Nathan Pillow KC

Nathan Pillow is a “much-praised” and “highly respected” commercial practitioner, who joined Essex Court Chambers in 1998 and took silk in early 2015. He specialises in advocacy in commercial/chancery disputes, usually involving both domestic and offshore (or other international) elements, with a particular focus on civil fraud, asset-tracing and international banking and finance.

Nathan usually acts as the leader of the team of barristers in complex and high-value cases, having particular experience both of heavy interlocutory applications (e.g. for freezing relief or on jurisdictional issues) and long commercial trials, including extensive witness cross-examination. He is praised as “extremely clever” and “excellent both in his cross-examination and reading of the court”; and as a “very good”, “slick”, “very robust” and “unflappable” advocate, with a “calm but forceful manner”, whose “cross-examination is very effective”.

Nathan has extensive experience of heavy and complex cases, working closely with teams of solicitors, foreign lawyers and other counsel, in commercial disputes of all kinds. He has particular experience in the field of civil fraud (acting both for claimants and defendants), including injunctive and other interim relief; equitable, proprietary and restitutionary claims and remedies; and tracing and asset recovery. His work generally has an international character and often involves complex jurisdictional and conflict of laws issues. Nathan’s approach to his cases is “very commercial”, and he is praised for his “efficient” work, which he “turns… around in short order”, and which is “always of exceptional quality”.

Nathan is widely commended for the supportive and responsive manner in which he works with his professional and lay clients, being described as “client-focused”, “so easy to work with”, “very good with clients”, “incredibly user friendly” – and “good value for money”. He is a “client-friendly” silk who “always appreciates the commercial realities faced by clients”.

He is recommended by Chambers and Partners UK Client’s Guide to the UK Legal Profession in the fields of commercial dispute resolution, civil fraud, international arbitration, and shipping and commodities; and by The Legal 500: UK edition for commercial litigation, civil fraud and shipping. (All of the quotes above come from the 2016 and 2015 editions of these directories).

 

Mark Templeman KC

Mark has wide experience of arbitration, both as arbitrator and counsel, including LCIA, ICC, ARIAS, LMAA, LME, AAA and SIAC arbitrations. He is regularly appointed as sole arbitrator, as chairman or a member of tribunals dealing with insurance, reinsurance, shipping, shipbuilding/conversion and offshore energy-related matters.

He is also a CEDR-accredited mediator, and one of the editors of Arnould: Law of Marine Insurance and Average.

Mark Templeman has appeared as arbitrator or counsel in arbitrations in London, New York, Bermuda, Rotterdam and Singapore.  He took silk in 2003. He practises commercial law, specialising in insurance and reinsurance (marine and non-marine), shipping, sale of goods, commodities, energy and banking disputes.

John Lockey KC

With more than 30 years’ experience of advising and representing policyholders, brokers, insurers and reinsurers in some of the most complicated insurance and reinsurance disputes in the London and international insurance markets, John is now a popular choice as arbitrator. He has received more than 60 appointments (LCIA, ICC, ARIAS UK and ad hoc) as sole arbitrator, party appointed arbitrator and increasingly as third arbitrator/chair, in arbitrations seated in London, Bermuda, Cayman and elsewhere (including most recently Romania and Germany). He has written or co-written dozens of awards.

Recent experience as arbitrator includes a number of Bermuda Form disputes, COVID business interruption claims, allocation/attachment disputes including disputes between underwriting years, disputes between coverholders and insurers, disputes involving alternative risk transfer transactions, aggregation disputes, and marine and non-marine reinsurance/retrocession recovery actions.  He has also been appointed in a number of expert determinations involving issues of insurance or reinsurance law and has provided neutral written opinions (binding and non-binding) in coverage disputes between policyholders and insurers.

John has served as Chair of the British Insurance Law Association (2006-2008) and as a Committee Member of ARIAS (UK) and is co-editor (with Professor Merkin) of the Lloyd’s Insurance and Reinsurance Law Reports. John was Chambers & Partners’ Insurance Silk of the year in 2011 and again in 2021.

John has recently produced an Award (as sole arbitrator) in a dispute between a large group of policyholders and a leading insurer concerning UK COVID BI losses, chaired an arbitration concerning reinsurance claims following the insolvency of a leading European insurance company, is chair of a series of arbitrations under reinsurances in respect of significant offshore energy losses, and is chair or party appointed arbitrator in a number of Bermuda Form arbitration disputes (US pharmaceutical product liability and US medical liability claims).

Joe Smouha KC

Joe Smouha KC is widely recognised as one of the leading silks at the Commercial Bar, “firmly established in the super league” as “one most complete KCs” and “a standout Silk”. His high profile practice spans a vast array of fields in international and domestic commercial law. He appears regularly in the High Court and appellate courts and in international arbitrations (including ICC and BIT panels). In addition he appears before courts in offshore jurisdictions, such as the BVI and Cayman Islands. He is regularly appointed as arbitrator in commercial and investment arbitrations, including ICC, LCIA, ICSID, SCC, UNCITRAL, ad hoc arbitrations and is an arbitrator at the Court of Arbitration for Art.

