3 Verulam Buildings is active in energy and natural resources and members are frequently involved in arbitrations concerning power plants and energy generation, oil and gas, mining and petrochemicals projects. Georges Chalfoun recently acted for the Government of Morocco in a $500m investment treaty arbitration brought by entities affiliated or linked with Carlyle Group, alleging that the government expropriated crude oil and other hydrocarbons owned by the claimants in the country’s SAMIR refinery, thus breaching a free trade agreement.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Harry Freeman is excellent–always available and willing to accommodate the clients' requests. As a solicitor, it is really a pleasure to work with him.'
- 'Perfect clerks , professional and vigorous on their job.'
- 'The clerks’ room at 3 Verulam Buildings provides a reliable and efficient service, with clear communication throughout. Joe Brown, in particular, is helpful and he handles queries promptly.'
- 'My experience of the clerks is that they have been obliging and easy to work with.'
- 'We have found 3VB to be particularly hardworking, commercial and dialled in when it comes to high level strategy.'
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.
Nicholas Craig KC
Rajesh Pillai KC
'Raj mixes smooth but forceful advocacy with a forensic eye for detail. He is great with clients and always has in mind the commercial objective.’
Ali Malek KC
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.
Jane Davies Evans KC
‘Jane works extremely hard and is really on top of the dispute. She is very well experienced in construction and energy disputes, and clients really like her commitment.’
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.
Georges Chalfoun
‘George has developed a deep understanding of the energy sector, bringing both technical fluency and commercial insight to disputes in this space. He has the ability to distill complex regulatory and contractual issues into persuasive legal arguments. He is particularly strong in handling disputes arising from joint ventures, supply contracts, and complex infrastructure construction projects.’
Mark Wassouf
‘Mark stands out for his ability to find creative solutions to awkward procedural and factual situations, work shoulder-to-shoulder with solicitors, turn documents in exceptionally short windows, and think strategically.’
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.
Chinmayi Sharma
A clever and industrious junior, with a pleasant manner and easy to work with, Chinmayi is ferociously intelligent, and her drafting skills are of the highest standard.’