Benedict Tompkins has written an article published in the February 2025 issue of the Journal of International Banking and Financial Law, which considers the Loan Market Association’s standard sovereign immunity clause in light of recent case law and practice on enforcement against sovereign States. The article focuses on both judgment debts and award debts, and […]
News & publications
The Supreme Court decision in UniCredit Bank GmbH v. RusChemAlliance LLC has been named the “Most Important Decision” of the last year at the Global Arbitration Review (GAR) Awards, held during Paris Arbitration Week 2025. The decision of the Supreme Court was published last September, following an expedited hearing and decision on such appeal six […]
Essex Court Chambers is delighted to announce that Joe Smouha KC and Prof. Dan Sarooshi KC have been shortlisted for ‘Barrister of the Year‘ at The Lawyer Awards 2025, which will take place on 17 June 2025 at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House Hotel. The Lawyer Awards have been the ultimate stage for legal mastery […]
Mr Justice Rajah handed down judgment on 7 April 2025 in Okuashvili v Ivanishvili & Ors [2025] EWHC 829 (Ch) upholding jurisdiction challenges brought by Mr Ivanishvili and a number of other defendants, and giving summary judgment in favour of others. The Judge found that (i) various claims sought to be brought in two sets of proceedings […]
On 9 April 2025, the Supreme Court handed down judgment in The MSC Flaminia case. The dispute arose from a casualty on board the MSC Flaminia on 14 July 2012 while the ship was in mid-Atlantic en route from Charleston, South Carolina, to Antwerp. An explosion occurred in the no. 4 cargo hold which led to […]
Multiple members of Essex Court Chambers feature in the Pro Bono Recognition list for 2025. The list highlights lawyers who completed 25 hours or more legal pro bono work over the past year. Members included in the list are Hugh Mercer KC, Charles Ciumei KC, Amy Sander, Naomi Hart, Benedict Tompkins, Luke Tattersall, Freddie Onslow, Daniel […]
Lucas Bastin KC, Professor Chester Brown SC and Naomi Hart have been ranked in “Jus Connect’s Data-Backed Arbitration Rankings – Power List 2025”. In its fourth edition, this esteemed initiative is reshaping the way excellence is recognised in arbitration by highlighting the sector’s most active and influential law firms, practitioners, and arbitrators. View the Top […]
Members and staff at Essex Court Chambers are celebrating the appointment of five new silks today. Tariq Baloch, Jane Russell, Ciaran Keller, David Walsh and Anton Dudnikov will all be sworn in as King’s Counsel before the Lord Chancellor at a ceremony taking place at Westminster Hall. Senior Clerk, Joe Ferrigno, commented “I am thrilled […]
The Commercial Court handed down judgment on 14 March 2025 in Chugga Chugg Pty Ltd v Privinvest Holding SAL [2025] EWHC 585 (Comm). The dispute arose under a guarantee by which the Defendant (a Lebanese company whose primary beneficial owner was Mr Iskandar Safa) secured its former subsidiary shipyard’s performance under a contract for the […]
Thomas Sebastian has been appointed to the Competition and Markets Authority’s Standing Counsel panel. The CMA needs to be able to call upon a panel of highly specialist counsel who can give priority to the CMA’s cases, represent the CMA in court and help provide bespoke training to CMA staff. Further information can be read […]
On 28 February 2025, Mr Justice Bryan handed down judgment in The Republic of Kazakhstan v. World Wide Minerals and Paul Carroll QC [2025] EWHC 452 (Comm) upholding a s.68 challenge by the Republic of Kazakhstan to an investor-state arbitral award, on the basis that (in remitted proceedings directed specifically at determining issues of causation […]
On 26th of February 2025, the Government announced its response to the recommendations of the Chairman of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry in its panel’s Phase 2 report. The Government has accepted all of the Inquiry’s recommendations and has simultaneously published a green paper on construction products. In her Foreword, the Deputy Prime Minister thanked Sir […]
