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
Position
Naomi has a broad commercial litigation and arbitration practice. She has experience in civil fraud, conflict of laws, agency, shipping and general commercial disputes, and has been instructed as both junior and sole counsel.
She acts frequently in the High Court, having recently appeared in the Commercial Court, the Chancery Division and the Queen’s Bench Division. Her commercial arbitration experience includes proceedings under the DIFC, LCIA, ICC and LMAA Rules. She has experience in the courts of the Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands.
Alongside her commercial practice, Naomi specialises in public international law. She has acted in two sets of proceedings before the International Court of Justice, as well as in inter-State arbitral proceedings before a specialised agency of the United Nations.
She has experience of investor-State disputes under both bilateral and multilateral investment treaties and in proceedings under the SCC Rules, the UNCITRAL Rules and the ICSID Convention.
She has advised governments, international organisations and non-governmental organisations on international legal questions relating to occupation of territory, war crimes, privileges and immunities, and inter-State espionage under public international law.
She attained a doctorate from the University of Cambridge on the topic of espionage and public international law, for which she was awarded the Faculty of Law’s Yorke Prize for a thesis “of exceptional quality, which makes a substantial contribution to its relevant field of legal knowledge”.
Career
2016: Call to the Bar at Lincoln’s Inn;
2013: Admission as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales
Education
2012–16: Doctorate in Public International Law, St John’s College, University of Cambridge (Yorke Prize);
2015–16: Bar Professional Training Course, BPP Law School, London (Outstanding, ranked second across all BPP locations);
2011: Bachelor of Laws, University of Sydney (First Class Honours, ranked second in year);
2009: Bachelor of Arts, University of Sydney (University Medal and First Class Honours, ranked first in year in History)
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.'