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Shipping

1
Quadrant Chambers
2
7 King’s Bench Walk
Essex Court Chambers
Twenty Essex
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4 Pump Court
The 36 Group

Leading Silks

1
David Allen KC – 7 King’s Bench Walk ‘David is an excellent silk who brings real insight to his conferences. ’
Michael Ashcroft KC –Twenty Essex  ‘Excellent black letter knowledge of the law, very good strategically and client friendly. ’
David Bailey KC  – 7 King’s Bench Walk ‘David has a remarkable depth of knowledge and an ability to draw together disparate legal concepts to concoct unique and winning arguments for clients.’
Steven Berry KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘Steven has encyclopaedic knowledge of the law, he is a fierce cross-examiner and brilliant strategist.’
Elizabeth Blackburn KC –The 36 Group ‘Elizabeth is an excellent salvage advocate.’
Simon Croall KC –Quadrant Chambers 'Simon is an excellent communicator and very user-friendly in terms of making himself available at inopportune times.'
Jonathan Gaisman KC – 7 King’s Bench Walk 'Very detailed in his preparation, with a clear vision and an ability to express himself with great clarity.'
Christopher Hancock KC –Twenty Essex 
Stephen Hofmeyr KC – 7 King’s Bench Walk ‘Stephen is a very strong advocate operating at the highest level. An advocate who you want on your side.’
Nigel Jacobs KC –Quadrant Chambers
Dominic Kendrick KC – 7 King’s Bench Walk
Peter MacDonald Eggers KC – 7 King’s Bench Walk
Luke Parsons KC –Quadrant Chambers ‘He is extremely clever and quickly gets to the heart of legally and factually complex cases.’
Luke Pearce KC – Twenty Essex
Simon Rainey KC –Quadrant Chambers ‘Simon is a brain. His approach though is one of practical and commercial experience, applying the law at every step.’
Alistair Schaff KC – 7 King’s Bench Walk "Clear and precise in legal analysis and presentation, with an in-depth knowledge of the law."
Vasanti Selvaratnam KC  –The 36 Group ‘ Vasanti is a class apart - an extremely skilled advocate. Hardworking and ingenious with her thoughts and ideas.
Christopher Smith KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘Chris is without doubt the most proactive and team focussed KC many solicitors have worked with. ’
Robert Thomas KC –Quadrant Chambers  ‘Excellent advocate and brilliant under pressure. A real street fighter.‘
Timothy Young KC –Twenty Essex ‘Top-class legal knowledge and advocacy – all delivered with panache and a sense of humour.’
2
Graham Dunning KC –Essex Court Chambers 'Graham is a very creative and effective advocate - able to masterfully distil complex and vast matters into simple, yet powerful, submissions. '
Timothy Hill KC –Twenty Essex ‘First rate knowledge of the area and excellent at marshalling a team on high value and complex disputes. Incredible attention to detail in his hearing preparation and a highly effective advocate.’
James Leabeater KC –4 Pump Court  ‘ He is extremely articulate and able to distil his arguments in a way that judges, opponents and lay clients alike can easily follow - no easy feat. ’
Richard Lord KC –Brick Court Chambers ‘Cuts through to the key issues and articulates his views clearly and succinctly. Thoroughly recommended.’
Duncan Matthews KC –Twenty Essex ‘Duncan possesses a rare combination of intellectual rigour, strategic thinking, and eloquence. He has a talent for distilling complicated legal and factual issues into what ultimately matters to the outcome of the case.’
Poonam Melwani KC –Quadrant Chambers ‘Poonam is a force of nature. Her presence, authority and stature is intimidating and reassuring in equal measure.’
Sean O’Sullivan KC – 4 Pump Court
John Russell KC –Quadrant Chambers ‘ Insightful and succinct in his written advice and oral submissions and always commercial in his approach, he has a gift for getting the judge on his side from the outset of a hearing. ’
Nick Vineall KC – 4 Pump Court ‘Nick is personable, incisive, and fantastically clear.‘
3
Nigel Cooper KC –Quadrant Chambers 
Michael Davey KC –Quadrant Chambers ‘His clear, responsive and highly effective advocacy skills can make the difference between winning and losing.’
Nigel Eaton KC –Essex Court Chambers
Philip Edey KC –Twenty Essex ‘He is a fantastic advocate, persuasive, he has presence and courtroom craft. When he speaks, the judge listens.’
