Commercial litigation

7KBW is “A formidable all-round commercial set” (Chambers UK Bar Awards 2021); “Highly recommended for commercial, insurance, and fraud-related disputes” and “its top silks command huge respect in the courts” (Legal 500 UK Bar 2020). Its Members “are nothing if not versatile as illustrated by the variety of matters they’ve handled in the past couple of years” (Chambers UK Bar 2020).

7 King’s Bench Walk has an exceptional reputation for its commercial litigation practice. Our members are renowned for their expertise in this area. Chambers possesses strength in depth across all areas of commercial law. Members of 7KBW act in cases whenever clients require the best representation possible in a commercial dispute – anywhere in the world.

We work regularly with all the leading law firms practising in this area, including those in the City of London and across the United Kingdom. We also receive instructions from leading international law firms. Our members have worked in all the major global dispute resolution centres. We also work closely with general counsel and in-house legal teams in key business sectors, such as aviation, logistics, shipping, commodities, insurance, energy, natural resources, mining, and other industries, as well as industry bodies like P&I Clubs.

All members aim to ensure the cost-effective resolution of commercial disputes. They are skilled in providing informed, practical, and commercial advice on the whole range of dispute resolution issues, from advice on the legal merits of a claim, to devising appropriate settlement strategies, to preparation and presentation at trial or appeal.

Members are familiar with the appropriate use of alternative dispute resolution (ADR), including mediation. They work with clients to define their positions before mediation. Where appropriate, members have represented clients at mediations.  We are also familiar with settlement meetings, across the full range of ADR procedures.

Where no reasonable settlement is possible, they will prepare for key preliminary stages in the litigation, seeking to advance the case strategy and gain tactical benefits for the client, if possible. This includes interlocutory hearings covering a broad spectrum of judicial responses, ranging from summary and default judgment, jurisdictional disputes, requests for disclosure, security for costs, seeking declarations, or enforcement of judgments. Properly prepared, they will represent clients in court, handling evidence, conducting cross-examinations and presenting written and oral arguments as required.

Members are familiar with specialist developments in civil procedure, such as the Shorter and Faster Trials Scheme, the Financial List, and the Disclosure Pilot.

We are well regarded for our conduct of hearings, with members regularly instructed in the largest and most complex cases proceeding in the Commercial Court, the Court of Appeal, and the UK Supreme Court and the Privy Council. The advocacy of our counsel is recognised for its force and quality. We are also equally sought after for our work in regional courts and for work in smaller disputes, where flexible fees can be agreed by our helpful and proactive clerking team.

Chambers can supply individual counsel, or teams of barristers, including senior and junior counsel, to both claimants and defendants in any litigation, including third parties.

7KBW is regularly recognised as a leading commercial litigation set. We have won numerous industry awards, including various Chambers UK Bar and Legal 500 Awards. Our juniors have also been recognised as potential ‘Stars at the Bar’ by the trade press.

Teams of our barristers have appeared for various parties, and on both sides, in such high profile cases such as the FCA Business Interruption Litigation, the Carillon litigation, the Brillante Virtuoso insurance fraud claim, Djibouti v Boreh, and Cattles v PWC, to name but a few major commercial cases of the last five years.

Selected highlights of our recent cases in the last five years can be seen below:

  • Manchester Building Society v Grant Thornton (2020) (headed to the UK Supreme Court) [2018] EWHC 963; [2019] EWCA Civ 40
  • Harcus Sinclair LLP v Your Lawyers Ltd (2020) (headed to the UK Supreme Court)
  • The Brillante Virtuoso (Suez Fortune Investments & another v Talbot Underwriting & ors.) [2019] EWHC 2599 (Comm)
  • The Autonomy litigation (2019)
  • The SKAT litigation (2019)
  • Group Seven v Notable Services [2019] EWCA Civ 614 (heard in the UK Supreme Court)
  • Petrosaudi Oil Services (Venezuela) Ltd v Novo Banco (2019)
  • HSBC Bank PLC v Pearl Corp (2019)
  • Republic of Djibouti v Boreh [2016] EWHC 405 (Comm)
  • Cattles v PWC (2015)

Commercial litigation barristers

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