Members of Essex Court Chambers are frequently asked to speak at conferences and seminars, both nationally and internationally, on a wide range of topics within Chambers’ areas of expertise.
Individual members are available to give talks and presentations, or to lead or participate in seminars, whether held at solicitor/client premises or elsewhere.
The Spring 2024 list of talks is available to download here.
Banking & Finance
- The Quincecare duty and the Supreme Court decision in Stanford International Bank Ltd (In Liquidation) v HSBC plc – Louise Hutton KC, James Sheehan, Akash Sonecha, Edward Mordaunt
- A recap of principles and update from recent caselaw – John Robb
- Guarantees and performance bonds: why is this boundary so frequently litigated, and have the courts now achieved certainty and predictability? – John Robb
- Default and acceleration – has the Pendulum swung too far towards banks? – Richard Hoyle
Chancery Commercial
- Rescission, rectification and knowing receipt – recap and case update – John Robb
- Trusts, tracing and the Bona Fide purchaser – Richard Hoyle
- The use of trusts in litigation funding agreements – Richard Hoyle
Civil Fraud
- Deripaska: contempt and abuse of process – Roderick Cordara KC, Tim Akkouh KC, Benedict Tompkins
- Countering dissipation: forcing a defendant to call in liquid assets before and after judgment – Nathan Pillow KC
- The interface between criminal and civil fraud in the international dimension – Alison Macdonald KC
- Contempt; Deripaska and business mortgage finance – what we have learned – Anna Dilnot KC, Katherine Ratcliffe, Alexander Riddiford
- Fraud in shareholders disputes: the techniques used to defraud joint ventures – Iain Quirk KC
- Disclosure in aid of a WFO: how far can you go? – Tim Akkouh KC
- How to freeze Bitcoins – Tim Akkouh KC, Freddie Popplewell
- Artificial Intelligence: who to injunct if the machines go rogue – Tim Akkouh KC and Freddie Popplewell
- The role of fraud in investment treaty arbitration – Lucas Bastin KC
- Fraud and the enforcement of arbitration awards – Lucas Bastin KC
- Cutting it short: successful jurisdiction and service out challenges – Ruth den Besten KC
- What to consider when seeking to obtain or discharge a freezing order – Tom Ford and James Sheehan
- Disclosure in commercial litigation: strategy, practice points and pitfalls – Tom Ford and James Sheehan
- Privilege challenges in fraud cases – Tom Ford and James Sheehan
- Transactions at an undervalue (s.423 IA 1986) – principles and scope – John Robb
- The Law of civil fraud in 30 minutes – John Robb
- Unlawful means conspiracy: the elusive limits of an anomalous tort – John Robb
- When jurisdictions collide: the impact of POCA on civil proceedings – Richard Hoyle
- Freezing injunctions: an update – Naomi Hart
Climate Change Litigation
Introductory talks
- International environmental law: an introduction – Naomi Hart
- Climate change litigation: what’s happening right now, and what might we see in future? – John Robb
Public Law
- Judicial review, challenges to government action and climate change – Edward Brown KC, Jackie McArthur, Naomi Hart, Katie Ratcliffe, Naomi Hart
- Climate change litigation around the world: challenge to government action (and inaction) in foreign jurisdictions – Jackie McArthur
Public International Law
- Climate change and proceedings before the international court of justice and ITLOS – Naomi Hart
- Protecting biodiversity on the high seas: the treaty on biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction – Naomi Hart
Human Rights
- Climate change before the European court of human rights – Hugh Mercer KC, Alison Macdonald KC, Amy Sander, Luke Tattersall, Freddie Popplewell
- Climate change and jurisdiction under human rights treaties – Naomi Hart
- Climate change and the human right to a clean and healthy environment – Naomi Hart
Greenwashing
