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Twenty Essex > The Legal 500 Rankings

London Bar > Commodities Tier 1

Twenty Essex is ‘a first-rate chambers for commodities and shipping disputes, with excellent depth of quality at all levels of seniority’. The set ‘certainly has the greatest depth of coverage of the commodities field of any other chambers’, with members well versed in major arbitrations under the rules of GAFTA, FOSFA and the other well-known commodity associations.Michael Ashcroft KC is currently involved in LCIA arbitrations concerning multiple sale contracts between mine operators, sellers of metals and Swiss traders concerning the compliance of metal products with contractual specifications. The ‘highly responsive, commercially savvy and incisive’ Oliver Caplin KC, who specialises in dry shipping and commodities disputes, is among the market’s most prominent juniors.

Rising stars

Michal Hain – Twenty Essex ‘Michal has an exceedingly sharp mind, and he truly is a safe pair of hands.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Leading Silks

Michael Ashcroft KC – Twenty Essex ‘Encyclopaedically brilliant, Michael is very quick to pick up the issues and identify the key point, and exhibits strong and persuasive advocacy.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Michael Collett KC – Twenty Essex ‘Michael is a calm, measured and effective advocate who has seen everything and has an unparalleled ability to get to grips with the facts of a case.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Timothy Young KC – Twenty Essex ‘Timothy has been at forefront of commodities disputes for decades and he is a good cross-examiner who thinks outside the box.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Charles Kimmins KC – Twenty Essex ‘Charles is a strong leader and an excellent advocate and in planning and strategy, and there are very few counsel with his depth of knowledge.’

Ranked: Tier 2

David Lewis KC – Twenty Essex ‘Very highly regarded by solicitors, David is encyclopaedically brilliant, authoritative and yet polite, and meticulously prepared.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Timothy Hill KC – Twenty Essex ‘Tim is tactically very astute and a very strong advocate who is exceptionally intelligent with a razor-sharp legal mind, and he cuts to the heart of the most complex dispute.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Duncan Matthews KC –Twenty Essex ‘A very powerful advocate who has the ear of the court and shows mastery of the details.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Philip Edey KC – Twenty Essex ‘Philip is quick on his feet and a confident performer.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Sara Masters KC – Twenty Essex ‘Sharp and affable, Sara brings obvious intellectual weight.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Michael Coburn KC – Twenty Essex ‘Michael is very experienced, clear thinking, user-friendly, calm and composed.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Julian Kenny KC – Twenty Essex ‘Julian is very clever and very skilled at reducing complex information into very concise statements, whether within advice or pleadings.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Lawrence Akka KC – Twenty Essex ‘Lawrence is a calm and persuasive advocate with a highly intelligent and forensic legal mind.’

Ranked: Tier 5

Henry Byam-Cook KC – Twenty Essex ‘Henry is very clever and a really nice guy who is an unflappable and persuasive advocate with a real eye for detail.’

Ranked: Tier 5

Philip Riches KC – Twenty Essex ‘Philip is very pragmatic and solution-focused, very clear in his advice, and he understands his audience well.’

Ranked: Tier 5

2022 Silks

Simon Milnes KC – Twenty Essex ‘Simon is a very good advocate, very calm and persuasive, and his advice is very clear, practical and obviously the product of very careful consideration.’

Simon Milnes KC –Twenty Essex ‘Simon is a very good advocate, very calm and persuasive, and his advice is very clear, practical and obviously the product of very careful consideration.’

2023 Silks

Luke Pearce KC  –Twenty Essex ‘Luke is incredibly bright and impressive on his feet, and he sees the good arguments and articulates them very clearly and persuasively.’

2024 Silks

Josephine Davies KC –Twenty Essex ‘Josephine is not afraid to give a direct view on the merits of a point, without hedging her opinion with unnecessary caveats.’

Oliver Caplin KC –Twenty Essex ‘Oliver is an excellent barrister whose advocacy is clear, concise and perfectly delivered.’

Leading Juniors

Daniel Bovensiepen –Twenty Essex ‘Daniel has a great eye for detail, is very strong on the law and comes up with some very clever and innovative solutions to legal problems.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Colleen Hanley –Twenty Essex ‘Quick thinking, responsive, intelligent and clear-thinking, Colleen's work is always clearly expressed and logical.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Malcolm Jarvis –Twenty Essex ‘He knows his subject really well, is very approachable and easy to communicate with, and his points are well put and address the issues in question.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Susannah Jones –Twenty Essex ‘Susannah is approachable and easy to work with, and her written advice is very clear, detailed and well-judged.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Angharad Parry –Twenty Essex ‘Angharad is very efficient, very approachable, extremely knowledgeable in her subject area, able to provide succinct explanations of complex matters, brilliant and a pleasure to work with.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Andrew Dinsmore –Twenty Essex ‘Andrew is extremely user-friendly and approachable and commercial. He understands the clients' concerns and is equally formidable when it comes to his grasp of the law.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Richard Greenberg – Twenty Essex ‘Richard is an excellent advocate who delivers clear-headed and crisp advocacy.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Alex Carless – Twenty Essex ‘An outstanding junior, among the best for his age group. He is very user-friendly with a sharp analytical mind that cuts to the heart of the most complex matters.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Tom Corby – Twenty Essex ‘Thomas is incredibly bright, calm and measured, with sharp attention to detail and an ability to cut through complex issues.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Sean Snook –Twenty Essex ‘Sean has a very collaborative and co-operative approach, and he has sound judgement.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Andrew Feld – Twenty Essex ‘Andrew is absolutely excellent, a KC in the making. He is incredibly bright, on top of detail, responsive and user-friendly, with superb command of the law in international trade.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Alistair Wooder – Twenty Essex ‘Alistair is particularly good at identifying the key issues in any dispute, and his submissions are always well drafted and thought out.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Joshua Folkard – Twenty Essex ‘A strong intellect and also easy to work with, Joshua provides decisive and concise advice.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Testimonials

‘Practice Manager Anthony Carroll does a fantastic job in keeping clients happy and in arranging for counsel schedule. He serves as a constant point of contact which is appreciated, especially when members of the clerking team may change from time to time.’

‘The clerks are excellent and very helpful and always try to assist and accommodate instructions. Arron Zitver is always very helpful.’

‘I have always found the clerks of Twenty Essex to be very fair in fixing brief fees and in pricing work generally. They have been able to advise me well on availability of barristers and in making alternative arrangements when there are issues of maternity or paternity leave.’

‘Aaron Zitver and Christopher Theobald are incredibly helpful and a pleasure to deal with. They really go the extra mile in terms of support and assistance.’

‘A first-rate chambers for commodities and shipping disputes. Excellent depth of quality at all levels of seniority.’

’20 Essex has the depth of skill given the sheer number of members in Chambers. Clerks and members are all extremely user-friendly and responsive. I have not experienced any difficulty when it comes to availability of counsel, so the clerks are doing a great job in managing the schedule.’

‘The set as a whole is excellent, and almost all the barristers are very efficient and intelligent and provide a good service.’

‘Twenty Essex for me has some of the best and broadest expertise in international trade, shipping and insurance, whether amongst skills and juniors as advocates or amongst members of their chambers who appear as arbitrators or mediators.’

Work highlights

London Bar > International arbitration: arbitrators Tier 1

Twenty Essex is ‘a very strong set in the international arbitration arena with many outstanding arbitrators’ such as Sir Bernard Rix, Sara Masters KC, and Duncan Matthews KC. Appointments span all major arbitral institutions including ad-hoc arbitrations under the UNCITRAL rules across many sectors including energy, insurance, mining, IP, pharmaceuticals and a wide range of commercial disputes. While the set continues to be globally recognised and respected for its strong commercial expertise, its reputation for investor-state work grows with regular investor-state arbitration appointments. Notable additions boosting the set’s bench strength include Baiju Vasani, Wendy Miles KC, both also acting as counsel, and Philippa Charles, who joined from Stewarts Law LLP. Clare Ambrose is particularly sought-after as a full member of the LMAA and Sir Peter Gross attracts appointments in maritime as well as commercial disputes. Kate Parlett is building a strong practice of high-value international commercial arbitration appointments.

Leading arbitrators

Julian Lew KC –Twenty Essex 

Ranked: Tier 1

David Owen KC –Twenty Essex 

Ranked: Tier 1

Sir Bernard Rix –Twenty Essex ‘Bernard has a commanding presence as a tribunal chair. He is experienced, decisive and very hard-working – all of which are critical qualities for an arbitrator deciding complex commercial disputes. He was a pleasure to sit with as an arbitrator and an excellent arbitrator.’

Ranked: Tier 1

J William Rowley KC –Twenty Essex

Ranked: Tier 1

David Sutton –Twenty Essex

Ranked: Tier 1

Michael Lee –Twenty Essex 'A reliable and vastly experienced arbitrator with excellent commercial nous. A perfect candidate for the role of presiding arbitrator.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Michael Tselentis KC –Twenty Essex ‘ Michael is meticulous in his approach. He is thoughtful, careful and courteous and is easy to work with.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Leading counsel as arbitrators

Duncan Matthews KC –Twenty Essex ‘A collegiate arbitrator with good judgement.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Wendy Miles KC – Twenty Essex ‘Wendy is absolutely at the top of her game. She is so well-informed, interested and well-prepared for everything she does, and she presents with enthusiasm and a directness of style which is refreshing and productive.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Sara Masters KC –Twenty Essex ‘Sara is absolutely fantastic. She stands out as one of the best arbitrators, successfully chairing over very senior counsel and former judges. Sara is extremely responsive, entirely on top of procedural matters and effective in dealing with a number of issues. Proceedings run smoothly and, in large part, thanks to Sara’s incredibly incisive mind and great humour – one of the rare finds of an outstanding arbitrator who ticks every box.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Testimonials

‘They have recently hired Catherine Reeves, who has changed the game. She is fantastic in engaging with the arbitration community, organising key events and is the go-to person when considering arbitrators. She is keen on the right kind of diversity and has made it clear, which is hugely appreciated.’

