International arbitration: counsel

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.

1
Stuart Catchpole KC
Atkin Chambers
1
Anneliese Day KC
Fountain Court Chambers
A forceful and authoritative advocate. She knows how to handle a tribunal in order to be persuasive, and is able to take the tribunal on when it is necessary.'
1
Graham Dunning KC
Essex Court Chambers
1
Vernon Flynn KC
Brick Court Chambers
'Vernon is an excellent advocate and knows his audience extremely well. He is able to convey complex legal arguments in a clear and concise manner. He is also very responsive and industrious, quickly digesting large amounts of information and focusing on the pertinent factual and legal issues to provide timely advice.'
1
Jonathan Gaisman KC
7 King’s Bench Walk
1
Siobán Healy KC
7 King’s Bench Walk
1
Mark Howard KC
Brick Court Chambers
‘As his reputation indicates, he is currently the doyen of the English Bar. He exudes confidence and authority in court and has a colossal presence.’
1
David Joseph KC
Essex Court Chambers
'It goes without saying that substance of work, both advocacy and drafting, are absolutely first class.'  
1
Gavin Kealey KC
7 King’s Bench Walk
1
Paul Key KC
Essex Court Chambers
'He is extremely bright and knowledgeable about the law and arbitration practice. He is very friendly and easy to get on with and knows virtually everyone there is to know in the arbitration field. He treats everyone as an equal, despite his considerable success, and is a joy to work with. I would say he is the complete package.'
1
Toby Landau KC
Chambers of Toby Landau KC
‘Toby is a highly skilled and proficient KC in the field of investment treaty arbitration. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of the jurisprudence of investor/state investment treaty arbitration. Toby’s advocacy cannot be faulted. He reads the tribunal extremely well and has a marked ability to put a difficult argument highly persuasively.’
1
Ali Malek KC
3 Verulam Buildings
1
Manus McMullan KC
Atkin Chambers
‘No doubt Manus is top-notch and one of the very best in the field of oral advocacy, especially in complex high value disputes in the field of construction and engineering. His cross-examination is simply first-rate, excellent and truly outstanding.’
1
Richard Millett KC
Essex Court Chambers
‘Richard is a master advocate. His vast experience allows him to always be able to spot the issues and not lose the wood  for the trees.’
1
Laurence Rabinowitz KC
One Essex Court
'An excellent strategist with real presence.'
1
Simon Rainey KC
Quadrant Chambers
'A 'go-to' Silk for the most complex international disputes. A superstar in all respects: intellect, team-oriented, client-friendly.'
1
Joe Smouha KC
Essex Court Chambers
'He is a valuable and distinguished asset in leading the legal team in complex disputes. His strengths include his strategic approach in complex cases, team leadership skills and deep expertise. He is impressive in arbitration hearings.'
1
David Streatfeild-James KC
Atkin Chambers
 