Philippa Hopkins KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘ If there is something that needs serious firepower, Philippa would be the first person to ask. ’
Stephen Kenny KC – 7 King’s Bench Walk ‘He has impressive mastery of difficult foreign law issues and he is an excellent team leader at trial: collaborative and responsible.’
Charles Kimmins KC –Twenty Essex ‘Strongly commercial and very user-friendly. '
David Lewis KC –Twenty Essex ‘David is excellent at identifying the arguments that will appeal to the judges and arbitrators. ’
Richard Southern KC  – 7 King’s Bench Walk ‘Very good judgement, pleasant courtroom demeanour, and on top of the details. ‘
James Turner KC –Quadrant Chambers  'He is adept at handling large scale litigation. He is excellent at dealing with legal issues and difficult clients.'
4
Guy Blackwood KC – Quadrant Chambers
Stewart Buckingham KC –Quadrant Chambers  
Henry Byam-Cook KC –Twenty Essex ‘Henry is also an elegant and persuasive advocate who is always well-prepared. He can be firm, but never pugnacious and engages courts and tribunals well.’
Michael Coburn KC –Twenty Essex ‘Michael stands out for his sharp intellect and responsiveness, offering clear, strategic advice on even the most complex legal issues. ’
Michael Collett KC –Twenty Essex ‘Excellent grasp of the law.’
Siobán Healy KC – 7 King’s Bench Walk "Excellent attention to detail, with extensive knowledge of insurance and reinsurance law. Provides robust, clear advice and delivers persuasive advocacy."
Chirag Karia KC –Quadrant Chambers  ‘ His key strengths are numerous and consistently recognised: he possesses a formidable intellect and a deep, sophisticated understanding of the law, capable of unravelling the most complex technical and legal issues with remarkable speed and clarity. ’
Gavin Kealey KC – 7 King’s Bench Walk ‘ Brilliant lawyer with great charm and authority. ‘
Julian Kenny KC –Twenty Essex
Jawdat Khurshid KC  – 7 King’s Bench Walk 'Clarity of thought, a personable and collaborative approach, firmness of view, and quiet confidence. A genuine delight to work with as part of a team.'
John Passmore KC –Quadrant Chambers  ‘John is a very skilled advocate, providing carefully crafted oral submissions and also with the ability to readjust and think on his feet.’
Nathan Pillow KC –Essex Court Chambers 'Nathan is outstanding, and ought to be recognised as one of the very best silks at the top of the market. '
Christopher Smith KC –Quadrant Chambers 
Alexander Wright KC –4 Pump Court 'He is brilliant.'
5
Jeremy Brier KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘ Excellent oral advocacy that comes with a great deal of thought and precision. Clients love him and his manner.’
Noel Casey KC – 7 King’s Bench Walk 'Noel is a terrific advocate with exceptional client skills. '
Neil Hart KC – Essex Court Chambers
John Kimbell KC –Quadrant Chambers
Yash Kulkarni KC –Quadrant Chambers ‘ Calm and measured on his feet and a shrewd tactician, he is much liked and respected by courts and tribunals and gets them on his side quickly. ’
Thomas Macey-Dare KC – Quadrant Chambers 
Sara Masters KC –Twenty Essex 'Very efficient, effortlessly manages proceedings, and consistently demonstrates sharp astuteness throughout.'
Simon Milnes KC – Twenty Essex ‘Simon is an exceptional advocate who combines legal expertise with a practical, results-driven approach. His depth of knowledge, particularly in complex commercial and shipping disputes, is impressive, but it is his ability to simplify and clearly communicate intricate legal issues that really stands out.’
Jern-Fei Ng KC – Duxton Hill Chambers  ‘Brilliant, super-clever, incredibly hardworking. A fantastic advocate who is client-driven.’
Michael Nolan KC –Quadrant Chambers  ‘ Good humoured approach and immensely capable in analysing complex legal disputes.  
Thomas Raphael KC –Twenty Essex ‘He thought process is amazing and his ability to problem-solve and provide positive and forceful challenges is exceptional and is highly noted by clients. ’
Matthew Reeve KC –Quadrant Chambers
Philip Riches KC –Twenty Essex 'Very driven and competent.'
Nigel Tozzi KC –4 Pump Court
Richard Waller KC – 7 King’s Bench Walk  ‘He is personable to clients, the tribunal and opponents, and his cross-examination skills are devastatingly good.‘
Nichola Warrender KC –Quadrant Chambers ‘ Able to quickly identify the issues. Excellent drafting.’