‘Catherine Reeves deserves a special mention – an excellent and very experienced arbitration specialist managing the arbitrators’ practices.’

‘Twenty Essex is the top set in arbitration – both for arbitrators and counsel. It is a leading set historically but have recently reinvigorated their approach – offering interesting debates, hosting events. They have expertise across commercial, investor-state and state-state arbitrations – which is rare.’

‘Twenty Essex has a very good reputation as the home of a large number of arbitrators with expertise across a wide range of fields.’

 

Work highlights

London Bar > International arbitration: counsel Tier 1

Twenty Essex is a ‘top quality chambers of commercial arbitration’ housing ‘excellent talent at all levels with exceptional experience.’ The set has ‘some of the best and broadest expertise in international trade, shipping and insurance’ that aligns with significant strength in international commercial and public international law, translating into the ability to provide teams for global cases with instructing parties based across Europe, Asia-Pacific, the US, African and Middle East. Members are routinely instructed on cases relating to the impact of major global events, including Covid, Brexit and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Chambers is jointly led by renowned commercial silks Charles Kimmins KC and Philip Edey KC. Other notable members include Wendy Miles KC who is instructed in a set of globally significant cases spanning energy, environment, climate and finance, and Belinda McRae on the junior end with expertise spanning commercial arbitration, arbitration appeals and enforcement, and investment treaty arbitration.

Rising stars

Sam Goodman –Twenty Essex ' Sam is extremely intelligent and confident in his abilities. He has a good mind for seeing the wider picture and devising, often successful, strategies.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Leading Silks

Duncan Matthews KC –Twenty Essex ‘He is a master tactician and a brilliant advocate. When he speaks, everyone listens: he has a style that combines gravitas with eloquence. He is a real supersilk.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Charles Kimmins KC –Twenty Essex

Ranked: Tier 1

Timothy Young KC –Twenty Essex

Ranked: Tier 2

Michael Ashcroft KC –Twenty Essex ‘Incredibly clever, focussed, hard-working, absolutely first-rate. He must be one of the best KCs at the commercial and shipping Bars. His submissions are well-presented and forceful but never over the top.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Wendy Miles KC –Twenty Essex

Ranked: Tier 2

Philip Edey KC –Twenty Essex ‘Probably the best there is. Reasoned, logical and slick.’

Ranked: Tier 2

David Lewis KC –Twenty Essex ‘David is incredibly thorough and meticulously prepared for every conference and every hearing. He has deep expertise in international trade matters. A team player who interacts wonderfully with lay and professional clients.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Sara Masters KC –Twenty Essex ‘Sara is a fantastic silk to have on your team. She is thorough, sensible, willing to look at creative approaches to difficult issues. She is impossible to intimidate, and expresses herself with a clarity and emphasis which makes her very effective.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Timothy Hill KC –Twenty Essex ‘Extremely user-friendly and honest about the merits of the case, Timothy fights tooth and nail for a good result and is utterly fantastic on his feet.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Lord Verdirame KC – Twenty Essex ‘A stand-out silk and undoubtedly one of the very best at the Bar for investment treaty arbitration. A supremely polished and persuasive advocate. Guglielmo has excellent understanding of a client business and industry specifics, including in different regions of the world. ‘

Ranked: Tier 4

Andrew Fulton KC –Twenty Essex 'Intellectually very able, extremely knowledgeable on trade and Banking ; always fights the clients’ case with vigour; able to cut to the heart of the dispute quickly.'

Ranked: Tier 4

2023 Silks

Luke Pearce KC – Twenty Essex

Leading Juniors

Belinda McRae –Twenty Essex ‘ Highly personable and intelligent. Great judgement – a silk in the making. She is an excellent lawyer. She is quick on her feet, very clear in her advocacy, and is very skilled as a cross-examiner.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Harris Bor –Twenty Essex

Ranked: Tier 2

Mark Tushingham  – Twenty Essex 'Mark is one of the best juniors around. His knowledge of law and an ability to produce concise advice fast is very impressive. Mark is an exceptional writer: his written advocacy is extremely persuasive and eloquent. Excellent and incisive oral advocacy.'

Ranked: Tier 3

Jonathan Ketcheson –Twenty Essex ‘Jonathan is excellent. An encyclopedic knowledge of public international law and a top-rate advocate both on paper and on his feet.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Testimonials

‘This set is always super friendly. Arron Zitver is a star of the clerking world.’

‘Good reputation in shipping, good strength in depth, particularly at KC level.’

‘A strong and go-to set for a range of international arbitration and PIL work.’

‘Twenty Essex is an excellent set of chambers with vast experience and depth. One of the best in international arbitration.’

‘Back office runs very smoothly and clerks are very efficient and helpful.’

Work highlights

London Bar > Public international law Tier 1

Twenty Essex ‘is excellent on public international law, with a very deep bench of specialists at all levels of seniority’ and has bolstered its offering with Baiju Vasani and Rishab Gupta joining in May and November 2022, respectively, as well as several silk appointments including Sir Michael Wood KCMG KC’s appointment to honorary silk in March 2023. Members of chambers are acting at the forefront of groundbreaking matters at the highest level across the whole range of public international law. Highlights include the UK’s intervention on behalf of Ukraine in its claim against Russia before the ICJ based on allegations of genocide, in which Philippa Webb is instructed on; Kate Parlett is instructed on Australia’s intervention. In UN human rights committee proceedings Torres Strait Islanders v Australia, Monica Feria-Tinta and Sudhanshu Swaroop KC acted on behalf of a group of Torres Strait Islanders, indigenous people resident on an archipelago off the coast of mainland Queensland, who argue that Australia’s policies and laws regarding climate change are in breach of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.  

Leading Silks

Sir Daniel Bethlehem KCMG KC –Twenty Essex ‘Daniel is the Erling Haaland of his field - ahead of the pack and with a dazzling array of skills. He is quite simply at the top of his game and having him on your team confers an immediate advantage - Grand Master level.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Wendy Miles KC –Twenty Essex

Ranked: Tier 2

Lord Verdirame KC –Twenty Essex ‘Guglielmo is one of the leading public international lawyers in the country with vast knowledge in the field which he combines with a forensic approach to cases that is both rare and highly valuable. Hugely respected by judges – he does a first class job.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Sir Michael Wood KCMG KC (Hon) –Twenty Essex ‘Michael has a deeper knowledge of more fields of public international law than practically anyone at the English Bar. He is also tactically very astute, and knows how international courts and tribunals think and work pretty much more than anyone. He is a first-rate advocate and, despite his seniority, a great team player.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Sudhanshu Swaroop KC –Twenty Essex ‘On his feet, Sudhanshu is calm, clear and commands great respect. He also listens and works collaboratively.'

Ranked: Tier 3

Leading Juniors

Penelope Nevill –Twenty Essex ‘She is undoubtedly one of the talents in the field. She is knowledgeable, diligent, and fluent, both orally and in writing, with an unusually astute facility for grasping the essential policy context of international issues.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Kate Parlett –Twenty Essex ‘She is fantastic, excellent strategic and pragmatic mind. She has is a legal heavyweight, with the ability to deliver on a human and sensitive level that clients can understand and brilliant drafting skills.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Philippa Webb –Twenty Essex 'Philippa is a superb barrister, with excellent analytical skills and unsurpassed knowledge in certain areas (most obviously sovereign immunity). She is a pleasure to work with and is a safe pair of hands who consistently displays excellent judgement and produces the highest quality work.’ 

Ranked: Tier 1

Belinda McRae –Twenty Essex ‘A fantastic can-do attitude, always ready to roll her sleeves up. Belinda has a formidable intellect which she combines with excellent litigation skills and instincts – a real star.’ 

Ranked: Tier 2

Paolo Busco – Twenty Essex ‘Paolo is an extremely bright lawyer, a resourceful advocate, and an excellent scholar. He impresses with the width of his legal knowledge, spanning the whole spectrum of public international law – including, the law of the sea, jurisdictional immunities, human rights, humanitarian law, and general dispute resolution.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Monica Feria-Tinta –Twenty Essex ‘Monica is burning for her clients - she is definitely going the extra mile. She thinks outside the square to achieve the best solutions. She is a persuasive advocate.’ 

Ranked: Tier 3

Simon Olleson –Twenty Essex ‘As a junior, Simon is peerless in the field of international law. Encyclopedic, refined and impactful, Simon brings class and quality to everything he does.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Manuel Casas – Twenty Essex ‘Manuel’s international law expertise is first class. He has a deep understanding of the subject matter and is strong on strategy and tactics. He is also very personable and pleasant to deal with.’ 

Ranked: Tier 3

Rishab Gupta – Twenty Essex ‘Rishab is a very hard working highly intelligent lawyer with clarity of thinking and expression and his attention to detail is first-class. A consummate lawyer and clever tactician who is always prepared to roll his sleeves up and work with the team – phenomenal.’  

Ranked: Tier 3

Testimonials

‘The clerks are professional and efficient.’

‘The clerks are very commercial and user friendly—always looking to help.’

‘This is one of the more active chambers, both in terms of holding events and in keeping regular contact with instructing solicitors. They have a particularly strong clerk team, with Anthony Carroll and Rachael Osborne being particular stand-outs.’

‘Excellent set for public international law.’

‘Quality counsel at all levels of seniority.’

‘Excellent talent at all levels with exceptional experience.’

‘A, if not the, leading international law set.’

Work highlights

London Bar > Crypto and blockchain assets Tier 1

Twenty 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.

Leading Silks

Lawrence Akka KC – Twenty Essex

Ranked: Tier 1

Paul Lowenstein KC – Twenty Essex

Ranked: Tier 2

2024 Silks

Josephine Davies KC – Twenty Essex

Leading Juniors

Andrew Feld – Twenty Essex

Ranked: Tier 2

Sam Goodman – Twenty Essex

Ranked: Tier 2

Matthew McGhee – Twenty Essex

Ranked: Tier 2

Testimonials

‘The clerks are very user-friendly.  Chris Theobald is particularly good to work with.’