1
Bankim Thanki KC
Fountain Court Chambers
 
1
David Thomas KC
Keating Chambers
‘David is able to decipher the most complex issues and articulately and persuasively present them to the tribunal.’
1
Daniel Toledano KC
One Essex Court
'He is extremely bright, and a great advocate. But he is also hugely engaging, and a lot of fun to work with, even in the more stressful of environments.'
1
Andrew White KC
Atkin Chambers
2
David Allen KC
7 King’s Bench Walk
2
Richard Boulton KC
One Essex Court
'Richard is an absolute pleasure to work with. He is a go to barrister for cases involving complex quantum analysis. Having been a quantum expert for years he knows exactly where to attack quantum experts and his style is death by a thousand cuts. Richard is a clear and responsive leader, well-liked by the team.'
2
Veronique Buehrlen KC
Keating Chambers
'Veronique is sharp, to the point and always on top of the case. She knows every detail of the case without losing focus on the bigger picture. She is an absolute pleasure to work with.'
2
Alain Choo Choy KC
One Essex Court
‘He is extremely meticulous and knowledgeable in his work, and responsive to queries. He expresses himself well before the courts and has rapid replies to sometimes complex queries from the bench.’
2
Helen Davies KC
Brick Court Chambers
2
Huw Davies KC
Essex Court Chambers 
2
Stephen Dennison KC
Atkin Chambers
'Fantastic advocate; great with clients; good at getting to the heart of a case.'
2
Chantal-Aimée Doerries KC
Atkin Chambers
'She is an absolute star as an advocate in international arbitrations. She knows how to handle international arbitral tribunals and has a deep appreciation of how to put a client's case to them.'
2
Colin Edelman KC
Devereux
2
David Edwards KC
7 King’s Bench Walk
2
Andrew Goddard KC
Atkin Chambers
'Andrew is one of the leading construction silks. He always rolls his sleeves up and gets into the detail.'
2
Alexander Gunning KC
One Essex Court
2
Richard Harding KC
Keating Chambers
'The doyen of construction disputes in the Middle East, both as advocate and increasingly as an arbitrator. Clear, concise and firm in his views.'
2
Christopher Harris KC
3 Verulam Buildings
‘A formidable cross-examiner and an impressive advocate. Commands the respect of the tribunal. Diligent and hard-working, with a good eye for detail. Good judgement for the points that would resonate with the tribunal.’
2
Robert Howe KC
Blackstone Chambers
2
Timothy Howe KC
Fountain Court Chambers
2
James Howells KC
Atkin Chambers
‘Always calm and easily creates a rapport with the tribunal. He is able to easily and fluently change tack or approach as matters develop in the course of a trial. He is able to master foreign legal concepts quickly and debate these concepts with senior tribunal members who are well versed in the foreign law in question.’
2
Simon Hughes KC
Keating Chambers
'Simon is very persuasive. He is charming which is disarming and very effective.'
2
Andrew Hunter KC
Blackstone Chambers
2
Riaz Hussain KC
Atkin Chambers
'Riaz is a leading silk.  He quickly gets on top of the issues and his oral advocacy is excellent.'
2
Simon Lofthouse KC
Atkin Chambers
‘There are no weaknesses. He is simply better prepared than all his opponents and he has been up against the very best. He outworks them, and then he’s like the four horsemen of the apocalypse, but more courteous.’
2
Tim Lord KC
Brick Court Chambers
'Superb grasp of law and related strategy and an excellent advocate.'
2
Alison Macdonald KC
Essex Court Chambers
'Alison has incredibly depth of knowledge when it comes to arbitration. She adds specialist knowledge where required both on arbitration and human rights issues. She's also a real pleasure to work with - her cooperative, helpful approach has been much appreciated by the whole team.'
2
Harry Matovu KC
Brick Court Chambers
‘Harry is simply put, the best. He is strong on all accounts, and a pleasure to work with.’
2
John McCaughran KC
One Essex Court
2
Ewan McQuater KC
3 Verulam Buildings
'Hugely experienced, towering presence in international arbitration.'
2
Salim Moollan KC
Brick Court Chambers
‘Salim is an incredible team leader. He is a skilled, incisive advocate. His preparation is precise, thorough and meticulous. His cross-examination skills are excellent.’
2
Stephen Moriarty KC
Fountain Court Chambers
2
Lionel Persey KC
Quadrant Chambers  
2
Andrew Rigney KC
Crown Office Chambers
'Andrew is a phenomenally effective cross-examiner, able to get the most difficult witnesses under control and responsive. He is extremely good at opening and closing submissions, where he gets to the point in a way that engages the tribunal at all times.'
2
Alistair Schaff KC
7 King’s Bench Walk
2
David Scorey KC
Essex Court Chambers
'Exceptional advocate, very good on his feet and under pressure. Extremely good in conferences with clients. Very knowledgeable and hard working.'
2
Paul Stanley KC
Essex Court Chambers
2
Roger Stewart KC
4 New Square
2
Antony White KC
Matrix Chambers
2
Sean Wilken KC
Keating Chambers
'Very bright, very quick and extremely good as an advocate.'
2
Lord Wolfson KC
One Essex Court
3
David Bailey KC
7 King’s Bench Walk
‘International arbitration is David’s forte. He is a big beast in this field. Brilliant with tribunals and clients, including governments, alike.’
3
Guy Blackwood KC
Quadrant Chambers
'Guy is quick, clever and extremely client-friendly. He makes difficult to understand concepts straightforward and does so without any fuss. He is also exceptionally accommodating.'
3
Rupert Choat KC
Atkin Chambers
'Rupert is a brilliant lawyer, who knows how to integrate another counsel team and bring a real input. He is a great strategist and is amazing in cross examination. He is a real expert in construction law.'
3
James Collins KC
Essex Court Chambers
'James can master a vast amount of factual material in a relatively short period of time. His cross examination is excellent. He is particularly strong on financial law.'
3
Jonathan Crow KC
4 Stone Buildings
'His advocacy skills are outstanding - he is one of a very small number of supersilks, and definitely the man to have on your side on multi-billion-dollar arbitration enforcement. He has the court's ear at every hearing and is grapples smoothly with the most complex point on geopolitically sensitive cases. Excellent to work with, and clients appreciate his wise, but charming counsel.'
3
Ricky Diwan KC
Essex Court Chambers
'Ricky's mastery of the detail is hugely impressive, and he combines a first-rate intellect with a measured style and powerful advocacy performance.'
3
Justin Fenwick KC
4 New Square
 
