Lawrence Akka KC > Twenty Essex > London, England > Barrister Profile
Twenty Essex Offices
20 ESSEX STREET
LONDON
WC2R 3AL
England
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Lawrence Akka KC
Work Department
- Arbitration
- Banking and financial services
- Civil fraud and asset tracing
- Commodities and international trade
- Energy and infrastructure
- Intellectual property
- Jurisdiction, conflicts and enforcement
- Shipping
- Technology, media and telecoms
Position
Lawrence’s practice encompasses high value and technically complex commercial and contractual disputes. He specialises in cases involving new technologies, media and telecommunications, frequently with an international element. Lawrence is instructed to appear in courts at all levels. He also acts in numerous confidential IT, shipping, commodity and commercial arbitrations and mediations in the UK and abroad.
In his technology practice, Lawrence has acted in a wide range of disputes involving software and hardware procurement, outsourcing, development, fintech and blockchain technologies, data protection, e-commerce, broadcasting, internet and telecommunications law. He is the Legal 500’s Technology and Data Silk of the year for 2022.
He has been involved with IT for over 30 years and has a thorough grasp of the technical and other issues involved in the industry. Lawrence is a member of the UK Jurisdiction Taskforce of the Lawtech Delivery Panel, and the ICCA-IBA Joint Task Force on Data Protection in International Arbitration, and is the vice-chairman (civil) of the Bar Council IT Panel. He has written domestic and business software applications and is fluent in several computer programming languages.
Lawrence also has a significant wider commercial practice in shipping, banking, commodities, fraud and commercial law.
He sits as sole, party-appointed and presiding arbitrator in both technology and commercial disputes and has accepted appointments under many different sets of rules.
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > Crypto and blockchain assets
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1Twenty Essex have found a strong footing within cryptocurrency disputes, with Lawrence Akka KC having co-authored the UK Jurisdiction Taskforce’s legal statement on cryptoassets and smart contracts, alongside the recent Digital Dispute Resolution Rules, which set the new precedent for arbitration rules for blockchain and crypto assets. Paul Lowenstein KC has been involved in innovative work in developing court techniques and tools for tackling international cyber fraud cases involving the transfer of money, and cryptocurrency assets across the international banking system and the blockchain, while Josephine Davies KC is noted for specialist knowledge from other areas of law including IP and competition law being applied to her cryptocurrency work, often involving injunctive work and private international law issues.
London Bar > IT and telecoms (infrastructure and contracts)
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1London Bar > Commodities
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 5Lawrence Akka KC – Twenty Essex ‘Lawrence is a calm and persuasive advocate with a highly intelligent and forensic legal mind.’
London Bar > Commercial litigation
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 6Lawrence Akka KC –Twenty Essex ‘Lawrence is wonderfully easy to work with. He has a way of communicating advice on incredibly difficult issues in a way that makes them seem simple. Clients love working with him.’