‘What sets 20 Essex Street apart is not only their exceptional legal expertise but also the unparalleled support provided by their clerks. The clerks at 20 Essex Street, in particular Arron Zitver is an invaluable asset, always ready to go above and beyond to assist with any queries or requests. Arron’s helpful and approachable nature fosters a positive working relationship, making it a pleasure to collaborate with him.’

‘A first class commercial chambers.’

’20 Essex have some stellar leaders and juniors and are a real stand-out sit for civil fraud and digital assets work.’

 

 

 

London Bar > Commercial litigation Tier 2

Twenty Essex is ‘an excellent chambers for international commercial disputes‘. For major Court of Appeal and Supreme Court cases, the set particularly benefits from its members’ private and public international law expertise, including specialisms in jurisdiction, conflicts and enforcement work. In Process & Industrial Developments v Federal Republic of Nigeria, an extremely high-profile $11bn dispute, Philip Riches KC is representing Nigeria, which seeks to set aside the mega-value award made against it on grounds of fraud; and in Republic of Mozambique v Credit Suisse, Privinvest & others, a high-stakes $2bn Commercial Court claim arising out of the “tuna bond scandal”, involving fraud, bribery, corruption and conspiracy allegations, former head of chambers Duncan Matthews KC is leading Riches and others in the representation of Privinvest in this case.

Leading Silks

Duncan Matthews KC –Twenty Essex 'A truly first-class super-silk. Authoritative and persuasive. The go-to KC.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Philip Edey KC –Twenty Essex

Ranked: Tier 2

Paul Lowenstein KC –Twenty Essex 'Paul has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the law, practice and procedure. He is an excellent strategist and instils confident in clients and the wider legal team. Clients absolutely want him on their side.'

Ranked: Tier 3

Charles Kimmins KC –Twenty Essex 'Charles' advocacy is persuasive, commanding, and brutally effective. He zeroes in on the core issues, has sharp attention to detail, and is exceptionally user friendly and personable.'

Ranked: Tier 4

Andrew Ayres KC –Twenty Essex 'Andrew is superb with clients and also a real team player. Technically he is first-rate and quick to spot issues or opportunities that others may have missed.'

Ranked: Tier 5

David Lewis KC –Twenty Essex 'Massively able and unflappable. Very measured advocacy.'

Ranked: Tier 5

Andrew Fulton KC –Twenty Essex ‘Meticulously prepared, and a very authoritative advocate whom the judges trust. Excellent use of technology.’

Ranked: Tier 6

Michael Ashcroft KC – Twenty Essex 'A superb operator who knows the law inside out. Judges feel comfortable following his propositions - he is the voice of reason.'

Ranked: Tier 6

Philip Riches KC – Twenty Essex

Ranked: Tier 6

Lawrence 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.’

Ranked: Tier 6

Stephen Atherton KC – Twenty Essex ‘Stephen provides a rare combination of hard work, intellect and commerciality. He is a calm and reassuring presence on a file and works extremely well with instructing solicitors. He is the go-to barrister for complex Cayman commercial litigation.’

Ranked: Tier 6

2024 Silks

Josephine Davies KC –Twenty Essex 'Hugely talented commercial and Chancery junior - tremendously able and compelling to work with.'

Leading Juniors

Susannah Jones –Twenty Essex 'Extremely able senior junior. She knows every detail of the case. Her pleadings are comprehensive but not long-winded. Brilliant at settlement agreements.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Belinda McRae –Twenty Essex 'Belinda's written work is superb and her skeleton arguments are a work of art. She is extremely user friendly, responsive and hardworking. A well-prepared and persuasive advocate.'

Ranked: Tier 3

Sarah Tresman – Twenty Essex

Ranked: Tier 5

Malcolm Jarvis –Twenty Essex

Ranked: Tier 5

Angharad Parry –Twenty Essex 'Truly exceptional, demonstrating an unparalleled level of skill and dedication. Her expertise in commercial litigation is unmatched, and her ability to navigate complex legal matters with precision and thoroughness is truly impressive. ’

Ranked: Tier 5

Andrew Dinsmore – Twenty Essex 'Robust beyond his years of call, and his written and oral advocacy are clear and persuasive.'

Ranked: Tier 5

Sam Goodman –Twenty Essex ‘The consummate junior - paperwork is strong, turned around efficiently, and he doesn't sit on the fence with his advice. Very easy to deal with and instruct.’

Ranked: Tier 5

Testimonials

‘The clerks are excellent. Sam McDowall is particularly helpful and always on hand to help with any queries.’

‘Christopher Theobald is a brilliant clerk – always very helpful in relation to the practicalities of fee arrangements and very responsive.’

‘Anthony Carroll and Robert Wheeler are both excellent.’

‘Excellent depth at all levels.‘

‘The set’s quality is extremely high.‘

‘An excellent chambers for international commercial disputes.‘

‘Excellent clerks.‘

‘The clerks offer a very good service indeed – fast, responsive and friendly.‘

Work highlights

London Bar > Fraud: civil Tier 2

Twenty Essex‘s civil fraud members are able to leverage the chambers’ complementary expertise in financial services and terminology. Paul Lowenstein KC is a go-to silk for injunction and jurisdiction work, both in England and offshore Caribbean jurisdictions. In the long-running PJSC National Bank Trust v Mints case, Philip Edey KC, leading Sarah Tresman and Richard Greenberg, is defending businessman Boris Mints against claims by two Russian banks for alleged fraudulent conspiracy involving loan restructuring. In the same matter, former chambers head Duncan Matthews KC and represents fourth defendant Igor Mints, his son. In a novel cryptocurrency case, unled Josephine Davies KC acted for Fetch.Ai in obtaining worldwide freezing orders against the hackers of its Binance.com trading account, along with information orders against Binance entities.

Rising stars

Maria Kennedy – Twenty Essex ‘Maria is a sharp and thorough counsel. She is bright, strategic and tenacious in her approach to cases.‘

Ranked: Tier 1

Leading Silks

Paul Lowenstein KC –Twenty Essex ‘An excellent advocate and highly adept at building rapport with judges. He is one of the best barristers to instruct in fast-moving injunctive relief work for the recovery of stolen monies.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Duncan Matthews KC –Twenty Essex

Ranked: Tier 2

Philip Edey KC –Twenty Essex ‘Philip is an excellent senior silk, who is clever, decisive and has an excellent court manner. He is also a very good team leader.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Stephen Atherton KC –Twenty Essex ‘An incredible advocate and a savvy advisor. Stephen is one of the best silks on the market for fraud work.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Andrew Ayres KC –Twenty Essex ‘Andrew has an excellent knowledge of the fraud toolkit, and is a great strategic thinker, always looking for alternative strategies. His advocacy is very good – he is always well-prepared, and his calmness helps to put the end-client at ease.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Andrew Fulton KC –Twenty Essex ‘Utterly formidable, iron-willed and relentlessly proactive. A superb advocate and committed team player.'

Ranked: Tier 4

Philip Riches KC - Twenty Essex 'Philip is very pragmatic and solution focused. He is also very clear in his advice, and understands his audience well.'

Ranked: Tier 4

Blair Leahy KC - Twenty Essex

Ranked: Tier 4

2022 Silks

Tony Beswetherick KC –Twenty Essex

2024 Silks

Josephine Davies KC - Twenty Essex 'Josephine's intellectual prowess is truly exceptional, and her unwavering commitment to meticulous attention to detail sets her apart. In the realms of crypto fraud tracing and asset recovery, her reputation is enviable.'

Leading Juniors

Sarah Tresman –Twenty Essex ‘Sarah is brilliant, prodigiously hardworking, and has a level of attention to detail that is rarely seen. She is an absolute perfectionist, which is brilliant news for her clients.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Sam Goodman –Twenty Essex ‘Sam is outstanding - his legal analysis, judgement and advocacy are all of high quality. He is a star of the future.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Belinda McRae – Twenty Essex ‘In terms of civil fraud, her ability to draw together huge amounts of information to tell a story is impressive. There is no better junior to instruct.‘

Ranked: Tier 4

Andrew Dinsmore - Twenty Essex 'Andrew is tenacious, hardworking and well-versed in the law of civil fraud. He expresses himself clearly, in writing and orally, and is able to keep focused and stick to his guns.'

Ranked: Tier 4

Richard Greenberg - Twenty Essex 'Richard is fantastically bright. He gets across his brief with impressive speed and is an excellent strategist.'

Ranked: Tier 4

Joshua Folkard – Twenty Essex ‘An exceptionally talented junior with exceptional drafting and analytical skills. Easy to work with and always available.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Testimonials

‘Sam McDowall is highly professional and demonstrates impressive efficiency. His ability to address any administrative matters swiftly and provide timely assistance is commendable.’

‘Anthony Carroll does a fantastic job in keeping clients happy and in arranging for counsel schedule.’

‘Anthony Carroll serves as a constant point of contact, which is appreciated, especially when members of the clerking team may change from time to time. Hands on and a personal service that is straightforward.’

‘Arron Zitver provides a quality service to clients and is great to deal with.’

‘Excellent service from all, with Christopher Theobald standing out.’

‘Exceptionally strong chambers. Clerks can always find an alternative barrister of a high quality.’

‘Swift and responsive clerking, able to offer a good range of counsel (often at short notice), and sensible on fees.’

’20 Essex is one of the leading sets, particularly for international arbitration but also with an increasingly strong commercial litigation and civil fraud offering.’

Work highlights

London Bar > Shipping Tier 2

Lauded as ‘one of the pre-eminent shipping sets’, Twenty Essex’ strengths are well-distributed along the full range of maritime disputes. The charterparty dispute Trafigura Maritime Logistics Pte Ltd v Clearlake Shipping Pte Ltd kept a number of members busy, with Michael Ashcroft KC, Daniel Bovensiepen, and Timothy Young KC all being involved. The latter also led Colleen Hanley in the Shagang Giant, a case dealing with the interpretation of a force majeure clause in light of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions. Damages caused by the detention of a vessel and the subsequent claim for demurrage are central in Rhine Shipping v Vitol, where Patrick Dunn-Walsh is led by Philip Edey KC on behalf of Rhine Shipping.

