Quadrant Chambers is 'very highly regarded for commodities and has many excellent barristers practicing in this area'. The team is well versed in handling commodities disputes, acting for sellers, buyers and interested parties in litigation, and is also sought after for its strength in international arbitration, advising on matters under LCIA, ICC, GAFTA, FOSFA and RSA rules. Simon Rainey KC and Simon Croall KC are highly respected silks, with excellent reputations in acting for major trading houses and energy companies in disputes. Yash Kulkarni KC acted for the claimants in Africa Sourcing v Rockwinds, a challenge to an arbitration award issued by the Federation of Cocoa Commerce, which involved issues surrounding duty of disclosure. Among the juniors, Benjamin Coffer, who is often instructed to advise on arbitrations heard under trade association rules, and Ben Gardner are key contacts. Bolstering the team at the senior end, Paul Toms KC took silk in March 2024.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • 'Simon Slattery really is excellent.'
  • 'Rob Frankish is excellent. Responsive, fair, proactive. A pleasure to deal with that is much appreciated as it makes my role much easier.'
  • 'I find the clerks to be very responsive, approachable and willing to help. The clerks are willing to discuss rates and brief fees in a sensible and cooperative manner.'
  • 'The clerks are always approachable, on top of matters and happy to co-operate. Special mention to Mike Wright who is practical, willing to offer solutions and understands the moving parts that a solicitor or client has to account for.'
  • 'Quadrant Chambers remains a go-to set for shipping and commodities disputes.'
  • 'Quadrant has unrivalled strength-in-depth in commodities disputes.'
  • 'The set in general is very strong in shipping and trading matters and can be relied on to put forward strong candidates at various levels of seniority, when required.'
  • 'The set is commercial, able to offer services of counsel at all stages of seniority and with the necessary specialisations sometimes required and, most importantly, it is approachable and extremely willing to assist. Overall, a solicitor's dream come true!'

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.
Simon Rainey KC
1
Simon Rainey KC
Quadrant Chambers
 ‘A heavyweight silk in this space, with a very deep understanding of the shapes and angles of the law.’
Chirag Karia KC
2
Chirag Karia KC
Quadrant Chambers
‘Organised, methodical, robust when needed, Chirag is commercially highly astute and legally very impressive.’
2
Simon Croall KC
Quadrant Chambers
 ‘Simon sees around corners and spots issues coming, and he has a hugely compelling advocacy style.'
Luke Parsons KC
3
Luke Parsons KC
Quadrant Chambers
‘A commercially savvy and incredibly intelligent KC who is also very easy to deal with.’
Yash Kulkarni KC
3
Yash Kulkarni KC
Quadrant Chambers
‘A brilliant advocate with an extremely sharp mind. Yash is quick on his feet and laser-focused in his cross-examination.’
Michael Nolan KC
4
Michael Nolan KC
Quadrant Chambers
 ‘An amazing barrister, extremely diligent and perceptive.'
Stewart Buckingham KC
5
Stewart Buckingham KC
Quadrant Chambers
‘Stewart is extremely methodical in his analysis and presents his arguments very clearly.’
5
Guy Blackwood KC
Quadrant Chambers
‘Guy's advocacy is of the highest quality, and he is fantastic with clients.’
2024 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.
Paul Toms KC
Paul Toms KC
Quadrant Chambers
‘A silk with a direct yet personable manner, who is very adept at honing in on the core issues of a dispute.'
Paul Toms KC
Paul Toms KC
Quadrant Chambers
 ‘Paul is very good at bringing focus to the core issues of the dispute, and he has a direct but personable manner.’

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.
Benjamin Coffer
2
Benjamin Coffer
Quadrant Chambers
‘He is particularly good in understanding the mind of the judges and the arbitrators and is very persuasive, cutting to the core of the issue.’
Ben Gardner
2
Ben Gardner
Quadrant Chambers
‘His technical legal skills, knowledge and drafting skills are first-rate.’
Peter Stevenson
2
Peter Stevenson
Quadrant Chambers
 ‘Peter gets right to the heart of a case and is an energetic and persuasive advocate.’
Paul Henton
2
Paul Henton
Quadrant Chambers
‘Paul is very clear and concise in putting forward his client’s position, which he does with the right degree of force.’
James Shirley
3
James Shirley
Quadrant Chambers
‘James is quick, clever, to the point, commercial and friendly.’
3
Tom Bird
Quadrant Chambers
 ‘An outstanding counsel.'
Koye Akoni
3
Koye Akoni
Quadrant Chambers
‘Koye epitomises clarity and is serene, measured and assured.’
Max Davidson
3
Max Davidson
Quadrant Chambers
‘Max is very considered and able to leverage arguments that might otherwise not be spotted.’
Saira Paruk
3
Saira Paruk
Quadrant Chambers
 ‘Saira is a sharp junior with a sensible and client-friendly approach.’
Rising stars
Rising stars at the Bar are defined as barristers between four and eight years’ call who are seen as up-and-coming members of the Bar in their respective practice areas by clients and peers alike. They will already be instructed in high-profile, complex, and high-value contentious and non-contentious matters, working with and opposite more experienced leading counsel.
Jakob Reckhenrich
Jakob Reckhenrich
Quadrant Chambers
‘Jakob is a conscientious, committed and clever barrister who produces exceedingly high-quality work at speed.’