Essex Court Chambers > London, England > Set Profile

Essex Court Chambers
24 LINCOLN'S INN FIELDS
LONDON
WC2A 3EG
England

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London Bar > Art and cultural property Tier 1

The barristers of Essex Court Chambers have been involved in prominent and high-profile cases in the field of art and cultural property, including cases of fraud, negligence and contractual disputes. Joe Smouha KC, whose broad commercial practice includes heavyweight disputes in the art world, has been involved in a number of high-profile cases recently, including the Bouvier v Rybolovlev case.

Leading Silks

Joe Smouha KC – Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 1

2022 Silks

Emily Wood KC – Essex Court Chambers

Leading Juniors

Claudia Renton –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 1

Work highlights

London Bar > Commercial litigation Tier 1

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.

Rising stars

Katherine Ratcliffe – Essex Court Chambers ‘Katherine is an excellent junior barrister - her skills are far beyond her years of call. Her case analysis and drafting skills are of the highest standard, and she is, quite rightly, very highly in demand.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Leading Silks

Joe Smouha KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 1

Paul McGrath KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 2

Andrew Hochhauser KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

David Joseph KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

Stephen Houseman KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

Graham Dunning KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

Jeffrey Gruder KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

Nathan Pillow KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 4

Huw Davies KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 4

Richard Millett KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 4

Daniel Oudkerk KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 4

Paul Stanley KC –Essex Court Chambers 'Paul is a complete superstar. His advice is always incredibly perceptive and thoughtful, and he is tactically astute and commercially aware.'

Ranked: Tier 4

David Davies KC – Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 6

Paul Key KC – Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 6

David Scorey KC – Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 6

James Collins KC – Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 6

Anna Dilnot KC – Essex Court Chambers ‘Fantastically quick to digest points and very responsive. She is great with clients, and a clear and persuasive advocate. She has a knack of simplifying points and often injects a dose of common sense into proceedings.’

Ranked: Tier 6

John Lockey KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 6

Philippa Hopkins KC – Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 6

2022 Silks

Tim Akkouh KC –Essex Court Chambers

Edward Brown KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘Very pleasant and easy to deal with - sharp, quick, a great advocate, and responsive and clear.’

Jeremy Brier KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘Jeremy is astute and quickly gets to grips with the key issues in a case. He is a compelling advocate and has a pragmatic, commercial approach that impresses clients. Jeremy is extremely good to work with, he engages with the detail, provides clear advice, and does it with a great deal of good humour.’

Emily Wood KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 2

Anton Dudnikov –Essex Court Chambers 'Anton is fiercely intelligent. His advocacy is very composed, measured and lucid. When faced with complex issues, it is obvious that judges take comfort from the clarity of Anton's submissions.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Tom Ford –Essex Court Chambers 'Tom has a lot of energy, is well spoken, and a good strategist. He's also a pleasure to work with - he has no weaknesses.'

Ranked: Tier 3

Benedict Tompkins – Essex Court Chambers ‘Benedict has a brilliant and incredibly quick legal mind, good judgement, and communicates really well with team members. He is an outstanding barrister and very valuable team member.’

Ranked: Tier 5

Alexander Riddiford – Essex Court Chambers ‘A highly intelligent, personable barrister, who is quick to get to the heart of the key issues, both legal and commercial, and who is able to provide succinct and astute advice within a tight timescale.’

Ranked: Tier 5

Christopher Lloyd – Essex Court Chambers ‘Incredibly clever and has a great eye for detail. He is also incredibly hardworking and makes sure he knows a case inside out, and is across all aspects of it. He is a real team player and works seamlessly with instructing solicitors.’

Ranked: Tier 5

Andrew Legg – Essex Court Chambers ‘First-class commercial junior who is full of good ideas.'

Ranked: Tier 5

Matthieu Gregoire – Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 5

Catherine Jung – Essex Court Chambers ‘Responsive, analytical, quality drafting, easy to work with, and takes initiative. Written advocacy is of the highest quality - persuasive and well researched.’

Ranked: Tier 5

Testimonials

‘Katie Myles, in particular, stands out – she is extremely personable, responsive, and efficient at servicing clients’ needs.’

‘Essex Court is a phenomenal set. The quality of the members is unparalleled and this is matched by a fantastic clerking team, led by Joe Ferrigno. A go-to set for anything important or high-value.’

‘The service is invariably excellent, both overall and from the clerks’ room.‘

‘Kevin Grubb is an outstanding diplomat and negotiator.’

‘One of the very finest groups of barristers around.‘

‘Clients receive a superlative level of service from the clerks at Essex Court Chambers.‘

‘Extremely user-friendly clerking team.‘

‘Essex Court Chambers is simply the best of the best.‘

Work highlights

London Bar > Fraud: civil Tier 1

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.

Rising stars

Owen Lloyd – Essex Court Chambers ‘Owen is incredibly detail-oriented, yet commercial and strategic in his thinking and advice. His written advocacy is also impressive and persuasive.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Katherine Ratcliffe - Essex Court Chambers 'Katherine is very responsive and gives clear, thought-out advice. She grasps issues very quickly and is calm under pressure.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Leading Silks

Paul McGrath KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 1

Joe Smouha KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘A master strategist who regularly wins cases through his rigorous cross-examination and incisive legal analysis.‘

Ranked: Tier 1

Nathan Pillow KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 2

Huw Davies KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

Paul Stanley KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 4

James Collins KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 4

David Davies KC – Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 4

James Willan KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 4

Louise Hutton KC – Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 4

2022 Silks

Tim Akkouh KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘Tim is incredibly pragmatic, hardworking, and commercial in his outlook. He manages to digest a huge amount of information and distil it down to the most important points.’

Anna Dilnot KC – Essex Court Chambers

2023 Silks

Ruth den Besten KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘Very steady pair of hands and an effective cross-examiner.‘

2024 Silks

James Sheehan KC –Essex Court Chambers

David Peters KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘An exceptional barrister whose advocacy skills are truly commendable. His ability to present complex legal arguments in a clear and persuasive manner is remarkable.’

Leading Juniors

Tom Ford –Essex Court Chambers ‘Tom is an exceptionally gifted lawyer, who works extremely hard. He is a measured, careful and persuasive advocate.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Ciaran Keller –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 1

Anton Dudnikov –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 2

Christopher Lloyd – Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

Matthieu Gregoire - Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 4

John Robb – Essex Court Chambers ‘John is extremely bright and hardworking. His analysis is always thorough and thought through yet commercial, and his knowledge of civil fraud and tracing is impressive.‘

Ranked: Tier 4

Richard Hoyle - Essex Court Chambers 'Tenacious and diligent, and a good fighter in court.'

