Essex Court Chambers fields a deep bench of both barristers and juniors regularly involved in the market’s most significant disputes. The salvage of a large amount of silver in 2017 from the SS Tilawa, a ship sunk by the Imperial Japanese Navy in the Indian Ocean in 1942, raised questions surrounding state immunity in Argentum Exploration Ltd v Republic of South Africa, where Christopher Smith KC acted on behalf of the Republic of South Africa, whom the Supreme Court ruled in favour of in 2024. Jeremy Brier KC appeared in Sangamo v Prosperity, one of the cases arising out of the dispute between Greek shipowner siblings Angeliki Frangou and John Frangos and dealing with contractual relationships within the family. Elsewhere, Philippa Hopkins KC has led David Walsh in the Win Win, a claim under war risks policy for an indemnity for constructive total loss resulting from the detention of a bulk carrier by Indonesian authorities.
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Testimonials
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- 'Katie Myles is great to deal with. We always receive excellent service from the clerks room.'
- 'The chamber is always supportive, efficient and with a kind approach. Top-class service.'
- 'Excellent in terms of quality of practitioners.'
- 'Top-notch silks.'
- 'A strong commercial, shipping and insurance set. Many good KCs and barristers. One of the top of our list when we are looking for counsel.'
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.
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.
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.