2024 Silks

Oliver Caplin KC  – Twenty Essex  ‘Oliver is very thorough and provides well reasoned advice. His advocacy is clear and to the point – very effective. ‘
Josephine Davies KC –Twenty Essex ‘Authentic and a pleasure to work with, always ready to speak up and offer thoughtful opinions. A smart, strategic thinker.’
Paul Toms KC  – Quadrant Chambers

2025 Silks

Angharad Parry KC –Twenty Essex ‘A delight to work with. Super bright. ’
Jason Robinson KC   – 7 King’s Bench Walk ‘Jason is extremely intelligent and hard-working, and his analysis is excellent.’
David Walsh KC  – Essex Court Chambers ‘Very bright and an excellent advocate.’

Leading Juniors

1
Ravi Aswani –The 36 Group ‘Ravi is particularly skilled at handling complex technical issues and explaining them clearly to clients and opponents. ’
Tom Bird –Quadrant Chambers ‘Tom's advice is concise and straight to the point — an invaluable quality when swift and confident decision-making is required. ’
Daniel Bovensiepen –Twenty Essex ‘Excellent turn-around times, thorough analysis.’
Benjamin Coffer –Quadrant Chambers
Tom Corby – Twenty Essex 'Brilliant legal mind and excellent on the detail.'
Charles Debattista –The 36 Group ‘One of the qualities clients most value is his creativity – he consistently finds innovative ways to navigate challenges that might initially seem insurmountable.’
Sandra Healy – 7 King’s Bench Walk ‘Good on the law, user-friendly and quick.’
Paul Henton –Quadrant Chambers ‘A brilliant senior junior who is user-friendly and exceptional when it comes to the detail. ’
Ruth Hosking  – Quadrant Chambers  'Unflappable. Handles difficult witnesses adroitly and with calm authority. Succinct in her presentation of the facts and marshals legal arguments with great dexterity.'
Mark Jones –The 36 Group ‘Mark is open to consider various options, always having the overall aim in mind.’
Andrew Leung –Quadrant Chambers ‘Andrew is very assured on his feet for a junior with an excellent grasp of the law, which allows him to be nimble during the hearing. ’
Marcus Mander – 7 King’s Bench Walk ‘He has good bedside manner and a clear attention to detail.’
Nevil Phillips –Quadrant Chambers ‘Nevil remains positive and upbeat, no matter how difficult the dispute may be. He is very patient and open-minded. ’
Caroline Pounds –Quadrant Chambers ‘Caroline is very sharp and takes a forensic approach to cases, while being approachable and willing to listen to ideas from the solicitors.’
Charles Priday – 7 King’s Bench Walk ‘Brilliant commercial and practical mind.’
Richard Sarll – 7 King’s Bench Walk ‘Invaluable insight and good with numbers as well as words.’
James Shirley – Quadrant Chambers ‘He is a safe pair of hands – trusted, respected and a pleasure to work with. His advocacy skills should be praised more, as he has a strong command of the courtroom, and he is impactful without being overly aggressive – a successful combination.’
Mark Stiggelbout –Quadrant Chambers ‘Highly intelligent but also extremely approachable and open to discussion. His written work is excellent and he is also an effective oral advocate. ’
Rachel Toney  –The 36 Group 
2
Koye Akoni –Quadrant Chambers ‘He is very easy to work with and is able to set out quite a complex case in very simple and easy to understand terms. ’
Clara Benn – 7 King’s Bench Walk ' She wears her undeniable intellectual capacity and powers of analysis very lightly. It means that she is a very supportive but also a very personable colleague. Her analyses are always invaluable and her insights mean that any inconsistencies in arguments are swiftly identified.'
Alex Carless –Twenty Essex 
Stephen Du – 7 King’s Bench Walk ‘Stephen's advocacy is perfect.’
Ben Gardner –Quadrant Chambers ‘Extremely clever, responsive and hard-working. Someone you want on your side for tricky cases.’
Gavin Geary – 7 King’s Bench Walk 
Colleen Hanley –Twenty Essex ‘Highly structured with excellent attention to detail.’
Alexander MacDonald – 7 King’s Bench Walk 'His attention to detail, the consistently high quality of his written and oral advice, and his user-friendly manner make him a highly valued member of any team.'
