4 Pump Court

The chambers: 4 Pump Court is a leading commercial set of barristers’ chambers. Members provide specialist advocacy, advice and support, with expertise in arbitration, dispute resolution, litigation and regulation for UK and international clients worldwide.

The set: Chambers comprises 84 barristers, including 31 King’s Counsel. Commercial advocacy is central to the set’s offering and practitioners appear before tribunals at every level. This is combined with a user-friendly, client-centric house style. A distinguishing feature is commercial work with complex technical and factual detail, a theme that runs through all sectors.

Members provide commercial, practical and innovative advice. Professional service is provided efficiently and thoroughly, with the highest standards. This is completed by some of the most experienced, persuasive and skilled advocacy available, uniquely honed from the earliest stage.

Advocates appear in domestic and international cases, with members receiving instructions heard in local courts, to major international or cross-border disputes. Barristers act on matters arising in the UK, Africa, the Americas, Asia, Australia and Europe. In particular 4 Pump Court has an established presence in the Middle East and the Far East, assisted by its office in Hong Kong.

Barristers at 4 Pump Court understand the pressures that solicitors, in-house lawyers and clients operate under and the need to work together as a team. The set takes the time to invest in client relationships and understand their business needs.

Pupillage: 4 Pump Court attracts the best calibre candidates coming to the Commercial Bar, ensuring high standards and continued growth. Pupils benefit from an unusual number of court instructions, providing vital experience that continues through chambers.

The clerks’ room, led by senior clerks Carl Wall and Stewart Gibbs, is recognised and renowned for being responsive, commercially aware and efficient, with high standards. They consistently deliver an exceptional professional service, with an experienced and knowledgeable team able to tailor recommended counsel, teams and financial options for clients.

Work undertaken: 4 Pump Court has a particular focus on the following areas:

Arbitration: Members act in a broad range of domestic and international arbitrations covering all areas, including institutions such as CIETAC, DIAC, HKIAC, ICC, LCIA, LMAA, SIAC and UNCITRAL.

Commercial dispute resolution: 4 Pump Court is a leading commercial set, providing practical, effective advice across the full spectrum of commercial practice areas.

Construction: 4 Pump Court has a reputation as one of the leading construction sets, covering all aspects of construction, engineering and infrastructure disputes, both domestic and international, across all forums including adjudication, dispute boards and expert determination.

Energy: Uniquely combining the strongest elements of commercial, construction and maritime expertise. Work includes on and offshore, renewable and pipeline, and is often cross-border.

Financial services and banking: Work comprises both financial regulation and investment / retail banking litigation. Members frequently act for regulators and have in-depth knowledge of a variety of financial products, collective investment schemes, SIPPSs, perimeter policing, enforcement and FSMA. They regularly receive instructions involving ISDA, the GRMA, the GMSLA, cyber fraud, FOREX trading, LIBOR manipulation, IRHP / swaps mis-selling, PPI and various other complex instruments.

Insurance: Chambers’ highly recommended insurance and reinsurance group are instructed on numerous significant events affecting the global insurance markets. Members act on behalf of UK and international insurance / reinsurance companies, Lloyd’s syndicates, brokers and insureds. Barristers appear in domestic and international arbitrations (including Bermuda Form), and all tiers of domestic courts.

Professional negligence: The professional negligence team at 4 Pump Court is one of the most formidable and largest at the Bar. Members have experience in claims for and against professionals across the whole spectrum of liability, including breach of fiduciary duty and fraud. Chambers has particular expertise in disputes concerning architects, engineers, IT consultants, solicitors and barristers, accountants and auditors, financial advisers, insurance brokers and underwriting agents, and surveyors and valuers.

Shipping: 4 Pump Court has an outstanding reputation for marine related disputes, including wet and dry shipping, shipbuilding and marine insurance. Members are instructed by international law firms and P&I clubs on behalf of ship owners, charterers, shipyards, drilling contractors, cargo interests and banks. Barristers have expertise in charterparty and bill of lading disputes, ship sale and purchase, ship mortgages, liens, admiralty matters including collision, towage and pilotage. Barristers also specialise in commercial shipbuilding and super / mega yacht disputes, including brokers commission claims and disputes concerning refund guarantees.

Technology and telecoms: 4 Pump Court is recognised both domestically and internationally as the leading set for technology disputes. Barristers are uniquely positioned to deal with commercial, technical and intellectual property disputes now challenging the world’s top lawyers and businesses in a complex and rapidly-changing technological environment. The set has been involved in the majority of leading cases, where work on data and cyber security disputes ensures they retain their presence at the forefront of this constantly developing commercial area.

Other: Additional areas of expertise include aviation, corporate advisory, defamation and privacy, financial crime including fraud, and offshore work. Non-UK jurisdictions in addition to those above include the Channels Islands, the Isle of Man, the Caribbean, Bermuda and beyond.