

Keating Chambers

'Meticulous, hard working and a pleasure to deal with.'

Timothy Chelmick

4 New Square

'Excellent written and oral advocacy. Very user-friendly.'

Joshua Crow

One Essex Court

Nick Daly

Fountain Court Chambers

'Nick is extremely bright and diligent, with a strong grasp of the law.'

Andrew Dinsmore

Twenty Essex

'Tough, tenacious, and thorough.'

Joshua Folkard

Twenty Essex

'Joshua is a capable junior barrister. His legal analysis is thorough and well-structured, and he has a good grasp of both legal principles and commercial realities. He is skilled at drafting and can present complex information in a clear way.'

'Emilie is a star practitioner in the arbitration field. Her knowledge of arbitration law and practice is all-encompassing; and her judgment is extremely sound. Highly recommended.'

Sam Goodman

Twenty Essex

‘Sam’s international arbitration expertise is invaluable. He operates with the confidence and strategic judgement of a silk, bringing a level of preparation and clarity that is rare at any level of call. Sam brings heavyweight advocacy, deep technical expertise, and a forward-thinking approach to international arbitration.’

Matthieu Gregoire

Essex Court Chambers

‘Matthieu is a standout barrister whose work reflects the highest standards of legal excellence. With a sharp intellect and a calm, analytical approach, he consistently demonstrates a mastery of complex legal issues, particularly in the fields of commercial and public international law.’

Naomi Hart

Essex Court Chambers

'Highly intelligent and has a knowledge of international law well beyond her years. A gifted advocate also.'

Henry Hoskins

One Essex Court

'Razor sharp attention to detail; expansive legal knowledge; safe pair of hands; extremely smart and also very use friendly.'

Zulfikar Khayum

Atkin Chambers

‘Clever, approachable, hardworking, bright. His ability to quickly master technical issues and experts reports is well beyond most silks and accordingly his cross-examination of experts is very often fatal for their cases.’

Timothy Killen

3 Verulam Buildings

‘Tim has a very calm assured manner. He is experienced at handling witnesses and exudes authority.’

'John has poise and composure beyond his years - his advocacy gets to nub of the case and it is apparent to everyone the force of the point he is making, including when he cross-examines.'

'Intelligence; calm, focused and measured.'

'Tom exercises incredibly good judgement, way above his year. Impeccable notes. An excellent lawyer. Tom's skills are recognised, he is very busy. A standout junior in a set full of excellent juniors.'

Andrew Pullen

Fountain Court Chambers

Thomas Sebastian

Essex Court Chambers

'Thomas is extremely user friendly and enjoys a very strong reputation in the field of international arbitration.'

Andrew Stevens

Quadrant Chambers

‘Excellent written advocacy. Evaluates legal and commercial risks in the case very quickly, in order to formulate a plan to manage those risks and deliver successful outcome for client. Very easy to work with. Very well versed in LCIA arbitrations and how they really work.’

James Thompson

Keating Chambers

'James is a strong advocate and his incremental approach has always been well received by tribunals. He develops good rapport with witnesses of the client and puts them at ease quickly, which helps when preparing their evidence. He is similarly effective at developing a rapport with witnesses during cross examination, which has proven very effective.'

Mark Tushingham

Twenty Essex

'Mark is extremely diligent, responsive, and user-friendly. His written and oral advocacy were clear and effective.'

Mark Wassouf

3 Verulam Buildings

‘Always calm under pressure with excellent draftsmanship, Mark is convincing and authoritative before tribunals, exercises superb judgement, and is a rising star in international arbitration—equally adept in commercial and investment treaty arbitrations.’

Peter Webster

Essex Court Chambers

'Peter is exceptionally hard working and calm under pressure. A very good barrister to have as part of the legal team.'

Paul C K Wee

Essex Court Chambers

'Paul is someone to have on your side; phenomenally bright, client-friendly and excellent on his feet. As well as excellent technical legal capabilities, he is able to be commercial and apply the client's situation to reach a practical outcome.'

'A charming and urbane advocate who rapidly gains the trust of her client, her team, and her tribunal. She will go far.'

Theo Barclay

4 New Square Chambers

'Theo possesses a remarkable and understated ability to swiftly grasp the core issues of a case. He efficiently distils complex information, presenting his arguments with unwavering conviction. Even the most experienced barristers hold him in high regard, a testament to his exceptional talent, which belies his level of seniority.'

'Clara has impressive expertise in international arbitration work. She is an excellent and engaging advocate, both in writing and orally, with a good ability to make the complex and detailed appear straightforward, and the dull seem interesting.'

Yash Bheeroo

3 Verulam Buildings

'Yash has an excellent legal mind and knows English law inside and out. He is an excellent advocate, both orally and in writing. At the same time, he is commercially minded and an excellent strategist. He is also a great colleague and really user friendly.'

'Bright, able, thorough, clear and meticulous.'

Lucie Briggs

Atkin Chambers

'Lucie is an absolutely excellent advocate. Her submissions were structured, clear, easy to follow and apply. Her questioning of witnesses was thoroughly prepared, absolutely on point and extremely effective. Her work ethic is extraordinary.'