Natalie Moore –Quadrant Chambers ‘She is extremely bright, quick thinking and very detailed. She really does go the extra mile, and her clients are indebted to her for all her hard work and remarkable service.’
Gemma Morgan –Quadrant Chambers ‘Calm and persuasive advocate, quality cross examiner, provides good strategic advice.’
Rani Noakes –4 Pump Court 'Rani is very sharp and analytical. She has a fantastic grasp of the arbitration, both the facts and legal arguments, which are complex and numerous. '
Benjamin Parker – 7 King’s Bench Walk
Andrew Stevens –4 Pump Court ‘His advocacy skills are very good, and we were particularly impressed by his oral submissions as well as his cross-examination.’
Peter Stevenson –Quadrant Chambers ‘Peter is a first-class advocate with excellent technical legal and analytical skills. Peter is also a skilled strategist and trusted advisor. ’
Jessica Sutherland – 7 King’s Bench Walk ‘She brilliantly grasps of all the details of a case, assimilates complex technical information quickly and uses it to produce excellent legal arguments.’
Adam Turner – 7 King’s Bench Walk ‘He is superb in every respect: his written submissions are elegant, his advocacy is measured, focused, and persuasive, and he excels at working collaboratively with solicitors and other professionals’
James Watthey –4 Pump Court ‘Very easy to work with. Very insightful and helpful in relation to a wide variety of cases.’
3
Frederick Alliott – 7 King’s Bench Walk ‘ Fred is intelligent, hard-working and easy to work with. His written work is of a very good standard, and he communicates clearly and confidently. ’
Adam Board –Essex Court Chambers ‘Very impressive on his feet.’
Andrew Carruth – Quadrant Chambers
Henry Ellis –Quadrant Chambers ‘He has complete mastery of the cases, even in long arbitrations, and is extremely effective against KCs on the other side.’
Jocelin Gale – 7 King’s Bench Walk ‘Highly knowledgeable of general insurance principles and practices and, importantly, very quick to understand and absorb rare and complex issues.’
James Hatt –4 Pump Court 'An excellent team player who is highly collaborative and always willing to roll up his sleeves to contribute.'
Malcolm Jarvis –Twenty Essex ‘Malcolm is willing to put up a good fight even though the odds are not in his favour. He is also skilled at presenting a difficult case in as best a position he can.’
Tim Jenns – 7 King’s Bench Walk ‘Tim is a capable and intelligent barrister and has the benefit of a solicitor's experience. He is a pleasure to work with.’
Ed Jones –4 Pump Court ‘ Ed is a user-friendly and fiercely bright advocate with well tuned commercial instincts. ’
Sarah Martin – 7 King’s Bench Walk ‘Sarah is exceptionally bright, detail oriented, hard-working and practical.’
Helen Morton – Essex Court Chambers ‘Helen is an excellent team player with a great work ethic.’
Saira Paruk –Quadrant Chambers ‘ Saira is a pleasure to work with and focusses on how to present arguments in a simple and compelling way. ’
John Robb –Essex Court Chambers  ‘Possessing encyclopaedic knowledge of contract law - he is excellent in conference, effective in mediation, strong with clients, and highly capable in court.’
Robert Scrivener –4 Pump Court ‘Robert is very responsive and hardworking, with quick turnaround of high quality work.’
Sean Snook –Twenty Essex ‘Sean is personable and easy to work with. He is able to analyse quickly and to provide prompt, clear and focused advice.’
Thomas Steward –4 Pump Court
Alexander Thompson –Twenty Essex 'Alex is very user-friendly and down to earth with no ego or pomposity. He rolls up his sleeves and gets stuck in and is a real team player.'
Adam Woolnough  – Essex Court Chambers 'Good to work with, responsive and thorough.'
4
Ishfaq Ahmed – The 36 Group ‘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. ’
Sushma Ananda – 7 King’s Bench Walk ‘Sushma’s attention to deal is fantastic, and she is a great asset to have on your team. ‘
