Alexander Wright KC > 4 Pump Court (Sean Brannigan KC and Rachel Ansell KC) > London, England > Lawyer Profile

With a deep bench of practitioners, 4 Pump Court remains a go-to set for clients in the shipping sector and handles disputes in the Commercial and High Court as well as in arbitration. . James Leabeater KC and Rani Noakes acted on behalf of the appellant disponent owners and Alexander Wright KC, who took silk in 2022, was instructed by the respondent voyage charterers in The Tai Prize, where the Court of Appeal upheld the High Court decision that voyage charterers are not liable towards owners for losses caused by an inaccurate bill of lading. Whether a marina as a whole could be defined as a dock for the purposes of limitation was the central question in Holyhead Marina Ltd v Farrer and Others, in which James Watthey acted on behalf of insurers and owners of damaged vessels. Sean O’Sullivan KC continues his involvement in a number of high-profile cases, including CV Stealth about a vessel that was detained in Venezuela after an attempt to export oil from the country, which the government alleges was a breach of local law. Thomas Steward, whose practice encompasses international arbitration and commercial litigation in shipping and shipbuilding, joined the set from The 36 Group in 2022, while Neil Henderson left for an in-house position at Gard AS the same year.

The ‘great‘ 4 Pump Court is a leading set in maritime dispute resolution, with members bringing their expertise to shipping and commodities cases which are often high value, complex disputes. Members are frequently instructed in regions such as China, Hong Kong and Singapore. One of the chambers’ leading cases is the ongoing Noble Chartering v Priminds Shipping Hong Kong Co – also known as The Tai Prize – in which James Leabeater and Rani Noakes  acted for the appellant and Alexander Wright KC acted for the respondent in a case which raised issues of general importance to the shipping industry concerning whether a voyage charterer warrants the accuracy of statements, such as in bills of lading, made as to the apparent order and condition of cargo – the matter went in to the England and Wales Court of Appeal in 2021.

4 Pump Court is a leading construction, energy and engineering set within the Asia Pacific region, with members having experience in all forms of energy and can deal with construction issues resulting from projects such as mining, drilling and exploration. Member of chambers can handle international disputes from all major arbitral centres and against bodies such as the ICC and LCIA. Sean Brannigan KC continues to be a first choice of counsel for many complex and high quantum construction cases. Alexander Wright KC was made silk in March 2022.