Eleanor Campbell

One Essex Court

'Eleanor is an extremely impressive barrister. She is very good at team working on complex technical and contractual matters. In conference she is very comfortable in leading a discussion and working with senior stakeholders who consistently value her input.'

Manuel Casas

Twenty Essex

‘Manuel is, without question, the hardest-working barrister I have come across. His dedication, thoroughness, and work ethic are truly exceptional. Manuel approaches matters with remarkable attention to detail, ensuring that every aspect of the case is rigorously analysed and strategically addressed.’

Mathias Cheung

Atkin Chambers

'Very responsive and efficient. Well placed to handle China related matters since he can communicate in Chinese.'

Simon Crawshaw

Atkin Chambers

'Great mind, very determined, focused and always on top of the issue. Very impressive ability to understand technical issues sometimes better than people involved in project.'

Richard Sage

Crown Office Chambers

Jonathan Dawid

Brick Court Chambers

'Highly intelligent and exceptionally analytical. He has a sharp eye for complex or subtle legal issues and is quick to identify and address potential problems. His written work is meticulous, and his advocacy is calm, precise and persuasive.'

Stephen Doherty

Serle Court

‘Stephen has built an excellent reputation for Middle East related work, both in arbitration and the DIFC and ADGM Courts.’

‘Cat is absolutely superb. You would not know she was of such junior level given her excellent written work, communication and technical skills.’

'He is a brilliant advocate. Very confident, clear and persuasive and charming. He has real expert specialist knowledge on energy disputes on the law and facts. He works very hard and is amazingly client focused and responsive and works with teams across the world.'

Max Evans

Fountain Court Chambers

‘Max is a fantastic junior: on the ball, very fast at producing high quality work, and very personable and great with clients. A star in the making.’

Moeiz Farhan

The 36 Group

'Moeiz is an absolutely excellent barrister and a truly invaluable member of any team. He drafts exceptionally well, producing work of the highest quality. As an advocate, he is very effective, capable of mastering complex technical matters as well as intricate points of law.'

James Frampton

Keating Chambers

'James is particularly skilled at getting straight to the heart of the issue and putting the case concisely and impactfully.'

'He has the ability to give accurate and apt advice on matters related to arbitrations.'

‘Richard is a real pleasure to work with. He is responsive, approachable, all over the detail and grasps complexity quickly. He does not shy away from putting forward a challenging case and is creative and flexible in his approach.’

Rishab Gupta

Twenty Essex

'Rishab is commercial and outcome oriented. His preparation is unforgiving and he is fully in control of any matter he is briefed on. He assists the client in taking strategy calls in addition to persuading the court.'

Jamie Hamblen

Quadrant Chambers

David Heaton

Brick Court Chambers

George Hilton

Monckton Chambers

‘Very responsive and easy to work with. Excellent drafting skills.’

Kate Holderness

3 Verulam Buildings

'Kate is a really impressive senior junior who is all over the detail of a case and produces excellent written work. Also a very strong advocate.'

Drew Holiner

Monckton Chambers

Francis Hornyold-Strickland

Ravi is an incredibly capable junior. His drafting skills are excellent and for someone of his call he has impressive intuition. In addition Ravi is extremely diligent and a pleasure to work with.'

Tim Jenns

7 King’s Bench Walk

'Tim is an exceptionally bright and hard working barrister. His analysis is creative and inspired analysis and always backed up with sound arguments. His advocacy is persuasive and respectful and he gets to the nub of the issue very quickly. He drives his points home and is very persuasive.'

Abdul Jinadu

Keating Chambers

'Forceful, polite, unflappable.'

Catherine Jung

Essex Court Chambers

'Catherine is a fantastic junior, with a total command of the matter. She is easy to work with, very intelligent, dedicated to success on even the toughest points and resourceful.'

'Dominic is a standout choice as a junior in complex international arbitrations, where his diligent and effective casework is always a case-changing contribution.'

Jonathan Ketcheson

Twenty Essex

'He's excellent. Very user friendly and sharp. Equally strong on paper and on his feet. Would recommend.'

‘An excellent advocate and accomplished strategic thinker. Provides a calm and thoughtful presence and a gravitas that belies his call. A great team player.’

'Liisa is one of the greats. Mind-bogglingly brilliant but also a tremendous team player and all round super person to have on your team. She has a calm, confident and assured advocacy style.'

Kyle Lawson

Brick Court Chambers

'Kyle is outstanding. His advice is consistently sharp, commercial, and pragmatic—he has a real ability to focus on what matters and cut through complexity to provide solutions that are legally sound and client-friendly.'

Kevin Lee

Twenty Essex

'Kevin is a clear thinker who is able to articulate complex factual scenarios simply. His ability to think laterally and strategically is a great strength of his. A persuasive speaker, Kevin is charming while on his feet and is able to convince even the toughest tribunal.'

Nico Leslie

Fountain Court Chambers

'Very responsive and willing to go the extra mile for the client. A very persuasive oralist.'

Elizabeth Lindesay

7 King’s Bench Walk

‘Liz is a hard-working, intelligent barrister. She is thorough in her analysis and demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of the cases she works on.’

