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England - London Bar
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International arbitration: counsel

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Twenty Essex

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Praised as a ‘top commercial and international law set’, members of Twenty Essex are frequently instructed in complex international arbitration proceedings and related commercial court cases, most notably concerning shipping, trade and commodities disputes, in which Timothy Young KC and Sam Goodman have recently been active. Members also have extensive experience in investor-state arbitration proceedings and are well-versed across various arbitral institutions and rules, including SIAC, LCIA, LMAA and the ICC. Members of chambers who have recently been involved in such cases include Duncan Matthews KC, Philip Riches KC, Sara Masters KC and Belinda McRae, to name a few. Among recent highlights for the set was the highly publicised FamilyMart China Holding Co Ltd v Ting Chuan (Cayman Islands) Holding Corp case, concerning if an arbitration clause in a shareholders’ agreement blocked a winding-up petition, in which Charles Kimmins KC led Mark Tushingham on behalf of FamilyMart.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • 'Anthony Carroll is especially strong. He just gets it.'
  • 'The clerks and practice managers are really good. Arron Zitver is particularly good to work with.'
  • 'Best clerking team in the business.  Friendly, helpful and always available.  No criticisms! Anthony Carroll stands out as a serious operator.'
  • 'The clerking team at Twenty Essex is great. I have recently worked with Will Inkin who has been particularly responsive and helpful.'
  • 'Twenty Essex is one of the leading sets in London for arbitration-related work.'
  • 'Twenty Essex is a very strong dry shipping, commodities and trade set.'
  • 'Go to for commercial international arbitration and investor/state arbitration. '
  • 'Twenty Essex are a top commercial and international law set with many top lawyers. The combination is complementary as private companies increasingly have to deal with complex public law issues.'

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.

1
Charles Kimmins KC
‘Charles is a legal genius. His analytical skills and encyclopedic knowledge of the law are unparalleled. His advocacy skills are first-rate, and he has courts and tribunals eating out of the palm of his hand. Clients cannot rate him highly enough.’
1
Duncan Matthews KC
2
Michael Ashcroft KC
‘Acute legal mind, good judgement, sensitivity to the court’s approach to a case, excellent cross-examination, and works well with solicitors and juniors.’
2
Philip Edey KC
2
David Lewis KC
2
Wendy Miles KC
2
Timothy Young KC
'Tim is a top commercial Silk with fantastic analytical skills, who is very friendly and easy to work with. One of Tim's main strengths is his willingness to work on legally difficult or complex cases which challenge legal orthodoxy or group think.'
3
Timothy Hill KC
'First class silk. An excellent and uncompromising advocate who leaves no stone unturned. An invaluable presence on complex and high value international disputes.'
3
Sara Masters KC
'Sara combines excellent subject matter knowledge (specifically on EU law implications for a foreign law award) and a real talent for focusing the client on the essentials which will make the difference between a winning case and a losing one. She's prompt, responsive, will take the initiative, and a pleasure to work with.'
4
Andrew Fulton KC
4
Paul Lowenstein KC
‘Paul is a brilliant lawyer, an astute tactician, and an excellent manager. He has an unrivalled commercial eye, which means he delivers advice that is both insightful and useful.’
4
Philip Riches KC
‘A good advocate with a calm and relaxed manner with the tribunal. Very professional and courteous. Not easily flustered.’
4
Lord Verdirame KC
'Guglielmo has a profound knowledge of his complex field, and a way of expressing it that makes it sound simple. His written work is particularly compelling.'

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.

1
Luke Pearce KC

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.

1
Belinda McRae
'Belinda is a first-rate junior: no-nonsense, unfussy and extremely user-friendly. She's super smart and works very quickly, turning written submissions and advice at light-speed.'
2
Harris Bor
3
Andrew Dinsmore
'Andrew is a bright and very committed barrister.'
3
Joshua Folkard
‘Josh is exceptionally knowledgeable in the area of arbitration and enforcement before English courts. His attention to detail and ability to spot the key and game changing issues is remarkable.’
3
Sam Goodman
3
Rishab Gupta
‘One of Rishab’s greatest strengths lies in his unwavering focus on client satisfaction. He understands that each case is unique and requires a tailored approach to achieve the best possible outcome. Rishab takes the time to listen to his clients’ needs, providing them with personalized attention and strategic guidance every step of the way.’
3
Jonathan Ketcheson
'Very thorough in his analysis. Able to work through huge amounts of documentation and identify what matters and the key issues. Clearly very well prepared when it comes to cross examination and able to think quickly on his feet.'
3
Kate Parlett
‘A true expert in public international law and a phenomenal advocate who is very highly thought of by judges and arbitrators.’
3
Mark Tushingham
'His written advocacy is very well structured, logical, eloquent and persuasive. So is his oral advocacy. He is always able to find an angle to attack the opponent's case in the most effective manner.'

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.

1
Matthew Chan
‘Matthew has excellent legal analysis and research skills and outstanding drafting skills. He is a reliable counsel to provide consistently high-level legal services in commercial arbitrations.’