- Greenwashing claims in action – Daniel Oudkerk KC and Jackie McArthur
- Greenwashing claims and corporate investment: some horizon scanning – Richard Hoyle
Investment treaties and arbitration
- Private enforcement of public good: international arbitration agreements as a mechanism for climate change enforcement – Graham Dunning KC, Benedict Tompkins
- Investment treaty arbitration and climate change – Alison Macdonald KC, Peter Webster, Jackie McArthur, Naomi Hart
- The developing law of proportionality in investment treaty arbitration, as applied to climate change action by States – Jackie McArthur
Miscellaneous topics
- Climate change and long-term energy contracts – David Mildon KC
- Climate change and insurance law – David Scorey KC, David Walsh, Helen Morton
- English jurisdiction for overseas environmental claims – Graham Dunning KC, Naomi Hart
- Climate change and directors’ duties – Edward Brown KC, John Robb, Daniel Fox
- Claims under the FSMA and the implications of Butler-Sloss v The Charity Commission [2022] EWHC 974 (Ch) – Edward Brown KC, Daniel Fox
- Climate law and agriculture – Jessica Wells, Daniel Fox
- Equality law and the impacts of climate change – Jane Russell, Grace Ferrier
- The Fiduciary’s Divestment Dilemma: ESG and the Age of Climate Change – Richard Hoyle
Commercial Litigation
- Recent developments in contract termination – Roderick Cordara KC
- Navigating disputes in the virtual world: dispute resolution in the metaverse’s artistic landscape – Roderick Cordara KC
- The tort of deceit in the context of the marital relationship – Jeffrey Gruder KC
- Good faith in commercial contracts – Philippa Hopkins KC
- Governing law: a primer – Neil Hart KC
- Jurisdiction: a primer – Neil Hart KC
- Governing law: key topics and current cases – Neil Hart KC, Lorraine Aboagye
- Jurisdiction: key topics and current cases – Neil Hart KC, Lorraine Aboagye
- Contempt applications: how to navigate the elephant traps – Anna Dilnot KC, Alexander Riddiford, Katherine Ratcliffe
- Enforcing against sovereigns – the new developments – Lucas Bastin KC
- Attaching assets of State-owned companies in respect of State debts – Lucas Bastin KC
- Disclosure in aid of a WFO: how far can you go? – Tim Akkouh KC
- Artificial Intelligence: who to injunct if the machines go rogue – Tim Akkouh KC, Freddie Popplewell
- Cutting it short: successful jurisdiction and service out challenges – Ruth den Besten KC
- Avoiding pitfalls and positioning for success: fighting big trials in the commercial court – Ruth den Besten KC, Tom Ford
- Disclosure in commercial litigation: strategy, practice points and pitfalls – Tom Ford, James Sheehan
- A guide to challenging arbitration awards in the Commercial Court pursuant to sections 67 and 68 of the Arbitration Act 1996 – Tom Ford, Peter Webster
- Forum Conveniens: practical pointers as to when the English court will (and will not) exercise jurisdiction – John Robb
- Damages, remoteness, mitigation: recap and case update – John Robb
- Use of disclosed documents outside of the original proceedings: how to stay on the right side of CPR 31.22 – John Robb
- Disclosure of documents before issuing substantive proceedings: what are the options? – John Robb
- Enforcement of judgments in England – Peter Webster
- Classic cars, extraordinary disputes: the road less travelled – Peter Webster, Richard Hoyle
- Back to the future: trial witness statements in the business and property courts after 6 April 2021 – Richard Hoyle
- Remote trials after COVID – Richard Hoyle
- Orders binding the world – guillotining competing proprietary claims – Richard Hoyle
- Getting the documents: cross border evidence from third parties in commercial litigation and arbitration – Richard Hoyle
- Recent anti-suit injunction cases – Owen Lloyd
Employment
- PTRs, severance and the Tillman case – Daniel Oudkerk KC
- Restrictive covenants in employment and commercial contracts, law and tactics – Daniel Oudkerk KC
