Arbitration barristers for London and proceedings seated in London.
Counsel and arbitrator appointments for international arbitration seated in London, institute and ad hoc, with Commercial Court support and enforcement work handled by the same team.
Arbitration Barristers for London clients
The panel covers the full range of subject matter that reaches a London tribunal: construction and infrastructure, energy, oil gas and natural resources, international trade, banking and finance, insurance and reinsurance, technology, and professional negligence claims brought under arbitration clauses in consultants' appointments. Where the reference raises questions of public international law, including investment treaty arbitrations under bilateral treaties or the Energy Charter Treaty, we put forward counsel who practise in that field alongside their commercial work.
Counsel and arbitrator appointments are handled through the same clerking process. If you need a nomination for a party appointment or a chair, we can supply CVs, sector experience, availability against the proposed timetable and an hourly rate within a day or two, with conflict checks run before any name is disclosed to the other side or to the institution.
London is the busiest arbitral seat in the world. The LCIA, the ICC's London operations, the LMAA, GAFTA, FOSFA and the CIArb all run substantial caseloads here, and a very large share of cross border contracts choose London as the seat even where neither party is English. Proceedings seated in London are governed by the Arbitration Act 1996 and supervised by the Commercial Court at the Rolls Building.
Clerk and Counsel places independent, BSB registered arbitration barristers on London references. The counsel we work with are members of chambers across the commercial Bar and appear as counsel and arbitrator in institute and ad hoc references covering construction and infrastructure, energy, oil gas and natural resources, international trade, banking and finance, insurance and JV and shareholder disputes.
Instructions come from City firms running nine figure references, from international firms needing English law advocacy for proceedings seated in Dubai or Hong Kong, from in house teams at traders, contractors and funds, and directly from companies under the Public Access scheme where the reference is suitable for direct instructions.
We are a clerking agency, not a chambers. Clients pay us nothing. Our fee comes out of the barrister's own fee for sourcing the instruction and handling the administration, and you are free to compare counsel before deciding.
Areas of work in London
International arbitration
LCIA, ICC, SIAC, HKIAC, DIAC, SCC and ICSID references and ad hoc arbitration under the UNCITRAL Rules, with hearings in London or remote.
Construction and infrastructure
FIDIC, NEC and bespoke EPC references on power, rail, water and process plant projects, including delay, disruption, variation and defects claims.
Energy, oil gas and natural resources
Joint operating agreements, farm in disputes, gas price reviews, LNG offtake, mining concessions and decommissioning.
International trade and shipping
GAFTA, FOSFA and LMAA references on sale of goods, quality, shipment, demurrage and charterparty claims.
Banking and finance
Facility agreements, guarantees, derivatives, trade finance instruments and Islamic finance structures referred to arbitration.
JV and shareholder disputes
Joint venture deadlock and exit, a shareholder dispute referred under the shareholders agreement, and warranty and earn out claims.
Investment treaty arbitrations
Bilateral investment treaty, Energy Charter Treaty and ICSID claims involving public international law and state respondents.
Court work supporting arbitration
Section 9 stays, section 44 interim relief, section 67, 68 and 69 applications and enforcement of awards in the Commercial Court.
Where these cases are heard
Arbitration claims connected to proceedings seated in London are heard in the Commercial Court in the Rolls Building, 7 Rolls Buildings, Fetter Lane, London EC4A 1NL. That court deals with stays, interim relief, jurisdiction and serious irregularity challenges, appeals on a point of English law and enforcement of awards under the New York Convention.
Hearings themselves are usually held at the International Dispute Resolution Centre on Fleet Street or at the arbitral centres and chambers hearing suites across the City and Temple, with remote and hybrid hearings now standard for procedural conferences.
Counsel on the panel also appear in references seated overseas, including DIAC HKIAC and SIAC matters, working alongside local counsel at the seat where a filing in the supervisory court is needed.
What drives this work in London
London counsel are also regularly instructed on references seated elsewhere. DIAC HKIAC and SIAC caseloads have grown sharply in construction and infrastructure and in energy, and English law remains the governing law in a large share of those contracts even where the seat is in the Gulf or in Asia. Hong Kong references in particular often involve English qualified advocates appearing alongside local counsel.
Enforcement work follows the awards. Where a respondent has assets in England, an award made anywhere in a New York Convention state can be converted into an English judgment and enforced, and counsel will advise at the outset on whether to seek security, freezing relief or disclosure in support of the eventual award.
London's arbitration caseload is driven by the trading houses and commodity desks in the City, the shipping and insurance market around Leadenhall, project finance and energy teams in Canary Wharf and the very large population of international corporates with English law contracts.
That mix produces international trade and commodities claims, charterparty and cargo disputes, construction and infrastructure references on overseas projects, banking and finance claims and a steady flow of joint venture and shareholder disputes among internationally held companies.
Professional negligence work follows the same pattern, with claims against engineers, quantity surveyors, valuers and accountants often referred to arbitration under the terms of their appointment.
What instructing counsel costs
Fees are fixed and agreed in writing before work starts. Written advice on the arbitration agreement, jurisdiction or the merits of a commercial dispute usually runs from one thousand five hundred pounds plus VAT. Drafting a request for arbitration, response or full memorial is quoted against an agreed scope.
Merits hearings are quoted as a brief fee plus daily refreshers, with the level set by the value and complexity of the reference and whether a leader is required. Arbitrator appointments are charged at an hourly rate disclosed to both parties on appointment.
For companies instructing directly we work stage by stage so the spend is visible and capped. If counsel considers that a solicitor led team would be more efficient on a document heavy reference, they will say so at the first advice stage.
Send the contract and arbitration clause, the parties, the sums in dispute, the rules and seat if fixed and any procedural deadline. A clerk will come back with shortlisted London arbitration counsel or arbitrator nominations, an indicative fee and conflict check timing.
For emergency arbitrator applications and urgent Commercial Court work counsel can usually be engaged within twenty four to forty eight hours.
Every barrister we place is regulated by the Bar Standards Board. Clerk&Counsel is a clerking agency and does not provide legal services itself.
Arbitration Barristers in London, common questions
Where are arbitration claims heard in London?
Arbitration claims arising from proceedings seated in London are heard in the Commercial Court at the Rolls Building, Fetter Lane, London EC4A 1NL. Hearings in the reference itself are usually held at the International Dispute Resolution Centre or in chambers hearing suites across the City and Temple.
Which arbitral centres do London counsel appear before?
The LCIA, ICC, SIAC, HKIAC, DIAC, SCC, LMAA, GAFTA, FOSFA and CIArb, together with ad hoc references under the UNCITRAL Rules. Institute and ad hoc references are handled differently and we match counsel to the rules and the seat.
Can I instruct London arbitration counsel without a solicitor?
Often yes. Arbitration falls outside the rules on conduct of litigation, so a company can instruct counsel directly under the Public Access scheme for advice, drafting and advocacy in the reference.
Do you provide arbitrator appointments in London?
Yes. Barristers on the panel sit as sole arbitrator, party appointed arbitrator and chair. We can supply CVs, availability and an hourly rate quickly, with conflict checks run before any name is put forward.
Do you cover investment treaty arbitrations?
Yes. Bilateral investment treaty, Energy Charter Treaty and ICSID claims are placed with counsel who practise in public international law as well as commercial arbitration, usually with a leader on the team.
How quickly can counsel be instructed?
For emergency arbitrator applications, section 44 relief or an imminent response deadline, counsel can usually be engaged within twenty four to forty eight hours. Advisory work is normally set up within two to three working days.