3 Verulam Buildings is increasingly regarded as ‘the pre-eminent set for international arbitration in London’, with members advocating across the energy, banking and finance, construction and hospitality sectors, among others, in complex and high-profile arbitration proceedings and arbitration-related court cases. Instructions are frequently received in high-profile investment treaty disputes before ICSID, recent examples include Christopher Harris KC leading Georges Chalfoun in Nova Group Investments B.V. v Romania, acting in a politically sensitive dispute regarding the expropriation of the insurance company.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • 'Stuart Pullum and Stephen Penson are a fantastic senior clerking team; they lead from the front.'
  • 'The clerks are great - I have dealt with Stuart Pullum in particular, who is excellent.  I have also dealt with Rob Croke, who I found easy to deal with and efficient.'
  • 'Mostly we are communicating with Richard Ansell. He is very kind and responsive. He replies all the mails and provides assistance as necessary.'
  • '3VB's clerks are excellent.  I have mostly worked with Harry Freeman.  Harry is proactive, helpful and committed to providing excellent service.  He is responsive, has strong communication skills and is resourceful.'
  • '3VB are regarded as the pre-eminent set for international arbitration in London.  It has some really important figures in the arbitration world.'
  • 'Their set are intelligent, commercial, ambitious and strong in their practice areas. Supported by fantastic juniors.'
  • 'First rank set for top arbitration work in London, MENA and Asia. Unrivalled Asian experience at the London Bar.'
  • '3VB demonstrates an outstanding level of professionalism, knowledge and dedication in the cases I have dealt with them.'

Silks

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.

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.
3
Matthew Watson
3 Verulam Buildings
 'Matthew is a very clear thinker, he is able to work through complex matters and convey the key issues and points in a concise and readily understandable manner. Matthew is very sharp, and you can be confident that nothing will get by him.'