04/01/2023

Two new silks appointed at Twenty Essex

Congratulations to Luke Pearce for his successful application to be appointed as King’s Counsel (KC) for 2023. Sir Michael Wood has also received a very well-deserved honorary KC appointment.

Luke Pearce has a broad practice covering all aspects of commercial law, with a particular emphasis on banking and finance, international arbitration, shipping & commodities and civil fraud. In recent years he has been instructed in some of the most high profile and high value disputes before the English Courts and arbitration tribunals, including Al Sadeq v Dechert, Halliburton v Chubb, and the RBS Rights Issue Action. He has substantial experience conducting advocacy both in Court and arbitration (under a variety of rules). He has also appeared numerous times in the Court of Appeal (including twice unled), and three times in the Supreme Court.

Sir Michael Wood began practising at the Bar after serving as a lawyer in the FCO for 35 years and as principal Legal Adviser 1999-2006. His current and past caseload includes complex and high profile ICJ, ITLOS, and inter-State arbitral matters as well as cases before the highest courts in the UK. He is senior fellow of the Lauterpacht Centre for International Law, University of Cambridge, and was a member of the UN International Law Commission from 2008 to 2022.

See the full list.