Monckton Chambers barristers are pleased to feature in one of the 10 disputes set to be heard in the appeal courts in 2026 as listed in The Lawyer’s top 10 appeals of 2026. Further to the recent article from the Lawyer in relation to their top 20 first instance cases of 2026 this is further evidence that Monckton Chambers is operating at the top table in relation to first instance and appellate litigation.

• Professor Carolyn Roberts v Severn Trent Water and others

Court of Appeal, 11 February (one day)

For the appellant, Professor Carolyn Roberts, Jon Turner KC and Julian Gregory instructed by RPC partners Zoë Mernick-Levene and Jonathan Cary

For the respondents, Anglian Water, Northumbrian Water, Severn Trent, Thames Water, United Utilities and Yorkshire Water, Daisy Mackersie instructed by Freshfields partners Mark Sansom, Deba Das and senior associate Liz Forster, and associates Oscar Battell-Wallace, Charlie Fisher and Kelley Macpherson.

The Lawyer’s “Top 20 cases of 2026” has been published, highlighting the biggest disputes of the year based on profile and value. Fifteen members at Monckton Chambers feature in three of these cases:

Alex Neill v Sony listed in the CAT in March for 10 weeks:

For the class representative, Alex Neill: Robert Palmer KC, Nikolaus Grubeck, Stefan Kuppen and Charlotte McLean, instructed by Milberg partners Natasha Pearman and James Oldnall, senior associates Hadley Howe Zielonka and Alicia Clark, associates Joel Mitchell, Courtney Sanders, Adriarna Milloy, Maya Ffrench-Adam, trainees Dwight Wilson, Kolade Kayode, and paralegals Isaba Moazzem, Claudia Chan and Amelia Hall

For the defendant, Sony: Daniel Beard KC instructed by Linklaters partners Sarina Williams and Verity Egerton-Doyle, managing associates Alex Hannington, Balaji Subramanian, Rebecca Dickie, Imogen Yates, Stephanie Farrington, Jason Shardlow-Wrest and Maria Papadopoulos, and associates, Annabel Leigh McCullagh, Noelle Huang, Harry Sorenson-Vaz, Anna Veispak, Geneva Hoffman, Dasha Konnova, Harry Vose, Bhavisha Sharma and Will Smith

Coll, Rodger and Epic v Google listed in the CAT in September for 14 weeks:
For the class representative, Elizabeth Helen Coll: Ronit Kreisberger KC and Antonia Fitzpatrick instructed by Hausfeld partners Lesley Hannah, Joanna Christoforou and Daniel Hunt, counsel Sofie Edwards, Kio Gwilliam-Savva and Jonathan Amior, senior associate Shahrina Quader, and associates Hannah McEwen, Jake Henderson, Luise Luetcke and Kazi Elias.

For the claimant in the related case of Epic v Alphabet & others:
Daisy Mackersie, instructed by Norton Rose Fulbright partners Caroline Thomas, Susanna Rogers and Mark Tricker.

For the class representative in the related case of Rodger v Alphabet & others:
Anneliese Blackwood instructed by Geradin partners David Gallagher, Jennifer Reeves, Patrick Teague and Anthony Ojukwu.

For the defendants Alphabet, Google LLC, Google Ireland Limited, Google Commerce Limited and Google Payment Limited (Google Asia Pacific Pte Limited and Google UK Limited are also included as defendants in the Rodger v Alphabet Inc & others proceedings)): Josh Holmes KC, Kassie Smith KC, Jack Williams, Jenn Lawrence and Luke Kelly instructed by RPC partners David Cran, Chris Ross and Rathi Thiagamoorthy, and senior associates Will Carter, Gowri Chandrashekar, Ricky Cella and Tom McCall

Shein v Temu listed in the CAT in November for three weeks:
For the defendant, Whaleco UK: Josh Holmes KC, Nikolaus Grubeck, Cliodhna Kelleher and Charlotte McLean, instructed by Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer partner Stephen Wisking

George Peretz KC and Ian Rogers KC have both been recommended for reappointment to the Welsh Government Panel of King’s Counsel.

George Peretz has been on the panel since 2017 and Ian Rogers since 2012. Candidates for the appointments had to satisfy a number of criteria, including experience of advocacy in the higher courts, experience in constitutional and administrative law, knowledge of the devolution settlement in Wales and of divergences between the law in England and in Wales, experience of working for or against the government or other public bodies and an appreciation of the particular characteristics of government litigation.