3
Charles Graham KC
One Essex Court
3
Andrew Green KC
Blackstone Chambers
'Andrew is a formidable KC. He is very clever, a great tactician, user friendly and, above all, a superb advocate particularly skilled at cross-examination. If ever there was a Silk for a difficult case, then Andrew is that person.'
3
Stephen Hofmeyr KC
7 King’s Bench Walk
'Senior and seasoned barrister. Very approachable and easy to instruct. Understands and reads Judges and tribunal well. Stephen works well in a big team as well.'
3
Philippa Hopkins KC
Essex Court Chambers
'Philippa is a formidable leading counsel and a real asset to any case. She is an excellent advocate who is able to present even the most complex of legal and factual points clearly and succinctly. Philippa is exceedingly intelligent and makes light work of the most mind bendingly difficult points. She is a strong team player and has a good way with clients.'
3
Sa’ad Hossain KC
One Essex Court
‘Sa’ad is absolutely fantastic. He is particularly strong on fraud and is excellent at explaining to clients the nuances of complex cases. He’s very user-friendly. It’s always is a great experience working with Sa’ad.’
3
Ben Juratowitch KC
Essex Court Chambers
'Excellent advocatory skills. Able to simplify an explain complex legal concepts. Very hard working and responsive. Always collegial and considerate.'
3
Dominic Kendrick KC
7 King’s Bench Walk
3
Yash Kulkarni KC
Quadrant Chambers
3
Christopher Lewis KC
Atkin Chambers
3
Philip Marshall KC
Serle Court
‘Philip’s reputation as a star is well-deserved. He is the complete package. Philip is a masterful advocate and a gifted strategist with an incredibly sharp wit. He is able to quickly grasp the issues and formulate a strategy to achieve the client’s legal and commercial objectives.’
3
Maurice Mendelson KC
Blackstone Chambers
3
David Mildon KC
Essex Court Chambers
3
Jonathan Nash KC
3 Verulam Buildings
'A very smooth advocate, highly persuasive and has a good rapport with judges.'
3
Jern-Fei Ng KC
7BR
'A tremendous advocate. He is able to distill the most complex facts and legal arguments into an incisive argument to win the case.'
3
Andrew Onslow KC
3 Verulam Buildings
3
Luke Parsons KC
Quadrant Chambers
‘Highly intelligent and effective advocate. One of the best cross examiners at the London Bar.’
3
David Railton KC
Fountain Court Chambers
3
Marc Rowlands KC
Keating Chambers
'His advocacy is robust, direct and well-reasoned.'
3
Harish Salve SA KC
Blackstone Chambers
3
Rebecca Sabben-Clare KC
7 King’s Bench Walk
‘She has a wealth of experience in the insurance field. She gives excellent, practical advice. She is very easy to work with and pleasant to deal with. A very good team member and leader.’
3
Simon Salzedo KC
Brick Court Chambers
3
Akhil Shah KC
Fountain Court Chambers
3
Tom Montagu-Smith KC
3 Verulam Buildings
'Tom is devastatingly good at dismantling the other side's expert witness. He has a brilliant way of bringing together disparate threads and ensuring that the key points land.'
3
Robert-Jan Temmink KC
Quadrant Chambers
‘Rob is an extremely effective advocate.  He is true class. An excellent leader who gets stuck into the detail and processes information quickly to present it in the most compelling way. His cross-examination technique leaves no prisoners, and he knows instinctively when to press for more information and when not to. Rob is excellent with clients who all like him enormously and hold him in very high regard.’
3
Richard Waller KC
7 King’s Bench Walk
'Richard is confident and astute. He is clear in his advice and guides the clients through the issues despite the complexity of the cases.'
3
Sam Wordsworth KC
Essex Court Chambers
4
Robert Anderson KC
Blackstone Chambers
'He's a superb advocate. On legal points he is sharp and precise, and he is a masterful cross-examiner.'  
4
Lucas Bastin KC
Essex Court Chambers
'Simply the best. Lucas is a class act. Lethal as an advocate. A forensic ability to interrogate and dissect exhibits, witnesses and experts but above all a thoroughly good bloke. Lucas is going places fast. Catch him while you can.'
4
Michael Bloch KC
Blackstone Chambers
4
James Brocklebank KC
7 King’s Bench Walk
4
Serena Cheng KC
Atkin Chambers
'Excellent attention to detail, very strong advocacy, presents clear advice, willing to deliver difficult messages.'
4
Mark Chennells KC
Atkin Chambers
'Mark is very diligent and prepares his cases thoroughly. He masters the detail in each matter. He is also excellent in writing and brilliant as an advocate.'
4
Nicholas Craig KC
3 Verulam Buildings
'Nick is a tremendously effective advocate. His individual strengths are many and he impresses by his ability to hone in on the core issues that will drive the resolution of the dispute. His calm and commercial approach to dealing with clients is also greatly appreciated.'
4
Rupert D’Cruz KC
Littleton Chambers
'Rupert is extremely knowledgeable and skilled in arbitration, including advocacy at trial. His cross-examination skills are excellent, and his knowledge of arbitration law and practice are also very good.'
4
Richard Eschwege KC
Brick Court Chambers
‘Richard is a lawyer’s lawyer. He is absolutely first rate.’
4
Lucy Garrett KC
Keating Chambers
'Simply brilliant. Concise and focused, always on top of the facts and her brief and trying to get the best outcome for the client.'
4
Matthew Gearing KC
Fountain Court Chambers
He prepares thoroughly for his cases, bringing in his global experience and making it bespoke to the dispute in hand.'
4
Michael Holmes KC
7 King’s Bench Walk
‘Extremely bright, creative in his thinking, very hard working, extremely user-friendly – a joy to work with.’
4
Jawdat Khurshid KC
7 King’s Bench Walk
4
Calum Lamont KC
Keating Chambers
'A formidable cross-examiner and a persuasive oral advocate. An incisive written advocate, with an impressive legal mind.'
4
Peter MacDonald Eggers KC
7 King’s Bench Walk
‘Peter has a sharp intellect and is able to give quality legal and strategic advice. He is also very user-friendly and a pleasure to work with.’
4
Stephen Midwinter KC
Brick Court Chambers
‘Stephen combines exceptionally forensic attention to detail with powerful advocacy.’
4
Alexander Milner KC
Fountain Court Chambers
A ferociously clever silk.'
4
Richard Morgan KC
Maitland Chambers 
 