Philip Aspin – 7 King’s Bench Walk 'Philip is very responsive and efficient. He has very good interpersonal skills and his work is of the highest quality.'
Stephanie Barrett –Quadrant Chambers
John Bignall – 7 King’s Bench Walk ‘John is extremely thoughtful and great to have on one's team.’
Max Davidson –Quadrant Chambers ‘Max is incredibly easy to work with and very responsive throughout proceedings.’
Andrew Dinsmore –Twenty Essex 'Tough, tenacious, and thorough.'
Stephen Donnelly –Essex Court Chambers ‘User-friendly and responsive.’
Neil Dowers – 4 Pump Court ‘Very strong on focussed and reasoned advice. Responsive, personable, takes initiative and delivers in all areas.’
Patrick Dunn-Walsh – Twenty Essex ‘Patrick is very sensible and acute.’
Moeiz Farhan – The 36 Group ‘Moeiz is an absolutely excellent barrister and a truly invaluable member of any team. He drafts exceptionally well, producing work of the highest quality. ’
Andrew Feld – Twenty Essex ‘A fabulous advocate and a numbers man too. He gets to grips with a complex quantum issues with ease and shows impressive command of detail. ’
Richard Greenberg –Twenty Essex ‘Richard is a very able and diligent junior. His drafting is exemplary and attention to detail is second to none. Very resilient and a great support in challenging cases. ’
Michal Hain   –Twenty Essex 
Jamie Hamblen –Quadrant Chambers
Emma Hilliard – 7 King’s Bench Walk 'Very responsive and intelligent. Thorough and hard-working. '
Charles Holroyd  – 7 King’s Bench Walk  "Strengths include an analytical, detail-oriented approach to complex legal and factual matters, responsiveness, and the ability to distil complexity into clear, accessible language, particularly for clients from other jurisdictions and legal traditions."
Francis Hornyold-Strickland  – Monckton Chambers 'Francis is great. Clients love his direct and commercial approach. '
Christopher Jay –Quadrant Chambers ‘He knows the market, pitches his arguments well and is savvy and charming.’  
Susannah Jones –Twenty Essex  ‘Extremely bright, with a superb written style and a smooth charm on her feet which makes her an effective advocate. A superstar junior who will go very, very far.’
Benjamin Joseph – Quadrant Chambers ‘Benjamin provides clear advocacy and his written work is also strong.’
Elizabeth Lindesay – 7 King’s Bench Walk ‘ Her attention to detail and thoroughness is phenomenal, and her drafting is impeccable. She is incredibly bright and has a searching, forensic approach which produces excellent results.’
Karen Maxwell – Twenty Essex
Ralph Morley – 7 King’s Bench Walk ‘Ralph is very bright and hardworking. He displays excellent attention to detail, is wise beyond his years and confident on his feet. ’
Bibek Mukherjee  – Essex Court Chambers  ‘Bibek is terrifically bright and hardworking and very user-friendly. The quality of his oral advocacy belies his call.’
Tom Nixon –Quadrant Chambers ‘Tom is incredibly bright, intelligent and has excellent attention to detail.’  
Freddie Onslow – Essex Court Chambers  ‘Exceptionally intelligent and highly tactical. ’
Andrew Pearson – 7 King’s Bench Walk ‘Sharp mind and hard-working.’
Michael Proctor – Quadrant Chambers ‘Michael has gone from strength to strength. His written submissions are excellent, very persuasive, and he has a particular skill for turning the facts and legal principles to his advantage. ’
Kishore Sharma  – The 36 Group ‘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.’
Gideon Shirazi –4 Pump Court 'Gideon is a go-to junior for difficult litigation, with a direct and forceful style that can be extremely effective on the right case.'
John Snider –Essex Court Chambers 
Charlotte Tan –Brick Court Chambers ‘Charlotte is extremely diligent and hard-working. She is very efficient at keeping things moving and on top of all the detail of a complex case. ’
Craig Williams – Quadrant Chambers ‘Craig has a very sharp mind, and his drafting of pleadings and documents is top drawer.’  
Emile Yusupoff – The 36 Group ‘He was very responsive, and his written work was very clear and easy to digest.’

