Michael Ashcroft KC > Twenty Essex > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Twenty Essex is ‘a go-to set for substantial commercial disputes, particularly with an international angle’ and it provides ‘excellent silks and juniors who are very accessible and approachable’. One client remarks that ‘it has become the best set as a whole for shipping and commodities disputes’, which brings its members firmly into the energy arena. Duncan Matthews KC is a leading trial advocate with a broad practice in international and domestic commercial dispute resolution, and Michael Ashcroft KC frequently handles cases concerning contracts for the exploitation of resources, construction, transportation, sales and insurance. Ashcroft acted for BP Oil International in a case concerning the return of advance payments for shipments of crude oil. Andrew Fulton KC handled a US$16m Commercial Court dispute arising out of insolvent collapse of Singapore oil trader. Junior Malcolm Jarvis has significant expertise in complex high stakes arbitration and litigation on the broad span of upstream, midstream and downstream disputes. The clerks, led by Anthony Carroll, provide ‘an excellent support service at all levels and are very helpful and fair in negotiations on fees and briefs’.

‘Undoubtedly the strongest commodities set’, Twenty Essex  has ‘some outstanding practitioners and the widest selection of very talented lawyers in the commodities area’. One market source remarks that it is ‘the premier set for commodities work with multiple options at every level of seniority’. Michael Ashcroft KC, Michael Collett KC and Timothy Young KC are among the most prominent silks in this area of law. Ashcroft KC acted for the seller, Tintrade Inc., in Septo Trading Inc v Tintrade Inc, a fuel oil dispute concerning where title passed, who bore the risk of off-specification cargo in context of blending and supply from multiple shore tanks through pipelines, and whether cargo was, in fact, off-spec. Among the juniors, Daniel Bovensiepen, who acted as sole counsel defending a Commercial Court claim totalling about $765,000 for alleged contamination of a cargo of gasoil, and Oliver Caplin, who acted as sole counsel in a five-day oil trading dispute in the Commercial Court, are among many who are considered to be at the top of their game.

Twenty Essex features a large and strong team of specialised barristers in renewables, energy and natural resources, including case crossing over with civil fraud in this space. The past few years have seen the chambers get instructed on cases involving claims under letters of indemnity, oil trading disputes and sale and purchase of bunker fuel disputes. Michael Ashcroft KC has expertise in areas including energy markets, contracts relating to the exploitation of resources, construction, transportation, sales and insurance.  Simon Milnes KC and Tony Beswetherick KC were both appointed silk this year.

The ‘utterly brilliant’ Twenty Essex has grown significantly with its increased investment into the Asia Pacific region, where its members undertake practice areas such as commercial arbitration. The set continues to have Michael Ashcroft KC has vast experience within numerous jurisdictions such as Singapore, Hong Kong and Korea, with cases involving commercial contract disputes. Timothy Hill KC and David Lewis KC are other key names in the set for Asian work.