Elizabeth Blackburn KC
‘Elizabeth is an excellent salvage advocate.’
The 36 Group is widely recognised for its depth of expertise in maritime law and arbitration, with additional strengths in insurance disputes and contractual matters arising from bills of lading and contracts of affreightment. Vasanti Selvaratnam KC recently appeared before the Supreme Court in MUR Shipping BV v RTI Ltd, a case which clarified the application of force majeure clauses, after the purchaser of a shipment of bauxite proposed to pay in Euros rather than US dollars. Mark Jones also acted before the Supreme Court in Herculito Maritime Ltd v Gunvor International BV, a key decision examining liability issues arising from Somali pirate attacks. Andrew Ng appeared in the Supreme Court of Gibraltar in a matter addressing the scope of liability limitation in maritime claims, acting for Oldstone Cargo Limited. Charles Debattista was instructed in Stouranas Stylianos Monoprosopi v Maersk, a use concerning the description of goods on bills of lading after the buyers of scrap metal sought to bring an action against the carriers of a cargo of cement tiles were fraudulently labelled as scrap metal.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'The clerks are responsive and easy to work with. Reiss Nott and Sam Medlock deserve particular recognition.'
- 'The 36 Group demonstrates notable strength-in-depth, particularly in maritime law and arbitration. Its barristers are highly experienced and offer a broad range of expertise across maritime disputes, including charterparty issues, ship arrest, and international trade.'
- 'The set consistently delivers high-quality advocacy and advice, making it a dependable choice for complex maritime and arbitration matters.'
- 'I have instructed Chambers for over 20 years and can say with complete confidence that they continue to produce dynamic, highly skilled barristers with an exceptional command of the law and strong commercial insight.'
- 'Their barristers are not only technically excellent but also strategically astute—able to anticipate and navigate complex challenges with clarity, confidence, and precision. The standard of advocacy, both written and oral, is consistently first-rate, and their grasp of industry-specific nuances sets them apart.'
- 'This is a Chambers that cultivates excellence. They remain my first port of call for high-stakes, commercially sensitive matters.'
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.
Vasanti Selvaratnam KC
‘ Vasanti is a class apart - an extremely skilled advocate. Hardworking and ingenious with her thoughts and ideas.
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.
Ravi Aswani
‘Ravi is particularly skilled at handling complex technical issues and explaining them clearly to clients and opponents. ’
Charles Debattista
‘One of the qualities clients most value is his creativity – he consistently finds innovative ways to navigate challenges that might initially seem insurmountable.’
Mark Jones
‘Mark is open to consider various options, always having the overall aim in mind.’
Rachel Toney
Ishfaq Ahmed
‘Ishfaq possesses an acute ability to control the rhythm and flow of questioning, deploying strategic pauses and incisive challenges that frequently lead to critical admissions or expose inconsistencies in evidence. ’
Kishore Sharma
‘Kish takes a thoughtful and detailed approach to advices and court work – you know that he is going to be well-prepared and there will not be any last minute requests, flip-flopping or panic.’
Emile Yusupoff
‘He was very responsive, and his written work was very clear and easy to digest.’
Moeiz Farhan
‘Moeiz is an absolutely excellent barrister and a truly invaluable member of any team. He drafts exceptionally well, producing work of the highest quality. ’
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.
Andrew Ng
‘Very thorough and detailed when it came to defence preparation and advice on strategy. ’