4
Justin Mort KC
Keating Chambers
'Justin is an excellent addition to any team. He is extremely intelligent and incisive, able quickly to draw out the key factual and legal issues in any case, whilst also being very user-friendly, for both the solicitor and client teams. His advocacy is thoughtful, powerful and persuasive.'
4
Zoe O’Sullivan KC
Serle Court
'A very nice advocacy style and particularly gifted in putting very difficult arguments to best advantage.'
4
Fiona Parkin KC
Atkin Chambers
4
Fionn Pilbrow KC
Brick Court Chambers
'An incisive mind and always a step ahead of the opponent. A huge experience in the international dispute field.'
4
Nathan Pillow KC
Essex Court Chambers
‘Fantastic and persuasive advocate, pretty much the best there is in the market. Nathan is also a pleasure to deal with, charming and not afraid to get stuck into all the detail of a case, despite his seniority.’
4
David Quest KC
3 Verulam Buildings
4
Iain Quirk KC
Essex Court Chambers
'Great presentation; very collaborative and responsive; very client friendly; a pleasure to work with - he does not stand on ceremony and gets involved as required.'
4
Richard Salter KC
3 Verulam Buildings
4
Daniel Saoul KC
4 New Square
'Dan is extremely responsive, hands on and a great strategist. He is a team player and is happy to be involved in all aspects of the case. He is also a good and robust advocate.'
4
Dan Sarooshi KC
Essex Court Chambers
‘Among the handful of the finest advocates at the Bar on matters of public and private international law.’
4
Vasanti Selvaratnam KC
The 36 Group
‘Vasanti is a fluent and unflappable advocate who puts her case clearly and is never unsettled by points or questions which the court or tribunal throw her. She is determined in pursuit of her clients’ case, but with a pleasant personal style which appeals to judges and arbitrators.’
4
George Spalton KC
4 New Square
'George is as smooth as he is surgical. His advocacy is precise and packs a punch. George has a ferocious will to win and has the alchemist's gift of finding gold in even the most leaden of cases.'
4
Michael Sullivan KC
One Essex Court
'Michael's greatest strength lies in his grasp of the procedural rules, experience in handling multifaceted suits and his advocacy skills that allow him to be an asset over the entire course of the arbitration. He further displays a keen eye for details that is critical when handling disputes that span decades and are inherently document heavy.'
4
Samuel Townend KC
Keating Chambers
'Sam is a very bright and technically astute barrister. His oral advocacy is very impressive.'
4
Ben Valentin KC
Fountain Court Chambers
4
John Wardell KC
Wilberforce Chambers
4
James Willan KC
Essex Court Chambers
4
Crispin Winser KC
Crown Office Chambers
'Crispin is one of the best in the game. He has a no-nonsense style which gets the job very effectively but without unnecessary drama.'
4
Emily Wood KC
Essex Court Chambers
'A very smooth operator, very sharp and delightful to work with. Always provides good commercial advice.'

