Michael Ashcroft KC
Twenty Essex'An exceedingly astute and clever strategist.'
Shipping
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.
Christopher Hancock KC
Twenty Essex‘Top of the game: his very commanding advocacy is well-respected by both opponents and the bench.’
Timothy Young KC
Twenty Essex‘An outstanding barrister, equally at home on his feet (where he is an eloquent advocate) or in providing cutting-edge written advice. Known for his proficiency in taking on difficult cases and ability to argue from a tight corner.'
David Bailey KC
7 King’s Bench Walk‘A superb advocate.’
Steven Berry KC
Essex Court ChambersElizabeth Blackburn KC
The 36 Group‘Elizabeth has the rare talent of being user-friendly combined with the ability to absorb and process very complex information.’
Simon Croall KC
Quadrant ChambersStephen Hofmeyr KC
7 King’s Bench Walk ‘Stephen is very knowledgeable in this area. He has authority and the ear of the court.'
Nigel Jacobs KC
Quadrant ChambersDominic Kendrick KC
7 King’s Bench WalkLuke Parsons KC
Quadrant Chambers ‘Luke works extremely hard and during a hearing is always the best-prepared person in the room. He is a confident and persuasive advocate as well as being very commercial and pragmatic in his advice.'
Simon Rainey KC
Quadrant Chambers 'Excellent and swift grasp of facts, patterns and issues of any technicality, and amazing legal skills.'
Alistair Schaff KC
7 King’s Bench WalkRobert Thomas KC
Quadrant Chambers‘ Very user friendly and knowledgeable in all aspects of maritime law. Great tenacity in person and great thinking on his feet.'
Timothy Hill KC
Twenty Essex‘Timothy is very quick to understand the practical nature of the dispute. He is a fierce advocate and tenacious in his pursuit of a point.'
Duncan Matthews KC
Twenty Essex ‘Enormous capacity to absorb things quickly. Outstanding and brilliant legal mind.’
Sean O’Sullivan KC
4 Pump Court‘An outstanding commercial barrister. Quick and responsive with a deep knowledge of the law and an eye for clever angles and creative arguments.'
David Allen KC
7 King’s Bench Walk'A commercial, pragmatic, straight-talking, heavy-weight silk.'
Graham Dunning KC
Essex Court ChambersJonathan Gaisman KC
7 King’s Bench WalkRichard Lord KC
Brick Court Chambers'Thorough and detailed analysis, excellent knowledge of the law.'
Peter MacDonald Eggers KC
7 King’s Bench Walk'Peter is seen as one of the leading lights in terms of insurance and reinsurance disputes. He has a good rapport with commercial judges and keeps them well engaged and enthused throughout some difficult arguments.'
John Russell KC
Quadrant Chambers‘A superb advocate.'
Vasanti Selvaratnam KC
The 36 Group‘ Her individual strengths are great clarity in her written work and brilliance in her advocacy. She is very well respected by everyone at the shipping Bar and is seen as an overall star.’
Philip Edey KC
Twenty Essex
Charles Kimmins KC
Twenty Essex‘Charles is a first-rate advocate and rapier-like in cross examination. To back this up he has an excellent analytical insight on cases and is a master of strategy.'
James Leabeater KC
4 Pump Court ‘ James is extremely user friendly and very easy to get along with. He is a very able advocate and an very effective cross-examiner.'
David Lewis KC
Twenty Essex‘David is incisive and has an eagle-eye commercial strategy. His cross-examination style is concise and pointed, and he can be counted on to work very quickly and effectively.'
Nick Vineall KC
4 Pump CourtNigel Cooper KC
Quadrant ChambersMichael Davey KC
Quadrant ChambersHis perception from very early on in a case of what will be crucial in negotiations or ultimately at a hearing, sets him apart when it comes to complex disputes.'
Poonam Melwani KC
Quadrant Chambers ‘Poonam is exceptionally talented and has an ability to cut straight to the heart of a matter. She has a phenomenal ability to present a case and ensure that judges and tribunals trust her.'
Christopher Smith KC
Essex Court Chambers‘Chris has a really genuine depth of knowledge and seems to put those on the bench at ease with his submissions. He is prepared to really get stuck into the detail and it shows in the detail and clarity of his submissions.'
