David Allen KC
‘David is exceptional. He is clear, very direct and tells it how it is. He is a robust advocate, who is very good at focusing on the key issues.’
7 King’s Bench Walk has members who handle disputes across the full operational chain from downstream to upstream, including exploration, the licensing of oil and gas fields, and the negotiation of supply contracts. Jonathan Gaisman KC represented the claimant in VTB Bank v JSC Antipinsky Refinery and Sberbank of Russia, which concerns attempts to recover €250m for alleged breach of contract, deceit and conspiracy. New silk Jason Robinson KC is recently handled a successful application for summary judgment to recover a $26m unpaid debt from Cummins Power Generation Ltd. Among the juniors focusing on energy matters, Michael Ryan truly stands out. His work for Apache North Sea Limited in a case against several oil and gas majors.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Very strong set with quality across the KCs and juniors.'
- 'Strong set with quality all around.'
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.
Jonathan Gaisman KC
‘Probably the best advocate of his generation. Always on top of the detail.
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Stephen Hofmeyr KC
‘Stephen is a very strong advocate operating at the highest level. Very thorough with high-level legal analysis, he makes sure his arguments are fully understood with forceful clarity.’
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Alistair Schaff KC
‘The Thierry Henry of insurance silks, Alistair is a first-rate advocate who is able to establish a real rapport with 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.
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.
Alexander MacDonald
‘His intelligence, clear communication skills, commitment and approachability are second to none, making him a go-to barrister for any complex insurance litigation.’
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Michael Ryan
‘Michael is incredibly bright and grasps facts and legal issues really quickly. He is very capable at juggling various different aspects of litigation proceedings and advising on the strategic and legal implications of steps taken.’