Rising stars

Matthew Chan – Twenty Essex ‘Matthew is bright, has experience beyond his years of qualification, and is one of the top junior juniors often chosen by silks to assist on matters.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Michal Hain –Twenty Essex ‘Michal is incredibly smart and always has the most relevant case, or excellent strategic suggestions on the tip of his tongue.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Leading Silks

Michael Ashcroft KC –Twenty Essex ‘A superb strategist and a specialist on letter of indemnity cases.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Timothy Young KC –Twenty Essex 'Timothy has a fine mind and is a good lateral thinker. He comes up with points that no one has thought of.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Duncan Matthews KC –Twenty Essex ‘An outstanding silk.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Timothy Hill KC –Twenty Essex ‘Confident, robust and expresses his arguments with clarity.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Christopher Hancock KC –Twenty Essex 

Ranked: Tier 2

Philip Edey KC –Twenty Essex

Ranked: Tier 3

David Lewis KC –Twenty Essex ‘David is incredibly bright, calm and collected on his feet, with razor-sharp attention to detail.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Charles Kimmins KC –Twenty Essex ‘A razor-sharp legal mind who cuts to the heart of the most complex of disputes.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Henry Byam-Cook KC –Twenty Essex ‘He is not only able to process a lot of information quickly and to comprehensively advise on the legal issues but is also a commercially astute lawyer.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Julian Kenny KC –Twenty Essex 'Stylish written submissions and engaging oral advocacy.'

Ranked: Tier 4

Michael Coburn KC –Twenty Essex 'Michael is a highly erudite barrister who thinks meticulously about his cases. He has a calm style of advocacy that allows him to develop detailed points whilst maintaining the court's attention.'

Ranked: Tier 4

Michael Collett KC –Twenty Essex 'Extremely calm, knowledgeable and has an air of quiet authority in all he does.'

Ranked: Tier 4

Sara Masters KC –Twenty Essex 'Very sharp intellect. Excellent advocate. Great presence with clients.'

Ranked: Tier 5

Philip Riches KC –Twenty Essex

Ranked: Tier 5

Thomas Raphael KC –Twenty Essex ‘An excellent advocate who can get a complicated point across very well to arbitrators and judges. Also extremely bright and very knowledgeable on the law.’

Ranked: Tier 5

2022 Silks

Simon Milnes KC – Twenty Essex 'His written advocacy is strong and he comes up with creative arguments. As an oral advocate, Simon can be incisive without being unnecessarily aggressive.'

Simon Milnes KC – Twenty Essex 

2023 Silks

Luke Pearce KC - Twenty Essex

Luke Pearce KC –Twenty Essex ‘Very high-quality written work and a polished advocate.’

2024 Silks

Oliver Caplin KC –Twenty Essex 'Oliver is a superb advocate. He delivers the points that need to be made in a clear and measured way.'

Josephine Davies KC –Twenty Essex 'She is not afraid to give a direct view on the merits of a point, without hedging her opinion with unnecessary caveats.'

Leading Juniors

Daniel Bovensiepen –Twenty Essex ‘Exceptionally bright.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Colleen Hanley –Twenty Essex ‘Tenacious and prepared to go the extra mile.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Tom Corby – Twenty Essex ‘Hard working, reliable, and a pleasure to work with.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Angharad Parry –Twenty Essex 'Excellent, responsive, and easy to work with.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Malcolm Jarvis –Twenty Essex ‘Malcolm knows his subject matter really well. His submissions are well-put and address the issues in question.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Sean Snook –Twenty Essex ‘An insightful senior junior.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Alex Carless –Twenty Essex 'Alex is excellent across the board. His opinions balance detail and nuance with clearness and accessibility to the reader - and are always on the money.'

Ranked: Tier 3

Alexander Thompson –Twenty Essex

Ranked: Tier 3

Patrick Dunn-Walsh – Twenty Essex 'Patrick's advocacy skills are very impressive. He is quick on his feet, and presents his arguments in a clear and concise manner. He will certainly be a force to be reckoned with in the years to come.'

Ranked: Tier 4

Susannah Jones –Twenty Essex

Ranked: Tier 4

Andrew Feld – Twenty Essex 'Absolutely excellent. Superb command of the law in international trade.'

Ranked: Tier 4

Karen Maxwell – Twenty Essex ‘Karen has a fantastic knowledge of the Arbitration Act and great insight into its application. She is creative in identifying solutions and an excellent, clear advocate.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Andrew Dinsmore –Twenty Essex ‘A brilliant communicator, problem solver and advocate. He is able to find solutions quickly to complex legal and procedural issues.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Richard Greenberg –Twenty Essex ‘Clear-headed, writes well and a crisp advocate.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Testimonials

‘There are some excellent shipping counsel working at Twenty Essex Street – it is one of our go-to sets.’

‘Very helpful clerking team. Arron Zitver is a joy to work with.’

‘Brilliant chambers. Leaders in their respective fields.’

‘Arron Zitver is always a pleasure to deal with and ensures that queries are dealt with promptly and thoroughly.’

‘Twenty Essex is an excellent set with many fine barristers in it. I have always enjoyed working with and against its members and have spotted no weak links.’

‘One of the pre-eminent shipping sets. Barristers work on some of the top cases and there are some excellent silks and senior juniors.’

‘Twenty Essex is the ‘go-to’ chambers in London for maritime disputes.’

‘Clerks are always helpful and alive to diversity requirements.’

Work highlights

London Bar > Banking and finance (including consumer credit) Tier 3

Twenty Essex represents financial services providers and their clients in a range of fora across a full spectrum of banking, financial services, and asset management disputes. Members of the set are often instructed to obtain, or seek the discharge of, freezing injunctions and other interim relief in relation to banking and investment disputes, which include instructions both for and against major financial institutions. Andrew Fulton KC is noted as ‘intellectually very able, and extremely knowledgeable‘ on banking law, while Luke Pearce KC has appeared in a number of high-profile banking cases in recent years. Paul Lowenstein KC has an extensive practice encompassing fraud into the context of banking and finance cases involving major banks.

Leading Silks

Duncan Matthews KC – Twenty Essex

Ranked: Tier 2

Philip Riches KC – Twenty Essex ‘Philip has good client skills, excellent attention to detail and great advocacy in the High Court and Court of Appeal.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Paul Lowenstein KC –Twenty Essex ‘A very good strategist and a hugely experienced advocate, super at cross examination.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Andrew Fulton KC - Twenty Essex  'Intellectually very able, extremely knowledgeable on trade and banking. Andrew always fights the clients’ case with vigour, is able to cut to the heart of the dispute quickly and understands the pressures of private practice and the need to adopt a commercial approach rather than giving ivory tower solutions.'

Ranked: Tier 3

Charles Kimmins KC –Twenty Essex ‘Excellent attention to detail with an ability to make very difficult and complex issues seem quite straightforward.  Tenacious and a good advocate.'

Ranked: Tier 3

Andrew Ayres KC –Twenty Essex ‘He is a charming advocate who is not afraid to put his client's interests first.'

Ranked: Tier 3

Philip Edey KC –Twenty Essex ‘Clever and has the ear of the tribunal - he has great depth of experience.’

Ranked: Tier 4

2022 Silks

Tony Beswetherick KC –Twenty Essex ‘Tony is a true star on the rise.  Through the course of our engagement he has often pitted again more senior barristers on the other side but he routinely out performs them.  He is preparation is unrivalled, really getting under the skin of matters to ensure he can navigate way through hearings, often picking new points along the way.'

2023 Silks

Luke Pearce KC – Twenty Essex  ‘An excellent young silk. Clear, confident and a pleasure to deal with. He has a very bright future.‘

Leading Juniors

Sean Snook  – Twenty Essex ‘An excellent all-rounder who produces excellent written work and advocates in a clear and compelling way. Sean can be relied on to manage a case with or without support from leading counsel, which is very reassuring.'

Ranked: Tier 4

Testimonials

‘They are very responsive and helpful, particularly Arron Zitver and Robert Wheeler.’

‘Excellent clerks – very responsive, especially Chris Theobald.’

‘Twenty Essex offers a range of senior and junior counsel who are capable and a delight to work with. A go-to set for difficult commercial claims.’

 

London Bar > Energy Tier 3

Twenty Essex has ‘some of the best and broadest expertise in international trade, shipping and insurance, whether amongst skills and juniors’, and those skills see members increasingly involved in complex and high-value matters in the energy sector, particularly the oil and gas market. Their work also encompasses LNG, mining, drill and rig disputes, and there is a growing volume of work arising from the renewable energy sector and issues related to climate change and energy transition. Members couple industry-specific knowledge with expertise in financial, fraud and contractual disputes, as well as engineering and construction both onshore and offshore. David Lewis KC is an increasingly prominent presence in energy disputes, frequently acting for large trading houses in matters concerning price reviews and supply contracts. Michael Ashcroft KC recently acted for BP Oil in a $20m Commercial Court claim, BP Oil International Ltd v Vega Petroleum Ltd and Dover Investments Ltd, concerning the return of payments for 211,387 barrels of Gulf of Suez Mix crude oil that was, according to BP, never delivered from the Ras El Ush field in Egypt. Wendy Miles KC, who is best known for climate change matters, is also heavily involved in oil and gas disputes.

