Twenty Essex is praised as a ‘top player across commercial arbitration’ and are highly regarded for their expertise in maritime, trade and international public law matters. Both silks and juniors alike are highly experienced appearing in arbitrations under all major institutions, including, but not limited to ICC, SIAC, UNCITRAL and LMAA. Members of the set additionally have a strong track record acting on both sides of investor state disputes, recently Lord Verdirame KC and Philip Riches KC led Jonathan Ketcheson, Kate Parlett and Sam Goodman in the long-running Diag Human v Czech Republic, in which the team continues to represent Diag Human and Josef Strava in the commercial court addressing various challenges against the high value award issued in 2008. Angharad Parry KC was made silk in 2025 and has a strong track record in arbitrations concerning jurisdictional issues. The set is well-connected in Asia, with a Singapore office; Nakul Dewan KC added English and Welsh silk to his prior Indian senior advocate designation in 2025.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Arron Zitver is responsive and approachable.'
- 'Jack Leppington has been very helpful, always responsive and on top of the issues we raise with him. Pleasant to deal with.'
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.
Michael Ashcroft KC
‘Michael is one of the best advocates at the Bar. He is unbelievably bright and has impeccable judgement.’
Philip Edey KC
‘Philip is brilliant on his feet, an excellent strategist and a wonderful team player – a rare combination indeed.’
David Lewis KC
He is a fine advocate who remains polite and controlled. He is always measured.'
Wendy Miles KC
'Very good judgement. Very good client liaison skills.'
Timothy Young KC
Top-class legal knowledge and advocacy - all delivered with panache and a sense of humour.'
Timothy Hill KC
Timothy is an outstanding barrister. A real heavyweight.’
Paul Lowenstein KC
'Paul is a pleasure to work with, easy-going, commercially minded, a team player that rolls up his sleeves and is excellent on his feet.'
Sara Masters KC
ry efficient, manages proceedings with ease, very astute.'
Philip Riches KC
'Philip has the client's confidence entirely. He is able to read the court well.'
Lord Verdirame KC
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.
Harris Bor
'Always willing to help, approachable, client friendly.'
Andrew Dinsmore
'Tough, tenacious, and thorough.'
Joshua Folkard
'Joshua is a capable junior barrister. His legal analysis is thorough and well-structured, and he has a good grasp of both legal principles and commercial realities. He is skilled at drafting and can present complex information in a clear way.'
Sam Goodman
‘Sam’s international arbitration expertise is invaluable. He operates with the confidence and strategic judgement of a silk, bringing a level of preparation and clarity that is rare at any level of call. Sam brings heavyweight advocacy, deep technical expertise, and a forward-thinking approach to international arbitration.’
Mark Tushingham
'Mark is extremely diligent, responsive, and user-friendly. His written and oral advocacy were clear and effective.'
Manuel Casas
‘Manuel is, without question, the hardest-working barrister I have come across. His dedication, thoroughness, and work ethic are truly exceptional. Manuel approaches matters with remarkable attention to detail, ensuring that every aspect of the case is rigorously analysed and strategically addressed.’
Richard Greenberg
‘Richard is a real pleasure to work with. He is responsive, approachable, all over the detail and grasps complexity quickly. He does not shy away from putting forward a challenging case and is creative and flexible in his approach.’
Rishab Gupta
'Rishab is commercial and outcome oriented. His preparation is unforgiving and he is fully in control of any matter he is briefed on. He assists the client in taking strategy calls in addition to persuading the court.'
Jonathan Ketcheson
'He's excellent. Very user friendly and sharp. Equally strong on paper and on his feet. Would recommend.'
Kevin Lee
'Kevin is a clear thinker who is able to articulate complex factual scenarios simply. His ability to think laterally and strategically is a great strength of his. A persuasive speaker, Kevin is charming while on his feet and is able to convince even the toughest tribunal.'
Kate Parlett
'Highly authoritative. She has judges awestruck as she explains difficult points of law, or just writing down everything she says. Wonderful to work with and a superlative advocate. Knows her law inside out.'
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.
