Sa'ad Hossain KC > Chambers of Lord Grabiner KC > London, England > Barrister Profile

One Essex Court is ‘one of the super-sets with many barristers at many levels providing a great service’. Clients remark on its ‘good strength in depth, with an excellent choice of strong academic lawyers, energy specialists and brilliant advocates’. Regarded as the most prominent set for matters concerning oil and gas, coal, nuclear and electricity including hydropower, as well as renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, biofuel and geothermal, the set is adept in pricing, regulatory and construction matters. Standout silk John McCaughran KC was recently instructed by Shell in relation to a dispute arising out of a gas sale agreement with British Gas. Sa’ad Hossain KC, who frequently appears in high-value High Court applications, trials and appeals concerning the energy sector, acted for Scottish Power Retail Holdings as defendant in a contractual claim material to the future development of power stations on a site owned by Drax. Notable juniors include Michael Watkins, who was recently instructed by BP, Shell and Esso in relation to a claim arising out of an agreement to provide security for decommissioning liabilities associated with the largest oil field in the North Sea.

‘A class outfit and a really strong chambers for all things energy and broader commercial work’, One Essex Court ‘has extraordinary strength in depth.’ Members regularly appear in many of the main arbitral centres, representing clients in arbitration proceedings across a broad spectrum of industries, including aviation, construction and infrastructure, energy and mining, finance and banking as well as transport and telecoms. Recent examples include Hulley Enterprises Limited, Yukos Universal Limited and Veteran Petroleum Limited v The Russian Federation in which Laurence Rabinowitz KC, leading Henry Hoskins, acted for the Russian Federation in proceedings brought by the claimants in the Commercial Court for the recognition and enforcement of arbitration awards made in an international arbitration pursuant to the Energy Charter Treaty. Notable practitioners include Sa’ad Hossain KC on the senior end – Henry Forbes Smith KC and Marcos Dracos KC joined the silk ranks in March 2023.  Nehali Shah, Michelle Menashy and Rachel Oakeshott are strong and sought-after juniors.