Marc Lixenberg

Atkin Chambers

'Marc is an excellent advocate. He really grasps what he thinks is the key issue and wrestles with it at length in front of the Tribunal in a way that is confident, effective and persuasive. He is well-prepared and can see the wood for the trees.'

David Lowe

Blackstone Chambers

'Great with detailed cases and is on top of the detail. Very easy to work with. Excellent drafting and communications skills. A real pleasure to work with.'

Jackie McArthur

Essex Court Chambers

'Jackie is someone who always produces top quality work. She also is one of the few juniors at the Bar that genuinely does both commercial and investment arbitration.'

Ian McDonald

3 Verulam Buildings

'Ian is an absolute star. He's extremely clever and diligent, as well as being an all-round nice guy.'

Cameron Miles

3 Verulam Buildings

'Cameron is insightful and a very good lawyer. He is particularly good at finding coherent and clever ways to put a client's interests first. A good strategic thinker, he is also an excellent sounding board.'

Bibek Mukherjee

Essex Court Chambers

'Bibek is an impressively bright, conscientious and efficient barrister. He is able to absorb and process large amounts of information astonishingly quickly, and has great tactical instincts. Unfailingly responsive and unflappable, he is always a pleasure to work with.'

Armando Neris

33 Chancery Lane

'Armando is a sharp and fearless advocate—clear, composed, and tactically sound under pressure. He handles complex facts and law without ever losing the thread.'

Rachael O’Hagan

Keating Chambers

'Very common-sense, pragmatic lawyer who understands the issues. She is personable, hard-working and comes ready to get into the weeds. Works very collaboratively with the instructing solicitors. Tenacious.'

'Highly authoritative. She has judges awestruck as she explains difficult points of law, or just writing down everything she says. Wonderful to work with and a superlative advocate. Knows her law inside out.'

Georgina Petrova

Brick Court Chambers

‘Georgina has an encyclopedic knowledge of matters relating to public international law and a wonderful ability to convert complex concepts clearly in her writing.’

Christopher Reid

Atkin Chambers

'Great attention to detail, unflappable, very bright, great with clients.'

‘Miriam is an outstanding senior junior. She is smart, forensic and hardworking. She is approachable at all times, responsive and lovely to work with.’

'Proactive with strategic ideas. Very responsive and on top of all the materials and detail.'

Frederico Singarajah

Gatehouse Chambers

'Fred is a clear communicator, an effective leader, a great lawyer and a pleasure to work with. He is tenacious in his work, confident in his views, and adept at juggling competing commitments. Fred gets the job done, does it well and is a collaborative team player along the way.'

Tom Stewart Coats

XXIV Old Buildings

'Tom is an extremely talented junior, and someone who can be trusted with even the most complex arbitration matters - undoubtedly a leading option at the junior end.'

Jessica Sutherland

7 King's Bench Walk

'Jessica is the real deal. Incredibly organised and totally reliable. She has a fantastic practice and is one of the best arbitration juniors around. A silk in waiting.'

Benedict Tompkins

Essex Court Chambers

'He has a unique ability to deliver the most careful thoughts and the most polished drafts, working punishing hours, but always with a smile and brilliant client management skills. He is loved by clients, and courts and arbitrators immediately recognise the quality of his arguments and listen to him with focused attention, looking for the answers which will shape their judgments and awards.'

Karishma Vora

39 Essex Chambers

‘Overall she is an exceptional barrister who brings a formidable blend of commercial understanding, legal prowess, and compelling advocacy to international commercial arbitrations.’

Matthew Watson

3 Verulam Buildings

‘Matthew is a sharp legal mind, with an impressive ability to master the detail. His written advocacy is consistently brilliant, without exception, and he provides excellent strategic insight. Matthew is user-friendly, exceptionally hardworking and a pleasure to instruct.’

Jennie Wild

Keating Chambers

'Jennie is an exceptional barrister whose sharp intellect and command of complex legal and technical issues make her stand out in the field of construction and international arbitration. She combines outstanding advocacy with a calm, strategic presence. Her ability to distil multifaceted disputes into clear, compelling arguments is invaluable.'

Sarah Williams

Keating Chambers

‘Sarah has an incredible talent for identifying the key details in incredibly complex and technical cases in order to develop a case strategy. She is incredibly hard-working, responsive, commercial and a pleasure to work with. Her drafting is succinct, clear and persuasive.’

Adam Woolnough

Essex Court Chambers

'Adam is ferociously hard working and commits absolutely to a case; he is meticulous and detail oriented and he has an easy manner. He stands head and shoulders above contemporaries.'

Rebecca Zaman

3 Verulam Buildings

'Rebecca made submissions on quantum and remoteness - very clear and effective; very nimble in response to tribunal questions. Excellent focus on the points that really mattered. Excellent drafting skills - clear, comprehensive, directional, powerful. All round, excellent barrister.'

Rising stars

Rising stars at the Bar are defined as barristers between four and eight years’ call who are seen as up-and-coming members of the Bar in their respective practice areas by clients and peers alike. They will already be instructed in high-profile, complex, and high-value contentious and non-contentious matters, working with and opposite more experienced leading counsel.