Sara Masters KC > Twenty Essex > London, England > Barrister Profile
Twenty Essex Offices
20 ESSEX STREET
LONDON
WC2R 3AL
England
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Sara Masters KC
Work Department
Arbitration; EU law/competition law; Private international law; Sale of goods; Shipping and commodities
Position
Sara is “hugely experienced in the international arbitration field, both as counsel and arbitrator”. This is complemented by a busy court practice as Leading Counsel.
A go-to Silk for cases raising difficult jurisdiction and private international law issues, Sara’s practice extends to commercial disputes, (particularly complex multi-jurisdictional disputes), EU law (with a focus on competition and private international law), shipping (including shipbuilding and ship sale disputes) and commodities, construction, energy, insurance (including marine insurance) and re-insurance.
She regularly appears as Counsel in international commercial arbitrations before the major international arbitral institutions, and also before trade specific bodies including the LMAA, GAFTA and FOSFA. Her arbitrations have covered areas such as shipping and commodities, ship building, super yachts, joint production oil agreements off-shore construction, gas supply agreements, share purchase agreements and licensing. She has been involved in virtual arbitration hearings as both Counsel and Arbitrator
She also acts as an expert witness on English law before foreign courts, including the French, Singaporean, Malaysian, Hong Kong and US Courts.
Sara also has experience in the rapidly changing world of commercial sanctions both as counsel and as arbitrator with a particular focus on Russian and Iranian sanctions in the transport and energy sectors, but also extending to more general commercial contexts.
Sara has appeared in the High Court, Competition Appeal Tribunal, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and Privy Council and before the European Court of Justice and Dubai International Financial Centre Courts. She is registered to appear before the Singapore International Commercial Court.
She accepts appointments as an arbitrator both in a variety of global seats. She has wide experience of both ad hoc and institutional arbitrations including LCIA, SIAC, CIETAC, UNCITRAL and LMAA.
Sara is also a Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) accredited mediator.
https://www.twentyessex.com/people/sara-masters/
Languages
French (fluent); Italian (conversational)
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > International arbitration: arbitrators
(Leading counsel as arbitrators)Ranked: Tier 2Sara Masters KC –Twenty Essex ‘Sara is very bright and knowledgeable. She is efficient at managing proceedings when she is chair or sole arbitrator and does so with good humour. She reacts promptly to resolve applications and produce arbitration awards.’
London Bar > Shipping
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 5London Bar > Commodities
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 3London Bar > International arbitration: counsel
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 3Sara Masters KC –Twenty Essex ‘Sara combines excellent subject matter knowledge (specifically on EU law implications for a foreign law award) and a real talent for focusing the client on the essentials which will make the difference between a winning case and a losing one. She’s prompt, responsive, will take the initiative, and a pleasure to work with.’
Praised as a ‘top commercial and international law set’, members of Twenty Essex are frequently instructed in complex international arbitration proceedings and related commercial court cases, most notably concerning shipping, trade and commodities disputes, in which Timothy Young KC and Sam Goodman have recently been active. Members also have extensive experience in investor-state arbitration proceedings and are well-versed across various arbitral institutions and rules, including SIAC, LCIA, LMAA and the ICC. Members of chambers who have recently been involved in such cases include Duncan Matthews KC, Philip Riches KC, Sara Masters KC and Belinda McRae, to name a few. Among recent highlights for the set was the highly publicised FamilyMart China Holding Co Ltd v Ting Chuan (Cayman Islands) Holding Corp case, concerning if an arbitration clause in a shareholders’ agreement blocked a winding-up petition, in which Charles Kimmins KC led Mark Tushingham on behalf of FamilyMart.
Asia Pacific: Regional International Arbitration > Arbitrators
(Leading arbitrators)Ranked: Tier 2Sara Masters KC – Twenty Essex ‘Sara has great legal knowledge and judgement – she has the ability to see the wood from the trees. A reliable and efficient barrister.’