Members of Chambers are pleased to welcome Joseph Rich as a tenant at Essex Court Chambers. Called to the Bar in 2018, Joseph has a broad commercial practice. His specialisms include civil fraud, energy and natural resources, insurance and reinsurance, and shipping and commodities. Ranked as a Rising Star, he has been described as “highly […]
Members of Chambers are pleased to announce that Carola Binney has joined Essex Court Chambers. Called to the Bar in 2019, Carola has a commercial practice, with particular focus on civil fraud, banking and finance, and sports law. She is described in the directories as “A stand out junior. Hard working, exceptionally clever, loves the […]
The Supreme Court today handed down judgment in Kingdom of Spain v. Infrastructure Services Luxembourg S.À.R.L. and Republic of Zimbabwe v. Border Timbers Ltd [2026] UKSC 9. The decision settles as a matter of UK law a point of controversy about sovereign immunity and ICSID awards which has been the subject of appellate decisions in […]
On 27 February 2026, Mr Justice Waksman handed down judgment in Soprim Construction Sarl v The Republic of Djibouti & ors [2026] EWHC 418 (Comm). The judgment concerns an application for security for costs by an objecting party to a charging order, DP World Djibouti FZCO (‘DP World’). The security application was made against the […]
On 2 March 2026, the Commercial Court (Bright J) handed down judgment enforcing three Arbitration Awards against the Russian Federation in favour of the former shareholders of Yukos. At c.US$66billion (including interest), this is reputed to be largest judgment ever granted by the Commercial Court. The judgment can be found here. David Peters KC and Naomi Hart (together with […]
In a judgment handed down on 23 February 2026 ([2026] EWHC 368 (Comm)), Lord Justice Foxton partially set aside a US$48.5m investment treaty arbitration award under the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement (“KORUS”) in favour of the US hedge fund, Elliott Associates LP. As a consequence, various issues have been remitted to the Tribunal for fresh […]
On 20 February 2026, Mr Justice Birt handed down judgment on issues of liability and injunctive relief in Guy Carpenter & Company Ltd v Willis Re (UK) Ltd [2026] EWHC 361 (KB), major team move proceedings arising from the resignation of 22 employees in June 2025 in London and Bermuda, including two company directors, from […]
Luke Tattersall will be leaving Chambers on Monday 16th February to practise at Quinn Emanuel in the position Of Counsel where he will specialise in international litigation and arbitration. Members of Chambers wish him well in this next stage of his career and look forward to working together with him in future.
Essex Court Chambers is pleased to announce that 72 members have received 127 rankings in the Chambers Global Guide 2026 across specialist departments and jurisdictions. Members have been recognised as leading practitioners in the following ranked areas: Global Market Leaders International Arbitration – The English Bar Public International Law: The English Bar UK Dispute Resolution: […]
On 6 February 2026, the Court of Appeal handed down its judgment in South Bank Hotel Management Company Limited v Galliard Hotels Limited [2026] EWCA Civ 56. The claim is brought by an investment vehicle (“South Bank”) through which individuals purchased rooms in a hotel which was to be developed by companies within the Galliard […]
Judgment was delivered last week in IPJSC United Company Rusal v Whiteleave Holdings Ltd & Ors [2026] EWHC 154 (Comm), the latest decision in long-running litigation between Rusal and Whiteleave, the two largest shareholders in PJSC MM Norilsk Nickel (‘NN’), one of Russia’s largest mining companies. The litigation, which is set down for a for […]
On 30 January 2026, Mr Justice Saini handed down judgment in Trafigura Pte Ltd & Anor v Prateek Gupta & Ors [2026] EWHC 159 (Comm), following a month-long trial in November-December 2025. In these high-profile proceedings, Trafigura, the world’s largest private metal trader, brought claims against Mr Prateek Gupta, and several entities he owned or […]