Joe Smouha has been appointed as president of the ICSID Tribunal in WALAM v Kenya.

Jeremy Brier KC

Jeremy regularly sits as arbitrator with experience of all international rules.  During the past six years, Jeremy has also regularly sat as a Recorder, with a jurisdiction to hear Criminal cases in the Crown Court and Chancery matters. He is also a frequent broadcaster on radio and TV about key issues in the law and was formerly an adjunct Professor at Pepperdine University based in California.

Jeremy’s wide-ranging practice experience has included a long-running ICC dispute concerning steelmaking in India where Jeremy spent much time with clients in Mumbai; a number of cases concerning oil and gas; a complex software and accounting dispute following a company takeover; and a number of commercial frauds. In particular, Jeremy was the successful Junior Counsel for Scott Law in the Court Appeal, in the leading case of RBS v Highland, where the Court found that the “unclean hands” of RBS meant it should not be granted anti-suit injunctive relief, despite an exclusive jurisdiction clause. Jeremy was named as one of the Top 10 Future Stars of the Bar by Legal Week in his earlier years of practice, described as “superbly confident” and “a genuine class act in the making”. Jeremy has also previously been a lecturer in European law (Pepperdine University, 2004-2008) and he is a former winner of the World Debating Championships (2004). He frequently gives lectures on developments in commercial law and international arbitration.

Jeremy is also a leading barrister specialising in complex commercial litigation, including all aspects of international arbitration, banking and funds, insurance and commercial fraud. He is a powerful and experienced advocate and he is recognised by all the leading legal directories, as follows:

“a first-rate brain… other barristers should be very scared when they come up against him because they will be outfoxed”.
“an excellent advocate, calm and unflappable”
“a powerful advocate with a dogged determination in arguing his case”
“a real arbitration specialist”
“an ability to deliver results that has won him many fans”.
“brilliant”, “excellent”
and “coming up with the most creative and commercial solutions to really knotty problems, and delivers outstanding pieces of work… He is also incredibly nice, friendly and funny.”

Jeremy acted for Arch in the Supreme Court for the leading case of Financial Conduct Authority v Arch test case (2020) on business interruption losses resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic.  In 2022, he has appeared as sole counsel in numerous cases including WSB v FOL (2022) concerning sections 67-69 Arbitration Act 1996; and a complex international arbitration concerning a tower of excess liability insurance. In 2021, Jeremy also appeared as sole counsel in a lengthy commercial fraud case, SFO v Litigation Capital and Others (2021); and acted in numerous heavy return dates in respect of Search Orders and Freezing Injunctions relating to complex international frauds.

 

Jeffrey Gruder KC

Jeffrey Gruder KC has a high-profile arbitration practice. He has vast experience of acting as Chairman, Sole and Party Appointed Arbitrator in a large variety of commercial arbitrations including LCIA, ICC, Swiss Chamber, UNCITRAL, SIAC, HKIAC, LMAA, DIAC and ad hoc arbitrations. He is sought after and well-regarded.

Jeffrey Gruder is consistently recommended as a leading arbitrator in both Legal 500 and Chambers Directories. Recent comments include:

Chambers UK Bar Guide

“Distinguished for his expertise in acting as an arbitrator in a number of high-value international disputes.”

Strengths: “Extremely impartial, efficient, on the ball and very well prepared.”

Leading observers hold Gruder’s talents in the highest esteem, praising his “astounding intellect and great mastery of technical matters.”

“… Extremely able and thorough … with an extraordinary knowledge of the law. “Very experienced and very bright.”

“”A very able and well-respected arbitrator who is very clever and hard-working.” “Very efficient at dealing with everything and a delight to work with.”

Legal 500

“First Class”

“Strong attention to detail; incredibly responsive; collegiate and very easy to deal with”

Jane Russell KC

Jane is an exceptional mediator and also accepts arbitral appointments.  She is ranked as a leading Junior for Employment, described as “super-intelligent”, “brilliant” and “insightful” by Chambers and Partners and “incredibly hardworking and very user-friendly” by Legal 500. Jane specialises in commercial employment disputes, particularly those with a deceit angle, as well as pure employment disputes and disputes with a European dimension. She has a wealth of experience in bonus disputes, share scheme disputes, breaches of contract, breaches of fiduciary duty, urgent and injunctive matters (including injunctions against employees to enforce post-termination restraints and to preserve confidential information), discrimination, whistleblowing and industrial action.

Jane is equally adept in High Court proceedings and Employment Tribunal proceedings.