Ranked: Tier 4

Stuart Cribb –Essex Court Chambers ‘Stuart is excellent. User-friendly and extremely responsive, and his written advocacy is clear and well thought-out. His oral advocacy is also very impressive.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Felix Wardle –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 4

Sophia Hurst – Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 4

Testimonials

‘Essex Court Chambers excels in litigation and advocacy.‘

‘Joe Ferrigno is a class act.‘

‘Jac Sexton and David Banks are helpful and a pleasure to deal with.‘

‘Demi Woolger and Tom Gannon are commended for their exceptional professionalism and dedication to their roles. They excel in their respective fields, demonstrating outstanding organisational skills, prompt responsiveness, and an unwavering commitment to providing top-notch client service.‘

‘Demi Woolger and Tom Gannon’s proactive approach, attention to detail, and ability to manage administrative tasks effectively contribute significantly to the smooth running of cases.‘

‘With a deep roster of highly-skilled barristers, the chambers boasts remarkable strength in depth, allowing it to handle a wide range of complex cases with expertise and confidence.‘

‘Clients benefit from the availability of counsel, ensuring prompt and personalised attention throughout the legal journey.‘

‘The barristers from Essex Court Chambers do an excellent job in civil fraud matters.‘

Work highlights

London Bar > International arbitration: counsel Tier 1

Essex Court Chambers is ‘a market leading set with an excellent line up of senior and junior counsel‘ for international arbitration work. Members are instructed as counsel to lead on the most complex, high-profile arbitrations and often politically sensitive matters, from commercial to investment treaty claims, involving the full spectrum of arbitral rules, spanning a broad geographical area and sectors. Alison Macdonald KC is representing the claimant telecom operator in Axiata Investments v Nepal, an ICSID case in concerning a disputed 22.5bn NPR (£134m) tax bill. Governments draw on Ben Juratowitch KC’s expertise for sensitive arbitrations, including an Energy Charter Treaty dispute concerning the RAFO Onești refinery in Romania. Angeline Welsh KC and Siddharth Dhar KC and took silk in March 2023, boosting the set’s senior ranks further. With expertise in international commercial arbitration, Thomas Sebastian, who is also qualified in India, joined the set in July 2023 from Monckton Chambers.

Leading Silks

Graham Dunning KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘Simply at the top of his game: the go-to person for the most complex cases, legally and factually. In the top handful of advocates at the Bar.’

Ranked: Tier 1

David Joseph KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 1

Joe Smouha KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘Joe’s experience shines through and his reputation is well-earned. He has gravitas without being grand and has the ability to read how points will play out before a tribunal and can carry the tribunal with him. He is a first-class lawyer, hard working and on top of the detail.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Paul Key KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 1

Richard Millett KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 1

Malcolm Shaw KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 2

Alison Macdonald KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 2

Paul Stanley KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 2

Huw Davies KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘A strong sense of what really matters in a case, what a tribunal will be interested in and needs to be emphasised in a hearing. Very personable and good at dealing with solicitors at all levels.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Jeffrey Gruder KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 2

David Scorey KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘David is very user-friendly and flexible, adapting without hesitation to any grouping of international lawyers brought together for a multi-jurisdictional dispute.’

Ranked: Tier 2

James Collins KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

Sam Wordsworth KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

Ricky Diwan KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

Philippa Hopkins KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

Ben Juratowitch KC – Essex Court Chambers ‘Ben is persuasive, concise, responsive, reasonable, fair, honest and powerful. His pleadings are based on thorough preparation and awareness of all details in the file. Strategic thinking, excellent planning and sound decision making. His conduct of cross-examinations – including on very technical causation and quantum points – are outstanding.’

Ranked: Tier 3

David Mildon KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘David is of extraordinary competence, intelligence and skill.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Dan Sarooshi KC –Essex Court Chambers 'The finest legal mind of his generation particularly in matters of public and private international law and English law. Superb advocate.'

Ranked: Tier 4

James Willan KC –Essex Court Chambers 'He is incredibly clever, can assimilate huge amounts of complex detail in no time at all, and is also a pleasure to work with.'

Ranked: Tier 4

Iain Quirk KC – Essex Court Chambers 'Great preparation and attention to detail; powerful and persuasive submissions, and great with witnesses - a top class team player.'

Ranked: Tier 4

2022 Silks

Lucas Bastin KC – Essex Court Chambers ‘He may be a relatively new KC but Lucas is already a leading player in the field – a mover of the market, an innovator and one of the handful of silks of choice for investment arbitrations.’

Edward Brown KC –Essex Court Chambers

Emily Wood KC – Essex Court Chambers

Edward Brown KC –Essex Court Chambers

Emily Wood KC – Essex Court Chambers

Lucas Bastin KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘He may be a relatively new KC but Lucas is already a leading player in the field – a mover of the market, an innovator and one of the handful of silks of choice for investment arbitrations.’

2023 Silks

Angeline Welsh KC – Essex Court Chambers ‘Excellent client handling skills and a joy to work with.’

Siddharth Dhar KC – Essex Court Chambers 'Very calm and unflustered, very willing to help out on any aspect of a case and provides highly sophisticated advice and advocacy.'

Angeline Welsh KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘Exceptionally user-friendly, with experience from a former life as a solicitor and so understanding the needs on this side of the practice. Insightful yet commercial advice a real strength, and a strong work ethic. An invaluable part of any team she joins.’

Siddharth Dhar KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘Sid is first and foremost an excellent lawyer. He is a very impressive advocate - his presentation is clear and persuasive and he thinks well on his feet. He is equally strong on paper, producing excellent, clearly and thoroughly argued written submissions.’

2024 Silks

David Peters KC –Essex Court Chambers

Leading Juniors

Paul Wee – Essex Court Chambers 'An outstanding junior; incisive, creative, and solicitors love working with him. His advocacy is mature and effective - one to watch.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Matthieu Gregoire – Essex Court Chambers ‘Matthieu is among the best counsel of his generation. Very hard-working, brilliant advocacy skills and extremely responsive. Moreover, he’s very commercially-minded and great with clients. A very effective cross-examiner.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Sean Aughey –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 2

Thomas Sebastian - Essex Court Chambers ‘Outstanding analysis and a lovely drafting style. Great team player, contributes strongly to all aspects of a case – he is a pleasure to work with.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Peter Webster –Essex Court Chambers 'Fabulous attention to detail and an ability to advise on an unusually wide range of issues. Very user-friendly and a pleasure to deal with.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Benedict Tompkins –Essex Court Chambers ‘Benedict is an absolute star: he has perfect command of the law, works incredibly hard, and is a fantastic team player. He is a consummate advocate, who uses his complete command of the documentary record and of the witness evidence to develop and present his arguments in a way which always invariably finds favour with the tribunal.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Naomi Hart – Essex Court Chambers ‘A fantastic lawyer – legally sharp, incredibly knowledgeable with great attention to detail and huge commitment to her cases. Naomi has a first-rate academic mind, coupled with a practical and no-nonsense approach to the details of a case. This is a formidable combination, and means that she performs well beyond her years.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Anton Dudnikov – Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