Leading Silks

David Lewis KC –Twenty Essex ‘David has an outstanding intellect and is always available, courteous and excellent with clients.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Wendy Miles KC - Twenty Essex  ‘Wendy is extremely intelligent, combining a deep understanding of both the law and the most complex factual matrices. She is a systemic thinker and excellent advocate.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Charles Kimmins KC –Twenty Essex ‘Charles is extremely user friendly, adaptable and hardworking. His advice and paperwork are of the highest standard and his oral advocacy is superb.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Duncan Matthews KC –Twenty Essex ‘A very powerful advocate who has the ear of tribunal and mastery of the details.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Michael Ashcroft KC –Twenty Essex ‘Incredibly bright, cool, calm and collected under pressure, Michael is a very polished and persuasive advocate.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Timothy Hill KC –Twenty Essex ‘Extremely user-friendly and honest about the merits of the case, Timothy fights tooth and nail for a good result and utterly fantastic on his feet.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Andrew Fulton KC –Twenty Essex ‘Andrew is a clear and incisive thinker who always cuts to the heart of the legal and factual issues in any dispute. He is also a tenacious advocate.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Gordon Nardell KC – Twenty Essex ‘Gordon’s strengths are his knowledge of the energy market and his commercial approach.’ 

Ranked: Tier 4

Philip Riches KC –Twenty Essex ‘Philip is strong in dealing with expert evidence and is strategically creative.’

Ranked: Tier 4

2023 Silks

Luke Pearce KC – Twenty Essex ‘Really smart, agile, conscientious, and unflappable under pressure, Luke is impressive on his feet.’

Leading Juniors

Monica Feria-Tinta – Twenty Essex  ‘Monica is an outstanding junior – a hardworking and committed team member who is an absolute pleasure to work with.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Malcolm Jarvis –Twenty Essex ‘Malcolm has a very good eye for detail and works quickly, providing definitive and clear advice. His advocacy is measured, precise and persuasive.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Andrew Feld – Twenty Essex ‘Absolutely excellent. A KC in the making. He is incredibly bright, on top of detail, responsive and user-friendly.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Testimonials

‘I have always found the clerks of Twenty Essex to be very fair in fixing brief fees and in pricing work generally. They have been able to advise me well on availability of barristers and in making alternative arrangements when there are issues of maternity or paternity leave.’

‘Excellent – Anthony Carroll is excellent in BD. Robert Wheeler – excellent.’

‘Chris Theobald is a straightforward and approachable clerk with whom frank commercial discussion is always on the agenda. He leads a clerk team that is always keen to help and keep me informed about workloads and timings.’

‘The clerks offer a very good service indeed; fast, responsive and friendly. I am always offered a number of good options for counsel and I find the clerks are willing to be sensible in fee negotiations.’

‘Twenty Essex provides impeccable client service.’

‘Twenty Essex is one of a cluster of first-rate chambers for commercial matters that I regularly use, so they are always front-of-mind for a new case.’

‘A first-class commercial set at the top of their game; my go-to for heavyweight commercial and international disputes.’

‘The set is my preferred set for commercial disputes; it has a deep bench of very good counsel at all levels and covering the full spectrum of commercial disciplines.’

Work highlights

London Bar > Insurance and reinsurance Tier 4

Twenty Essex covers a full spectrum of commercial insurance and reinsurance disputes, both in arbitration and in court. Members, including Charles Kimmins KC, have acted in large market disputes and have been instructed for policyholders, insurers and reinsurers, both domestically and internationally. Philip Edey KC acted for a major Middle Eastern retailer seeking to recover under its business interruption insurance policies for lockdown-related losses to its operations in the Middle East in Al Mana v Fidelity and Libano, whereas Susannah Jones has developed an impressive practice, with significant work in high-value reinsurance arbitrations. Luke Pearce KC was appointed silk in 2023.

Leading Silks

Charles Kimmins KC –Twenty Essex ‘Charles has a really great way of distilling complex matters so that they are readily understandable. He is also very good with numbers so where one has technical matters that require, for instance, significant input from accounting experts, he is very capable in this regard and able to probe matters effectively.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Philip Edey KC –Twenty Essex ‘Philip is a top-notch silk, one of the best in his field. He has gravitas and charm as well as deep legal knowledge that is second-to-none. He exercises great judgement and has consummate client skills. He has a magic touch in court and is very strong on paper as well as orally, where the court listens to what he says. Superb.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Christopher Hancock KC - Twenty Essex

Ranked: Tier 3

Michael Ashcroft KC –Twenty Essex ‘Very competent insurance lawyer who is hugely in demand.'

Ranked: Tier 4

2024 Silks

Oliver Caplin KC – Twenty Essex

Leading Juniors

Susannah Jones – Twenty Essex 'A great brain, incredibly organised and efficient. A calming influence and a real team player.'

Ranked: Tier 3

Joshua Folkard – Twenty Essex ‘Joshua is very responsive and thorough and is a pleasure to deal with. He adds commercial and practical input to his technical knowledge.'

Ranked: Tier 4

London Bar > IT and telecoms (infrastructure and contracts)

Leading Silks

Lawrence Akka KC –Twenty Essex

Ranked: Tier 1

Thomas Raphael KC –Twenty Essex

Ranked: Tier 2

Paul Lowenstein KC –Twenty Essex

Ranked: Tier 3

London Bar > Insolvency

Leading Silks

Stephen Atherton KC –Twenty Essex ‘Stephen is a pre-eminent barrister in this area.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Andrew Ayres KC – Twenty Essex ‘Andrew is very calm, considered and thorough – definitely among my first choices for complex insolvency and restructuring work.  He is also very easy to deal with – responsive and a pleasure to work with.’

Ranked: Tier 4

2022 Silks

Tony Beswetherick KC – Twenty Essex 'Exceptional in all aspects, Tony is fantastic to work with and impresses clients in conference.'

Simon Milnes KC – Twenty Essex

London Bar > Company

Leading Silks

Stephen Atherton KC – Twenty Essex ‘Technically excellent and perfectly suited for big-ticket work, Stephen is brilliant at explaining very complicated legal concepts to lawyers and clients.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Blair Leahy KC – Twenty Essex ‘Blair is one of the most thorough, engaged and responsive silks in the London market, nothing escapes her attention and her ability to communicate in a concise and clear manner is singularly impressive.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Andrew Ayres KC – Twenty Essex ‘Phenomenally bright, charming on his feet, and a fantastic team player, his judgement and instincts are second to none.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Leading Juniors

Harris Bor – Twenty Essex ‘Harris is approachable and incredibly user-friendly, as well as bright and across the legal issues.’

Ranked: Tier 5

London Bar > Environment

Leading Silks

Wendy Miles KC – Twenty Essex ‘Wendy is a leading thinker on climate law.'

Ranked: Tier 4

Leading Juniors

Monica Feria-Tinta – Twenty Essex 'Monica has particular expertise in the climate change space, with a sharp, clear understanding of the law.'

Ranked: Tier 2

London Bar > Construction

Leading Silks

Michael Ashcroft KC – Twenty Essex ‘Michael remains as grounded and user-friendly now as he was when he was a junior, which is a great attribute when combined with his considerable intellectual power. He gets to the crux of a problem very quickly and offers sound, practical and very well-considered advice.'

Ranked: Tier 5

London Bar > Intellectual property

2024 Silks

Josephine Davies KC – Twenty Essex

London Bar > International crime and extradition

Leading Juniors

Monica Feria-Tinta –Twenty Essex ‘Monica is a highly respected international lawyer who brings her great knowledge in the field of academia to the Bar.’

Ranked: Tier 3

London Bar > Administrative law and human rights

Leading Juniors

Penelope Nevill –Twenty Essex

Ranked: Tier 4

London Bar > Professional negligence

Leading Juniors

Joshua Folkard – Twenty Essex ‘His written work is of a consistently exceptional standard. He is inordinately careful and leaves no consideration unaddressed in his analysis of a matter.’

Ranked: Tier 6

Asia Pacific - The English Bar > Commercial Tier 1

Twenty Essex reports a significant uptick in shareholder disputes across the Asia Pacific region, and continues to handle a broad range of complex commercial disputes and high-value arbitrations. Commercial litigator Nakul Dewan SA - an Indian senior advocate - has vast experience within Singapore in international arbitration, with a solid track record in advising on enforcement proceedings arising from arbitral awards. Timothy Hill KC is highly regarded for advising on shareholder agreements, joint ventures and civil fraud litigation. Joshua Folkard is sought after for his strength in advising on asset tracing disputes, and Rishab Gupta is a key name for investment treaty arbitrations.

Leading Silks

Nakul Dewan SA – Twenty Essex

Ranked: Tier 1

David Lewis KC –Twenty Essex

Ranked: Tier 3

Timothy Hill KC – Twenty Essex

Ranked: Tier 3

Leading Juniors

Rishab Gupta - Twenty Essex

Ranked: Tier 2

Joshua Folkard - Twenty Essex

Ranked: Tier 2

Testimonials

‘The whole team was extremely professional, cordial and effective.’

‘Great service.’

Asia Pacific - The English Bar > Shipping and commodities Tier 1

Twenty Essex ‘has the biggest stable of commodities counsel‘ and maintains a close relationship with the Singaporean legal market, with members bringing their expertise to complex litigation in the shipping space. High-value arbitration matters have also been prominent in the group’s caseload, an area in which the ‘strong and dynamic‘ Timothy Hill KC excels. Timothy Young KC has ‘a fearsome legal mind, and he is very creative on legal argument and strategy‘. The ‘sharp‘ Duncan Matthews KC advises on a range of shipping issues, including bills of lading, cargo claims and contracts of affreightments. At the junior end of chambers, Oliver Caplin specialises in handling dry shipping and commodities disputes.

Leading Silks

Charles Kimmins KC–Twenty Essex 'Charles knows the law relating to commodities trading very well - probably the most able commodities silk around.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Timothy Hill KC – Twenty Essex 'When Timothy is involved in a case, he leaves no stone unturned.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Michael Ashcroft KC–Twenty Essex 'He has a wonderful courtroom manner.'  

Ranked: Tier 1

Duncan Matthews KC–Twenty Essex 'The equivalent of unleashing a hungry wolf onto your opponents.'

