39 Essex Chambers houses ‘many leading KCs as well as very sound juniors’ who cover a range of infrastructure, energy and natural resources construction disputes and arbitrations. Among the silks who maintain an active practice are Karim Ghaly KC, who advises governments, contractors and developers in infrastructure arbitrations and Marion Smith KC, who has experience as counsel and as an arbitrator in construction disputes across the Middle East. Adrian Hughes KC has experience in construction arbitrations before a range of centres, including the ICC, DIAC and DIFC-LCIA and Alexander Burrell is an active junior.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
- Profile
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- '39 Essex are considered one of the top constriction chambers and have a long list of very well known Barristers and KCs. There clerks are very knowledgeable and approachable.'
- 'Excellent. Easy to work with and very responsive.'
- 'Very user-friendly.'
- 'The clerks respond to queries in a swift manner, especially in urgent cases where deadlines are tight. Darcey Bourne and Helaina Padda communicate clearly. They are good at managing barristers’ time and keeping us informed of availability well in advance. Generally, the clerks are approachable and easy to work with, especially during difficult or complex situations.'
- 'They have many leading KCs as well as very sound juniors.'
- 'Strength in depth.'
- 'The set have multiple barristers who specialise in construction practice. This provides flexibility in case of availability issues and ensures a range of perspectives. They have a good balance of senior barristers and juniors. The set is able to respond to inquiries, book hearings, or provide assistance in urgent matters.'
- 'Great selection of counsel focused on construction arbitration.'
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.
Adrian Hughes KC
Marion Smith 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.