Ruth Den Besten KC > Essex Court Chambers > London, England > Barrister Profile

Fielding ‘one of the very finest groups of barristers around‘, Essex Court Chambers is a ‘go-to set for anything important or high-value‘. In recent highlights, Joe Smouha KC, leading Ciaran Keller, represented the government of Mozambique in the “Tuna bond case”, its claim against Credit Suisse concerning government-backed loans that were arranged by Credit Suisse and pushed Mozambique into a debt crisis. In The Federal Republic of Nigeria v. Process & Industrial Developments Ltd, Tom Ford was instructed as the most senior junior for Nigeria, which seeks to set aside an $11bn award, on the basis that it and the underlying contract were the result of a massive fraud. Ruth den Besten KC, who recently successfully defended a $1.2bn fraudulent misrepresentation and conspiracy claim concerning a mining venture in Guinea, was elevated to silk status in March 2023; and in November 2022, commercial dispute resolution junior Matthieu Gregoire joined from 4 New Square Chambers.

Essex Court Chambers have acted in a number of well-known market disputes both in the domestic and international market involving international insurers, policyholders and brokers. David Scorey KC has acted in excess liability insurance cases, alongside domestic and international arbitrations, including the case of Pizza Express Group Limited & Subsidiary companies v Liberty Mutual Insurance Europe SE and XL Insurance Company SE which involved a non-damage business interruption claim arising out of Covid-19 lockdowns. Mark Templeman KC  has been involved in a number of major market disputes, including international claims for constructive total loss. Angeline Welsh KC, Siddharth Dhar KC and Ruth Den Besten KC were all appointed silk in 2023.

With ‘a deep roster of highly-skilled barristers‘, Essex Court Chambers ‘boasts remarkable strength-in-depth, allowing it to handle a wide range of complex cases with expertise and confidence‘. The set’s members consistently appear in the largest fraud cases before the Commercial and Chancery Courts, and at appellate level, both at home and abroad. In Suppipat v Narongdeg & Ors, reportedly the largest Commercial Court case of 2022, Anna Dilnot KC acted for Khunying Boonyachinda, Golden Music and Cornwallis in defence of contempt proceedings, against a backdrop of an alleged conspiracy to defraud the claimants of over a billion dollars of shares in a Thai wind farm company. In a $800m claim arising out of the alleged bribery of the former Kuwaiti social security fund head, David Davies KC is defending a former senior partner of Swiss private bank, Banque Mirabaud. In March 2023, Ruth Den Besten KC, who recently successfully defended Balda Foundation and Nysco Management Corporation, against a $1.2bn fraudulent misrepresentation and conspiracy claim concerning a mining venture in Guinea, took silk. Turning to the set’s juniors, Owen Lloyd and Katherine Ratcliffe also maintain active civil fraud practices.

Essex Court Chambers‘ members high-profile and high-value international banking and finance litigation, with members receiving instructions from a number of magic circle and US firms. Louise Hutton KC, who is ‘calm and clear under pressure,’ has been involved in leading banking cases this year, including Stanford International Bank v HSBC, a case involving the Quincecare duty with its factual origins in Allen Stanford’s Ponzi scheme. Joe Smouha KC is a notable name in this space, while Stephen Houseman KC has developed a strong cross-border practice, in areas including Singapore, Dubai and the Cayman Islands. Ciaran Keller is noted for his cross-border work on high-profile cases acting for and against banks, hedge funds and private equity. Angeline Welsh KC, Siddharth Dhar KC and Ruth Den Besten KC were all appointed silk in 2023.