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Contact

Contact with chambers should be made through the Practice Management Team. They are happy to discuss client requirements and provide further information on such matters as the expertise and experience of individual members, fees, working practices and languages spoken. We have members able to work in French, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Swedish, Greek and Chinese (Mandarin).

Outside working hours, a member of our team is always available to be contacted on matters of an urgent nature. Contact should be made using the Chambers main number or email.

For our Singapore office, for client enquiries please contact our BD Director, Asia Pacific, Lara Quie and for all other queries please contact Lynn Quek. Out of office hours calls will automatically be diverted to our clerking team in London.

London

20 Essex Street
London
WC2R 3AL

enquiries@twentyessex.com
t: +44 20 7842 1200

Singapore

28 Maxwell Road
#02-03 Maxwell Chambers Suites
Singapore 069120

singapore@twentyessex.com
t: +65 62257230

Contact

Contact with chambers should be made through the Practice Management Team. They are happy to discuss client requirements and provide further information on such matters as the expertise and experience of individual members, fees, working practices and languages spoken. We have members able to work in French, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Swedish, Greek and Chinese (Mandarin).

Outside working hours, a member of our team is always available to be contacted on matters of an urgent nature. Contact should be made using the Chambers main number or email.

For our Singapore office, for client enquiries please contact our BD Director, Asia Pacific, Lara Quie and for all other queries please contact Lynn Quek. Out of office hours calls will automatically be diverted to our clerking team in London.

London

20 Essex Street
London
WC2R 3AL

enquiries@twentyessex.com
t: +44 20 7842 1200

Singapore

28 Maxwell Road
#02-03 Maxwell Chambers Suites
Singapore 069120

singapore@twentyessex.com
t: +65 62257230

Charles Kimmins KC

Charles Kimmins KC

Silk: 2010 Call: 1994

Charles is co-Head of Chambers. Charles specialises in commercial law, and represents clients in both court and arbitration proceedings. His cases tend to be high value and complex, and often involve multiple sets of proceedings in several jurisdictions.

He is recommended in a wide array of disciplines in Chambers & Partners and The Legal 500, including international arbitration, commercial dispute resolution, banking and financial, energy, insurance and reinsurance, shipping and commodities.

Charles has represented clients in a wide variety of disputes before the Supreme Court, Privy Council, Court of Appeal and High Court.

Recent cases include:

  • acting for the appellant in the Privy Council (sitting in Cayman) in the leading case on the arbitrability of winding up petitions (FamilyMart v Ting Chuan [2023] UKPC 33),
  • acting for Citibank in the Supreme Court in the PPI mis-selling litigation in Potter v Canada Square [2023] UKSC 41,
  • acting for the successful defendants in Kyla Shipping v FTL [2022] EWHC 1625 (following a 3-week fraud trial relating to derivatives trading) and
  • acting for issuers of convertible bonds in a dispute with the bondholders in Prakash Industries v Peter Beck [2022] EWHC 754,
  • acting for the LCIA in the Supreme Court in the leading case on arbitrator bias (Halliburton v Chubb [2021] AC 1093).

He has also appeared in many arbitrations under many different rules, including ICC, LCIA, SIAC, HKIAC, ARIAS, LMAA, GAFTA, FOSFA, IPE, RSA, LME and the City Disputes Panel. He has particular experience of appeals from awards under s.67, 68 and 69 of the Arbitration Act 1996 (a subject on which he regularly lectures). He also accepts appointments as an arbitrator in commercial disputes. Recent cases relating to arbitration include Tenke Fungurume Mining v Katanga [2021] EWHC 3301 (successfully resisting a s.68 application), STA v OFY [2021] EWHC 1574 (successfully resisting an application for an extension to time to challenge an award).  Charles acted for the LCIA in the Supreme Court case Halliburton v Chubb [2021] AC 1093, dealing with issues of arbitrator bias.

Charles was nominated for ‘International Arbitration Silk of the Year’ by the Legal 500 or Chambers UK Bar Awards in 2023, 2020 and 2019.

He has been involved in numerous cases involving banking and investment disputes, company law and financial services. He has particular experience in derivatives. He also has significant experience in disputes arising in the private equity sector. Between 2018 – 2020, much of his time was spent on a very substantial multi-billion dollar multi-jurisdictional private equity dispute, in which he appeared in numerous hearings in London, Hong Kong, Cayman and Nevis.

He has appeared in numerous cases involving energy and natural resources, and has particular experience in the petroleum and natural gas industries. Likewise, he has acted in many insurance/reinsurance disputes, for both insured/reinsured and insurers/reinsurers, as well brokers. He has been involved in many leading cases in the fields of commodities and shipping, including shipbuilding disputes and disputes under MOAs.

Charles also has extensive experience in civil fraud cases, including cases involving fraud in the banking and shipping sectors. He is instructed in applications for urgent relief arising out of fraud claims.

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Recent cases

International arbitration

Civil fraud

Banking, company law and financial services

Commodities

Conflicts of laws

Insurance and reinsurance

Energy and natural resources

Shipping

General commercial litigation

Sectors and services

Professional memberships

Lectures/talks

Education

Charles provides an excellent client service - he is always able to explain complex matters in a succinct and understandable way.

Chambers UK Bar 2024

A razor-sharp legal mind who cuts to the heart of the most complex of disputes.

The Legal 500 UK Bar 2024

Charles has a really great way of distilling complex matters so that they are readily understandable.

The Legal 500 UK Bar 2024

For international arbitration, Charles Kimmins KC must be at the top of the ladder.

