Alison Macdonald KC

Alison has an extensive practice in public international law, arbitration, human rights and criminal law,  in both domestic and international courts and tribunals. She is described in the legal directories as “one of the smartest, most charming advocates at the Bar”, with “killer litigation instincts”, and as “an intellectual giant” who “works incredibly hard [and] is very cool under pressure”. Clients consider her to be “a superstar”; a “brilliant oral advocate who performs exceptionally well before the most prestigious international courts and arbitral tribunals”, and “the consummate professional”. As well as her legal skills, she is “adored by clients”, “very responsive”, and “a true team player”.

Early in her career, Alison was named as one of the ‘Future Stars of the Bar’ by The Times (2008); on appointment as Queen’s Counsel in 2017 she was selected as a ‘star silk’ by The Lawyer. In 1999 she was elected a fellow of All Souls College, Oxford. Alison is recommended in the leading UK legal directories in six areas: (1) public international law; (2) international arbitration; (3) international human rights law; (4) civil liberties and human rights; (5) administrative and public law; and (6) business and regulatory crime. She is also listed in Chambers Global as a leading silk in the field of public international law, is named in Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration as a leader in the field of international arbitration, and was nominated by the Legal 500 Bar Awards as Public International Law Silk of the Year in 2022 and 2023, and as International Arbitration Silk of the Year in 2024.

Naomi Hart

Naomi has a diverse practice in international, commercial, public and human rights law. She was identified as one of the Hot 100 by The Lawyer in 2023. She has appeared in the major directories for several years, with listings in Public International Law, International Arbitration, and International Human Rights Law.

Naomi’s commercial practice encompasses civil fraud, conflict of laws, shipping and general commercial disputes. She acts as junior and sole counsel, having recently appeared in the Court of Appeal, the Commercial Court, the Chancery Division and the King’s Bench Division (including the Administrative Court). She has also been involved in cases before the courts of the Cayman Islands, the British Virgin Islands, Mauritius, Sweden, Türkiye, Norway, Australia and Malaysia (among others). Her commercial arbitration experience includes proceedings under the DIFC, LCIA, ICC, PCA, SCC, ICSID, UNCITRAL and LMAA Rules.

Naomi has an extensive practice in public international law. She has acted in six cases before the International Court of Justice as well as in proceedings before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, the European Court of Human Rights, and the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization. She is routinely involved in cases before English and foreign domestic courts which involve questions of public international law as well as in investor-State disputes. Across this range of cases, she has advised and acted for governments, international organisations, non-governmental organisations and private parties on matters relating to territorial delimitation, self-determination, the law of the sea, occupation of territory, war crimes, genocide, privileges and immunities, climate change, international administrative law, sanctions, international trade law, the act of State doctrine, and inter-State espionage. She also has a wide human rights practice before English, international and foreign domestic courts, much of which is pro bono.

Naomi attained a doctorate from the University of Cambridge on the topic of espionage and public international law, for which she was awarded the Faculty of Law’s Yorke Prize for a thesis “of exceptional quality, which makes a substantial contribution to its relevant field of legal knowledge”. She has published widely on human rights, international refugee law, investor-State arbitration and general international law.

In 2020, Naomi was appointed to both the Public International Law C Panel of Junior Counsel and the Attorney General’s London C Panel of Civil Counsel. She is also a Trustee of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law and a member of the Bar Council’s International Committee.

Naomi is admitted as a solicitor in New South Wales. At the University of Sydney, she received First Class Honours in her Law degree (ranking second in her year) and the University Medal and First Class Honours in History (ranking first in her year).