Work highlights

London Bar > Public international law Tier 1

With ‘ the perfect combination of expertise and commercial awareness‘, pre-eminent public international law set Essex Court Chambers fields an outstanding portfolio of commercial and academically accomplished barristers who are highly adept at handling the full spectrum of public international law matters with particular expertise in state-versus-state disputes, land and sea territorial disputes, international trade and investment arbitrations, and state immunity issues. Alison Macdonald KC who was recently asked by the Ukrainian government to join a high-profile working group on the seizure of Russian assets to provide reparations following Russia’s 2022 invasion. Ben Juratowitch KC is representing the Gabonese government in its dispute with Equatorial Guinea in its boundary dispute over three islands. On the junior end, Amy Sander, Naomi Hart and Jackie McArthur stand out, forming parts of counsel teams in state-versus-state disputes. Thomas Sebastian, joined from Monckton Chambers in July 2023, bringing with him expertise on WTO matters.

Leading Silks

Vaughan Lowe KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 1

Alison Macdonald KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 2

Malcolm Shaw KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 2

Sam Wordsworth KC –Essex Court Chambers 'A recognised leader in public international law.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Ben Juratowitch KC – Essex Court Chambers ‘Ben is a super silk in the making. He combines dedicated PIL expertise, with outstanding advocacy as well as excellent touch with clients.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Graham Dunning KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

Sir Frank Berman KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

Paul Key KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

Dan Sarooshi KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

2022 Silks

Lucas Bastin KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘Lucas has developed an important practice in investment treaty arbitration, in which he has long practiced and has built up all the right skills and tools. He knows all the cases (he also teaches) and is an excellent advocate. His mastery of quantum issues is another plus that makes him stand out.’

Leading Juniors

Amy Sander –Essex Court Chambers 'Amy's knowledge is first-rate and she is fast in mastering details of complex cases.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Sean Aughey –Essex Court Chambers 'A junior with a clear analytical eye.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Paul Wee – Essex Court Chambers 'Paul is exceedingly bright. His attention to detail is outstanding and his analysis is rigorous and forensic. He demonstrates mature judgement.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Matthieu Gregoire – Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 2

Alan Boyle –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

Thomas Sebastian – Essex Court Chambers ‘Best barrister in the market when it comes to international trade, but also a first-rate PIL generalist – in terms of both analytical and strategic thinking, he is one of the best senior juniors in PIL.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Jackie McArthur – Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

Naomi Hart – Essex Court Chambers ‘Naomi is a star – ferociously bright, very hard-working, a great team player and her analytical skills are exceptional. Her practice in PIL is growing quickly, she is excellent in the investor state dispute field, as well as in pure state-versus-state cases.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Testimonials

‘Essex Court is an excellent Chambers for public international law.’

‘Probably the strongest London set in public international law.’

‘Really outstanding.’

Work highlights

London Bar > Banking and finance (including consumer credit) Tier 2

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.

Leading Silks

Joe Smouha KC –Essex Court Chambers 'Joe is a first rate silk and excellent advocate.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Stephen Houseman KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 2

Louise Hutton KC – Essex Court Chambers ‘Calm and clear under pressure. Totally unflappable but responsive and direct when necessary. Thinks very creatively and has a track record of coming up with the winning point others have missed.’

Ranked: Tier 3

James Willan KC – Essex Court Chambers ‘James is a star in this area.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Iain Quirk KC – Essex Court Chambers ‘Very user-friendly.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Nathan Pillow KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

Paul McGrath KC –Essex Court Chambers 'Paul is a stand out silk.'

Ranked: Tier 3

David Davies KC – Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

James Collins KC – Essex Court Chambers ‘James is without doubt a top choice of leading counsel. He is incredibly hard-working, strategically and tactically astute, and a compelling advocate.’

Ranked: Tier 4

2022 Silks

Emily Wood KC –Essex Court Chambers

2024 Silks

James Sheehan KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘James is silk material.’

Leading Juniors

Ciaran Keller –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 2

Sophia Hurst – Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

Owen Lloyd – Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

Anton Dudnikov –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

Tom Ford –Essex Court Chambers ‘Tom is very smart and very hard-working. His legal analysis is matched by very few at the Bar.’

Ranked: Tier 3

John Robb –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 4

Richard Hoyle – Essex Court Chambers ‘Tenacious and diligent, and a good fighter in court.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Testimonials

‘Essex Court are at the top of most people’s list: packed with talent.’

‘Good.’

‘The clerks have always been responsive and any issues have typically been resolved well and commercially.’

‘Clerks are excellent.’

‘Very responsive and informed.’

Work highlights

London Bar > Employment Tier 2

At Essex Court Chambers, David Craig KC is highly regarded for his excellent track record in handling complex employment litigation at all levels of the judicial system, up to the Supreme Court, and regularly appears before the Employment Tribunal in whistleblowing and discrimination claims. Andrew Hochhauser KC and Charles Ciumei KC have notable strength in handling employment disputes for companies and private individuals in the financial services sector. Recent highlights include Daniel Oudkerk KC acting as leading counsel for AstraZeneca in an application for an interim injunction to prevent a former senior executive from starting a new role at GSK; the High Court granted the injunction. Among the juniors, Jane Russell is active in cases involving sex, maternity and belief discrimination claims.

Leading Silks

David Craig KC – Essex Court Chambers 'An outstanding silk.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Andrew Hochhauser KC – Essex Court Chambers 'A street fighter in a wig and gown.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Daniel Oudkerk KC – Essex Court Chambers 'He is absolutely at the top of his game in this area. His advocacy skills are second to none, he has a razor sharp intellect and excellent client handling skills.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Charles Ciumei KC – Essex Court Chambers 'An outstanding counsel.'

Ranked: Tier 3

2022 Silks

Edward Brown KC – Essex Court Chambers 'Incredibly practical, bright and easy to work with. Very accessible when dealing with clients, and a firm thoughtful adviser.'

Leading Juniors

Jane Russell – Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 1

Bibek Mukherjee – Essex Court Chambers 'Bibek has a keen eye for the important details of a case.'

Ranked: Tier 5

Andrew Legg – Essex Court Chambers 'A highly intelligent and diligent junior.'