Rising Stars

Maya Chilaeva   – Quadrant Chambers ‘Maya is meticulous, thorough, and thoughtful. She has a keen eye for detail and is responsive, friendly and helpful.’
Matthew Chan – Twenty Essex ‘He has a compelling and articulate style of advocacy, with a strong ability to distil complex legal arguments into clear, persuasive points.’
Joseph Gourgey – Quadrant Chambers ‘He consistently provides exceptional legal insight, strategic advice, and first-class advocacy, making him a trusted and highly regarded extension to the solicitor team.’
Anna Hoffmann – 4 Pump Court ‘ Strong advocacy skills.’
Celine Honey – Quadrant Chambers ‘She punches far above her weight in terms of technical ability and has an impressive quiet confidence.’
Rebecca Jacobs – 7 King’s Bench Walk ‘Hardworking and a wonderful interface between the KC and the solicitor legal team. She also has a wonderful sense of humour, which is needed when very much at the coalface of trial or submission prep.’
William Mitchell  – Quadrant Chambers ‘William is very user-friendly, and has a very good grasp of the issues.’
Lydia Myers – Quadrant Chambers ‘Lydia is a very good advocate and solicitors appreciate her user-friendliness.’
Andrew Ng – The 36 Group ‘Very thorough and detailed when it came to defence preparation and advice on strategy. ’
Charlotte Payne  - 7 King's Bench Walk 'Impressive drafting skills, excellent technical mastery of details of case and excellent knowledge of shipping industry, and exceedingly dedicated and incredibly responsive.
Kajetan Wandowicz   – 4 Pump Court ' Gives strategic advice, and understands how things are likely to play out in court.'

Shipping in London Bar

Quadrant Chambers


Quadrant Chambers remains the leading set for shipping matters, with formidable bench strength across silks and juniors, handling the full range of wet and dry shipping disputes. Guy Blackwood KC successfully represented the shipowners in Herculito Maritime Ltd v Gunvor International BV, marking the first detailed Supreme Court ruling on the incorporation of non-jurisdiction clauses into bills of lading, in a case in the wake of a general average claim by shipowners who paid a ransom to Somali pirates. Another significant Supreme Court case, Sharp Corp Ltd v Viterra BV, saw Chirag Karia KC leading Ben Gardner, with the court affirming the ‘principle of mitigation’ as a fundamental tenet of the English law of damages. Unled, Saira Paruk  represents the owners of the Asia Ruby III in a claim against the Ever Given limitation fund; after the Ever Given blocked the Suez Canal, the Asia Ruby III suffered damage to avoid running into the back of another vessel.

Les références

« Simon Slattery leads the clerking team with aplomb, and is particularly cognisant of the needs of clients in Asia. « 

« A top set. My go-to chambers when I need an English barrister. »

« The clerks are always helpful and keen to assist. »

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7 King's Bench Walk


Described as ‘thorough and very strong on the law’, 7 King’s Bench Walk  offers a wide-ranging practice that spans wet shipping, shipbuilding disputes, and maritime insurance matters, with a strong international reach and a particular focus on the Asia Pacific region. Jonathan Gaisman KC is representing the salvors in Luster Marine v Smit Salvage, a case concerning the salvage of the Ever Given. Peter MacDonald Eggers KC successfully represented the claimant in Delos Shipholding SA & Ors v Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty, leading Sandra Healy, Sophie Hepburn, and Charlotte Payne – the matter was a dispute after a bulk carrier was detained by the Indonesian authorities. Payne was also led by David Bailey KC, alongside Emma Franklin, in Oceanus Capital SARL v Beazley (the VYSSOS), a case in which the legal concept of ‘privity of the insured’ was further developed.

