International arbitration: counsel

Leading juniors
Rising stars

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.

Georges Chalfoun

3 Verulam Buildings

'Georges has a great eye for detail and is incredibly hardworking and diligent, leaving no stone unturned. He is a powerful written advocate and has an instinct for the points that will resonate with the tribunal. Someone you definitely want on your side.'

Cyril Chern

4 New Square

‘Cyril is an absolutely outstanding advocate and is both a commanding presence in trial and his gravitas commands respect especially due to his total encyclopedic knowledge of the law – both UK and civil. He is also a true master of cross-examination and really excels at this. Further he knows arbitration on an international level and all of the nuances it entails and how to get the attention of arbitrators and they listen to him.’

Sandra Healy

7 King’s Bench Walk

'Sandra is impressive. Smart, commercial and a great team player. She outshines her more senior team members in calls - always over the detail, and always has a clear view on legal and strategic matters.'

Edward Ho

Brick Court Chambers

'Ed is excellent at cross examination, he knows which lines of questioning to pursue, when to press a witness, and when to keep his powder dry. Ed is also very good at going through large volumes of highly technical or complex data and pulling out the best points for use at a hearing. He is very good at breaking down those technical and complex issues for the tribunal.'

Belinda McRae

Twenty Essex

'Belinda is a first-rate junior: no-nonsense, unfussy and extremely user-friendly. She's super smart and works very quickly, turning written submissions and advice at light-speed.'

Can Yeginsu

3 Verulam Buildings

'Can is a captivating legal advocate. His legal expertise is underpinned by combination of profound academic knowledge across various subject matters, superb advocacy, and a devoted work ethic. Can also is able to deftly synthesize complex legal issues into pragmatic recommendations.'

Tariq Baloch

Essex Court Chambers

‘Tariq is very user friendly, responsive and easy to work with. He is very bright and a strong lawyer. His written and oral advocacy is excellent; he is both a real wordsmith and a persuasive, calm oral advocate who represents his client’s interests with skill and resilience.’

Sushma Ananda

7 King’s Bench Walk

'She is a feared opponent. Sushma is super bright and can get to the heart of the problem very quickly, and then find a solution. She is fun to work with and never phased, taking it all her stride.'

Ravi Aswani

The 36 Group

‘Ravi’s strengths lie in his exceptional legal mind, strategic thinking, and persuasive advocacy in the arbitration arena.’

Sean Aughey

Essex Court Chambers

‘He is phenomenally clever, and his written advocacy is superb. He demonstrates a mastery of the material and is able to distill complex matters of public international law into crisp concise submission. He is a brilliant advocate, and he has an excellent rapport with the tribunal. Extremely hard-working, a pleasure to work with and first pick for complex high-value investment treaty disputes.’

'Peter adopts a very methodical and measured approach to advocacy, which is very effective. He is also very well prepared and diligent. Peter's drafting is clear and comes across as highly persuasive.'

Fountain Court Chambers

Anton Dudnikov

Essex Court Chambers

‘Anton is among the very best legal drafters. He is approachable, and easy to work with. He is a very able advocate, and an expert cross-examiner, who always has an eye towards the development of the wider case.’

Andrew Fenn

Atkin Chambers

'Extremely client friendly. First class written advocacy based on mastering of the factual and technical case. The first draft from Andrew rarely requires amendment. Assured and compelling oral advocacy that rivals barristers that are many years his senior.'

Emilie Gonin

Brick Court Chambers

‘Emilie understands the tribunal and what arguments will and won’t fly with them, is actively involved in strategic considerations and provides insightful experience to junior solicitors - on top of advocacy in English and French.’

‘A strategic thinker, very commercial, a great advocate who is very calm and articulate, and has the ear of the tribunal, very user-friendly. Definitely one of the best of his generation.’

Samar Abbas Kazmi

Atkin Chambers

'Robust and succinct. Cuts to the heart of matters quickly and is a pleasure to work with.'

Zulfikar Khayum

Atkin Chambers

'Zulf is hardworking, clever and detailed with his cross-examination.'

Timothy Killen

2 Temple Gardens

'Tim is a strong case leader, and has a good head for strategy, combined with a real wealth of knowledge on international arbitration and the finer points of commercial disputes. He has particular specialist expertise and experience of international arbitrations in Dubai and MENA generally.'

Alexander MacDonald

7 King’s Bench Walk

‘Extremely strong written and oral advocacy skills. He also has a superb grasp of the law in his field of expertise. A first rate barrister.’

Marcus Mander

7 King’s Bench Walk

‘Extremely analytical and detail oriented. He is proficient at grappling with the most intricate and nuanced issues. Reliable and practical including an absolute delight to work with.’

John McMillan

Keating Chambers

‘John’s work ethic is unmatched at the Bar. His pleadings are brilliant, and his advocacy is strategic and to the point.’

Michelle Menashy

One Essex Court

'Michelle is a very good team player. She has an impressive ability to stay calm when faced with lots of documents and short deadlines. She keeps things in clear and simple terms.'

Gemma Morgan

Quadrant Chambers

'Excellent attention to detail; always provides succinct and thoughtful advice; a punchy advocate with great presence.'