Ranked: Tier 5

London Bar > Shipping Tier 2

At Essex Court Chambers, shipping remains a core area of expertise, reflected in the set’s ongoing involvement in complex and high-profile cases along the full range of maritime disputes. Steven Berry KC continuous to be tied up in a number of major shipping cases including MT Phoenix Vanguard about the collapsed purchase of a crude oil tanker; he leads Bibek Mukherjee in this case, a junior experienced in both wet and dry shipping. The interpretation of contractual force majeure clauses in relation to sanctions lies at the core of MUR Shipping BV v RTI Ltd, handled by Nigel Eaton KC on behalf of the shipowners, where he led Adam Woolnough. Elsewhere, Philippa Hopkins KC represents insurers in The Win Win, a ship that was seized by the Indonesian Navy on allegations that she illegallty entered the country’s waters. David Walsh and Freddie Onslow are juniors with active shipping practices and are both frequently instructed by leading law firms in LMAA arbitrations and before various courts.

Rising stars

Freddie Onslow – Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 1

Leading Silks

Steven Berry KC –Essex Court Chambers 'Steven is one of the best in this field. He is an excellent lawyer, an entertaining and fearless advocate and it is enjoyable working with him.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Graham Dunning KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 2

Christopher Smith KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘A go-to barrister for whom no issue is too novel or unusual.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Nigel Eaton KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 4

Nathan Pillow KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 4

Philippa Hopkins KC –Essex Court Chambers 'Philippa is exceptionally intelligent and has the ability to express this with concision and clarity. She has an excellent grasp of the legal aspects of the disputes we work on. She is a powerful advocate and well prepared.'

Ranked: Tier 5

Jeffrey Gruder KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 5

2022 Silks

Neil Hart KC – Essex Court Chambers

Jeremy Brier KC – Essex Court Chambers 'Enthusiasm, responsiveness, team work - all good!'

Neil Hart KC –Essex Court Chambers 'Measured and composed.'

Jeremy Brier KC –Essex Court Chambers

Leading Juniors

David Walsh – Essex Court Chambers 'He has it all: fiercely bright, hard-working, approachable, accessible and a very nice guy to work with. An effective and attractive advocacy style, with gravitas beyond his years.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Adam Board –Essex Court Chambers ‘Gives decisive and commercial advice, and good to work with.’

Ranked: Tier 3

John Robb –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

John Snider –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

Stephen Donnelly –Essex Court Chambers 'Very hard working and good on detail on paper.'

Ranked: Tier 4

Bibek Mukherjee – Essex Court Chambers 'Very bright, responsive and a pleasure to work with. Excellent with clients - firm but polite.'

Ranked: Tier 4

Adam Woolnough – Essex Court Chambers 'Very high quality junior and pleasant to work with.'

Ranked: Tier 4

Helen Morton – Essex Court Chambers 'Helen is a powerhouse and definitely a force to be reckoned with. Her grasp of the law and of the facts is top notch.'

Ranked: Tier 4

Testimonials

‘The chamber is always supportive, efficient and with a kind approach. Top-class service.’

‘A strong commercial, shipping and insurance set. Many good KCs and barristers.’

‘Excellent in terms of quality and expertise.’

‘Top-notch silks.’

Work highlights

London Bar > Tax: VAT and excise Tier 2

Essex Court Chambers is home to Stephen Donnelly, who has a growing indirect tax practice that is complimented by his strengths in commercial and chancery disputes. He represented Royal Surrey NHS Trust in a judicial review regarding HMRC’s refusal to allow the trust to recover input VAT following the purchase of linear accelerators for use in radiotherapy. Roderick Cordara KC and Edward Brown KC are two silks in chambers active in this area.

Rising stars

Stephen Donnelly – Essex Court Chambers 'He inspires confidence as a safe pair of hands.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Leading Silks

Roderick Cordara KC – Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 1

2022 Silks

Edward Brown KC – Essex Court Chambers 'He gets his point across succinctly and in a measured way.'

Leading Juniors

Andrew Legg - Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

Work highlights

London Bar > Energy Tier 3

For commercial litigation and international arbitration, Essex Court Chambers is ‘at the top of most people’s list: packed with talent’, and it has a strong standing in high-value energy disputes. The set is ‘a go-to on any complex dispute given the calibre of barristers, who are reliable, responsive and always liked by clients’. It has solidified its reputation as a full-service set in recent years, having added to its core strengths in arbitration and public international law, with energy and natural resources becoming a prominent part of many members’ practice. Graham Dunning KC was successful as lead counsel representing the Kurdistan Regional Government Minister of Oil and Natural Resources, in respect of a claim for more than $1.5bn relating to change of control of two blocks under PSCs in Northern Iraq. In Cairn Energy PLC v The Republic of India, Anton Dudnikov is acting for a British company seeking to enforce a $1.7bn arbitral award against India.

Leading Silks

Paul Key KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 1

David Mildon KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘An excellent commercial lawyer and a careful and thorough arbitrator, David is hardworking, diligent and unfussy.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Graham Dunning KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘Extraordinarily sharp and effective, Graham can always be depended on to have a mastery of the factual and legal issues.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Philippa Hopkins KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘Philippa is very impressive in cross-examination and is often the power behind the scenes in the running of big cases.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Iain Quirk KC – Essex Court Chambers ‘Ian demonstrates great preparation and attention to detail, and delivers powerful and persuasive submissions. Great with witnesses, he is a top-class team player.’

Ranked: Tier 4

2022 Silks

Lucas Bastin KC – Essex Court Chambers ‘Lucas has the full package of knowledge and skills.’

Lucas Bastin KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘He shows good judgement and strategy, is great on his feet, and particularly good on cross-examination.’

2023 Silks

Siddharth Dhar KC – Essex Court Chambers ‘Calm and unflustered, Siddharth is very willing to help out on any aspect of a case.’

Siddharth Dhar KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘His depth of knowledge is mighty impressive, as is the cool judgment which he brings when deploying that expertise.’

Leading Juniors

Anton Dudnikov –Essex Court Chambers 'A top-ranked junior in this area for very good reason.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Paul Wee – Essex Court Chambers ‘Paul provides insightful, reliable advice and earns the trust of clients quickly. He is pragmatic, dedicated and a real team player.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Ciaran Keller –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

Stuart Cribb –Essex Court Chambers ‘Stuart is user-friendly, extremely responsive, and his written advocacy is clear and well thought-out. He is always on top of the facts and law.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Testimonials

‘Essex Court is at the top of most people’s list: packed with talent.’

‘Essex Court is a go-to on any complex dispute given the calibre of barristers. They are reliable and responsive and always liked by clients, while providing excellent advice.’

Work highlights

London Bar > Insurance and reinsurance Tier 3

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.

Leading Silks

John Lockey KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 1

David Scorey KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 2

Mark Templeman KC – Essex Court Chambers ‘Immensely knowledgeable and very responsive.'

