Twenty Essex is ‘a go-to set for commodity disputes, demonstrating good bench strength’, and houses a team of ‘skilled barristers with commodities expertise at all levels of seniority’. The group has an excellent track record in advising on a wide spectrum of complex, high-value shipping and trade matters, often appearing before the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. In recent work for the team, Michael Ashcroft KC acted in a high-value contractual dispute under the rules of GAFTA, while Michael Collett KC represented Viterra in a damages claim arising from alleged breach of obligations under two contracts for the purchase of pulses. Among the juniors, Daniel Bovensiepen is well versed in advising on matters under ICC and LCIA rules. In a boost to chambers, Josephine Davies KC and Oliver Caplin KC were elevated to silk level in March 2024.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Arron Zitver is an excellent senior clerk and highly professional.'
- 'The clerks at Twenty Essex are great, very responsive and you can see they work as a team. Arron is always very helpful and quick to respond.'
- 'The clerking team at Twenty Essex is great. Will Inkin has been particularly responsive and helpful.'
- 'The clerks are always helpful and assist with finding counsel and scheduling. Arron Zitver and Robert Wheeler are particularly helpful.'
- 'Twenty Essex is the leading set for commodities and shipping work. They are extremely professional and are the first port of call for pretty much all London counsel work.'
- 'Twenty Essex has a range of knowledgeable and respected barristers. It is great to be able to call upon depth of knowledge.'
- 'Twenty Essex boasts a roster of skilled barristers with commodities expertise at all levels of seniority.'
- 'Twenty Essex is a go-to chambers for international trade, commodities and shipping disputes with a particular bias towards energy.'
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.
Michael Ashcroft KC
Twenty Essex ‘A very polished advocate with a very calm and persuasive bearing, and a painstaking approach to his cases.’
Timothy Hill KC
Twenty Essex ‘A first-choice silk for commodities disputes. He is willing to roll his sleeves up and get involved at every stage of a dispute.’
David Lewis KC
Twenty Essex ‘A top-level KC for commodities disputes, he is very personable and excellent with clients, and has first-class analytical skills.’
Duncan Matthews KC
Twenty Essex ‘He is very flexible and quick to understand the commercial circumstances of the client’s business.’
Henry Byam-Cook KC
Twenty Essex ‘Henry is exceptional on his feet and very persuasive, with an impressive, deep knowledge of the intricacies of the commodities world.’
Julian Kenny KC
Twenty Essex ‘His advice is always excellent, his written work is concise, and he has a natural and easy style of advocacy.’
Philip Riches KC
Twenty Essex ‘Philip prepares thoroughly and carefully for cross-examination, and is a very accomplished leader with superb legal and analytical skills.’
Simon Milnes KC
Twenty Essex ‘A solid advocate with clear and sharp logical thinking, smart strategies, and a persuasive style.’
Lawrence Akka KC
Twenty Essex ‘Lawrence is an intellectual powerhouse who wears his erudition lightly. He is very realistic on merits and tactics.’
2023 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.
Luke Pearce KC
Twenty Essex ‘Luke is supremely intelligent with a great sense of judgement, and is at home with the most complex of disputes.’
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
Twenty Essex ‘Oliver has a very measured approach to advocacy, and he is very adept at thinking quickly on his feet.’
Josephine Davies KC
Twenty Essex ‘Josephine is a tenacious fighter, who is able to rapidly distil the key issues and formulate arguments to support the client’s case.’
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.
Colleen Hanley
Twenty Essex ‘Very enthusiastic and approachable, extremely quick to grasp the essential features of the dispute, and prompt, clear and direct in written work.’
Alex Carless
Twenty Essex ‘One of the best juniors around for shipping and commodities disputes. He has a very sharp, analytical mind, and provides sound advice.’
Angharad Parry
Twenty Essex ‘Angharad is extremely personable and articulate, and she brings an excellent forensic mind to dispute resolution and strategy in complex cases.’
Andrew Dinsmore
Twenty Essex ‘Very smart, extremely down to earth and user-friendly, Andrew provides pragmatic advice.’
Malcolm Jarvis
Twenty Essex ‘His approach is measured, and he is extremely client-friendly, methodical and quick to grasp the issues.’
Tom Corby
Twenty Essex ‘Tom is nothing short of extraordinary in his advocacy skills. He is always meticulously prepared.’
Joshua Folkard
Twenty Essex ‘An extremely bright and inventive lawyer who really engages with a case.’
Richard Greenberg
Twenty Essex ‘His advocacy skills belie his year of call, and his cross-examination technique is better than many silks.’
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.
Michal Hain
Twenty Essex ‘Michal is friendly, responsive and has a good understanding of the factual background behind a claim.’