Shipping

4 Pump Court

4 Pump Court continues its active presence in the shipping sector, where the set frequently handles a high-profile caseload, drawing on its expertise in construction and insurance-related disputes where necessary. James Leabeater KC acted on behalf of Shell and Fluor in Shell v Greenpeace, which dealt with the boarding and occupation of a vessel carrying an FPSO unit by Greenpeace supporters in 2023; Anna Hoffmann appeared on behalf of Greenpeace in this case. A fire onboard a yacht spreading to other vessels in a Corfu marina was the subject of the The Big Kahuna, handled James Watthey. James Hatt was instructed by the defendant insurers in an admiralty limitation claim surrounding another fire-related incident, in which a yacht sank in the Torquay marina.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

'Service is excellent, Carl Wall and Paul Bloxham both responsive and practical.'
'My main contact is James Tanner. Always willing to help, always finds a solution and goes above and beyond.'
'The clerks are extremely responsive and offer us a first-class service. They have the best clerks of all the London shipping sets.'
'4 Pump Court is a very good commercial set.'
'Very good strength in depth - there is always someone who can be instructed on any given subject.'

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.

Sean O’Sullivan KC

4 Pump Court

‘An outstanding commercial barrister. Quick and responsive with a deep knowledge of the law and an eye for clever angles and creative arguments.'

James Leabeater KC

4 Pump Court

‘ James is extremely user friendly and very easy to get along with. He is a very able advocate and an very effective cross-examiner.'

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.

‘James is a very capable advocate. Most of all though James is commercially sensible which is why he is so successful acting for insurers.'

'Robert is fantastic. He is incredibly clever, remarkably hard working and a pleasure to work with.'

Thomas Steward

4 Pump Court

‘Bright but commercially very savvy. As an advocate has a natural easy manner with the tribunal but with an edge when needed.'

‘Ed is excellent on detail and also puts points across well to a tribunal or court.’

Neil Dowers

4 Pump Court

‘Neil is a very able junior who is excellent on the detail. He is excellent on the law and procedure and comes up with commercial practical solutions and suggestions if required.'

Gideon Shirazi

4 Pump Court

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.