Lucas Bastin KC > Essex Court Chambers > London, England > Barrister Profile
Essex Court Chambers Offices
24 LINCOLN'S INN FIELDS
LONDON
WC2A 3EG
England
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Lucas Bastin KC
Position
Lucas has a versatile practice across an array of practices areas, albeit with most of his work relating to his expertise in public international law, international arbitration and commercial litigation relating thereto. As part of that versatility, Lucas has:
◾Acted and/or advised in matters before all levels of English courts, typically with a focus on questions of sovereign immunity arising in the context of enforcement of arbitration awards against foreign sovereigns, but also in proceedings enforcing awards not involving sovereigns (see ss. 67-69 of the Arbitration Act) and/or seeking orders in aid of or related to ongoing or soon-to-be-commenced arbitrations (e.g., anti-suit injunctions, disclosure of documents or other information, and declaratory relief).
◾Acted and/or advised in more than 60 investment treaty arbitrations, brought across many sectors and pursuant to a wide array of bilateral and multilateral investment treaties, with experience of all the major arbitration rules (including ICSID, SCC, SIAC, LCIA, ICC, UNCITRAL and ad hoc rules).
◾Acted and/or advised in more than 20 commercial arbitrations, across a wide array of sectors, mostly applying English law, but covering a variety of foreign laws as the applicable law.
◾Advised States, non-governmental organisations, private commercial entities and private individuals on a diversity of public international law issues, including State responsibility, State and head of State immunity, treaty interpretation, extradition, WTO law (including live and high profile disputes before the Dispute Settlement Body), ECHR law, EU and UN sanctions, and Interpol Red Notices.
Career
Call: 2007 (Australia)
Call: 2013 (England)
Languages
English (native)
French (working knowledge)
Memberships
Lincoln’s Inn
Education
University of Sydney (BA, LLB), University of Oxford (BCL, DPhil)
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > Public international law
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 3Lucas Bastin KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘Lucas is a fantastic and very persuasive advocate. His knowledge of public international law and state immunity is excellent, and he is able to combine his pure public international law knowledge with his practice at the commercial Bar to the advantage of his clients.’
London Bar > International arbitration: counsel
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 4Lucas Bastin KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘Simply the best. Lucas is a class act. Lethal as an advocate. A forensic ability to interrogate and dissect exhibits, witnesses and experts but above all a thoroughly good bloke. Lucas is going places fast. Catch him while you can.’
Essex Court Chambers is praised for its ‘strength in depth when it comes to all types of arbitration’ with members of the set frequently appearing in internationally significant investment treaty arbitrations, arbitration related proceedings in the English courts and commercial arbitrations in arbitration centres across the globe. Away from a the set’s practice across international commercial arbitrations, in the investor-state sphere David Joseph KC led Anton Dudnikov KC in the English enforcement proceedings related to the Cairn Energy v India investment treaty dispute, with India paying over $1bn to Cairn for unlawful retrospective taxation measures. Key highlights on investor state arbitrations include First Quantum Minerals v Panama, in which Paul Key KC, leading Lucas Bastin KC and Sean Aughey, represents First Quantum Minerals in their dispute over the termination of a mining licence in Panama. Among the lineup changes to the set in the last year was the arrival of Thomas Sebastian from Monckton Chambers in July 2023; David Peters KC and James Sheehan KC being made silk in March 2024; and Tariq Baloch KC joining from 3 Verulam Buildings in October 2024.
London Bar > Energy
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 4Lucas Bastin KC – Essex Court Chambers ‘He is an absolute pleasure to work with.’