Both appointments will be for a period of five years, with effect from 1 February 2026.

The Members and Staff at Monckton Chambers would like to congratulate Sir Christopher Vajda KC who has been knighted in the King’s New Year Honours List 2026 for his services to International Law.

Sir Christopher Vajda was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1979, appointed a KC in 1997 and practised at Monckton Chambers until 2012, when he became the judge of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland at the Court of Justice of the European Union from 2012 until the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union in 2020. Sir Christopher returned to Chambers in 2020 as a full member.

The citation from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office states:

‘Christopher Vajda is recognised for his distinguished career as a barrister, arbitrator, legal academic and international judge.  Before 2012, he appeared in around 100 cases before the Court of Justice of the European Union, with more than half representing the UK Government.  Appointed as the UK Judge at the Court in 2012, he gave exceptional service, and thereby enhancing the standing of the UK.  Following the referendum, he ensured that there was no drop in either the quantity or quality of his judicial output, including leading and delivering judgments on some of the most difficult and sensitive cases to come before the Court during his time.  Subsequently, he returned to the UK as a highly sought-after barrister and arbitrator and has continued to contribute to the legal profession through teaching, mentoring, and sponsoring young lawyers across the UK and Europe.’

He is a member of the UK Sports Resolutions panel, the panel of arbitrators at the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) and of the panel of persons suitable for appointment as Chairpersons for Arbitrations to which the EU is a party. He is also a visiting professor at King’s College, London, the College of Europe in Bruges, Luxembourg University and the Károli Gáspár University in Budapest where he has been awarded an honorary doctorate.

Heads of Chambers Philip Moser KC and Tim Ward KC said: “We congratulate Sir Christopher Vajda on the award of his knighthood.   It is a well-deserved accolade in light of his extraordinary contribution to the law, both as a Judge of the Court of Justice of the European Union and beyond.”

To view the full New Year Honours List, please click here.

Monckton Chambers is pleased to announce that our joint Head of Chambers Philip Moser KC has been re-elected as a Judge of the International Court of Appeal of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA).

The election took place today at the Annual General Assembly of the FIA in Tashkent, Uzbekistan and is for a further four-year term from 1 January 2026.

The FIA is the governing body for world motor sport. The International Court of Appeal is the final appeal tribunal for international motor sport. It resolves disputes brought before it by or from any of National Sporting Authorities worldwide, or by the President of the FIA. It can also settle non-sporting disputes brought by national motoring organizations affiliated to the FIA.

The annual Lexology Index Awards took place in London on the evening of 26 November 2025.

Drawing upon Lexology’s leading research and after an in-depth assessment of their findings, we are delighted to announce that Monckton Chambers was awarded Chambers of the Year for Public Procurement.

To read more about the awards please click here. Congratulations to all winners!

Monckton Chambers is delighted to announce that Meredith Pickford KC was named ‘Competition Silk of the Year’ at the Chambers UK Bar Awards 2025, his second time of receiving this award.

The awards recognise those who are at the top of the profession, identified by extensive objective research.

Congratulations to all our colleagues across the Bar who were shortlisted for awards and won in their categories.

William Buck and Alfred Artley have been recognised in the Legal 500’s Caribbean Guide, under the ‘English Bar Offshore’ category.

William and Alfred feature in the Commercial Disputes table, William as a Leading Junior and Alfred as a Rising Star. Their recognition in this table emphasizes their expertise in Offshore Commercial work, particularly in the Isle of Man, Channel Islands and Gibraltar. Their profiles can be viewed here.

Members of Monckton Chambers has extensive experience in all areas of commercial litigation, insolvency and international arbitration and are frequently instructed on a range of offshore-related matters. The commercial team is well placed to provide advice and representation, and builds upon Chambers’ outstanding expertise in the EU, competition, and sports fields, as well as offering specialist commercial practitioners.

Steven Gee KC has been appointed to the Panel of Arbitrators of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) with immediate effect.

SIAC is an internationally recognised global arbitral institution providing neutral, competitive and efficient case management services to parties from all over the world.

Established in 1991 as an independent, not-for-profit organisation, SIAC is amongst the world’s top international arbitration institutions, having served users from more than 100 jurisdictions, maintaining a strong record of providing neutral arbitration services to the global business community. SIAC arbitration awards have been enforced in many jurisdictions including Australia, China, Hong Kong SAR, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Thailand, UK, USA and Vietnam, amongst other New York Convention signatories. Read more here.