Praised as a ‘top commercial and international law set’, members of Twenty Essex are frequently instructed in complex international arbitration proceedings and related commercial court cases, most notably concerning shipping, trade and commodities disputes, in which Timothy Young KC and Sam Goodman have recently been active. Members also have extensive experience in investor-state arbitration proceedings and are well-versed across various arbitral institutions and rules, including SIAC, LCIA, LMAA and the ICC. Members of chambers who have recently been involved in such cases include Duncan Matthews KC, Philip Riches KC, Sara Masters KC and Belinda McRae, to name a few. Among recent highlights for the set was the highly publicised FamilyMart China Holding Co Ltd v Ting Chuan (Cayman Islands) Holding Corp case, concerning if an arbitration clause in a shareholders’ agreement blocked a winding-up petition, in which Charles Kimmins KC led Mark Tushingham on behalf of FamilyMart.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • 'Anthony Carroll is especially strong. He just gets it.'
  • 'The clerks and practice managers are really good. Arron Zitver is particularly good to work with.'
  • 'Best clerking team in the business.  Friendly, helpful and always available.  No criticisms! Anthony Carroll stands out as a serious operator.'
  • 'The clerking team at Twenty Essex is great. I have recently worked with Will Inkin who has been particularly responsive and helpful.'
  • 'Twenty Essex is one of the leading sets in London for arbitration-related work.'
  • 'Twenty Essex is a very strong dry shipping, commodities and trade set.'
  • 'Go to for commercial international arbitration and investor/state arbitration. '
  • 'Twenty Essex are a top commercial and international law set with many top lawyers. The combination is complementary as private companies increasingly have to deal with complex public law 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.
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.

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.
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.