Chambers UK Bar 2024

Charles Kimmins is an excellent advocate and legal brain. Clients go back to him time and time again for difficult cases.

Chambers UK Bar 2024

Charles' advocacy is persuasive, commanding and brutally effective. He zeroes in on the core issues, has sharp attention to detail, and is exceptionally user friendly and personable.

The Legal 500 UK Bar 2024

Excellent attention to detail with an ability to make very difficult and complex issues seem quite straightforward. Tenacious and a good advocate.

The Legal 500 UK Bar 2024

Charles is a top-drawer shipping silk.

Chambers UK Bar 2024

A really excellent leader, who is an excellent choice for complex cases. He is practical, gets involved in the detail and does the work himself.

Chambers UK Bar 2023

. Understands the inner-workings of arbitral tribunals. Very modest despite his intellectual prowess. An indispensable asset in high-value arbitration.

The Legal 500 UK Bar 2023

Charles is a first-rate silk - very impressive, good with clients and sharp.

Chambers UK Bar 2023

Charles is a go-to leader for complex cases, and is a brilliant advocate and practitioner. One of the hardest working silks in the business, he never fails to impress the client with his ability and attitude. Universally well liked amongst the solicitors and clients he works with, which is firms go to him time after time.

The Legal 500 UK Bar 2023

He is a stellar advocate.

Chambers UK Bar 2023

Brilliant advocate in a league of his own. Sharp intellect. Incredibly user-friendly and approachable. An absolute pleasure to work with.

The Legal 500 UK Bar 2023

Very good on his feet, and quick. Excellent on cross-examination, and a superb advocate.

The Legal 500 UK Bar 2023

He is one of the clearest and most incisive minds I have come across.

Chambers UK Bar 2023

He provides clear thinking and careful examination of the issues and of the merits of arguments and counterarguments.

The Legal 500 UK Bar 2023

Absolute class act – nobody better at the London bar for international arbitration.

The Legal 500 UK Bar 2023

Charles is a first-rate silk - very impressive, good with clients and sharp.

Chambers UK Bar 2022

A really excellent leader, who is an excellent choice for complex cases. He is practical, gets involved in the detail and does the work himself.

Chambers UK Bar 2022

He is one of the clearest and most incisive minds I have come across.

Chambers UK Bar 2022

Thorough and meticulous in reviewing documents, creative and imaginative in approaching the law and the formulation of legal arguments, and a pleasure to work with.

The Legal 500 UK Bar 2022

He is a stellar advocate.

Chambers UK Bar 2022

He is great to work with and applies his mind tremendously to think through issues. His analytical and thinking skills are first rate.

Chambers UK Bar 2022

An absolute pleasure to work with, which has lead to repeat instructions from firms. His strongest attribute is the ability to distill complex legal principles and provide concise and targeted advice to clients in the financial services sector.

The Legal 500 UK Bar 2022

He has a great ability to put across difficult legal concepts in simple terms and is very good in arguing tight corners.

The Legal 500 UK Bar 2022

He is a true star and an absolute joy to work with. He gives clear, concise advice that cuts to the heart of the matter, and knows instinctively what works with judges and tribunals.

Chambers UK Bar 2021

He is analytically and strategically brilliant, down to earth and has a high academic and emotional intelligence - he's extraordinary.

Chambers UK Bar 2021

His advice is clear and digestible, and his advocacy excellent.

Chambers UK Bar 2021

A first-class commodities specialist - one of the few counsel who properly understands that area of law.

The Legal 500 UK Bar 2021

Very knowledgeable and sharp, he can pick up on issues very quickly, knows the law and has the cases/authorities at his fingertips.

The Legal 500 UK Bar 2021

Wonderfully user-friendly and a brilliant advocate.

The Legal 500 UK Bar 2020

He has serious intellectual firepower and can navigate complex situations with ease.

The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2020: The English Bar

He is fabulous as he's really user-friendly, practical, all over the detail and a very effective advocate.

Chambers UK Bar 2020

One of the best – a ninja in cross-examination.

The Legal 500 UK Bar 2020

Very modern, dynamic, articulate and has excellent strategic thinking.

Chambers Global 2020

Excellent attention to detail and always utterly on top of the cases.

The Legal 500 UK Bar 2020

An exceptionally good advocate.

Chambers UK Bar 2020

First-class; very attentive and a great advocate.

The Legal 500 UK Bar 2020

His expertise lies in handling large, complex issues on a range of subjects.

Chambers Global 2020

A joy to work with, his ability to anticipate issues is most impressive; he has a tactical mind and a lovely style.

The Legal 500 UK Bar 2020

He gives clear, concise advice that cuts to the heart of the matter. He knows instinctively what works.

Chambers UK Bar 2020

A “go-to” silk for high-value energy matters; he is very good at grasping complex and difficult matters.

The Legal 500 UK Bar 2020

He has a lovely light touch with tribunals, so when he emphasises something it really stays in their minds.

Chambers UK Bar 2020

Absolutely top notch, one of the leading silks in the field.

The Legal 500 UK Bar 2020

Fantastic to work with. A team player. He is very client-friendly. He has a real way of getting to the heart of the problem.

Chambers UK Bar 2019

A top trial lawyer with a brilliant mind.

Chambers UK Bar 2019

For a silk of his outstanding ability, he is refreshingly normal – clients love him.

The Legal 500 UK Bar 2019

An excellent silk who is very good at cross-examination and quick on his feet.

Chambers UK Bar 2019

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