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.
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Profile
Work Department
Arbitration and mediation; Banking and finance; Civil fraud; Commercial law; Energy and natural resources; Insolvency and company law; Insurance and reinsurance; Private international law; Shipping; Technology, media and telecoms
Position
Sam specialises in complex, high-value commercial litigation and arbitration. His practice has a particular focus on civil fraud / asset recovery, technology, energy / environment, banking, company and international trade.
The legal directories rank Sam for ‘Commercial Litigation’, ’Fraud: Civil’, ‘International Arbitration: Counsel’ and ’Cryptocurrency’. He is one of the only junior barristers to be recommended as a Global Leader for Asset Recovery by Who’s Who Legal (2022). He is described in the directories as “miles ahead of his peers, and often his seniors; a great barrister to work with in all respects”; “one of the leading lights at the commercial bar in years to come”; “an excellent lawyer who shows great judgement and is very articulate”; “a rising star in the fintech space and digital space particularly”; and as having “outstanding abilities on difficult matters, with judgement well beyond his years”.
Sam has experience of substantial litigation before the High Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. He is regularly instructed (both led and unled) on interim applications such as freezing orders, search orders, prohibitory injunctions and Norwich Pharmacal/Bankers Trust relief. He acts in international arbitrations under a variety of rules (LCIA, ICC, SCC, LMAA etc.) as well as in English court proceedings in aid of arbitral proceedings and concerning the enforcement of arbitration awards. He has a particularly strong civil fraud practice, having acted in several multibillion dollar fraud claims over the last few years.
Sam is a co-opted member of the Service Sub-Committee of the Civil Procedure Rules Committee and recently worked on the October 2022 revisions to the gateways for service out of the jurisdiction. He is a founding member of both ‘ThoughtLeaders4 FIRE Starters’ (an industry group for fraud, insolvency and asset recovery practitioners) and ’CFAAR’ (the first global network for professionals working in the crypto-fraud field), and he sits on the editorial committee of the ‘Tech Disputes Network’.
Sam has a particular expertise in disputes involving emerging technologies and cryptoassets. He has acted in several landmark cases concerning ransomware, cryptocurrency fraud and artificial intelligence. He is a co-author of The Law of Artificial Intelligence (Sweet and Maxwell, 2020), The Legal Statement on the Status of Cryptoassets and Smart Contracts (UK Jurisdiction Taskforce, 2019) and The Legal Statement on Digital Securities (UK Jurisdiction Taskforce, 2023). His expertise in this field was recently recognised when he was named as the youngest lawyer in Global Data Review’s “40 Under 40”.
Prior to joining Twenty Essex, Sam taught private international law as a Teaching Fellow on UCL’s Conflict of Laws course. He has previously worked at litigation boutique Kobre & Kim LLP.
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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.'
- 'Good clerking across the clerks room, led by the excellent Chris Theobald.'
- 'The clerks at Twenty Essex have been a pleasure to deal with over the years. They’re straightforward, reliable, and always quick to respond—no fuss, just very capable. They understand how to make things work, especially when timelines are tight or arrangements are complex. That kind of support behind the scenes really matters, and they get it right.'
- 'The service from the clerks’ room has been exemplary. The clerks are highly professional and possess an in-depth understanding of the barristers’ capabilities. They always anticipate our needs, ensuring that all administrative aspects of our instructions are handled efficiently, from scheduling conferences to coordinating document exchanges.'
- 'Twenty Essex has broadened out its offering and is now a top player across commercial arbitration and commercial Chancery work.'
- 'They have one of the strongest sets for international arbitration, with very capable barristers at all levels.'
- 'There’s a real depth of talent across the chambers, but what stands out is how practical and grounded their advice is. They’re not just technically strong—they bring a strategic mindset and are clearly used to handling complex, high-stakes matters. Working with them feels like a genuine partnership, and their barristers are responsive, thoughtful, and always well-prepared.'