David Edwards KC
He has very good judgement. David’s advocacy is very clear and compelling.’
Frequently praised as ‘the very best for insurance and reinsurance’, 7 King’s Bench Walk’s international arbitration capabilities further extend across banking and finance, transport, energy construction and commodities sectors. The set also has a strong track record in Bermuda Form disputes, in which Gavin Kealey KC, David Edwards KC and Marcus Mander have recently been active, with pharmaceutical, medical and environmental matters being among the claims typically handled. Siobán Healy KC continues to handle high value shipping and insurance arbitrations, which often concern complex sanctions, delays and force majeure aspects, while David Bailey KC and Jessica Sutherland have experience in investor state proceedings, most recently representing the National Iranian Oil Company in National Iranian Oil Company v Crescent Gas Corporation in the Court of Appeal against the ad-hoc award passed down in 2021 over a gas supply dispute.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'The team is excellent and well led by Greg Leyden. The team, in particular Gray Rose and Joe Clayton, is friendly, knowledgeable, responsive and understanding of both the solicitor's and the underlying client's requirements.'
- 'Greg Leyden is a fabulous clerk with excellent judgment.'
- 'Zoe Hamilton has been very helpful throughout.'
- 'The clerks are fantastic - they are always incredibly helpful in answering all manner of questions. In particular Greg Leyden has been amazing to work with, he is very easy to deal with, incredibly organised and always goes out of his way to assist the client.'
- '7KBW is a leading set in the insurance/reinsurance field and in associated arbitrations.'
- '7 King's Bench Walk is highly regarded and well respected for its experience in international arbitration. It is the "go to" set for this area of work.'
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.
Jonathan Gaisman KC
Very detailed preparation; clear vision; very clear in expressing himself.'
Siobán Healy KC
‘Superb advocate operating at the highest level. Very thorough with high level legal analysis. Always balanced and focuses on the relevant questions and wins the tribunal’s trust. Works extremely well with solicitors, knowing the pressures and priorities from having practised at the outset as a solicitor. Understands exactly what the tribunal needs.’
Gavin Kealey KC
David Bailey KC
Brilliant advocate, forthright and not afraid to concede points which engendered respect from the Judge. Personable and lovely to work with.'
Dominic Kendrick KC
Rebecca Sabben-Clare KC
'Rebecca is a phenomenal advocate. She is clear and to the point.'
Alistair Schaff KC
Alistair is a first-rate advocate who is able to establish a real rapport with the court.'
Richard Waller KC
Richard is exceptionally bright and quick. He is personable to clients, the tribunal and opponents.’
James Brocklebank KC
James is able to get to the key issues in a matter very quickly and is very bright.'
Noel Casey KC
'Noel is incredibly commercially minded and provides clients with calm, sensible advice. He is a problem solver and delivers thorough and compelling oral advocacy.'
Josephine Higgs KC
‘Jo is an exceptionally gifted lawyer with vast knowledge and experience in the insurance/reinsurance and arbitration fields. She is a hugely compelling advocate: clear, efficient, well-structured, and immensely persuasive.’
Stephen Hofmeyr KC
‘Stephen is a very strong advocate operating at the highest level. Very thorough with high level legal analysis, and makes sure his arguments are fully understood with forceful clarity.’
Michael Holmes KC
'Michael Holmes KC is bright, engaging and knowledgeable. He is a first choice.'
Jawdat Khurshid KC
'Clarity of thought, personable and collaborative approach. Firmness of view.'
Peter MacDonald Eggers KC
Unrivalled knowledge of the law which shines through in his oral advocacy. Judges trust him and listen to him with respect on the law.'
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.
Clara Benn
'Clara has impressive expertise in international arbitration work. She is an excellent and engaging advocate, both in writing and orally, with a good ability to make the complex and detailed appear straightforward, and the dull seem interesting.'
Anna Gotts
Tim Jenns
'Tim is an exceptionally bright and hard working barrister. His analysis is creative and inspired analysis and always backed up with sound arguments. His advocacy is persuasive and respectful and he gets to the nub of the issue very quickly. He drives his points home and is very persuasive.'
Elizabeth Lindesay
‘Liz is a hard-working, intelligent barrister. She is thorough in her analysis and demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of the cases she works on.’
Benjamin Parker
Jessica Sutherland
'Jessica is the real deal. Incredibly organised and totally reliable. She has a fantastic practice and is one of the best arbitration juniors around. A silk in waiting.'