Les références

« The clerks provide outstanding support, they respond promptly to queries and are consistently accommodating. Gary Rose and Greg Leyden, in particular, stand out for their efficiency and professionalism. »

« 7KBW are an excellent set of chambers. »

« One of the leading ‘true’ shipping chambers. »

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Essex Court Chambers


Essex Court Chambers is praised for being 'approachable and always ready to assist' and stands out as one of the top commercial shipping sets at the Bar. Christopher Smith KC remains involved in the SS Tilawa case, representing the Republic of South Africa, where the Supreme Court confirmed that it was entitled to state immunity from the in rem claim concerning a vessel which was sunk by Japanese torpedos while carrying sixty tonnes of silver bullion during WWII, much of which was raised in 2017 by a salvage company owned by Sir Paul Marshall. He also appears in the MSC Flaminia litigation, working alongside 2025 silk David Walsh KC, who leads on issues likely to shape the future development of liability limitations. In FIMBank p.l.c v KCH Shipping Co Ltd, Helen Morton successfully acted in a case where the court held that both The Hague Rules and the Hague-Visby Rules time bars apply to misdelivery claims arising after discharge—leading to the dismissal of the appeal. Meanwhile, in RTI Ltd v Mur Shipping BV, Nigel Eaton KC leads Adam Woolnough in a high-profile case addressing U.S. sanctions and the operation of force majeure clauses in commercial contracts.

Les références

« I think the standards at Essex Court Chambers are exceptionally high. »

« Very good chambers – approachable and always ready to assist. »

« The clerks’ team is very good and approachable, always willing and able to help. »

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Twenty Essex


Twenty Essex is described as “very user-friendly,” particularly in commercial shipping matters, where its barristers frequently act in high-profile international disputes. A standout case is Angeliki Frangou v John Frangos, where Timothy Hill KC and Andrew Feld are acting against Oliver Caplin KC, who leads Patrick Dunn-Walsh in a dispute between two members of a Greek shipping dynasty concerning loss-pooling arrangements among a group of vessels. In Briety Shipping Inc v Trafigura Maritime Logistics Pte Ltd, a dispute concerning a hire adjustment mechanism after the spike of LNG prices after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Michael Ashcroft KC and Daniel Bovensiepen act for the claimant, opposing Philip Edey KC and Michal Hain. Julian Kenny KC and Hain also appeared in the Supreme Court in the litigation concerning the MSC Flaminia, a container ship which exploded in the mid-Atlantic, killing three crew members and causing extensive damage to the vessel and its cargo.

Les références

‘The clerks are consistently practical, approachable, and highly responsive. I work most often with Chris Theobald and Arron Zitver, both of whom are a genuine pleasure to deal with.’

‘Historically, this set has produced very good pupils and juniors.’

‘Twenty Essex are strong chambers when it comes to dry shipping litigation, and one of our preferred sets for this type of work.’

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4 Pump Court


The shipping barristers at 4 Pump Court are frequently instructed in complex disputes relating to marine insurance, admiralty matters, and ship sale contracts. Sean O’Sullivan KC is currently representing parties in litigation arising from the Carnival Panorama case in the Commercial Court, a matter centred on alleged loss of profits following cruise cancellations. The set is also involved in Oceanus Capital v Lloyds Insurance Co, concerning the Vyssos, which sank after hitting a mine in Ukrainian waters, which raises significant questions about the doctrine of privity and marine insurance interest, with Nick Vineall KC and Neil Dowers leading the defence. Separately, Neil Dowers recently appeared in Amyr Trading v Eternus Group, successfully obtaining the discharge of an ex parte injunction preventing the sale of a cargo of Venezuelan oil products.

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The 36 Group


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.

Les références

‘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.’

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