Jason Robinson

7 King’s Bench Walk

'Jason is a first-rate barrister, with an unrivalled work ethic. His written advocacy is always succinct, polished, and cuts to the heart of the matter. His written work is simply fantastic, and often turned around in tight timescales.'

Thomas Sebastian

Essex Court Chambers

'Tom is superb, calm and leads management of a difficult case as well as can be imagined. High intelligent and incisive. Keen mind for the commercial realities in a case.'

Nehali Shah

One Essex Court

'Clearly extremely bright and, as a result, astonishingly quick to think through difficult issues and offer a way forward. A great tactician. Absolutely someone you always want on your team on complex matters.'

Andrew Stevens

4 Pump Court

'Andrew is incredibly sharp, always a few steps ahead of the competition and extremely well prepared. He leaves no stone unturned in preparation which is essential in fraud cases.'

James Thompson

Keating Chambers

'James is a very good advocate and develops a good rapport with Tribunals. He is accessible and down to earth which makes it easier for him to get into the detail of a case quickly and get to the key issues. This is reflected in his advocacy.'

Mark Wassouf

3 Verulam Buildings

'Mark is really exceptional when it comes to arbitration. He gives measured, wise advice which is solutions oriented. He drafts very well and really shines when conducting cross-examination.'

Peter Webster

Essex Court Chambers

'Very hard working and intelligent. Also, very reliable and calm under pressure.'

‘Koye has great presence, is fantastic at building a rapport with the tribunal which enables him to present the case more effectively and has an authoritative and analytical style of oral advocacy.’

Zahra Al-Rikabi

Brick Court Chambers

'Extremely thorough — chases down every detail. Very reliable and practical. Excellent client manner and witness handling skills. Written advocacy is very strong.'

Theo Barclay

4 New Square Chambers

‘Written advocacy is terrific. Well-structured and clear. Very responsive and pragmatic. Pleasure to work with.’

Jonathan Bellamy

39 Essex Chambers

‘Very experienced and has a deep understanding of the legal and technical issues in construction disputes. Has a very persuasive style of advocacy and tribunals like him.’

Clara Benn

7 King’s Bench Walk

'Clara has many strengths. She writes extremely well and persuasively, making complex subjects seem simple. She is experienced at working with experts and helping them to express their opinions clearly and focused on the key points in relation to which their expertise is required.'

Yash Bheeroo

3 Verulam Buildings

'He's calm, erudite, intelligent, a pleasure to work with and a team player and a great leader. Highly recommended.'

‘Very well-liked and effective member of the team. Her cross-examination is very thoroughly prepared, forensically focused and highly effective.’

Eleanor Campbell

One Essex Court

'Well-grounded and highly competent. Easy to work with as part of a team.'

Mathias Cheung

Atkin Chambers

‘Diligent, efficient, and adaptive.’

Simon Crawshaw

Atkin Chambers

'Simon possesses a remarkable ability to grasp complex legal issues swiftly and effectively. His analytical skills are exceptional, enabling him to dissect intricate legal as well as technical matters with precision. Additionally, his strong communication skills, both written and oral, greatly contribute to his effectiveness in presenting arguments persuasively.'

Jonathan Dawid

Brick Court Chambers

‘Very responsive and thoughtful, all over the detail, practical approach to issues.’

Andrew Dinsmore

Twenty Essex

'Andrew is a bright and very committed barrister.'

Stephen Donnelly

Essex Court Chambers

‘Clear and concise drafting that allows an immediate understanding of the issues.’

Omar Eljadi

Atkin Chambers

‘Omar’s strengths include his deep expertise in construction matters, impressive fact-finding skills and strong attention to details. He has distinguished experience in handling construction disputes.’

Joseph England

Quadrant Chambers

'Joseph is a professional, detailed, resourceful and very good with clients. He is an excellent advocate and very good on his feet.'

Moeiz Farhan

The 36 Group

‘Mo is an excellent barrister, able to effectively advocate on complex technical matters as well as matters of law.’

Joshua Folkard

Twenty Essex

‘Josh is exceptionally knowledgeable in the area of arbitration and enforcement before English courts. His attention to detail and ability to spot the key and game changing issues is remarkable.’

James Frampton

Keating Chambers

‘Pleasant and easy to work with, very smart, hardworking, excellent drafting, fits in seamlessly within a well-established team and gets up to speed on the case very quickly.’

Ben Gardner

Quadrant Chambers

‘Phenomenally intelligent, a pleasure to work with, team player and outstanding mind.'

Arshad Ghaffar

XXIV Old Buildings

‘He is exceptionally gifted and knowledgably about his craft: arbitration.’

'Very high-quality work product; never stops working until the problem is solved; impressive depth of analysis; written work outstanding.'

Rishab Gupta

Twenty Essex

‘One of Rishab’s greatest strengths lies in his unwavering focus on client satisfaction. He understands that each case is unique and requires a tailored approach to achieve the best possible outcome. Rishab takes the time to listen to his clients’ needs, providing them with personalized attention and strategic guidance every step of the way.’

