Shipping

Leading Silks
2023 Silks
2024 Silks

Leading Silks

Michael Ashcroft KC

'An exceedingly astute and clever strategist.'

David Bailey KC

7 King’s Bench Walk

‘A superb advocate.’

Steven Berry KC

Essex Court Chambers

Elizabeth Blackburn KC

‘Elizabeth has the rare talent of being user-friendly combined with the ability to absorb and process very complex information.’

Christopher Hancock KC

‘Top of the game: his very commanding advocacy is well-respected by both opponents and the bench.’

Stephen 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 Chambers

Dominic Kendrick KC

7 King’s Bench Walk

Luke 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 Walk

Robert 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 Young KC

‘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.'

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Simon Croall KC

Quadrant Chambers

7 King’s Bench Walk

'A commercial, pragmatic, straight-talking, heavy-weight silk.'

Graham Dunning KC

Essex Court Chambers

Jonathan Gaisman KC

7 King’s Bench Walk

Timothy Hill KC

‘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.'

Richard 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.'

Duncan Matthews KC

‘Enormous capacity to absorb things quickly. Outstanding and brilliant legal mind.’

Sean O’Sullivan KC

‘An outstanding commercial barrister. Quick and responsive with a deep knowledge of the law and an eye for clever angles and creative arguments.'

John Russell KC

Quadrant Chambers

‘A superb advocate.'

Vasanti Selvaratnam KC

‘ 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.’

Nigel Cooper KC

Quadrant Chambers

Michael Davey KC

Quadrant Chambers

'His 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.'

Charles Kimmins KC

‘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

‘ 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 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.'

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 Walk

James 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.'

Nick Vineall KC

Stewart Buckingham KC

Quadrant Chambers

‘Stewart is a really solid pair of hands.’

Henry Byam-Cook KC

‘Henry 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

‘ 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

‘Michael is an extremely bright and affable KC. Very responsive and meticulous in his presentation of the arguments, on paper and in writing.'

Essex Court Chambers

‘Sublime: the Rolls Royce of the Bar.’

Siobán Healy KC

7 King’s Bench Walk

Philippa 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.’

Julian Kenny KC

‘Very bright and user friendly. Works well in a team and has a very confident and clear advocacy style that is quietly authoritative.'

John 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

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Stephen Kenny KC

7 King’s Bench Walk

Brick Court Chambers

Jeremy Brier KC

Essex Court Chambers

‘Enthusiastic, a good communicator and responsive.’

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 Walk

Jawdat Khurshid KC

7 King’s Bench Walk

John Kimbell KC

Quadrant Chambers

Yash 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.'

Sara Masters KC

Simon Milnes KC

'Excellent and swift grasp of facts, patterns and issues of any technicality and amazing legal skills.'

‘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.'

Thomas Raphael KC

‘Responsive and thorough.'

Philip Riches KC

Christopher Smith KC

Quadrant Chambers

Richard Waller KC

7 King’s Bench Walk

Nichola 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.'

Alexander Wright KC

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Guy Blackwood KC

Quadrant Chambers

‘Guy is great to work with, knowledgeable, pragmatic and solutions driven.'

2023 Silks

7 King’s Bench Walk

Matthew Reeve KC

Quadrant Chambers

2024 Silks

Oliver Caplin KC

'Oliver is a superb advocate. He delivers the points that need to be made in a clear and measured way.'

Josephine Davies KC

'She is not afraid to give a direct view on the merits of a point, without hedging her opinion with unnecessary caveats.'

Quadrant Chambers

‘Excellent and thoughtful advocate. His mild manner belies a tenacious approach.'