Ranked: Tier 1

David Lewis KC–Twenty Essex 'A silk with a very good nose for how a tribunal will react to an argument.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Sara Masters KC – Twenty Essex

Ranked: Tier 2

Timothy Young KC – Twenty Essex 'He thinks fast on his feet, and tailors arguments to the particular tribunal.'  

Ranked: Tier 2

2022 Silks

Tony Beswetherick KC – Twenty Essex

Simon Milnes KC – Twenty Essex 'A very congenial silk who is easy to work with.'

Leading Juniors

Oliver Caplin–Twenty Essex

Ranked: Tier 1

Susannah Jones–Twenty Essex 'A junior who has super attention to detail and a concise and succinct manner of drafting pleadings.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Testimonials

‘Arron Zitver – always helpful and accommodating.’

‘Twenty Essex is a very strong chambers.’

Asia Pacific - The English Bar > Construction, energy and infrastructure Tier 2

Twenty Essex is ‘one of the best chambers for handling complex disputes involving construction law‘. Its Asia practice is focused on Singapore, where the set has an office, with members active in cases involving LNG supply contracts, oil export contractual litigation, force majeure issues and sale and purchase agreements, to name a few. Michael Ashcroft KC has been kept busy handling a wide spectrum of construction contractual disputes, and Duncan Matthews KC has expertise in upstream and downstream disputes in the energy sector. Timothy Hill KC‘s workload includes advising on disputes arising from the construction of oil and gas facilities, among other matters.

Leading Silks

Duncan Matthews KC – Twenty Essex 'He is meticulous down to the very minute details of a case.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Michael Ashcroft KC – Twenty Essex 'His legal analysis is very succinct and practical.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Timothy Hill KC - Twenty Essex

Ranked: Tier 3

Testimonials

‘Anthony Carroll is a king among clerks.’

‘Twenty Essex is a great set, with a huge range of talented barristers and a great level of service.’

India - Senior Advocates > Commercial disputes Tier 2

Twenty Essex, which has offices in both London and Singapore, includes Nakul Dewan, who has longstanding experience on all kinds of international commercial arbitration matters before the Supreme Court of India as well as Singapore and London courts. His recent work involves Cox and Kings and Others versus SAP, a case reconsidering the companies group doctrine’s application of non-signatories to arbitration agreements under the Indian Arbitration Act before the Supreme Court of India.

The English Bar Offshore > The English Bar Offshore Tier 4

Twenty Essex has a strong track-record in commercial chancery, company, and offshore litigation, with specific expertise regarding contentious trust and probate issues, undue influence, charitable and family company matters, fraud cases and shareholder disputes. Stephen Atherton KC is acting for the petitioner in Evenstar Master Fund SPC v Fang Holdings Limited, a just and equitable winding up petition concerning a company worth approximately $800m. Of the juniors, Joshua Folkard was instructed in Tethyan Copper Company Pty Limited v Pakistan, reportedly the first attempt at enforcing an ICSID award (in this case, $5.9bn) through the BVI courts – the matter settled in April 2023.

Leading Silks

Stephen Atherton KC –Twenty Essex 'Stephen is a captivating advocate. He is also extremely hardworking and great to work with.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Andrew Ayres KC –Twenty Essex 'Andrew is a very impressive silk with extensive expertise across a wide spectrum of offshore practice areas. He prepares meticulously for court, works collaboratively in large teams, and is incredibly effective in court. He is without par.'

Ranked: Tier 4

2022 Silks

Tony Beswetherick KC –Twenty Essex 'Hard working, responsive and innovative.'

Leading Juniors

Joshua Folkard – Twenty Essex ‘Joshua is highly skilled at legal research and writing. He works at a blazing speed and always produces superbly well-written and coherently constructed work.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Sarah Tresman –Twenty Essex ‘Sarah is an accomplished junior and very much in demand. One of her strengths is her attention to detail and being able to immediately point leading counsel to every potentially relevant document or argument on the fly. She is also particularly adept at distilling difficult points of foreign law and other expert evidence.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Testimonials

‘Excellent clerking, very responsive and professional.’

‘Chris Theobald and the clerking team are quick, responsive, commercial and sensible on fees.’

‘Deep bench strength.’

‘Excellent commercial set.’

Work highlights

Asia Pacific: Regional International Arbitration > Arbitration counsel

Twenty Essex houses Nakul Dewan SA, who is a member of the Indian, Singaporean and English and Welsh Bars, and has been appointed as arbitrator by the ICC, LCIA and SIAC. Dewan has an excellent track record in handling complex international arbitrations in Singapore, and is sought after by clients in the banking and finance, energy, construction, and mining sectors. International arbitration expert Rishab Gupta regularly appears before Indian courts in construction arbitrations, and is well versed in advising on investment treaty arbitrations.

Leading Silks

Nakul Dewan SA - Twenty Essex

Ranked: Tier 1

Leading Juniors

Rishab Gupta - Twenty Essex 'A very professional and efficient barrister.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Asia Pacific: Regional International Arbitration > Arbitrators

Leading arbitrators

Sara Masters KC - Twenty Essex

Ranked: Tier 2

Michael Lee - Twenty Essex

Ranked: Tier 2

Hi-Taek Shin – Twenty Essex

Ranked: Tier 2

Twenty Essex > Set Profile

A leading commercial set of chambers, the barristers of Twenty Essex offer outstanding legal minds combined with a modern and commercial disputes experience.

Clients include major global companies, institutions, governments and their advisors from around the world and our barristers advise and appear as advocates in court or arbitration in relation to a broad range of company and commercial, EU, competition, and public international law disputes. Practices involve the preparation and conduct of litigation before a wide range of courts and tribunals, in the UK, in foreign jurisdictions as well as on the international stage.

The vast majority of the work is international in nature and we have well-established links to many overseas markets, including through our Asian hub in Singapore servicing clients throughout Asia Pacific and beyond.

The set is also home to a number of highly respected domestic and international arbitrators and mediators, some of whom were previously judges either in the UK or overseas.

Types of work undertaken:

Commercial dispute resolution: most members of Twenty Essex advise and act as advocates in relation to all types of commercial disputes, particularly in disputes with an international dimension. These may be resolved in the English courts, by institutional or ad hoc international arbitration, or by London maritime and commodity trade arbitrations. Members are experienced in representing overseas and large corporate clients and advising in complex, high-value and multi-forum litigation. The areas in which members accept instructions are: financial services (banking/compliance/regulation); international trade (including shipping, commodities and sale of goods); energy and natural resources; insurance and reinsurance; civil fraud; aviation; information technology, data protection; intellectual property; telecoms and media; ; shareholder, joint venture and partnership disputes; agency and sport.

Brexit, EU and competition: a number of members at Twenty Essex specialise in the substantive law of the EU (including Brexit) and in UK and EU competition law. Virtually all members deal with aspects of EU law regularly. A number have experience of working in the European Court of Justice, at the European Commission and for UK government regulatory authorities. Members appear before the: Competition Appeal Tribunal; Competition Commission; European Commission; European Court of First Instance; and European Court of Justice. In addition, members of the set appear regularly before domestic courts and tribunals to argue questions of EU and competition law. They also advise and represent Community institutions, member states, corporations and private individuals. Advice and the conduct of litigation both for and against the OFT and other regulatory bodies also forms a significant part of members work.

International arbitration: Twenty Essex has a strong reputation as a leading arbitration set. It has an exclusive team of 15 leading international arbitrators from around the globe. In addition, the set has 79 barrister members who act as advocates and arbitrators at all of the world’s major institutions. Its high-quality silks and juniors deal with all manner of international commercial disputes involving banking, shipping, international trade and energy, and investor trade disputes (among many others).

Insolvency and company: members of Twenty Essex are well known for their expertise in contentious and non-contentious restructurings (including schemes of arrangement), insolvency law and company law, spanning all business and industry sectors. In the context of restructurings and insolvency, members regularly advise and represent insolvency office-holders, companies, creditors, shareholders and company directors (both in the UK and abroad) and have been heavily involved in most of the major restructurings and insolvencies of recent years.

Public international law: Twenty Essex is pre-eminent in public international law. Two members of chambers have been principal legal advisers to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Others have been appointed judges ad hoc of the International Court of Justice, president and members of the North American Free Trade Association tribunals and members of tribunals under the World Bank’s International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes and have been engaged as legal adviser within the United Nations. Members provide legal and strategic advice to states and other parties and appear before English courts in cases in which issues of public international law arise, before international courts and tribunals including: The International Court of Justice; dispute settlement panels of the World Trade Organisation; the European Court of Human Rights; the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea; and international arbitral tribunals.

