1Essex Court Chambers
Fielding ‘one of the very finest groups of barristers around’, Essex Court Chambers is a ‘go-to set for anything important or high-value’. In recent highlights, Joe Smouha KC, leading Ciaran Keller, represented the government of Mozambique in the “Tuna bond case”, its claim against Credit Suisse concerning government-backed loans that were arranged by Credit Suisse and pushed Mozambique into a debt crisis. In The Federal Republic of Nigeria v. Process & Industrial Developments Ltd, Tom Ford was instructed as the most senior junior for Nigeria, which seeks to set aside an $11bn award, on the basis that it and the underlying contract were the result of a massive fraud. Ruth den Besten KC, who recently successfully defended a $1.2bn fraudulent misrepresentation and conspiracy claim concerning a mining venture in Guinea, was elevated to silk status in March 2023; and in November 2022, commercial dispute resolution junior Matthieu Gregoire joined from 4 New Square Chambers.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Katie Myles, in particular, stands out - she is extremely personable, responsive, and efficient at servicing clients' needs.'
- 'Essex Court is a phenomenal set. The quality of the members is unparalleled and this is matched by a fantastic clerking team, led by Joe Ferrigno. A go-to set for anything important or high-value.'
- 'The service is invariably excellent, both overall and from the clerks' room.'
- 'Kevin Grubb is an outstanding diplomat and negotiator.'
- 'One of the very finest groups of barristers around.'
- 'Clients receive a superlative level of service from the clerks at Essex Court Chambers.'
- 'Extremely user-friendly clerking team.'
- 'Essex Court Chambers is simply the best of the best.'
- 'The clerks at Essex Court are top-notch.'
- 'The clerks are very knowledgeable about their barristers and the practice areas they work in.'
Silks
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.
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4Hall of fameEssex Court Chambers
'Paul is a complete superstar. His advice is always incredibly perceptive and thoughtful, and he is tactically astute and commercially aware.'
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6Hall of fameEssex Court Chambers
‘Fantastically quick to digest points and very responsive. She is great with clients, and a clear and persuasive advocate. She has a knack of simplifying points and often injects a dose of common sense into proceedings.’
62022 Silks
Essex Court Chambers
‘Jeremy is astute and quickly gets to grips with the key issues in a case. He is a compelling advocate and has a pragmatic, commercial approach that impresses clients. Jeremy is extremely good to work with, he engages with the detail, provides clear advice, and does it with a great deal of good humour.’
Essex Court Chambers
‘Very pleasant and easy to deal with - sharp, quick, a great advocate, and responsive and clear.’
2023 Silks
Juniors
Leading Juniors
Leading juniors are those with significant experience of key cases, strong market recognition from both peers and clients, and are seen as future candidates for silk.
2Essex Court Chambers
'Anton is fiercely intelligent. His advocacy is very composed, measured and lucid. When faced with complex issues, it is obvious that judges take comfort from the clarity of Anton's submissions.'
3Essex Court Chambers
'Tom has a lot of energy, is well spoken, and a good strategist. He's also a pleasure to work with - he has no weaknesses.'
5Essex Court Chambers
‘Responsive, analytical, quality drafting, easy to work with, and takes initiative. Written advocacy is of the highest quality - persuasive and well researched.’
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5Essex Court Chambers
‘Incredibly clever and has a great eye for detail. He is also incredibly hardworking and makes sure he knows a case inside out, and is across all aspects of it. He is a real team player and works seamlessly with instructing solicitors.’
5Essex Court Chambers
‘A highly intelligent, personable barrister, who is quick to get to the heart of the key issues, both legal and commercial, and who is able to provide succinct and astute advice within a tight timescale.’
5Essex Court Chambers
‘Benedict has a brilliant and incredibly quick legal mind, good judgement, and communicates really well with team members. He is an outstanding barrister and very valuable team member.’
Leading Juniors
Leading juniors are those with significant experience of key cases, strong market recognition from both peers and clients, and are seen as future candidates for silk.
2Essex Court Chambers
'Anton is fiercely intelligent. His advocacy is very composed, measured and lucid. When faced with complex issues, it is obvious that judges take comfort from the clarity of Anton's submissions.'
3Essex Court Chambers
'Tom has a lot of energy, is well spoken, and a good strategist. He's also a pleasure to work with - he has no weaknesses.'
5Essex Court Chambers
‘Responsive, analytical, quality drafting, easy to work with, and takes initiative. Written advocacy is of the highest quality - persuasive and well researched.’
55Essex Court Chambers
‘Incredibly clever and has a great eye for detail. He is also incredibly hardworking and makes sure he knows a case inside out, and is across all aspects of it. He is a real team player and works seamlessly with instructing solicitors.’
5Essex Court Chambers
‘A highly intelligent, personable barrister, who is quick to get to the heart of the key issues, both legal and commercial, and who is able to provide succinct and astute advice within a tight timescale.’
5Essex Court Chambers
‘Benedict has a brilliant and incredibly quick legal mind, good judgement, and communicates really well with team members. He is an outstanding barrister and very valuable team member.’