In the last few years, Jane has assisted in some of the leading cases in the commercial employment area, often led by leaders in their fields.

Jane is also on the Attorney General’s “A” Panel of Junior Counsel to the Crown. She has acted on a range of matters for the United Kingdom Government in the High Court and tribunals and was part of the team who obtained a permanent injunction against the Prison Officers Association.

Jane is a member of the European Circuit and a member of the Employment Law Barristers Association.

Jane is a regular speaker on employment matters on radio station LBC and has appeared on the Nick Ferrari and Ian Dale programmes.

James Collins KC

The “clever and commercial” James Collins KC is “a great advocate and a great tactician”. He is instructed by UK and international clients to handle a wide range of commercial disputes, with a particular emphasis on commercial contracts, financial services, fraud, insurance, international trade, joint-ventures and shareholder and share purchase disputes. Most of these disputes are substantial and complex; many are multi-jurisdictional and involve foreign law.

James appears regularly as lead counsel in the High Court and appellate courts of England and Wales, and in the Commercial Court and Court of Appeal in the BVI. He also acts as lead counsel, co-counsel (with foreign lawyers) or arbitrator in arbitrations around the World, including in London, Paris, New York and Singapore.

James advises and acts at all stages of the dispute resolution process, from strategy development, through pre-action and interlocutory applications (including Freezing Orders, anti-suit injunctions; protection of confidential information, restraint of conflicts and jurisdiction challenges), to trials and final hearings, appellate and review hearings, and enforcement of judgments and awards. Professional and lay clients have consistently praised James as being able to “map a course to the objective” and “excellent at anticipating how a case will unfold and positioning you for a great outcome”.

Iain Quirk KC

Iain has acted as sole arbitrator and wing member in numerous arbitrations including LCIA, ICC and SCC. He has been accepting appointments since 2005 and as sole arbitrator since 2012. He taught arbitration on the MA course at Kings College, London for eight years. He was appointed as the ICC UK Arbitration Consultant in 2016, the first barrister to hold that position, and is now Deputy Chair of the ICC UK Arbitration Committee and UK delegate to the ICC Global Arbitration Commission. Iain was on the Attorney General’s Panel of Counsel for 10 years, and he teaches advocacy at Lincoln’s Inn.  He has particular experience of cases concerning foreign investment, international trade, joint ventures, oil & gas, construction, telecommunications, all areas of fraud and BIT claims. As well as being a member of all major arbitral institutions, Iain is also a member of various panels by invitation: the Cayman International Mediation and Arbitration Centre; Investment Treaty Forum at the British Association of International and Comparative Law; Groupe ASA des Jeune Praticiens de l’Arbitrage (Swiss Arbitration Association); Inter-Pacific Bar Association, Panel of Arbitrators for the Bengal Chamber of Commerce, Kolkatta, India; Bar Council China Sub-Committee; Chair of the International Committee of the Chancery Bar Association; Commercial Bar Association Africa Committee; British Association of Sport and Law; Legal Panel for the Government of the Virgin Islands; BVI International Arbitration Centre, and called to the Bar of the BVI.

Iain’s barrister practice covers a broad range of commercial law, in the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court, arbitration and offshore jurisdictions. Indeed, “he is able to leverage his broad expertise across multiple practice areas”. Iain has particular expertise in commercial litigation (including arbitration-related applications to the Commercial Court), offshore disputes, international arbitration (“a go-to barrister for international arbitration”, “huge in-depth knowledge of all arbitration matters”), energy & natural resources (“the tribunal really listens to him”), shareholder disputes, banking & finance, and media & sport (“impressive commercial barrister” who “acts for a broad range of media clients across a variety of areas including music, television and sport” and “knows the media sector very well”). He is ranked in the directories in six separate areas: International Arbitration, Energy, IT and Telecoms, Media & Entertainment, EU and Competition, and Employment.

 

Huw Davies KC

Huw Davies KC is an experienced advocate with “an incredibly impressive style and approach” and “very user friendly”.

He specialises as an advocate in substantial commercial disputes both domestic and international generally leading a team of junior counsel. He has acted as co-counsel with overseas lawyers on numerous occasions (India; Malaysia; New York; Singapore) and is noted as being a “very effective cross examiner”.

He appears regularly at all levels in the Courts in the UK, as well as offshore, and has appeared in many international arbitrations both in London and worldwide. He has particular experience of appearing as an advocate before the Privy Council.

Over the years he has developed expertise in a wide range of specialist areas. He is recognised as a specialist in the following fields: aviation; banking; civil/commercial fraud and cross border asset recovery; insurance and reinsurance; jurisdiction disputes (Court and Arbitration); shareholder disputes; international trade and ship building.

His clients include states and state entities, major commercial corporations and banks as well as high net-worth individuals.

He sits as an arbitrator in domestic and international arbitrations and he is also a CEDR accredited mediator.