Paul McGrath KC
His encyclopaedic knowledge and fierce intellect make him the go-to barrister for complex cases.’
Maintaining its reputation as a ‘leading set in civil fraud’, Essex Court Chambers handles significant fraud cases in England and Wales and internationally, appearing before the Commercial and Chancery Courts, at the appellate level, and in arbitration. In PrivatBank v Kolomoisky, James Willan KC, leading Christopher Lloyd, represents the commercial bank against its former shareholders, alleging fraudulent lending to companies controlled by the defendants. Meanwhile, Nathan Pillow KC, David Davies KC, and Anton Dudnikov KC are acting for the claimants in National Bank Trusts v Mints, a case against a Russian family accused of banking fraud. Public Institution for Social Security v Al Rajaan and others, an international fraud litigation involving alleged large-scale bribery of the former Director General of the Kuwaiti social security fund, sees Anna Dilnot KC acting for the claimant; Joe Smouha KC, James Collins KC, and Felix Wardle representing the Man Group; and James Willan KC and Tim Akkouh KC acting for Muna Al Wazzan. David Peters KC and James Sheehan KC took silk in March 2024.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'The clerks' room, led by the outstanding Joe Ferrigno, has a refreshingly modern and commercial approach. Joe himself always goes the extra mile; nothing is ever too much trouble for him or his colleagues. Ollie Butcher is a star in the making.'
- 'Very good. Kevin Grubb is particularly impressive with commercial nous and good relationships.'
- 'Jack Wood, Demi Woolger and Samantha Wright are all excellent, very responsive, and quick to understand client requests.'
- 'The clerking team is very ably led by Joe Ferrigno, who has a clear vision of the level of service that Chambers should provide and where the future of dispute resolution lies.'
- 'One of the leading sets in the country.'
- 'Essex Court deserves its reputation as a leading set in civil fraud.'
- 'One of the pre-eminent chambers in dispute resolution with stars at all levels. Highly impressive.'
- 'Essex Court are strong in civil fraud across the silk and junior offering.'
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.
Nathan Pillow KC
Nathan is a true superstar - one of the very best and brightest at the Bar. He commands the confidence of the court.'
Joe Smouha KC
A real heavyweight in the civil fraud world. He cuts through difficult issues effortlessly and has the ears of judges and clients.'
Tim Akkouh KC
Tim is exceptionally experienced in relation to civil fraud and asset recovery. An extraordinarily bright silk.'
Huw Davies KC
Louise Hutton KC
Louise is exceptionally bright and provides a measured approach to some of the largest, most complex civil fraud cases.'
Paul Stanley KC
His advocacy is a joy to listen to: on point, genuinely helpful to the court and if the case can be won then he will win it.'
James Willan KC
He knows exactly what to say to judges and shapes his case and presentation to the advantage of his client. He is unafraid of difficult cases, difficult clients, or difficult judges.'
James Collins KC
A silk with really excellent judgement who is willing to roll up his sleeves.'
David Davies KC
An outstanding silk.'
Anna Dilnot KC
Anna is a determined and formidable advocate, brilliant on her feet, and has a great ability to read the judge. A warrior in court.'
Paul Key KC
2023 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.
Ruth den Besten KC
Her advocacy is highly targeted and she is able to pick out the points that will work for her client and present them effectively.'
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.
Anton Dudnikov KC
He has excellent judgement and is incredibly reliable. An analytical and perceptive junior.’
Ciaran Keller KC
A rigorous barrister with the ability to develop persuasive legal arguments in the face of challenging facts. His advocacy is precise and effective.’
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.
David Peters KC
He comes up with novel arguments - he sees things that other barristers do not.'
James Sheehan KC
An impressive advocate. He is totally unflappable, even under the most extreme pressure. A strong tactical thinker.'
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.
Tom Ford
A tenacious and forensic junior.'
Sophia Hurst
Sophia is extremely persuasive and very client-oriented.'
Christopher Lloyd
Stuart Cribb
bright.'
Matthieu Gregoire
He is very tactically aware and his attention to detail and ability to marshall vast amounts of material is second to none - a huge asset in a fraud case.'
Richard Hoyle
He is very intelligent and has a total grasp on the facts of a case.'
Owen Lloyd
A junior with an unparalleled work ethic. He is dedicated and has great judgement.'
Bibek Mukherjee
Bibek is exceptionally bright. When instructing him you know he will leave no stone unturned, and his advice is always robust.'
Alexander Riddiford
John Robb
His advice is always to the point and easily digestible.'
Felix Wardle
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.
Mark Belshaw
He is phenomenally bright, with an incredible attention to detail - really reliable and with a gravitas beyond his year of call.'
Katherine Ratcliffe
A real star who performs far beyond her call.'