Ranked: Tier 3

Jeffrey Gruder KC – Essex Court Chambers ‘Extremely user-friendly. Top of his field with unparalleled knowledge, Jeffrey is a pleasure to work with and a true team player.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Philippa Hopkins KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 4

2022 Silks

Jeremy Brier KC –Essex Court Chambers 'Jeremy's written submissions are always well argued and make complex material easy to follow. A pleasure to work with and a real team player.'

2024 Silks

David Peters KC –Essex Court Chambers

Leading Juniors

David Walsh –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 4

Testimonials

‘A pleasure to work with. Efficient and friendly.’

‘An excellent set, especially for coverage.’

Work highlights

London Bar > Administrative law and human rights Tier 4

Human rights matters form a key pillar of Essex Court Chambers‘ practice, often crossing over with its public international law expertise. In a prominent case highlight, Alison Macdonald KC and Amy Sander are representing the claimants in Duarte Agustinho v Portugal and others, a case brought against 33 member states of the Council of Europe, alleging that the states’ climate change policies violate their rights under articles 2, 8 and 14; the case is due to be heard before the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights. Ben Juratowitch KC is well versed in handling inter-state cases concerning human rights issues, while Edward Brown KC is regularly instructed by the British government in heavyweight human rights litigation before the English courts system.

Rising stars

Naomi Hart – Essex Court Chambers 'A fantastic lawyer - legally sharp and incredibly knowledgeable, with great attention to detail and huge commitment to her cases.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Leading Silks

Dan Sarooshi KC –Essex Court Chambers 'A persuasive advocate and trusted adviser.'

Ranked: Tier 3

Alison Macdonald KC – Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

Ben Juratowitch KC – Essex Court Chambers 'Ben is very well versed in the intricacies of the European Court of Human rights and his advocacy is uparalleled.'

Ranked: Tier 4

Hugh Mercer KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 4

2022 Silks

Edward Brown KC –Essex Court Chambers

Leading Juniors

Jackie McArthur – Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

Amy Sander - Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 4

Testimonials

‘An excellent set.’

London Bar > Data protection

Leading Silks

Charles Ciumei KC – Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 1

London Bar > Crypto and blockchain assets

Leading Silks

Daniel Oudkerk KC – Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 2

James Collins KC – Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 2

Tim Akkouh KC – Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 2

Leading Juniors

Wei Jian Chan – Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 1

London Bar > European Union law

Leading Silks

Hugh Mercer KC - Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 2

Leading Juniors

Andrew Legg - Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

London Bar > Media and entertainment

Leading Silks

Iain Quirk KC – Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 2

2022 Silks

Edward Brown KC – Essex Court Chambers

London Bar > Business and regulatory crime (including global investigations)

Leading Silks

Alison Macdonald KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

London Bar > Insolvency

Leading Silks

Louise Hutton KC – Essex Court Chambers ‘Diligent and details orientated but with complete clarity of the bigger picture. Cuts through and delivers the winning point that she has identified.’

Ranked: Tier 3

David Scorey KC – Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 5

2023 Silks

Ruth Den Besten KC – Essex Court Chambers

Leading Juniors

Alexander Riddiford – Essex Court Chambers ‘Alex is extremely good at quickly getting to grips with a complex factual background and breaking this down into a digestible and accessible format.’

Ranked: Tier 3

London Bar > Commodities

Leading Silks

Nathan Pillow KC – Essex Court Chambers ‘Nathan is excellent both on paper and on his feet, and he is a smooth but devastating advocate in court.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Philippa Hopkins KC – Essex Court Chambers ‘Philippa is exceptionally intelligent and has the ability to express this with concision and clarity.’

Ranked: Tier 5

Leading Juniors

David Walsh –Essex Court Chambers ‘At the junior level, David is head and shoulders above the competition and is a real star.’

Ranked: Tier 2

London Bar > Company

2024 Silks

James Sheehan KC – Essex Court Chambers ‘James is very user-friendly and responsive, his written work is terrific, and his knowledge of conspiracy law in particular is encyclopaedic.’

London Bar > Partnership

Leading Juniors

Ciaran Keller – Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 2

London Bar > Competition

Leading Juniors

Thomas Sebastian – Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

London Bar > Tax: personal

Leading Juniors

Ciaran Keller –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

London Bar > International arbitration: arbitrators

Arbitrators at 24 Lincoln’s Inn Fields is ‘top notch in international arbitration’ and ‘has an outstanding roster of arbitrators’ that cater to the full spectrum of industries, most notably construction, energy, insurance and reinsurance, and shipping. Chambers, an affiliate of Essex Court Chambers, fields an impressive array of high-ranking former judges, esteemed silks, including David Mildon KC, Jeffrey Gruder KC, Iain Quirk KC, Graham Dunning KC and David Joseph KC and up-and-coming arbitrators, such as Angeline Welsh KC and Benedict Tompkins. Amongst the most in-demand full-time arbitrators are Lord Collins and Sir Bernard Eder.

Testimonials

‘Rachel Newman is an excellent arbitrators’ clerk. She is efficient, responsive and totally reliable.’

‘The clerks have always been very helpful in helping to organize the appointment of arbitrators.’

‘The clerks are reactive, understanding of the relevant issues and efficient.’

‘Very strong set with many experienced arbitrators’

‘Excellent set: very strong and deserved reputation in arbitration matters.’

‘Excellent.’

India - Senior Advocates > Commercial disputes Tier 3

The English Bar Offshore > The English Bar Offshore Tier 4

Leading Silks

Paul McGrath KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 1

Richard Millett KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

James Willan KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 4

Leading Juniors

Ciaran Keller –Essex Court Chambers 'Ciaran is extremely intelligent and hard working and is able to provide helpful and practical advice that cuts through the complexity. He works extremely collaboratively in large teams and is a real asset and team player. As an advocate, his no nonsense style, mastery of his case, and eloquence wins him plaudits on the bench.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Asia Pacific - The English Bar > Set overview

Asia Pacific - The English Bar > Commercial

Leading Silks

David Joseph KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

Leading Juniors

Thomas Sebastian - Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 2

Asia Pacific - The English Bar > Shipping and commodities

Leading Juniors

David Walsh – Essex Court Chambers

Ranked: Tier 2

Essex Court Chambers is a leading set of barristers’ chambers, specialising in commercial and financial litigation, arbitration, public law and public international law.

Members of chambers are recognised specialists in all areas of commercial law and handle disputes across the full spectrum of the business and financial world, including banking and finance, civil fraud, corporate/chancery and offshore, insurance and reinsurance, energy, trade, shipping, revenue, and employment.

