7 King’s Bench Walk is ‘a very strong commercial set’. Although particularly well known for its insurance and shipping credentials, the set’s members are also consistently mandated for other heavyweight commercial litigation. In Premia Reinsurance Ltd v Amtrust International Insurance, Ltd, David Edwards KC acts for Premia Reinsurance in an approximately £20m claim regarding its purchase of the legacy business of a number of Lloyd’s syndicates run by another insurer. In the AerCap litigation, over fifty members of chambers (including Gavin Kealey and Clara Benn for AIG, and Richard Waller KC and Michael Ryan for Lloyd’s) are instructed in Commercial Court claims brought by aircraft lessors against their insurance companies and concern the Russian government’s banning of Western aircraft from leaving Russia, effectively expropriating them, after its invasion of Ukraine.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

'The best in the business - Gary Rose always makes clients' lives easier.'
'Gary Rose is a very helpful clerk.'
'The clerks at 7KBW are brilliant - Joe Clayton is always available to speak and a problem solver. He takes time to understand clients' needs and always identifies an appropriate solution.'
'They have a terrific set of clerks, with Greg Leyden a standout.'
'Eddie Johns, Joe Clayton and Gary Rose make sure that clients are well looked after and supported.'
'7KBW has genuine strength in depth in this area.'
'7KBW is a premier set in the insurance/reinsurance and general commercial litigation fields.
'The clerks at 7KBW are very attentive and a pleasure to work with.'
'7KBW is a very strong commercial set and its barristers have huge intellects.'
'Clerks have always been helpful and willing to engage on negotiating fees as necessary - no issues.'

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.

Jonathan Gaisman

David Allen

‘He is very approachable and bright, and leads his team well.’

Rebecca Sabben-Clare

‘Rebecca is a no-nonsense barrister – she delivers clear, practical and helpful advice, is a trusted advisor, and always available when clients need urgent advice. Her advocacy, both written and oral, is clear, persuasive and effective.’

Richard Waller

‘A superb lawyer, thinker and advocate.’

Alistair Schaff

David Edwards

Siobán Healy

‘Outstandingly effective – a great grip on the detail and the big picture. She quickly earns the respect of the client and tribunals. A superb advocate – she dominates the hearings.’

Stephen Hofmeyr

Michael Holmes

‘Great at getting to grips with the issues and advising on difficult insurance matters.’

James Brocklebank

‘James is an excellent advocate, who is able to handle difficult witnesses in a careful and considered way. He is completely on top of the detail of cases and thorough in his preparation, engaging with solicitors to test all areas of his argument – James is a standout KC.’

2022 Silks

Josephine Higgs KC

‘Incredibly calm and capable of providing concise and clear advice, even in the most complex and high-pressured scenarios. She is an incredibly reassuring presence in challenging circumstances.'

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.

Michael Ryan

‘Michael holds his own as an advocate against experienced silks, has depth of legal knowledge, and very good analytical skills.’

Keir Howie

Alexander MacDonald

‘Alex is an exceptional and standout barrister. He is incredibly bright and rolls up his sleeves to get into the weeds of the dispute, and he is able to master any topic.'

Marcus Mander

‘Probably one of the hardest working juniors at the Bar. Marcus is exceptional in his attention to detail, is a fantastic source of legal knowledge, and a calming presence as an advocate.'

Jason Robinson

‘He is very bright- a good communicator who listens well, and is very patient and clear with the client. His analysis of issues is excellent and his case strategy is clever.’

Clara Benn

‘Clara is one of the cleverest barristers clients could hope to meet, but wears it lightly - she never makes clients feel they have asked a silly question and adds value to every question she is asked. She is also very good on paper.'

Benjamin Parker