Praised for its ‘vast experience and remarkable knowledge in international arbitration’, barristers at Essex Court Chambers remain a popular choice across the entire spectrum of international arbitrations and related proceedings, including complex enforcement and interim relief challenges at all levels of the English courts. Graham Dunning KC led Lucas Bastin KC, Peter Webster, and Katherine Ratcliffe in the Czech Republic v Diag Human SE and Josef Stava proceedings, concerning challenges and appeals to a $600m arbitral award handed down in 2022 in favour of Diag Human due to a breach of a fair and equitable treatment obligation by the state. Members of the set are highly experienced in matters at the intersection between international arbitration and public international law with juniors Naomi Hart, Matthieu Gregoire and Sean Aughey appearing in complex investor-state arbitrations before a range of arbitral institutions.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
- Profile
Mentions
Profile
Career
Katherine’s practice covers a wide range of commercial disputes, both in litigation and arbitration, with a particular focus on civil fraud, professional negligence, banking and finance, and shipping. Since commencing practice, she has been instructed in several large-scale cases, the majority of which have had an international element, including Libyan Navigator Co Ltd v Libya Insurance Company, ID v LU [2021] EWHC 1851 (Comm) and E D & F Man Capital Markets Limited v Come Harvest Holdings Limited & Ors (which is listed for a five week trial in 2021).
Katherine also recently undertook an eight month secondment at RPC within their civil fraud and regulatory practice areas.
Alongside her commercial practice, Katherine is also developing a practice in art litigation.
Education
2020: BPTC, City University, Outstanding
2019: BCL, Merton College, Oxford (studied conflict of laws, restitution, commercial remedies and corporate insolvency)
2018: BA Law (Jurisprudence), Merton College, Oxford, First Class
Content supplied by Essex Court Chambers
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Clerks are personable and user friendly.'
- 'Widely regarded as one of the premier sets in this field. They have extensive experience to some of the most complex and high-stakes international disputes.'
- 'Essex Court Chambers is the leading set for excellent advocates, particularly in public international law and international arbitration.'
- 'Market leading set. Go to chambers for most critical client matters.'
- 'Essex Court is our first port of call for arbitration-related court litigation. This is because they are very good lawyers, they have good commercial sense, they are team players and they have a service culture.'
- 'Essex Court Chambers has vast experience and remarkable knowledge in international arbitration.'
- 'Essex Court Chambers is the leading set for excellent advocates, particularly in public international law and international arbitration.'
- 'Excellent depth of bench and expertise. The standout arbitration specialist set.'