Chambers is not a firm, nor are its members partners or employees. Rather, chambers is comprised of individual barristers, each of whom is a self-employed sole practitioner. Members of chambers are commonly retained by opposing sides in the same dispute, both in litigation and arbitration, with protocols in place to safeguard confidentiality. As well as acting on opposing sides, individuals appear in front of other members acting impartially as Deputy Judges or Arbitrators.

The barristers at Essex Court Chambers advise and act in disputes both in the UK and worldwide. They have a reputation for exceptional talent, top-class advocacy and a client-oriented approach.

The set: Founded in 1961, the then five members of chambers included the future judges Lord Mustill, Lord Justice Evans and Lord Justice Kerr. Other distinguished alumni include Lords Saville and Steyn, Lord Thomas (Lord Chief Justice), Lord Justice Beatson, Sir Anthony Colman, Bernard Eder (now Sir Bernard Eder), Geraldine Andrews (now Mrs Justice Andrews), Simon Bryan (now Mr Justice Bryan), Sara Cockerill (now Mrs Justice Cockerill), Richard Jacobs (now Mr Justice Jacobs), Tim Eicke (now a Judge of the European Court of Human Rights), Dame Rosalyn Higgins (former president of the International Court of Justice) and Sir Christopher Greenwood (formerly a Judge of the International Court of Justice). Essex Court Chambers continues to attract the highest calibre of recruits, and now comprises over 100 members.

Pupillage: Chambers typically offers up to four funded 12-month tenancy-seeking pupillages per year. Applications should be made via the Pupillage Gateway. Applications from both law and non-law graduates are welcomed. Applicants for pupillage are encouraged to undertake a mini-pupillage (of 1-2 days). Information about mini-pupillage, including deadlines for mini-pupillage applications and an online application form, is available at www.essexcourt.com.

Types of work undertaken: Annual market research and award ceremonies confirm that members are consistently recognised as leading individuals by clients and peers in a number of key areas, but most notably: international commercial arbitration; commercial litigation; civil fraud; public international law; VAT; energy and natural resources; insurance and reinsurance; shipping; banking and finance; commodities; employment; professional negligence; media, entertainment and sport; civil liberties and human rights; administrative and public law; agriculture; information technology; immigration; aviation; EU and competition; offshore litigation; commercial chancery; and insolvency and corporate recovery.

Department	Name	Email	Telephone
Senior Clerk	Joe Ferrigno	jferrigno@essexcourt.com	020 7147 7221
Deputy Senior Clerk	Ben Perry	bperry@essexcourt.com	020 7147 7222
Team Leader	Jack Wood	jwood@essexcourt.com	020 7147 7223
Team Leader	Katie Myles	KMyles@essexcourt.com	020 7147 7281
Team Leader	Kevin Grubb	KGrubb@essexcourt.com	020 7147 7281

