With established expertise in shipping, trade, and public international law, the ‘high quality commercial set’ Twenty Essex is well versed in advising on a broad spectrum of commercial disputes, often involving complex cross-border elements. Duncan Matthews KC is representing the claimant in an ongoing dispute arising from a share purchase agreement between a Brazilian buyer and a Dutch-Indonesian seller, involving the enforcement of a Brazil-based ICC arbitration award. Among the juniors, Susannah Jones is ‘able to succinctly evaluate complex disputes and provide commercially focused advice’. Angharad Parry KC was appointed to silk in March 2025. Edward Gilmore and Malcolm Jarvis left the set in March 2026, and Stephen Atherton KC has retired.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Christopher Theobald is a stand-out.'
- 'Arron Zitver is great.'
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.
Philip Edey KC
‘Philip is brilliant on his feet, an excellent strategist and a wonderful team player - a rare combination indeed.'
Charles Kimmins KC
‘ He is exceptionally good at identifying the arguments that will appeal to the judges.’
Paul Lowenstein KC
‘Paul is a standout figure in the commercial and civil fraud Bar.'
Andrew Fulton KC
‘Andrew is incredibly bright and very commercial. His written work is clear, compelling and persuasive.'
David Lewis KC
'Simply outstanding and a pleasure to deal with.'
Philip Riches KC
‘Philip is a well respected and excellent silk.'
Andrew Ayres KC
‘He is brilliant on his feet, really takes control of the situation and is confident in his approach.’
Lawrence Akka KC
‘Lawrence is terrifically knowledgeable and has a canny understanding of what interests judges.'
Michael Ashcroft KC
‘Formidable technical knowledge and intellectual insight.'
Blair Leahy KC
‘Extremely bright and hardworking and an excellent advocate and unflappable on her feet.'
Luke Pearce KC
'Luke is an excellent junior silk. He is supremely intelligent with a great sense of judgement. He is at home with the most complex of disputes and is a future leader of the field.'
Sudhanshu Swaroop KC
‘Sudhanshu combines extensive experience and top notch attention to detail precision and concision.'
Tony Beswetherick KC
‘Clever and hardworking. His advocacy is pitched at just the right level.’
2024 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.
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.
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.
Andrew Dinsmore
‘Tough, tenacious, and thorough.'
Richard Greenberg
‘Richard is a very able and diligent junior. His drafting is exemplary and attention to detail is second to none'.
Rupert Hamilton
‘Rupert's attention to detail is meticulous. He is exceptional with complicated legal issues that are often remarkably difficult to resolve.'
Andrew Feld
‘Very clever, analytical, thorough, efficient and a pleasure to work with.'
Joshua Folkard
'Joshua gets to grips with the detail of incredibly complex cases in a very short time, being able to contribute insightfully on key strategic questions. He is also willing to be procedurally creative.'
Mark Tushingham
‘Mark is an excellent barrister. He relishes getting on top of the detail of the case and pulling out all of the key factual issues to use both in pleadings and on cross-examination.'
Fiona Whiteside
'Her sharp analytical mind and ability to distill complex issues into clear, persuasive arguments is impressive. Her strategic foresight and calm demeanor, even under pressure, provided confidence and clarity at every stage. She communicates with precision and conviction, and her collaborative, solutions-oriented approach makes her an invaluable asset in any high-stakes dispute.'
Michal Hain
‘Michal is a fiercely intelligent junior who can hold his own in court against anyone. He has a great awareness of the issues that matter and writes well. A star of the future.’
Rising stars
Rising stars at the Bar are defined as barristers between four and eight years’ call who are seen as up-and-coming members of the Bar in their respective practice areas by clients and peers alike. They will already be instructed in high-profile, complex, and high-value contentious and non-contentious matters, working with and opposite more experienced leading counsel.
Matthew Chan
'Matthew has advocacy experience beyond his peers. He is confident and his quick thinking under pressure enables him to advocate calmly but purposefully for his clients. '
Mark Baldock
‘Mark is extremely capable and affable. He is excellent at tailoring his advice for the particular situation, and in constructing robust arguments. .’