Naomi Hart

Essex Court Chambers

'Naomi is very articulate and has a very good legal mind. She is able to master complex legal issues very well.'

David Heaton

Brick Court Chambers

‘Super bright, super hard-working, a top-drawer team member to have on your side on any major complex dispute.’

George Hilton

Monckton Chambers

'George has an exceptional impact.'

Kate Holderness

3 Verulam Buildings

'Good cross-examiner and provides good support for her leader. Very knowledgeable in insurance law.'

Drew Holiner

Monckton Chambers

'Highly responsible. Impressive expertise and knowledge of procedural nuances of international commercial arbitration. Takes care of the client's practical needs. Flawless choice for a CIS-related matter.'

Francis Hornyold-Strickland

Monckton Chambers

‘He is a seasoned litigator with great judgement, deep knowledge of English law as well as litigation and arbitration procedures, and instinct. His professional preparation of written submissions and legal advice is phenomenal. His warm personality combined with his high level of professionalism made him an absolute pleasure to work with.’

'Strong written and oral advocacy; very user-friendly.'

Tim Jenns

7 King’s Bench Walk

‘Superb lawyer, very to the point, a strong advocate.’

Abdul Jinadu

Keating Chambers

'Abdul is always very well prepared and has a strong understanding of the key issues in a dispute.'

‘Dom is highly intelligent, possesses sound judgement and thinks quickly on his feet. He punches above his years of call and can be trusted with important, high stakes matters. Dom is a pleasure to work with and a strong team player. His written and oral advocacy are of the highest standard and he has strong client care skills.’

Jonathan Ketcheson

Twenty Essex

'Very thorough in his analysis. Able to work through huge amounts of documentation and identify what matters and the key issues. Clearly very well prepared when it comes to cross examination and able to think quickly on his feet.'

Shourav Lahiri

Atkin Chambers

'Attention to detail, in-depth review. His cross-examination of expert witnesses is a sight to behold.'

Nico Leslie

Fountain Court Chambers

Elizabeth Lindesay

7 King’s Bench Walk

‘Liz is a fine and clever lawyer and she is thorough in her analysis and prepares very powerful and clear written advocacy.’

Cameron Miles

3 Verulam Buildings

'Cameron is very highly quality and brings huge enthusiasm to all his work.'

‘Incisive, fair and incredibly polished. An excellent barrister.’

Rani Noakes

4 Pump Court

'Rani is very astute. She quickly grasps the issues in complex cases and is highly analytical. At the same time, she is able to clearly communicate her advice and has commercial considerations in mind.'

'Excellent analytical and drafting skills.'

Kate Parlett

Twenty Essex

‘A true expert in public international law and a phenomenal advocate who is very highly thought of by judges and arbitrators.’

Tom Pascoe

Brick Court Chambers

‘ His mind is sharper than anyone’s. His ability to present a complex point succinctly is, at his level of call, unparalleled and, frankly, he is better than many who are many years ahead of him.’

Richard Sage

Crown Office Chambers

‘Richard is not afraid to get his hands dirty; his calm demeanor and comprehensive understanding of construction is admirable. His performance in hearings is impressive, and his drafting skills are robust.’

Miriam Schmelzer

3 Verulam Buildings

‘Miriam is an undoubted emerging star of the arbitration world. She is incredibly hard-working, incisive and a pleasure to work with.’

Gaurav Sharma

Quadrant Chambers

‘A go-to junior for energy disputes and understands the industry and commercial dynamics. A real team player who rolls his sleeves up and is a pleasure to work with. Highly capable, with excellent judgement and good at finding solutions.’

'Tom is both very capable and has huge enthusiasm in his practice in this area - someone who brings real uplift to his matters.'

Benedict Tompkins

Essex Court Chambers

'Benedict is a solid all-rounder with a keen eye for the detail whilst keeping in mind the overall picture and the client's commercial objectives.'

Mark Tushingham

Twenty Essex

'His written advocacy is very well structured, logical, eloquent and persuasive. So is his oral advocacy. He is always able to find an angle to attack the opponent's case in the most effective manner.'

Damien Walker

3 Verulam Buildings

'Damien is robust, clever, sensible, and a real force to be reckoned with in difficult cases. He is really good and getting into the detail of complicated facts, and has a knack of digging out the small nuggets of gold that might otherwise be lost.'

Jennie Wild

Keating Chambers

'Jennie is a joy to work with, even when under pressure. She is a hands on and supportive member of the arbitration team. Excellent analytical and drafting skills, and an energetic advocate. Top quality barrister.'

Rebecca Zaman

3 Verulam Buildings

‘Rebecca is a good addition to the team and deals with her parts of cross-examination extremely well.’

Joshua Crow

One Essex Court

‘Very good drafting skills, excellent oral advocacy. Very good at breaking down the expert evidence on complex areas into manageable chunks. User friendly.’

Matthew Watson

3 Verulam Buildings

'Matthew is a very clear thinker, he is able to work through complex matters and convey the key issues and points in a concise and readily understandable manner. Matthew is very sharp, and you can be confident that nothing will get by him.'

Adam Woolnough

Essex Court Chambers

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.