Name	Position	Profile
Lorraine Aboagye		View Profile
Tim Akkouh KC	Tim is a commercial litigator, with a strong reputation for civil fraud…	View Profile
Rebecca Akushie	Arbitration; commercial litigation; conflict of laws; insurance and reinsurance; international commercial arbitration;…	View Profile
Sean Aughey	Barrister	View Profile
David Baker	Barrister	View Profile
Lucas Bastin KC	Lucas has a versatile practice across an array of practices areas, albeit…	View Profile
Edward Batrouney	Ed has a broad commercial practice in line with Chambers’ profile with…	View Profile
Mark Belshaw	Barrister	View Profile
Steven Berry KC	Has specialised since 1985 in the associated fields of insurance and reinsurance,…	View Profile
Claire Blanchard KC	Barrister. Claire Blanchard QC has a specialist commercial practice and is an…	View Profile
Adam Board	Adam acts and advises as counsel in commercial litigation and international arbitration…	View Profile
Jeremy Brier KC	Commercial barrister frequently appearing in the Commercial Court and in international arbitrations,…	View Profile
Edward Brown KC	Broad-ranging practice across the following practice areas: commercial litigation; employment; media, entertainment…	View Profile
Wei Jian Chan	Barrister	View Profile
Charles Ciumei KC	Has a practice covering all aspects of employment with a commercial aspect,…	View Profile
James Collins KC	Has a broad-based commercial practice. Recognised as clever, commercial and user-friendly, he…	View Profile
Roderick Cordara KC	Has a broad commercial and public law practice with over 30 years’…	View Profile
David Craig KC	With a “reputation for handling high-stakes cases”, “revered practitioner” David Craig KC has a rich…	View Profile
Stuart Cribb	Stuart is first and foremost a commercial litigator. He is an experienced…	View Profile
Simon Crookenden KC	Shipping: charterparty and bills of lading disputes; cargo claims; ship building; ship…	View Profile
Prof Paul Davies	Paul is Professor of Commercial Law at UCL, having previously been a…	View Profile
Huw Davies KC	Experienced and effective cross examiner with ‘an incredibly impressive style and approach’…	View Profile
Ruth Den Besten	Ruth den Besten was appointed KC in 2023 and has substantial expertise…	View Profile
Siddharth Dhar KC	Siddharth has a broad practice in substantial commercial litigation and arbitration disputes…	View Profile
Anna Dilnot KC	Broad commercial and commercial chancery litigation practice with a particular speciality in…	View Profile
Ricky Diwan KC	Ricky Diwan QC specialises in international commercial and investment arbitration and related…	View Profile
Stephen Donnelly	Barrister	View Profile
Shane Doyle KC	Shane Doyle QC has a commercial practice covering a wide range of…	View Profile
Anton Dudnikov	Anton has a broad commercial practice. He is regularly instructed in international…	View Profile
Graham Dunning	Graham Dunning QC was until recently the co-head of Essex Court Chambers.…	View Profile
Nigel Eaton KC	Specialises in international and domestic commercial litigation, with a particular emphasis on…	View Profile
Tom Ford	Barrister	View Profile
Daniel Fox	Daniel has a broad commercial practice in line with Chambers’ profile. He…	View Profile
Matthieu Gregoire	Matthieu Gregoire specialises in commercial litigation, international commercial arbitration, and investor-state arbitration.…	View Profile
Jeffrey Gruder KC	Jeffrey Gruder QC is widely recognised as a leading silk at the…	View Profile
Naomi Hart	Naomi has a broad commercial litigation and arbitration practice. She has experience…	View Profile
Neil Hart KC	Specialises in the fields of insurance and reinsurance, shipping (dry and wet)…	View Profile
Andrew Hochhauser KC	Has a broad-based commercial practice, including a significant number of employment-related disputes…	View Profile
Philippa Hopkins KC	Advises and acts in a wide range of commercial disputes, both in…	View Profile
Stephen Houseman KC	Handles a wide range of commercial disputes. Many of his cases are…	View Profile
Richard Hoyle	Barrister specialising in commercial litigation and international arbitration – most matters involve…	View Profile
Ian Hunter	Has a broad-based commercial practice in line with chambers’ profile. A major…	View Profile
Sophia Hurst	Sophia has a broad commercial and chancery practice, encompassing a range of…	View Profile
Louise Hutton KC	Louise’s practice covers commercial and commercial/chancery litigation and arbitration, including banking and…	View Profile
David Joseph KC	Has acted as counsel and arbitrator in an extremely wide range of…	View Profile
Catherine Jung	Catherine Jung has a broad commercial practice, focusing on large-scale commercial litigation…	View Profile
Ben Juratowitch	Ben Juratowitch KC is widely recognised as an outstanding advocate. He serves…	View Profile
Ciaran Keller	Commercial and chancery litigation and arbitration (domestic and international), including: business agreements…	View Profile
Paul Key KC	In private practice as a barrister since 1997, specialising in international and…	View Profile
Prof Martin Lau	Regularly advises on South Asian law and Islamic law in the form…	View Profile
Andrew Legg	Andrew has a broad commercial practice in line with Chambers’ profile. He…	View Profile
Owen Lloyd	Barrister	View Profile
Christopher Lloyd	Christopher specialises in commercial and chancery litigation with an emphasis on civil…	View Profile
John Lockey KC	Barrister specialising in insurance, reinsurance, commercial litigation, and professional negligence including brokers’…	View Profile
Prof Vaughan Lowe KC	Practises as counsel in International Court of Justice, European Court of Human…	View Profile
Alison Macdonald KC	Barrister	View Profile
Jackie McArthur	Barrister	View Profile
Paul McGrath KC	Barrister with a broad-based practice. Between 1999 and 2001 he was editor…	View Profile
Hugh Mercer KC	Court and advisory advocate specialising in EU, competition, public law and cross-border…	View Profile
David Mildon KC	General commercial litigation and arbitration including ABCI v Banque Franco Tunisienne [2003]…	View Profile
Richard Millett	Specialises in: banking law, securities, debt and other financing instruments, derivatives, loan…	View Profile
Bibek Mukherjee	Bibek undertakes a broad range of commercial work, as both sole and…	View Profile
Freddie Onslow	Barrister	View Profile
Daniel Oudkerk KC	Daniel Oudkerk QC has a broad-based trial and advisory practice. He is…	View Profile
David Peters KC	Wide experience of commercial law with emphasis on general commercial litigation, civil…	View Profile
Nathan Pillow KC	Specialises in commercial dispute resolution. Practises in the English courts at all…	View Profile
Freddie Popplewell	Barrister	View Profile
Iain Quirk KC	Has a broad commercial practice before the English courts and in arbitration.…	View Profile
Katherine Ratcliffe		View Profile
Claudia Renton	Claudia has a broad commercial practice with specialisms in media and entertainment…	View Profile
Alexander Riddiford	Alex specialises in insolvency/restructuring law, commercial dispute resolution, banking and finance (including…	View Profile
Mr John Robb	John specialises in commercial litigation, with a focus on banking and finance,…	View Profile
Jane Russell	Practises in employment and commercial law, acting for mainly city respondent clients.…	View Profile
Amy Sander	Amy has a broad commercial practice with a particular interest in public…	View Profile
Prof Dan Sarooshi KC	Professor Dan Sarooshi K.C. has a track record of achieving success in…	View Profile
Gretta Schumacher	Gretta is developing a broad commercial litigation and arbitration practice in line…	View Profile
David Scorey KC	Wide-ranging practice in international and domestic commercial law, litigating in both domestic…	View Profile
Thomas Sebastian	Thomas acts in complex regulatory and commercial disputes. His practice is diverse…	View Profile
Malcolm Shaw	Barrister focusing on public international law. Cases include: R v Mohamed Gul…	View Profile
James Sheehan KC	Specialist in commercial and chancery litigation and arbitration. Practice areas include civil…	View Profile
Christopher Smith KC	Chris Smith has a broad based practice covering all aspects of domestic…	View Profile
Joe Smouha	Has a broad-based commercial practice with a particular emphasis on appearances in…	View Profile
John Snider	Barrister practising in the following areas: shipping, insurance, arbitration (including LMAA, ICC,…	View Profile
Akash Sonecha		View Profile
Paul Stanley	Prior to being called to the bar, Paul lectured on European Community…	View Profile
Luke Tattersall	Barrister	View Profile
Mark Templeman KC	Practises primarily in the fields of reinsurance and insurance (marine and non-marine).…	View Profile
Benedict Tompkins	Benedict’s practice is focused on high-value commercial litigation and arbitration, specialising in…	View Profile
David Walsh	Barrister with a broad commercial practice. Particularly well-known for his work in…	View Profile
Felix Wardle		View Profile
Mubarak Waseem	Barrister	View Profile
Prof Philippa Watson	Has a practice in London, Dublin and Brussels. Most of her work…	View Profile
Peter Webster	Undertakes a broad range of commercial work, as both sole counsel and…	View Profile
Mr Paul Wee	Paul Choon Kiat Wee specialises in commercial litigation, international commercial arbitration, and…	View Profile
Jessica Wells	Has a broad commercial practice, with a particular interest in public international…	View Profile
Angeline Welsh	Barrister	View Profile
James Willan	Barrister with a broad-based commercial practice, appearing before the county courts, High…	View Profile
Emily Wood KC	Has a broad commercial practice in line with chambers’ profile. Focused on…	View Profile
Adam Woolnough	Arbitration, commercial litigation, conflict of laws, insurance and reinsurance, public international law,…	View Profile
Sam Wordsworth	In private practice as a barrister since 1997, specialising in public international…	View Profile

Lucy Davies : Head of Marketing
Jacky Chase : Operations Manager

CLIENT: Andy McGregor, Head of Civil Fraud, RPC
TESTIMONAL: “We have been very impressed and pleased with the completely reliable round the clock service, both in London and Singapore. As you know the best work often comes in on Friday night and Saturday morning and one has to be able to deploy serious combined resources without fuss immediately. On a major multi-party energy dispute we needed to drop everything over a weekend to deliver time critical advice and a top QC and junior worked solidly for three days to get this done. Another QC/senior junior team has been deployed at short notice to great effect on an extremely sensitive contempt application where familiarisation with a huge amount of material has been required. There have been a number of other mainstream matters where everything has gone very smoothly. We consider ourselves to be in extremely capable hands with a depth of resource that can take on whatever is needed.”

CLIENT: Michael Leeds, Partner, Grant Thornton UK LLP
TESTIMONAL: “I have worked with Essex Court Chambers for a number of years now and continue to have a very positive experience in terms of both the quality of barristers that I have worked with and the support team in place.

