Essex Court Chambers fields a deep bench of both barristers and juniors regularly involved in the market’s most significant disputes. The salvage of a large amount of silver in 2017 from the SS Tilawa, a ship sunk by the Imperial Japanese Navy in the Indian Ocean in 1942, raised questions surrounding state immunity in Argentum Exploration Ltd v Republic of South Africa, where Christopher Smith KC acted on behalf of the Republic of South Africa, whom the Supreme Court ruled in favour of in 2024. Jeremy Brier KC appeared in Sangamo v Prosperity, one of the cases arising out of the dispute between Greek shipowner siblings Angeliki Frangou and John Frangos and dealing with contractual relationships within the family. Elsewhere, Philippa Hopkins KC has led David Walsh in the Win Win, a claim under war risks policy for an indemnity for constructive total loss resulting from the detention of a bulk carrier by Indonesian authorities.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Katie Myles is great to deal with. We always receive excellent service from the clerks room.'
- 'The chamber is always supportive, efficient and with a kind approach. Top-class service.'
- 'Excellent in terms of quality of practitioners.'
- 'Top-notch silks.'
- 'A strong commercial, shipping and insurance set. Many good KCs and barristers. One of the top of our list when we are looking for counsel.'
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.
Graham Dunning KC
Essex Court Chambers
Christopher Smith KC
Essex Court Chambers ‘Chris has a really genuine depth of knowledge and seems to put those on the bench at ease with his submissions. He is prepared to really get stuck into the detail and it shows in the detail and clarity of his submissions.'
Nathan Pillow KC
Essex Court Chambers
Philippa Hopkins KC
Essex Court Chambers ‘Tremendously intelligent, and an excellent communicator both in writing and orally. Philippa has a great appreciation of the case law and its application, and is a well-organised and effective advocate.’
Neil Hart KC
Essex Court Chambers 'Exceptional clarity of advice and thought. Very easy to engage with.'
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.
David Walsh
Essex Court Chambers ‘David has an unflappable ability to digest information quickly and carefully and produce succinct and commercial advice. Great as part of a team leading other juniors as well as providing real insight and value when being led.'
Adam Board
Essex Court Chambers ‘Adam is very calm and considered, able to work well in any team and demonstrates strong legal analysis and tactical awareness.'
John Robb
Essex Court Chambers 'John is excellent. He is extremely thorough and always willing to go the extra mile.'
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Adam Woolnough
Essex Court Chambers
Helen Morton
Essex Court Chambers ‘Her legal acumen is truly extraordinary, demonstrating an exceptional depth of knowledge, razor-sharp analytical skills, and an unparalleled ability to dissect complex legal issues with clarity and precision.'
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.
Freddie Onslow
Essex Court Chambers 'Freddie's technical knowledge is a great asset in shipbuilding cases focussed on defects and complex expert areas. A really good team member and easy to work with, as well as strong on the strategy and legal analysis.'