Clara Benn > Chambers of Gavin Kealey KC > London, England > Barrister Profile
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Clara Benn
Position
Clara specialises in all aspects of commercial law, with a particular emphasis on private international law, insurance/reinsurance (including marine insurance), shipping, commodities, aviation and civil fraud. Since joining Chambers in 2014, she has appeared in the Supreme Court (twice), the Court of Appeal and the High Court, as well as in the DIFC Courts and LCIA, SIAC and LMAA arbitration. In 2022, Clara was appointed to the Attorney General’s B Panel of Counsel.
Clara is ranked in the directories in multiple practice areas and has been nominated by The Legal 500 as Shipping, Commodities and Aviation Junior of the Year 2023. The directories describe her as “fiercely intelligent, approachable and charming”, “invaluable on a practical/commercial level”; “awesome on her feet” and bringing “a joie de vivre to any case”.
Clara has acted in a number of high-profile cases, including Enka v Chubb [2020] UKSC 38 (governing law of arbitration agreements, anti-suit injunctions), described by The Lawyer as “a landmark judgment that is likely to become the leading authority in this area”, and the OW Bunker litigation [2016] UKSC 23 (sale of goods, retention of title clauses), described by Lloyd’s List as “the most spectacular shipping legal imbroglio so far this century”. She is instructed to appear in the Russian aviation insurance mega trial commencing in October 2024.
Clara is developing a busy practice as an arbitrator. She has received six appointments to date, including as chair, and welcomes new appointments.
Career
Called 2012; Lincoln’s Inn (Lord Bowen scholarship; Lord Denning scholarship; Sir Thomas Eastham scholarship; Buchanan Prize).
Clara joined 7 King’s Bench Walk on the successful completion of her pupillage in September 2014.
Memberships
COMBAR; BILA; YMP; Lincoln’s Inn Denning Society (committee member).
Education
- University of Oxford (2005-2008 BA History – First class)
- City University (2010-2011 GDL – Distinction)
- BPP (2011-2012 BPTC – Outstanding, top of year)
- University of Oxford (2012-2013 BCL – Distinction)
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > Shipping
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 2Clara Benn – 7 King’s Bench Walk ‘Excellent on the law, on the facts, with the clients and with the court or tribunal. One to watch.’
London Bar > Commodities
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 2Clara Benn – 7 King’s Bench Walk ‘Hardworking, diligent and sensible, Clara is excellent on the law, on the facts, with the clients and with the court, and her maturity outstrips her seniority by a long way.’
London Bar > Insurance and reinsurance
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 3Clara Benn – 7 King’s Bench Walk ‘Excellent on the law, and on the facts, with solicitors and with the clients. Just excellent all-round.’
London Bar > Commercial litigation
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 5Clara Benn –7 King’s Bench Walk ‘Clara is one of the cleverest barristers clients could hope to meet, but wears it lightly – she never makes clients feel they have asked a silly question and adds value to every question she is asked. She is also very good on paper.’
7 King’s Bench Walk is ‘a very strong commercial set‘. Although particularly well known for its insurance and shipping credentials, the set’s members are also consistently mandated for other heavyweight commercial litigation. In Premia Reinsurance Ltd v Amtrust International Insurance, Ltd, David Edwards KC acts for Premia Reinsurance in an approximately £20m claim regarding its purchase of the legacy business of a number of Lloyd’s syndicates run by another insurer. In the AerCap litigation, over fifty members of chambers (including Gavin Kealey and Clara Benn for AIG, and Richard Waller KC and Michael Ryan for Lloyd’s) are instructed in Commercial Court claims brought by aircraft lessors against their insurance companies and concern the Russian government’s banning of Western aircraft from leaving Russia, effectively expropriating them, after its invasion of Ukraine.
London Bar > International arbitration: counsel
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 3Clara Benn – 7 King’s Bench Walk ‘Clara is brilliant. A joy to work with – she is approachable, very sharp, and has a good sense of how to bring out the best in a case for the client, especially in terms of written advocacy. Her pleadings and submissions for this case are very well-written.’
London Bar > Fraud: civil
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 4Clara Benn – 7 King’s Bench Walk ‘Clara is a consummate advocate. Great attention to detail and relishes working through detailed documents concerning underlying transactions in complex fraud cases.‘
7 King’s Bench Walk ‘has a growing reputation in civil fraud, with a number of members building a strong reputation in the area‘. The set’s expertise encompasses the pursuit and defence of a range of high-value and cross-jurisdictional fraud claims. In one of the most important civil fraud judgments of 2022, David Allen KC and Jason Robinson defended businessman George Logothetis and his companies against allegations of fraudulently inducing the claimants into making shipping market investments of over $14m. Elsewhere in chambers, Elizabeth Lindesay was part of the junior counsel team instructed on the $1.5bn claim by the Libyan Investment Authority against Société Générale, which was alleged to have paid bribes of $58m; and Clara Benn defended the Bank of Cyprus against a fraudulent claim brought by a property developer, the matter involving allegations of dishonesty and forgery on both sides.