In particular:

1 – The EC team organise a number of key technical events within the market which have been thorough in content and material. They are well organised and innovative in approach and explore topics not many other organisations look at eg Banking Disputes on insolvency cases
2 – The EC team is innovative in its approach to Business Development for example in the way it targets markets and regions eg the Offshore market, Russia and the Asset Recovery space
3 – My interactions with the support team on events have only been positive and in particular team members at the junior clerk level have pro-actively sought to build relationships with Business Development people within my team to grow a rapport at all levels
4 – When I have sought the input of the EC clerking team on identifying suitable Counsel for matters, I have found them to be adept at recommending the right people, whether they are QCs or Juniors
5 – The EC team is an effective communicator across multiple channels, especially LinkedIn and Email
6 – It is clear from everyone at EC that this is a market leading Chambers.

The service from EC Chambers goes from strength to strength and their support for our Insolvency and asset recovery and Forensics and Investigations practices is outstanding. We thoroughly enjoy working and engaging with their clerking team and their barristers and are always provided with a superb level of service.”

CLIENT: Andrew Savage, Partner, McDermott Will & Emery UK LLP
TESTIMONAL: I have found the Essex Court team to be (as ever) very responsive and attuned to the outlook of the lay client. They are excellent at identifying the right barrister for the job and always reliable. A go to set of chambers with clerks who don’t rest on their laurels.

CLIENT: Sophie Eyre, Bird and Bird LLP
TESTIMONAL: “The team at Essex Court Chambers are forward looking and client understanding. The now clear split between arbitrator clerks and barristers clerks is also of huge assistance and adds an extra layer of separation so that information barriers are all the more visible to clients.

The clerks recognise the pressure solicitors are often put under by clients and the budgetary constraints and various fee structures that we are required to work with now. They are always creative and find counsel that not only specialise in the issues but who culturally suit the client/solicitors.

TESTIMONAL: Joe Ferrigno and his team are a modern group with clear value add above other sets and whose modus operandi is to build long term relationships with solicitors.”

CLIENT: Rupert Boswall, Senior Partner, RPC
TESTIMONAL: “Essex Court’s stellar reputation is driven to a large extent by having a clerking team that is head and shoulders above the competition. Joe and his team are always commercial and a joy to work with.”

CLIENT: Kambiz Larizadeh, Partner, Akin Gump
TESTIMONAL: “Choice of counsel is a very important decision in any significant piece of litigation. A good clerking team is an integral part of that decision-making process and also in ensuring that, once made, the counsel team provide the best possible client service. The clerking team at Essex Court Chambers, led by Joe Ferrigno, is without question the premier clerking team in London, in a crowded field. They are reliable, provide excellent judgment and advice in choice of counsel, and help effectively to co-ordinate with the Courts to administer client cases. All of which enables solicitors to meet and manage client expectations. The team goes from strength to strength, and is one of the key reasons I keep coming back to Essex Court time and time again.”

Members of Essex Court Chambers are involved in a variety of initiatives for the furtherance of equality and diversity and promoting access to the legal profession and to the bar. Examples of these include:

The Social Mobility Foundation

For the last five years, Essex Court Chambers has been an official supporter of the Social Mobility Foundation, and a large number of members of Chambers are regularly involved in running workshops and activities for students identified by the Social Mobility Foundation. Essex Court Chambers was the first (and still the only) chambers to become an official supporter of the Social Mobility Foundation. One of the key focuses of the Social Mobility Foundation is to support talented students from non-traditional backgrounds to focus on both thinking about careers and university choices whilst at school, and to support students in these endeavours. Supporting the Social Mobility Foundation came as part of a recognition by members of chambers that more needs to be done, far earlier in the recruitment process, and with a long term focus: supporting talented students to achieve their potential at school and university, enabling them to be the barristers of the future. Members of Chambers run at least four events per year with the Social Mobility Foundation, including a public speaking workshop for sixth form students, a mooting workshop for students at university, attending the Social Mobility Foundations career events, giving feedback on draft personal statements for university law degree applications, and providing mock university law interviews.

Mentoring Scheme

Essex Court Chambers is one of six Barristers’ Chambers who created a mentoring scheme for underrepresented groups at the Bar. The mentoring scheme, aims to support and encourage individuals from groups which are underrepresented at the Bar of England and Wales (and in particular the commercial bar) to pursue careers as barristers. Those underrepresented groups include women; people from minority ethnic backgrounds; people with disabilities; LGBT+ people; people who spent time in care; and people from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds.

Outreach

Outreach to potential candidates to widen the pool of potential applicants, for instance sponsoring QMUL’s diversity event, providing speakers or participants to student events, providing mentors for students as part of the KCL Bar & Mooting Society’s Social Mobility Mentors Scheme, putting on student open days, assisting with the Bar Council’s Bar Placement Week, participating in the Inner Temple’s Pegasus Access and Support Scheme. In 2019, one of our current pupils, Lorraine Aboagye, spoke as a panelist for BME Legal, which caters to aspiring barristers from a black/minority and/or low socio-economic background, providing support, one-to-one mentoring and workshops on the pupillage process. The event was a workshop on networking tips and tricks, and general pupillage application advice.

COMBAR

Assisting with the work of COMBAR, the specialist bar association for the commercial bar, which has recently been supporting a series of diversity events with ‘Cake and Counsel’ in Birmingham and London with an emphasis on informal networking with aspiring lawyers. Several members of chambers are involved in COMBAR’s governance, and Bibek Mukherjee is a member of the Junior COMBAR Committee.

Annual Student Open Day

Essex Court Chambers led the way in introducing an annual student open day, in addition to traditional mini-pupillages, as a way of running an event specifically focused on giving students an opportunity to learn about the different areas of the bar and the routes to the bar, the available scholarships and financial support and where they are encouraged to freely ask questions and meet current members of Chambers. This annual event has proved very popular, including attracting many students not yet studying law and attracting equal numbers of male and female students.

Pro Bono

Members of Chambers regularly undertake pro bono work, including via the Bar Pro Bono Unit and the Employment Law Appeal Advice Scheme (“ELAAS”). Notable pro bono cases undertaken by members of Chambers include appearing in the Supreme Court in (1) Jivraj v Hashwani, in which the Supreme Court held that an arbitrator was not a person “employed” within the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003; and (2) Bates van Winkelhof v Clyde & Co LLP, in which the Supreme Court held that members of limited liability partnerships are workers for the purposes of whistleblowing protection. Further information on pro-bono work undertaken by members of Essex Court Chambers can be found on individual members’ CVs. In addition to arguing cases pro bono, many members of Essex Court Chambers are individually involved in supporting charitable causes, including working with legal advice clinics and acting as trustees. In 2019 Essex Court Chambers was acknowledged as a Gold Patron of the Bar Pro Bono Unit.