- LPs, LLPs and commercial employment law – a practical approach to the modern ‘partnership relationship’ – Daniel Oudkerk KC
- Recent cases about employment status: Uber, IWGB v CAC (Deliveroo) and Amazon – Jane Russell
- Recent cases about gender critical feminism being a protected belief: Forstater (ET) (EAT), Bailey (ET) – Jane Russell
- Implied duties in employment contracts – Owen Lloyd
Human rights
- Jurisdiction under the European Convention on Human Rights – Naomi Hart
- Climate change and human rights – Naomi Hart
International Arbitration
- The arbitration act 1996 and the law commission proposals to amend it – Roderick Cordara KC
- The law commission proposals on the arbitration act – Philippa Hopkins KC
- Recognition & enforcement of judgments and awards against foreign States in the English courts – Dan Sarooshi KC
- Commencement of arbitrations: problems and pitfalls – Jeremy Brier KC
- Enka v Chubb: law of the arbitration agreement now settled? – Iain Quirk KC
- Arbitration applications: applications to the English court in support of arbitration – Angeline Welsh KC, Felix Wardle, Benedict Tompkins
- Arbitration challenges. When, if ever, can you challenge an arbitration award on the facts? – John Robb
- Key aspects of reform of the arbitration act: court orders in support of arbitration; applicable law; jurisdiction challenges – Peter Webster
- Getting the documents: cross border evidence from third parties in commercial litigation and arbitration – Richard Hoyle
- Arbitration applications to the commercial court – Benedict Tomkins, Owen Lloyd
Investment Treaties and Arbitration
- Investor State: treaty abuse – Roderick Cordara KC
- Investor State: annulment & Revision – Roderick Cordara KC
- Investor State & tax – Roderick Cordara KC
- Investment treaty arbitration and climate change – Alison Macdonald KC, Peter Webster, Naomi Hart
- Parallel claims in investment arbitration – Lucas Bastin KC, Benedict Tompkins
- The treatment of regulatory change under investment treaties – Thomas Sebastian
- Conducting an emergency arbitration – Jackie McArthur
- Attributing the conduct of private companies to a State respondent – Jackie McArthur
- The developing law of proportionality in investment treaty arbitration – Jackie McArthur
Insurance
- Business interruption insurance, claims arising from the COVID-19 pandemic – Jeffrey Gruder KC
- Bermuda form: an overview of excess liability coverage – David Scorey KC
- Bermuda form: current issues in excess liability arbitration – David Scorey KC
- Bermuda form: climate change claims – David Scorey KC
- Bermuda form: the Opioid epidemic – David Scorey KC
- The FCA test case: an overview and discussion of the Supreme Court judgment – Jeremy Brier KC
- An introduction to re-insurance – David Walsh
- Stonegate et al: the butcher (J), the baker (Greggs), and the pizza maker (Strada) – David Walsh, Helen Morton, Daniel Fox
- Business interruption insurance: developments in the case law – Helen Morton, Freddie Onslow, Daniel Fox
- The insurance act: where are we now? – Helen Morton, Freddie Onslow, Daniel Fox
Offshore
- Cryptocurrencies and injunctive relief – David Scorey KC
- Reflective loss post Sevilleja v Marex – Iain Quirk KC
- The new funding of trusts litigation – Jeremy Brier KC
- Stuck in the Mittal with you. Norwich Pharmacal relief after Essar – Stuart Cribb
Public International Law
- Update on State immunity – Jessica Wells and Peter Webster
- International law in judicial review – Peter Webster
- Introduction to State immunity – Mubarak Waseem
Shipping
- Charterparty parent company guarantees – Neil Hart KC
- Recent developments in limitation – David Walsh
- Misdelivery claims and defences: the good, the bad, and the ugly – John Robb
Tax/VAT
- Brexit – Fiscal implications – Roderick Cordara KC
- Commercial arbitration and tax issues: the limits of jurisdiction – Roderick Cordara KC