Main Contacts

Department	Name	Email	Telephone
Co-head of Chambers	Philip Edey KC (1994)	redteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Co-head of Chambers	Charles Kimmins KC (1994)	redteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
CEO	Jemma Tagg	JTagg@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Practice Director	Arron Zitver	AZitver@twentyessex.com	442078421205
Practice Director	Christopher Theobald	CTheobald@twentyessex.com	442078421210
Practice Director	Anthony Carroll	ACarroll@twentyessex.com	442078421230
Head of Business Development, Asia Pacific	Lara Quie	LQuie@twentyessex.com	6597261383
Arbitrator Practice Director	Catherine Reeves	creeves@twentyessex.com	442078426788
Member	Alexander Layton KC (1976)	blueteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Timothy Young KC (1977)	yellowteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Christopher Hancock KC (1983)	yellowteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Duncan Matthews KC (1986)	redteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Sir Daniel Bethlehem KC (1988)	blueteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Stephen Atherton KC (1989)	redteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Timothy Hill KC (1990)	yellowteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Paul Lowenstein KC (1988)	redteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Michael Coburn KC (1990)	yellowteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Gordon Nardell KC (1995)	blueteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Michael Ashcroft KC (1997)	yellowteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Lawrence Akka KC (1991)	yellowteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Sara Masters KC (1993)	blueteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Michael Collett KC (1995)	yellowteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	David Lewis KC (1999)	blueteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Thomas Raphael KC (1999)	redteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Wendy Miles KC (2020)	blueteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Andrew Ayres KC (1996)	redteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Sudhanshu Swaroop KC (1997)	blueteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Julian Kenny KC (1997)	redteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Guglielmo Veridrame KC (2006)	blueteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Nakul Dewan SA (2014)	yellowteam@twentyessex.com	6562257230
Member	Henry Byam-Cook KC (2000)	yellowteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Blair Leahy KC (2001)	redteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Phillip Riches KC (2001)	redteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Andrew Fulton KC (1999)	redteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Jonathon Redwood SC (2013)	redteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Tony Beswetherick KC (2003)	redteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Simon Milnes KC (2005)	blueteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Albert Dinelli KC (2007)	blueteam@twentyessex.com	6562257230
Member	Sir Michael Wood KC (1968)	blueteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Luke Pearce KC (2007)	redteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Josephine Davies KC (2006)	blueteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Oliver Caplin KC (2012)	yellowteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Karen Maxwell (1992)	yellowteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Julie Anderson (1993)	blueteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Malcolm Jarvis (1998)	blueteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Susannah Jones (1999)	redteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Zannis Mavrogordato (1999)	blueteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Sean Snook (2000)	yellowteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Socrates Papadopoulos (2001)	yellowteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Baiju Vasani (2001)	blueteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Angharad Parry (2002)	yellowteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Simon Olleson (2002)	blueteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Colleen Hanley (2003)	yellowteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Daniel Bovenseipen (2004)	yellowteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Harris Bor (2006)	redteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Patricia Edwards (2006)	yellowteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Stefan Talmon (2007)	blueteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Sarah Tresman (2008)	redteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Penelope Nevill (2010)	blueteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Rupert Hamilton (2010)	redteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Thomas Corby (2011)	yellowteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Mahnaz Malik (2012)	blueteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Alex Carless (2012)	yellowteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Richard Greenberg (2013)	yellowteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Matthew McGhee (2013)	redteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Andrew Feld (2013)	redteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Andrew Dinsmore (2013)	redteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Joshua Folkard (2013)	redteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Monica Feria-Tinta (2014)	blueteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Belinda McRae (2014)	redteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Alexander Thompson (2014)	yellowteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Kate Parlett (2015)	blueteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Sam Goodman (2015)	redteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Alistair Wooder (2015)	yellowteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Jonathan Ketcheson (2016)	blueteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Philippa Webb (2016)	blueteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Mark Tushingham (2016)	blueteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Patrick Dunn-Walsh (2012)	yellowteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Michal Hain (2017)	blueteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Fiona Whiteside (2017)	redteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Kevin Lee (2017)	blueteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Matthew Chan (2018)	blueteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Edward Gilmore (2018)	redteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	James Gardner (2018)	yellowteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Maria Kennedy (2018)	redteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Fiona Petersen (2018)	blueteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Manuel Casas (2020)	yellowteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Courtney Grafton (2020)	blueteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Talia Zybutz (2020)	redteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Paolo Busco (2021)	blueteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Daniel Kalderimis (2021)	blueteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Brendan Plant (2019)	blueteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Alexandros Demetriades (2021)	blueteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Matthew McGonagle (2021)	redteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Dr Rishab Gupta (2021)	yellowteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Thomas Wong (2021)	redteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	James Lamming (2022)	yellowteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Isabelle Winstanley (2022)	yellowteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Alexander Yean (2022)	blueteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Charles Connor (2022)	redteam@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	The Honorable Charles N Brower	arbitralenquiries@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Michael Lee (Arbitrator)	arbitralenquiries@twentyessex.com	6562257230
Member	David Sutton (Arbitrator)	arbitralenquiries@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	J William Rowley KC (Arbitrator)	arbitralenquiries@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	L Yves Fortier KC (Arbitrator)	arbitralenquiries@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Sir Bernard Rix (Arbitrator)	arbitralenquiries@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	David Owen KC (Arbitrator)	arbitralenquiries@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Michael Tselentis KC (Arbitrator)	arbitralenquiries@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Professor Julian Lew KC (Arbitrator)	arbitralenquiries@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Dr Michael Moser (Arbitrator)	arbitralenquiries@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Sir Martin Moore-Bick (Arbitrator)	arbitralenquiries@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Sir Mark Havelock-Allan (Arbitrator)	arbitralenquiries@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Clare Ambrose (Arbitrator)	arbitralenquiries@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Sir Peter Gross (Arbitrator)	arbitralenquiries@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Lord Glennie (Arbitrator)	arbitralenquiries@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Nigel Rawding KC (Arbitrator)	arbitralenquiries@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Professor Hi-Taek Shin (Arbitrator)	arbitralenquiries@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Sarah Grimmer (Arbitrator)	arbitralenquiries@twentyessex.com	442078421200
Member	Philippa Charles (Arbitrator)	arbitralenquiries@twentyessex.com	442078421200