Richard Southern KC
7 King’s Bench WalkJames Turner KC
Quadrant Chambers ' An excellent and thoughtful advocate who carefully analyses the strengths and weaknesses of his case. Definitely top drawer and it is important to have KCs of James' calibre with admiralty experience.'
Henry Byam-Cook KC
Twenty EssexHenry has a good situational sense of the court or arbitration room, and knows what arguments to push and when, but more importantly when not to push certain arguments. He is clear in his advocacy.’
Michael Coburn KC
Twenty Essex ‘ Michael is sharp with an impressive turnaround time in providing advice under urgent circumstances. He is able to break down complex issues into understandable points to clients whose English is not their first language.'
Michael Collett KC
Twenty Essex‘Michael is an extremely bright and affable KC. Very responsive and meticulous in his presentation of the arguments, on paper and in writing.'
Julian Kenny KC
Twenty Essex‘Very bright and user friendly. Works well in a team and has a very confident and clear advocacy style that is quietly authoritative.'
Stewart Buckingham KC
Quadrant Chambers ‘Stewart is a really solid pair of hands.’
Nigel Eaton KC
Essex Court ChambersSublime: the Rolls Royce of the Bar.’
Siobán Healy KC
7 King’s Bench WalkPhilippa Hopkins KC
Essex Court Chambers‘Tremendously intelligent, and an excellent communicator both in writing and orally. Philippa has a great appreciation of the case law and its application, and is a well-organised and effective advocate.’
Stephen Kenny KC
7 King’s Bench WalkJohn Passmore KC
Quadrant Chambers 'Quick, clever, good at drafting and excellent at explaining complicated legal issues directly to lay clients. Highly recommended for difficult cases.'
Nathan Pillow KC
Essex Court Chambers
Sara Masters KC
Twenty Essex
Simon Milnes KC
Twenty Essex 'Excellent and swift grasp of facts, patterns and issues of any technicality and amazing legal skills.'
Thomas Raphael KC
Twenty Essex‘Responsive and thorough.'
Philip Riches KC
Twenty Essex
Nigel Tozzi KC
4 Pump Court
Alexander Wright KC
4 Pump CourtSimon Birt KC
Brick Court ChambersGuy Blackwood KC
Quadrant Chambers‘Guy is great to work with, knowledgeable, pragmatic and solutions driven.'
Jeremy Brier KC
Essex Court Chambers ‘Enthusiastic, a good communicator and responsive.’
Neil Hart KC
Essex Court Chambers'Exceptional clarity of advice and thought. Very easy to engage with.'
Chirag Karia KC
Quadrant Chambers ‘Chirag has impeccable written advocacy - his grasp of the law is second to none. He also has an outstanding ability to apply that mastery of the law and facts in any given case when he is on his feet.'
Gavin Kealey KC
7 King’s Bench WalkJawdat Khurshid KC
7 King’s Bench WalkJohn Kimbell KC
Quadrant ChambersYash Kulkarni KC
Quadrant Chambers ‘Easy to work with, insightful, clear thinking and persuasive.'
Thomas Macey-Dare KC
Quadrant Chambers ‘Strong legal knowledge and understanding of salvage matters, good on his feet.'
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 you your case.'
Michael Nolan KC
Quadrant Chambers‘It is a pleasure to work with him. Deep knowledge, friendly approach, well-written advice, excellent advocacy.'
Christopher Smith KC
Quadrant ChambersRichard Waller KC
7 King’s Bench WalkNichola Warrender KC
Quadrant Chambers‘ Nichola doesn't miss anything. She has a great capacity for being able to retain and recall large amounts of information and detail.'
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.
Oliver Caplin KC
Twenty Essex'Oliver is a superb advocate. He delivers the points that need to be made in a clear and measured way.'
Josephine Davies KC
Twenty Essex'She is not afraid to give a direct view on the merits of a point, without hedging her opinion with unnecessary caveats.'
Paul Toms KC
Quadrant Chambers ‘Excellent and thoughtful advocate. His mild manner belies a tenacious approach.'
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.
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.
Angharad Parry KC
Twenty Essex‘Clear precise advice and she tries to think outside of the box. A joy to work with and a great team player.’
David Walsh KC
Essex Court Chambers‘David has an unflappable ability to digest information quickly and carefully and produce succinct and commercial advice. Great as part of a team leading other juniors as well as providing real insight and value when being led.’