Practice Profile
Joseph Rich joined 7KBW following the completion of his pupillage at Chambers.
Joe has particular expertise in international arbitration and large-scale commercial disputes, having spent two years as an employed barrister in the international arbitration group of a leading US law firm prior to joining Chambers. Joe acted as part of the counsel team on high-value arbitrations under ad hoc, LCIA, ICC and UNCITRAL Rules. He specialised in energy and natural resources cases, but also gained experience of mining and construction disputes.
During pupillage at 7KBW, Joe worked on cases across Chambers’ practice areas including insurance & reinsurance, shipping and shipbuilding, commodities and civil fraud. In 2021/2022, Joe also spent a year working as a judicial assistant to Lord Justice Males in the Court of Appeal. He assisted with a number of seminal shipping and insurance cases and has significant insight into appellate proceedings as a result.
Joe speaks fluent French and Spanish, and can work with documents in Portuguese. He also has some knowledge of Mandarin Chinese.
- Acted for a state-owned oil and gas company in ICC arbitration in respect of claims under a production sharing contract with over USD 300 million in dispute.
- Acted in two related USD 250 million ad hoc arbitrations against a state-owned entity regarding liability for gas curtailments and renewal entitlements under a series of gas supply agreements.
- Acted for a major mining company in relation to a shareholder dispute.
- Advised on possible challenges to an arbitration award under s.68 of the Arbitration Act 1996 in a construction dispute.
- Advised on a challenge to the appointment of an arbitrator in ICC arbitration.
- Acted for an oil and gas company in ICC arbitration relating to contractual entitlements on termination of a contract for exploration services.
- Acted for a state-owned oil and gas company in ICC arbitration in relation to claims arising under a production sharing contract with over USD 300 million in dispute.
- Acted in two related USD 250 million ad hoc arbitrations against a state-owned entity regarding liability for gas curtailments and renewal entitlements under a series of gas supply agreements.
- Acted for a major mining company in relation to a shareholder dispute.
- Acted for an oil and gas company in an ICC arbitration relating to contractual entitlements on termination of a contract for seismic analysis services.
- Assisted with key COVID-19 business interruption insurance cases including Why Not Bar and Lounge Limited v Zenith Insurance Plc and another, Pizza Express Group Limited and others v Liberty Mutual Insurance Europe SE and another [2023] EWHC 1481 (Comm) and appeal proceedings in Stonegate Pub Company Limited v MS Amlin Corporate Member Limited and others [2022] EWHC 2548 (Comm) (as a pupil).
- Assisted with advising on business interruption insurance issues arising out of the decision in FCA v Arch [2021] 2 WLR 123 (as a pupil).
- Assisted with a number of charterparty disputes, ship sale disputes and shipbuilding disputes (as a pupil).
- Assisted with advising on a sale of goods claim regarding defects in a shipment of medical products (as a pupil).
- Worked as part of the instructing team in Cathay Pacific Airways Limited v Lufthansa Technik AG [2020] EWHC 1789 (Ch), a case concerning the construction of a long-term aircraft engine maintenance contract.
- Joe acts as research assistant to a European Law Institute project on Third-Party Funding of Litigation and has particular expertise in the area.
Assisted with drafting of chapters on confidentiality and recognition and enforcement of arbitral awards in G. Born, International Commercial Arbitration (2020).
Co-author of English law chapter of Schwarz, Trenor and Ortner (eds.), Contractual Performance and COVID- 19 – An In-Depth Comparative Law Analysis (Kluwer, 2020).
2018: Bar Professional Training Course, City University, Outstanding (8th in the year).
2017: Graduate Diploma in Law, BPP University, Distinction.
2016: BA French and Spanish, St John’s College, University of Cambridge, Double First.
Scholarships and Awards
Sunley Scholarship (2018/2019) – Lincoln’s Inn.
Buchanan Award (2018) – Lincoln’s Inn.
Denning Scholar (2017/2018) – Lincoln’s Inn.
McMahon Studentship (2017/2018) – St John’s College, Cambridge.
Hardwicke Entrance Scholarship (2016) – Lincoln’s Inn.
College Prize (2013, 2014, 2016) – St John’s College, Cambridge.
Whytehead Scholar (2013, 2014, 2016) – St John’s College, Cambridge.
Languages
French (fluent)
Spanish (fluent)
Portuguese (reading)
Mandarin Chinese (conversational)