One Essex Court has ‘an enviable reputation in banking and finance disputes, with unmatched strength in depth and a broad roster of very accomplished silks and juniors’. The group’s workload includes traditional banking and finance matters, consumer credit issues, PPI cases and retail banking work. Members are adept at handling domestic and international instructions for retail and investment banks, private clients, corporate entities, hedge funds and financial institutions. Laurence Rabinowitz KC is ‘a genuine star’, with expertise in appearing for and against banks in a wide range of contentious matters, and Sonia Tolaney KC is ‘brilliant on her feet in court’. Emma Jones is a key contact for derivatives transactions. Niranjan Venkatesan KC took silk in March 2025.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • 'Jackie Ginty is a star.'
  • 'Rob Smith is first rate.'
  • 'The One Essex clerks are wonderful. Someone always picks up, they respond when they say and will go out of their way to get what you need. Rob Smith stands out - he is responsive and nothing is ever too much trouble.'
  • 'The clerks are excellent. Responsive, sensible and easy to work with.'
  • 'One Essex Court is fantastic.'
  • 'One Essex is an exceptional set.'

Lawyers

Leading Silks

KCs at the very top of their field, with a long-established record of market-defining cases, and widespread endorsement from clients and peers. All silks appointed in the last two rounds are listed further below.

1
Laurence Rabinowitz KC
He is incredibly bright and establishes a great rapport with judges in court. He is pure class. You want him on your side.'
1
Sonia Tolaney KC
‘Sonia is a superstar of the Bar. A strategic thinker who is trusted by the judiciary.’
1
Daniel Toledano KC
‘A leader in the field. A talented barrister with an effortless advocacy style.’
1
Lord Wolfson KC
‘David is a superb operator. A dynamic silk who is full of energy.'
2
Jamie Goldsmith KC
'He rolls his sleeves up and gets stuck into the case. He is perfectly comfortable in front of clients, including telling them hard truths. He is ferociously bright.'
2
Stephen Auld KC
‘A legally and commercially astute silk.’
2
Camilla Bingham KC
‘Camilla is a fantastic advocate. She is very intelligent and pitches propositions and arguments to the judge with great skill.’    
2
Alain Choo Choy KC
‘Very hands on, sharp, and responsive.'  
2
Rhodri Davies KC
‘Rhodri is razor sharp and quick to get to the core of issues. A fantastic advocate.’
2
Anthony de Garr Robinson KC
2
Craig Orr KC
‘Craig's attention to detail is extraordinary. He never loses sight of the bigger picture. His oral advocacy is very powerful.'
2
Ben Strong KC
‘Ben is very commercial in his approach. He is on top of the details and very hands on. Extremely user-friendly.'
3
Orlando Gledhill KC
‘Orlando demonstrates very strong strategic insight from the outset.’
3
Lord Grabiner KC
3
James MacDonald KC
James' command of the law is very impressive. He works fast and is highly articulate.’
3
Sebastian Isaac KC
3
Neil Kitchener KC
4
Hannah Brown KC
‘An excellent advocate who is thorough in her preparation and exceptional on her feet.’
4
Alexander Polley KC
‘Alex is exceptionally responsive, well-prepared, considered and wise.'
5
Laurence Emmett KC
'He is very well prepared and really thinks through the critical issues in the case. Great on his feet.’
5
Henry Forbes Smith KC
‘Henry is an exceptionally clever lawyer who can be relied upon to think of creative and effective solutions that no-one else would come up with.’
5
Conall Patton KC
‘Conall has very polished presentation and is responsive to the mood of the court.’

2025 Silks

KCs at the very top of their field, with a long-established record of market-defining cases, and widespread endorsement from clients and peers. All silks appointed in the last two rounds are listed further below.

1
Niranjan Venkatesan KC

Leading Juniors

Leading juniors are those with significant experience of key cases, strong market recognition from both peers and clients, and are seen as future candidates for silk.

1
Emma Jones
1
Nehali Shah
‘Nehali is calm and collected.'
1
Sandy Phipps
‘An absolute star who clients, solicitors and KCs love. He always delivers without fail.’
2
Michael D’Arcy
‘Michael is an excellent lawyer. He combines his considerable technical ability with a practical, client-focused approach.'
2
James Ruddell
2
Oliver Butler
3
Daniel Benedyk
Daniel is a fantastic strategist and advocate.’
3
Nathaniel Bird
‘He is razor sharp in his analysis.’
3
Andrew Lodder
3
Adam Rushworth
xtremely knowledgeable and a delight to work with.’
3
Daniel Fletcher
‘Dan is the consummate team player. He has an encyclopaedic knowledge of banking law, and produces excellent results.'
3
Benjamin Lewy
3
Andrew McLeod
‘A very savvy, street-wise operator.’
3
Richard Mott
3
Douglas Paine
3
Veena Srirangam
   
4
Timothy Goldfarb
Tim is a superb junior, very bright and great at articulating arguments.’
4
Oscar Schonfeld
‘Oscar is very bright and extremely able.’
4
Alyssa Stansbury
She is a superstar junior.’