Michael Ashcroft KC
‘With strong analytical skills and very clear written communications, he has a manner and calm authority that persuades judges and tribunals to listen to him.’
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Twenty Essex has a deep bench focused on commodities, shipping and international trade. Among its members are some of the most respected silks and juniors in the commodities space, including those who have established key points of law that govern market practice. In Omni v Samancor, a $7m SIAC arbitration concerning the sale of manganese, standout silk Michael Ashcroft KC achieved a favourable settlement in a matter that involved complex issues regarding applicability of sanctions clause following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Michael Collett KC defended a GAFTA appeal in Sharp Corp Ltd v Viterra BV, which arose from the non-performance of two contracts for the purchase of pulses. New to the top tier of silks is Timothy Hill KC, who is ‘one of the very best’. Turning to the set’s juniors, Alex Carless is assisting Glencore in seeking €110m in payment for cargoes of diesel.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Arron Zitver is very approachable and helpful.'
- 'Twenty Essex is my go-to set due to their large number of high-calibre commodities specialists.'
Lawyers
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.
Michael Collett KC
‘Very hard-working, and exceptionally polite and calm, he has an impressive ability to communicate his knowledge to solicitors, clients, courts and tribunals.’
Timothy Young KC
‘Frighteningly clever, very inventive, and a good cross-examiner.’
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Timothy Hill KC
‘A tenacious and an excellent advocate, and one of the very best for commodities disputes. He has first-rate knowledge and shows incredible attention to detail in his hearing preparation.’
Charles Kimmins KC
‘He is exceptionally user-friendly, particularly when breaking down complicated points of law for the lay client. He is also excellent in court.’
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David Lewis KC
‘Simply outstanding and a pleasure to deal with, his greatest strength is his ability to reach clear, concise, commercial conclusions on complex and high-value problems in prompt fashion.’
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Duncan Matthews KC
‘He has a firm, clear grasp of the law and a conscientious approach to getting on top of the facts.’
Henry Byam-Cook KC
‘Calm, insightful, and responsive, Henry has a very natural style of advocacy.’
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Simon Milnes KC
‘An exceptional advocate who combines legal expertise with a practical, results-driven approach. His ability to simplify and clearly communicate intricate legal issues really stands out.’
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Philip Riches KC
‘Philip is always calm and presents advice and options in a measured and clear way, and deals with technically complex issues in a clear and concise manner.’
Luke Pearce KC
‘Luke is a first-rate junior silk whose legal analysis is always insightful and spot on. He is an ideal choice for tricky disputes where mastery of the detail is imperative.’
2025 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.
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.
Oliver Caplin KC
‘Oli’s great advantages are his ability to give clear, commercial advice, his willingness to make himself available at short notice, and his mindfulness of the strategy for a whole dispute.’
Josephine Davies KC
‘Josephine is incredibly hardworking and thinks strategically and carefully. She provides practical and succinct advice and never stops turning a problem over in her mind.’
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.
Alex Carless
‘Alex is one of the top juniors for shipping and commodities work. He is more than capable of running matters as sole counsel with his excellent knowledge and first-rate written work.’
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Andrew Dinsmore
‘Tough, tenacious, and thorough, Andrew brings a forthright and no-nonsense approach to his cases, and he has a real ability to cut through unnecessarily complex and tedious arguments.’
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Colleen Hanley
‘Colleen exhibits approachability, responsiveness, and confidence in her advocacy.’
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Malcolm Jarvis
‘Malcolm is very thorough and well organised. He is very much a team player and through his preparation, politeness and intelligence engages well with the court.’
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Susannah Jones
‘Smart, thorough and committed, she knows her cases inside-out.’
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Andrew Feld
‘A future star, a fabulous advocate and a numbers man too. He gets to grips with a complex quantum issue with ease and shows impressive command of detail.’
Thomas Corby
‘A formidable opponent – very clever and unflappable in court – he has an excellent work ethic and is extremely bright but commercial, too.’
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Joshua Folkard
‘Josh has a keen eye for detail and is very commercial. He is also very responsive and a pleasant person to deal with.’
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Michal Hain
‘Michal is extremely bright. He is an excellent junior whose drafting and attention to detail are superb.’
Richard Greenberg
‘A star of the future with very impressive written work and excellent advocacy skills. He has a calm and collected manner in high pressure situations.’
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Sean Snook
‘Very user-friendly and creative in terms of finding solutions in trying circumstances. Sean is plain-speaking and to the point.’