Essex Court Chambers is a leading set of barristers’ chambers, specialising in commercial and financial litigation, arbitration, public law and public international law. As consistently identified in the legal directories, in the eyes of many instructing solicitors, the members of Essex Court Chambers remain the top choice for complex, large-scale commercial litigation and arbitration.
Areas of Expertise
Members of Chambers are recognised specialists in all areas of commercial law and handle disputes across the full spectrum of the business and financial world, including banking & finance, civil fraud, corporate/chancery & offshore, insurance & reinsurance, energy, trade, shipping, revenue, and employment: for further information, see chambers’ areas of expertise. Within these areas, members of chambers appear as advocates before Courts and arbitration tribunals both in the UK and worldwide. They have a reputation for exceptional talent, top-class advocacy and a client-oriented approach.
Members
Chambers is not a firm, nor are its members partners or employees. Rather, Chambers is comprised of individual barristers each of whom is a self-employed sole practitioner. Members of Chambers are commonly retained by opposing sides in the same dispute, both in litigation and arbitration, with protocols in place to safeguard confidentiality. As well as acting on opposing sides, individuals appear in front of other members acting impartially as Deputy Judges or Arbitrators.
There are currently over 100 barristers practising full-time as members of Essex Court Chambers. Members can be instructed individually or as part of a team, and can provide a wide range of assistance and expertise in both contentious and non-contentious matters.
Barristers act in the full spectrum of UK-based litigation, from County Court hearings to substantial High Court trials and appeals before the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and Privy Council, as well as before specialist tribunals and public inquiries, and before the European Courts.
In addition, members regularly appear before Courts in Gibraltar, the Isle of Man, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands and the Eastern Caribbean, either as registered advocates or or by way of ad hoc admissions, before the DIFC Court, in Hong Kong and elsewhere.
All members regularly appear, advise on and act in arbitrations and disputes around the world, including in Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Awards
Essex Court Chambers was named “Chambers of the Year” at The Legal Business Awards 2022, The Who’s Who Legal Awards 2022, The Who’s Who Legal Awards 2021, The Legal Business Awards 2020, The Lawyer Awards 2019, the Who’s Who Legal Awards 2019 and the British Legal Awards 2018. Additionally Essex Court Chambers was named ‘Commercial Set of the Year 2022’ and ‘International Arbitration Set of the Year 2021′ at the Chambers and Partners UK Bar Awards.
Directories
Essex Court Chambers is listed in Band 1 in Commercial, Fraud, International Arbitration, Offshore and Public International Law in the Chambers and Partners UK Bar Guide in 2022. Chambers is recognised as the “the go-to commercial set above all others” Legal 500 2022 and as a “widely respected” “heavyweight set” with a deep bench of “very impressive practitioners who are always on top of the law” Chambers and Partners in 2022.