Barrister Profiles

Photo	Name	Position	Profile
	Lawrence Akka KC	Lawrence’s practice encompasses high value and technically complex commercial and contractual disputes.…	View Profile
	Clare Ambrose	Clare Ambrose is a full time arbitrator with wide ranging experience in…	View Profile
	Julie Anderson	Julie has an outstanding level of “hands on” litigation experience in the…	View Profile
	Michael Ashcroft KC	Michael is an experienced silk with a broad commercial practice, specialising in…	View Profile
	Stephen Atherton KC	Stephen’s practice comprises of international and domestic corporate insolvency and restructuring, company…	View Profile
	Andrew Ayres KC	Andrew has an established commercial disputes practice, with a core of trial…	View Profile
	Tony Beswetherick KC	Tony has a busy practice specialising in the fields of insolvency, civil…	View Profile
	Sir Daniel Bethlehem KC	Daniel Bethlehem is a barrister practising in the field of public international…	View Profile
	Dr Harris Bor	Harris’s practice covers all areas of international arbitration and commercial and company…	View Profile
	Daniel Bovensiepen	Daniel’s practice covers a broad range of international commercial work, with a…	View Profile
	The Honorable Charles N Brower	Charles’s 55-year career in the law has combined extensive practice at the…	View Profile
	Paolo Busco	Paolo practices in the fields of public international law and international dispute…	View Profile
	Henry Byam-Cook KC	Henry practises in a range of commercial disputes, principally shipping, energy, IT/telecoms,…	View Profile
	Oliver Caplin KC KC	Oliver has a broad commercial practice which particularly focuses on international trade,…	View Profile
	Alex Carless	Alex specialises in a broad range of commercial matters, including banking and…	View Profile
	Manuel Casas	Manuel is developing a broad practice across all of Chambers’ areas of…	View Profile
	Matthew Chan	Matthew has a broad practice in commercial litigation and international arbitration. He…	View Profile
	Ms Philippa Charles	Before joining Twenty Essex in February 2023, Philippa was the Head of…	View Profile
	Michael Coburn KC	Michael practises in all aspects of commercial law, usually with an international…	View Profile
	Michael Collett KC	Michael specialises in commercial law. His areas of practice include general commercial…	View Profile
	Tom Corby	Tom has a varied commercial practice, with a focus on international arbitration,…	View Profile
	Josephine Davies KC KC	Josephine specialises in all areas of commercial law and litigation. She has…	View Profile
	Alexandros Demetriades	Alex is developing a broad practice across all of Chambers’ core practice…	View Profile
	Nakul Dewan SA	Nakul practises from Singapore, Delhi and London. He accepts appointments both as…	View Profile
	Albert Dinelli KC	Albert’s practice in London and Singapore focuses on arbitral proceedings and advice…	View Profile
	Andrew Dinsmore	Andrew has extensive international commercial litigation and arbitration experience. His practice focuses…	View Profile
	Patrick Dunn-Walsh	Patrick has a broad commercial practice in line with Chambers’ profile, with…	View Profile
	Philip Edey KC	Philip is co-Head of Chambers. He is a specialist lead advocate whose…	View Profile
	Patricia Edwards	Patricia has a broad commercial practice, with a particular emphasis on advising…	View Profile
	Andrew Feld	Andrew has an eclectic practice encompassing the full spectrum of commercial litigation,…	View Profile
	Monica Feria-Tinta	Monica is a specialist in public international law and international arbitration. She…	View Profile
	Joshua Folkard	Josh has a broad commercial litigation and arbitration practice including civil fraud…	View Profile
	The Honorable Yves Fortier KC	Yves is recognised as one of the top arbitrators in the world.…	View Profile
	Andrew Fulton KC	Andrew has a broad and busy practice. He advises and appears in…	View Profile
	James Gardner	James has a diverse commercial practice with a particular focus on banking,…	View Profile
	Edward Gilmore	Edward’s practice spans the range of Chambers’ expertise in commercial litigation and…	View Profile
	Sam Goodman	Sam specialises in complex, high-value commercial litigation and arbitration. His practice has…	View Profile
	Courtney Grafton	Courtney has developed a broad practice in commercial litigation, international arbitration and…	View Profile
	Richard Greenberg	Richard has a broad commercial practice, with a particular focus on civil…	View Profile
	Ms Sarah Grimmer	Sarah joined Twenty Essex in August 2022 as a full-time arbitrator. She…	View Profile
	Dr Rishab Gupta	Dr Rishab Gupta is a specialist in international arbitration, commercial litigation and…	View Profile
	Michal Hain	Michal’s broad commercial practice is evenly split between English courts and international…	View Profile
	Rupert Hamilton	Rupert enjoys a varied practice covering all aspects of commercial law. He…	View Profile
	Christopher Hancock KC	Christopher has appeared before courts at all levels, including the High Court,…	View Profile
	Colleen Hanley	Colleen is a recommended leading junior in both Chambers & Partners and…	View Profile
	Sir Mark Havelock-Allan KC	Mark is a former Mercantile Judge on the Western Circuit, and judge…	View Profile
	Timothy Hill KC	Timothy specialises in international commercial litigation and arbitration. He has considerable expertise…	View Profile
	Malcolm Jarvis	Malcolm specialises in commercial disputes arising in a variety of sectors including…	View Profile
	Susannah Jones	Susannah’s practice focuses on commercial disputes in areas including fraud, banking, commodities,…	View Profile
	Maria Kennedy	Maria has a broad commercial practice with a particular focus on fraud,…	View Profile
	Julian Kenny KC	Julian specialises in commercial law, particularly banking, shipping and commodities, insurance and…	View Profile
	Jonathan Ketcheson	Jonathan practises across all Chambers’ areas of expertise, including international arbitration, public…	View Profile
	Charles Kimmins KC	Charles is co-Head of Chambers. Charles specialises in commercial law, and represents…	View Profile
	Alexander Layton KC	Alex is a specialist in private international law. His practice consists almost…	View Profile
	Blair Leahy KC	Blair has a broad commercial practice with an emphasis on complex multi-jurisdictional…	View Profile
	Michael Lee	Michael is an experienced international commercial arbitrator practising principally from Singapore and…	View Profile
	Dr Julian Lew KC	Julian is a full-time arbitrator in international commercial and investment disputes. He…	View Profile
	David Lewis KC	David is a specialist advocate who took silk in 2014 at the…	View Profile
	Paul Lowenstein KC	Paul is a leading commercial silk in domestic and international litigation and…	View Profile
	Mahnaz Malik	Mahnaz is a barrister and arbitrator at Twenty Essex who specialises in…	View Profile
	Sara Masters KC	Sara is “hugely experienced in the international arbitration field, both as counsel…	View Profile
	Duncan Matthews KC	Duncan is a leading trial advocate with a broad practice in international…	View Profile
	Zannis Mavrogordato	Zannis is a barrister, French avocat and arbitrator. He is a specialist…	View Profile
	Karen Maxwell	Karen practises in commercial law and international trade, with a particular focus…	View Profile
	Matthew McGhee	Matthew enjoys a broad commercial practice. Clients instruct him to advise or…	View Profile
	Matthew McGonagle	Matthew is developing a broad practice across all of Chambers’ main practice…	View Profile
	Belinda McRae	Belinda has developed a busy and wide-ranging practice, focusing on public international…	View Profile
	Wendy Miles KC	Wendy is a specialist in international arbitration and dispute resolution with a…	View Profile
	Simon Milnes KC	Simon is praised by clients for his strategic advocacy in international commercial…	View Profile
	Sir Martin Moore-Bick	Sir Martin recently retired as a Lord Justice of Appeal after serving…	View Profile
	Dr Michael Moser	Michael serves as arbitrator in high-value, complex international disputes. His specialities include…	View Profile
	Gordon Nardell KC	Gordon specialises in international litigation and arbitration. He has a particular focus…	View Profile
	Penelope Nevill	Penelope is a specialist in international law. Her practice focuses on disputes…	View Profile
	Simon Olleson	Simon’s practice focuses on public international law and international arbitration (including both…	View Profile
	David Owen KC	David is a full-time arbitrator and mediator, with a practice covering a…	View Profile
	Socrates Papadopoulos	Socrates has been a tenant at Twenty Essex since October 2001. He…	View Profile
	Dr Kate Parlett	Kate specialises in public international law and international arbitration. Her practice covers…	View Profile
	Angharad Parry	Angharad specialises in advisory and advocacy work in a wide range of…	View Profile
	Luke Pearce KC	Luke has a broad practice covering all aspects of commercial law, with…	View Profile
	Fiona Petersen	Fiona is developing a broad practice across all of Chambers’ practice areas.…	View Profile
	Brendan Plant	Brendan has a broad practice covering all aspects of public international law…	View Profile
	Thomas Raphael KC	Thomas is a commercial silk, with a wide commercial practice, and well…	View Profile
	Philip Riches KC	Philip is recognised as a leading barrister in international commercial dispute resolution.…	View Profile
	Sir Bernard Rix	Sir Bernard retired in 2013 as a Lord Justice of Appeal with…	View Profile
	Mr J. William Rowley KC	Bill is a highly experienced international arbitrator. He joined Twenty Essex in…	View Profile
	Sean Snook	Sean advises and represents clients in a broad range of commercial and…	View Profile
	David St John Sutton	David is a full-time arbitrator practicing in London and Paris in international…	View Profile
	Sudhanshu Swaroop KC	Sudhanshu practices arbitration, commercial and public international law. He has acted in…	View Profile
	Prof Stefan Talmon	Stefan Talmon is currently a Visiting Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford.…	View Profile
	Alexander Thompson	Alexander practises across a broad range of areas in commercial and international…	View Profile
	Sarah Tresman	Sarah is a versatile barrister with extensive client-facing experience. She specialises in…	View Profile
	Michael Tselentis KC	Michael Tselentis KC’s practice as an international arbitrator covers a wide field,…	View Profile
	Mark Tushingham	Mark has a broad practice in commercial law, international arbitration and public…	View Profile
	Guglielmo Verdirame KC	Lord Verdirame KC specialises in public international law, international arbitration (especially investment…	View Profile
	Philippa Webb	Philippa’s practice covers all aspects of public international law. She acts for…	View Profile
	Fiona Whiteside	Fiona is a versatile barrister with a broad commercial practice and is…	View Profile
	Sir Michael Wood KCMG KC	Sir Michael is a member of the United Nations (UN) International Law…	View Profile
	Alistair Wooder	Alistair Wooder is a barrister practising in commercial litigation and arbitration with…	View Profile
	Timothy Young KC	Timothy’s principal area of practice is international trade, embracing shipping, commodities, insurance,…	View Profile
	Talia Zybutz	Talia is developing a wide-ranging practice in all of Chambers’ main practice…	View Profile

Languages

Cantonese
Chinese (Mandarin)
Czech
French
German
Greek
Italian
Japanese
Hebrew
Hindi
Spanish

Memberships

AIPN
CEDR
Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb)
Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC)
General Council of the Bar of England and Wales
Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC)
ICCA
INSOL - International Association of Restructuring
IBA (International Bar Association)
International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
KLRCA
London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA)
London Maritime Arbitrators Association (supporting member)
SIAC
COMBAR
British Institute of International and Comparative Law (BIICL)
Young International Arbitration Group

Diversity

Diversity and inclusion

Twenty Essex has adopted a proactive approach to ensuring diversity within chambers and at the Bar. With an active and engaged committee spearheading internal and external initiatives, Twenty Essex is proud to be an inclusive environment and is committed to ensuring equal opportunities for members, employees, pupils, mini-pupils, prospective tenants and prospective pupils.

For questions relating to our equality and diversity policy, please contact our Equality and Diversity Officers, Wendy Miles QC and Henry Byam-Cook QC

We are proud to declare that we are a London Living Wage employer.

Diversity data 

The Bar Standards Board Handbook rules relating to Equality and Diversity state that a summary of the Diversity Data submitted by the ‘workforce’ (meaning barristers members, pupils and employees) should be updated every three years and published on the website. The summary data for Twenty Essex last surveyed in December 2020 can be found here.

Rare contextual recruitment 

We use Rare’s Contextual Recruitment System to review applications for pupillage and mini-pupillage in the context of the candidates’ socio-economic background. The system is intended to allow a recruiter to put a candidate’s achievements into the context of the candidate’s circumstances. Efforts to improve recruitment processes in terms of fairness, objectivity and awareness are just one piece of the jigsaw that will lead to a more diverse Bar and this is why a long-term commitment to diversity is one of our strategic objectives.

Women in Law Pledge

We are proud signatories to the Women in Law Pledge created by the Bar Council of England and Wales, The Law Society, and the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx). We are committed to the progress of gender equality, elimination of gender discrimination and pledge to make positive change for the legal profession.

Disability and accessibility at Twenty Essex 

Twenty Essex’s premises are compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act and if you would like to discuss any particular requirements for adjustments to services, including specific visitor needs, please contact our Facilities Manager.

Wellbeing 

We recognise that working in the legal profession can often create a highly demanding and stressful environment for members and employees. As a chambers we are determined to achieve the appropriate balance between the professional and personal demands of working at the Bar and the need for individual wellbeing. We are focused on the wellbeing of members and employees and we are pleased to highlight that we have been awarded the Wellbeing at the Bar Certificate of Recognition.

Responsibility

Pro bono

Twenty Essex has a long tradition of its’ members providing legal advice and representation on a pro bono basis. Barristers support Advocate, CLIPS, and FRU on a regular basis as well as a range of other organisations.

Social mobility

Chambers has provided placements on the Bar Placement Week in partnership with the Bar Council and a number of our barristers have volunteered as mentors for students in recent years, through the Social Mobility Foundation as well as other organisations.

Volunteering and giving

Members and employees regularly make charitable donations, and within the work environment take part in a range of charitable events such as the annual London Legal Walk and the Palace-to-Palace bike ride in support of The Prince’s Trust. Internally hosted fundraising events also raised money for local and nominated charities.

Top Tier Set Rankings

• Commodities
• International arbitration: arbitrators
• International arbitration: counsel
• Public international law
• Crypto and blockchain assets

Set Rankings

• Commercial litigation
• Fraud: civil
• Shipping

• Banking and finance (including consumer credit)
• Energy

• Insurance and reinsurance

• IT and telecoms (infrastructure and contracts)
• Insolvency
• Company
• Environment
• Construction
• Intellectual property
• International crime and extradition
• Administrative law and human rights
• Professional negligence

Top Tier Set Rankings

• Asia Pacific - The English Bar > Commercial
• Asia Pacific - The English Bar > Shipping and commodities

Set Rankings

• Asia Pacific - The English Bar > Construction, energy and infrastructure
• India - Senior Advocates > Commercial disputes

• The English Bar Offshore > The English Bar Offshore

• Asia Pacific: Regional International Arbitration > Arbitration counsel
• Asia Pacific: Regional International Arbitration > Arbitrators