Commercial Litigation

7 King’s Bench Walk is one of the leading commercial barristers’ chambers in London. Commercial litigation is the core of our work, and members of 7KBW are recognised for their expertise in complex, high-value litigation in the Commercial Court and commercial appeals before the Court of Appeal, the UK Supreme Court and the Privy Council.

Leading commercial set

We are recognised as “a strong set with pronounced litigation experience across the commercial market that boasts widely recognised barristers capable of handling complex pieces of litigation” (Chambers UK 2026, Commercial Dispute Resolution). 7KBW is “highly regarded and well respected for its experience and strength in commercial litigation” (Legal 500 2026, Commercial Litigation). Members of Chambers routinely appear in The Lawyer’s top cases and appeals of the year (see e.g. The Lawyer, Top Cases of 2026).

Domestic and international commercial litigation

We work regularly with all of the leading law firms practising in commercial dispute resolution, including those in the City of London and across the UK. We also work closely with general counsel and in-house legal teams. Where appropriate, some members are able to accept instructions on a direct access basis.

In addition, we receive instructions from leading international law firms and our members have worked in all of the major global dispute resolution centres, including New York, the Bahamas, the BVI, Bermuda, Paris, the UAE including Dubai (DIFC) and Abu Dhabi (ADGM), Singapore and Hong Kong.

Breadth and depth of expertise in commercial litigation

Members of 7KBW have market-leading expertise in commercial litigation and dispute resolution in a wide range of fields, with particular strengths in aviation, banking and financial services, civil fraud, commodities, energy and natural resources, insurance and reinsurance, professional negligence and shipping.

We routinely act in the most important and high-profile cases of the day. Recent examples where we have been involved in prominent commercial litigation include the invasion of Ukraine, the COVID-19 pandemic, complex international commercial frauds and audit negligence claims brought by and against high street names. In much of our work, hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars may be at stake.

We act in cases that reshape the law, with frequent appearances in the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. Our legal expertise is reflected in the fact that former members often rise to the bench: four previous members are currently Commercial Court judges; and several former judges have rejoined Chambers as commercial arbitrators.

In addition to trials and appeals, barristers at 7KBW are regularly instructed in substantial interim applications. We have extensive experience of seeking urgent worldwide freezing injunctions and anti-suit injunctions, jurisdiction challenges, pre-action disclosure and third-party disclosure, committal for contempt of court, summary judgment, and challenges to arbitration awards under sections 67, 68 and 69 of the Arbitration Act 1996.

We also understand the importance of settlement strategy and the cost-effective resolution of commercial disputes. All members of Chambers are familiar with the appropriate use of alternative dispute resolution. Many accept appointments as arbitrators or mediators.

Significant commercial cases

Members of 7KBW have acted in some of the most significant commercial cases in recent years. Some representative examples include the following:

• Multi-billion-dollar aviation disputes arising from the loss of aircraft in the Ukraine war, including the ‘mega-trial’ in Aercap v AIG and the hard-fought jurisdiction challenge in Zephyrus v Fidelis.
• All of the key COVID-19 insurance disputes: FCA v Arch, Stonegate v Amlin, London International Exhibition Centre v Allianz, UnipolSai v Covea, Gatwick Investment v Liberty Mutual and many more.
• Influential Supreme Court appeals, such as Enka v Chubb (law applicable to arbitration agreements), King Crude v Ridgebury November (remedies for breach of contract) and Harcus Sinclair v Your Lawyers (undertakings in restraint of trade).
• High-profile claims of civil fraud and wilful misconduct, and associated proceedings for contempt: examples include Simetra v Ikon, Brillante Virtuoso, Group Seven v Notable Services, Skatteforvaltningen v Solo Capital, and Lakatamia v Su.
• Large professional negligence claims, including the Supreme Court appeal in Manchester Building Society v Grant Thornton, and the proceedings between Carillion v KPMG.
• Important decisions on the law of state immunity, such as Argentum Exploration v Republic of South Africa and CRF I Ltd v Banco Nacional de Cuba.
• Significant cases on jurisdiction and arbitration, including VTB Commodities v JSC Antipinsky Refinery, National Iranian Oil v Crescent Petroleum, AON v Howden, and Berge Bulk Shipping v Taumata Plantations.
• Major breach of confidence actions: Saab v Dangate, Maroil v Cally, Watchstone v PricewaterhouseCoopers.
• Energy disputes in the oil and gas sectors, such as Apache North Sea v INEOS FPS, Geoquip Marine v Tower Resources, and Premier Oil UK v Shell International Trading.