Michael Ashcroft KC > Twenty Essex > London, England > Barrister Profile

Twenty Essex
20 ESSEX STREET
LONDON
WC2R 3AL
England

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Work Department

Civil fraud; Commercial arbitration; Commodities; Financial derivatives; General commercial litigation; Insurance/reinsurance; International trade; Investment disputes; Jurisdictional disputes; Mining; Offshore/energy; Oil rig/drilling disputes; Ship sale contracts; Shipbuilding contracts and other construction contracts; Shipping; Super yacht disputes

Position

Michael is an experienced silk with a broad commercial practice, specialising in high value and complex (often highly technical) commercial contractual disputes. He took silk in 2011, at only 38 years of age. He is very well set-up to work remotely in these challenging times, and successfully represented Trafigura in one of the first applications (for a mandatory injunction requiring payment of US$76m security) dealt with under the Covid-19 Protocol in the Commercial Court.

He was awarded the prestigious “International Arbitration Silk of the Year” by Chambers & Partners in 2016 and also won Chambers “Shipping Silk of the Year” in 2019. He has been shortlisted multiple times for other awards by Chambers & Partners and The Legal 500.

Over recent years, he has been ranked as a leading silk by Chambers & Partners and The Legal 500 in the following practice areas: shipping, commodities, energy, civil fraud and international arbitration.

Michael has vast experience of jurisdictional disputes, having appeared in several of the leading cases. He is also regularly involved in applications for injunctions and for the enforcement of judgments and arbitration awards. His most recent ongoing work includes advising in relation to offshore decommissioning contracts, acting for a Gulf based bank in a very substantial ICC arbitration concerning bonds, acting for Sunderland FC in a professional negligence dispute in the Commercial Court and advising in relation to multiple mortgage contracts.

He appears regularly in the High Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court. Michael also has a wide range of experience of cases before, and on appeal from, arbitration tribunals in various jurisdictions (including Singapore, Hong Kong, Sweden, Malaysia, Paris and New York) and he has been admitted to the Bar of St Kitts and Nevis (on an ad hoc basis). He is a team player and has led large teams of counsel in significant cases; he works frequently as co-counsel with lawyers qualified in other jurisdictions. Michael also has significant experience of mediation.

Michael accepts appointments as an arbitrator both in London and abroad. He is a member of the MOOGAS panel of international arbitrators and mediators. Michael also acts as an expert on English law in foreign proceedings.

https://www.twentyessex.com/people/michael-ashcroft/

Lawyer Rankings

London Bar > Insurance and reinsurance

(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 4

Michael Ashcroft KC –Twenty Essex ‘Michael is a good lawyer and a sensible arbitrator.’

London Bar > Shipping

(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1

Michael Ashcroft KC –Twenty Essex ‘An exceedingly astute and clever strategist.’

London Bar > Construction

(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 5

Michael Ashcroft KC – Twenty Essex ‘Michael is excellent in finding key issues and the key factual matters, subsequently come up with very strong legal case. His writing is also very logical and persuasive. He has an excellent advocacy skills before the tribunal and court panel.’

London Bar > Commodities

(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1

Michael Ashcroft KC – Twenty Essex ‘A very polished advocate with a very calm and persuasive bearing, and a painstaking approach to his cases.’

Twenty Essex is ‘a go-to set for commodity disputes, demonstrating good bench strength‘, and houses a team of ‘skilled barristers with commodities expertise at all levels of seniority‘. The group has an excellent track record in advising on a wide spectrum of complex, high-value shipping and trade matters, often appearing before the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. In recent work for the team, Michael Ashcroft KC acted in a high-value contractual dispute under the rules of GAFTA, while Michael Collett KC represented Viterra in a damages claim arising from alleged breach of obligations under two contracts for the purchase of pulses. Among the juniors, Daniel Bovensiepen is well versed in advising on matters under ICC and LCIA rules. In a boost to chambers, Josephine Davies KC and Oliver Caplin KC were elevated to silk level in March 2024.

London Bar > International arbitration: counsel

(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 2

Michael Ashcroft KC –Twenty Essex ‘Acute legal mind, good judgement, sensitivity to the court’s approach to a case, excellent cross-examination, and works well with solicitors and juniors.’

London Bar > Energy

(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 3

Michael Ashcroft KC –Twenty Essex ‘Unflappable in difficult situations, he is also commercial and pragmatic.’

Twenty Essex is ‘an excellent set‘, with established expertise in handling shipping, trade and international public law work, however the group reports an increase in work concerning high-value and complex energy disputes, often within the LNG and oil and gas sectors. The team is also active in renewable energy and energy transition projects and drill- and rig-focused litigation. Michael Ashcroft KC excels in commodities and shipping matters, and is also well versed in advising on construction, transportation, storage, sales, de-commissioning and insurance matters and contractual disputes in the energy sector. Among the juniors, key contacts include Monica Feria-Tinta, who is sought after for her expertise in handling cross-border mandates, and Malcolm Jarvis, who is well known for his experience in advising on commercial disputes.

London Bar > Commercial litigation

(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 6

Michael Ashcroft KC – Twenty Essex ‘Michael is a truly exceptional lawyer. He is capable of analysing the most complex of disputes in a way that means they are presented clearly and succinctly before a judge, and his oral and written advocacy is most impressive.’