Sir Daniel Bethlehem KCMG KC
Twenty Essex ‘Nobody combines heavyweight legal skill with political and diplomatic insight like Daniel. He is an extraordinary lawyer and blessed with remarkable gifts of advocacy, intellect and charm.’
Twenty Essex remains reputed across the full spectrum of public international law, including but not limited to expertise in state versus state disputes and investor versus state disputes, as well as sovereign and state immunity cases. The chambers are described as housing ‘some of the best PIL practitioners on the globe’ with multiple members of the set regularly involved in the landmark cases in the area. Daniel Bethlehem KC continues to lead in high-profile international arbitrations and state immunity cases, including the Hedges v Al Naqbi case in the English courts, acting for the government of the UAE on the question of state immunity of behalf of state officials, where he leads Paolo Busco, among others. Bethlehem KC is also leading Philippa Webb in representing Pakistan in an arbitration against India concerning the Indus Waters Treaty's division of water between the two states.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Very good. Anthony Carroll is very user friendly and responsive.'
- 'Exceptional clerking team. Highly responsive, understand the task at hand, and provide solutions. Ant Carroll is a star.'
- 'The service is generally efficient and professional. The clerks are responsive and knowledgeable, particularly the senior clerks who demonstrate significant expertise in managing case logistics.'
- 'The clerks are very efficient and a pleasure to deal with.'
- 'Twenty Essex is an excellent set with very talented barristers across a number of fields. They serve the diverse practice areas of my firm extremely well and are a go-to set for the most complex work.'
- 'Twenty Essex is a pre-eminent chambers, with some of the best PIL practitioners on the Globe.'
- 'Twenty Essex have real strength in complex commercial disputes with a public law dimension. Also, very strong in arbitration.'
- 'The set as a whole is well-respected in the area of arbitration, characterized by a depth of talent and a strong availability of counsel. They offer comprehensive training programs which ensure their barristers are well-prepared.'
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.
Lord Verdirame KC
Twenty Essex ‘A natural leader at the Bar for public international law - Guglielmo is rigorous, analytical and impressive, an effective cross-examiner and knows just how to calibrate submissions for the tribunal and context.’
Sudhanshu Swaroop KC
Twenty Essex ‘Sudhanshu knows his subject matter and brings to every case he works outstanding attention to detail and precise and concise legal drafting. On his feet he is clear and elegant. Impressive in all respects.’
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.
Penelope Nevill
Twenty Essex ‘Penelope is an outstanding junior - very good drafting skills and great at getting on top of a volume of materials in a short space of time.’
Kate Parlett
Twenty Essex ‘Few junior barristers can match her knowledge of public international law. She also has a great litigation judgement and is very effective advocate, popular with clients and held in high esteem by judges and arbitrators.’
Philippa Webb
Twenty Essex ‘Philippa is an absolute star - the go-to person for sovereign immunity issues. A leader in the field. She is an excellent communicator and advocate, solutions-oriented, user-friendly, and an absolute joy to work with.'
Paolo Busco
Twenty Essex ‘Paolo is a great team player. Thorough, creative, and easy to work with. He keeps the client’s objectives in laser focus.’
Belinda McRae
Twenty Essex ‘Belinda is one of the best juniors at the Bar. A great intellect and adopting a helpful collegial approach to all aspects of a case.’
Simon Olleson
Twenty Essex ‘As a junior, Simon is peerless in the field of international law. Encyclopedic, refined and impactful, Simon brings class and quality to everything he does.’
Manuel Casas
Twenty Essex ‘Manuel has an excellent and comprehensive grasp of public international law, combined with superb case management skills. He takes to any task set - research, legal drafting or dealing with witnesses and evidence etc. - with acumen and energy.’
Courtney Grafton
Twenty Essex ‘Courtney is a star. She is one of the next generation of public international law practitioners at the Bar. Her drafting is exceptional, as is her knowledge of public international law. She pairs excellent advice with brilliant instincts and judgement. She is undoubtedly a go-to junior in public international law disputes.’