2025 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.

1
Tariq Baloch KC
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.’
1
Anton Dudnikov KC
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.’
1
Andrew Fenn KC
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.’
1
Michelle Menashy KC
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.’

2023 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.

1
Adam Baradon KC
Blackstone Chambers
ery bright and a pleasure to work with. He is also very good on strategy.'
1
Paul Buckingham KC
Keating Chambers
'Paul is superb at putting clients at ease and explaining their own case to them.'
1
Noel Casey KC
7 King’s Bench Walk
1
Marcos Dracos KC
One Essex Court
'Marcos is insightful, often thinking outside of the box for arguments and solutions. His expertise in both English and Cypriot law sets him apart from his peers.'
1
Siddharth Dhar KC
Essex Court Chambers
‘Sid is a first-rate advocate and trusted advisor who never fails to impress clients. Sid’s technical legal skills are impeccable, and his judgement is sound. Sid is a forceful and persuasive advocate.’
1
Henry Forbes Smith KC
One Essex Court
'Henry is extremely intelligent and sees the big picture. He is adept at distilling a large amount of information and regulation into a coherent core theory. He therefore excels at the legally complex.'
1
Angeline Welsh KC
Essex Court Chambers
‘Very sharp, great strategic thinking, and very easy to work with. Works well as part of integrated teams with no ego.’

2024 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.

1
Jane Davies Evans KC
3 Verulam Buildings
1
Anna Laney KC
Crown Office Chambers
'One thing that makes Anna stand out is her ability to get most out of the team working through a case. She dives straight in and has a way of bringing out the best of experts and the team working behind a case.'
1
David Peters KC
Essex Court Chambers
'His in-depth knowledge of both fraud and arbitration makes him an invaluable team member when seeking to enforce awards. His advocacy skills are superb.'
1
James Sheehan KC
Essex Court Chambers
‘James is a star.  Very bright, very hard working and very thorough.  He slices through the knottiest problems with panache and good sense.  Highly recommended.’
1
Nicholas Sloboda KC
One Essex Court
'The complete barrister. Excellent on his feet, on the page, and in front of clients. One of the leading juniors of his generation who deservedly made silk this year. A fantastic strategic thinker who is (at least) one step ahead of his opponents.'
1
Camille Slow  KC
Atkin Chambers
‘Camille has a strong attention to detail, is extremely responsiveness and technically very sharp.’