On the 6th May 2025 Professor Holger Hestermeyer gave testimony to the House of Lords International Agreements Committee.
The oral evidence can be accessed here.
Search
London International Disputes Week 2025
We at Monckton Chambers are excited to announce our participation in London International Disputes Week 2025. As a member organisation deeply embedded in London’s legal landscape, we’re delighted to collaborate on ten engaging events throughout the week.
Each event offers a unique opportunity to delve into insightful discussions in an array of sectors and industries.
Seminar: The impact of the EU’s approach to ISDS: International perspectives
Date: 2 June, 4.30pm
The panel discussion will be chaired by Christopher Vajda KC
Speakers: Tariq Baloch, Essex Court Chambers; Chester Brown SC, 7 Wentworth Selborne; Sylvia Tonova, Pinsent Masons.
Seminar: Navigating the Trump administration’s international trade law policy – What now?
Date: 4 June, 11am
An insightful panel event where experts from the UK, the US, Canada, and the EU will share their perspectives on the Trump administration’s international trade law policy.
The panel discussion will be chaired by Christopher Vajda KC
Speakers: Michael Snarr, Baker Hostetler; Nabila Abdul Malik, Fasken; Stéphanie Noel, Stephanie Noel Law Office; Totis Kotsonis, Pinsent Masons.
Seminar: Pass-on in competition litigation – what have we learned, and what are the implications for competition damages claims?
Date: 4 June, 11am
Our panel of experts from Stephenson Harwood LLP, Monckton Chambers, Berkeley Research Group and De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek, will discuss recent developments in the law of pass-on, and what the implications are for competition damages claims.
Speakers: Philip Woolfe KC, Monckton Chambers; Tim Knight, Stephenson Harwood LLP; David Parker, Berkeley Research Group; Vivan van Weperen, De Brauw Balckstone Westbroek’.
Seminar: The Growth of Group Litigation and Funding in the British Courts – A Blessing or a Curse?
Date: 4 June, 4pm
Join us, along with representatives from both the claimants’ and defendants’ sides, as we engage in a discussion on the evolution of group litigation and funding. We will examine whether these developments are beneficial or detrimental.
Speakers: Nick Bacon KC, 4 New Square Chambers; Patrick Green KC; Martyn Day, CORLA; David Greene, CORLA; Ronit Kreisberger KC, Monckton Chambers; Kenny Henderson, CMS
Seminar: Competition Litigation: Recent Developments and Looking Ahead
Date: 5 June, 9am
Join expert speakers from Cleary Gottlieb and Monckton Chambers to hear about how the UK competition litigation regime is evolving and what to expect in the year ahead.
Speakers: Paul Stuart, Cleary Gottlieb; James Norris-Jones, Cleary Gottlieb; Julia Kelsoe, Cleary Gottlieb; Daniel Beard KC, Monckton Chambers; Anneliese Blackwood, Monckton Chambers.
Seminar: Complex Disputes in the Public Eye II: Leveraging Technology and Artificial Intelligence to Get Ahead of the Game
Date: 5 June, 4pm
Our panel from Burges Salmon LLP, FTI Consulting and Monckton Chambers, will look at the structural components of complex disputes involving multiple civil claims, alongside both criminal and regulatory investigations. In this second part, our expert panel will consider the practical application of technology and AI in such a scenario.
Speakers: Tom Whittaker, Burges Salmon; Azeem Suterwalla KC, Monckton Chambers; Alice Ratcliffe, Burges Salmon; Jon Chan, FTI Consulting.
Seminar: Debate: Group Litigation
Date: 5 June, 4pm
Our panel will compare and contrast the different types of group litigation procedure used in the High Court ( GLOs and CPR 19.8) with the procedure for collective proceedings used in the Competition Appeal Tribunal, outlining recent developments and examining the pros and cons of each procedure.
Speakers: Caroline Thomas, Norton Rose Fulbright; Helen Fairhead, Norton Rose Fulbright; Harriet Jones-Fenleigh, Norton Rose Fulbright; Philip Moser KC, Monckton Chambers; Ewan West KC, Monckton Chambers
Seminar: Celebrating 50 years of Freezing Injunctions – are they the ‘golden’ ticket in asset recovery?
Date: 5 June, 4pm
Join the panel from LK Law, Monckton Chambers, Ogier and Kroll for an engaging and insightful seminar as we celebrate 50 years of Freezing Injunctions – a cornerstone moment in asset recovery.
Speakers: Amy Harvey, LK Law LLP; Steven Gee KC, Monckton Chambers; Jennifer Fox, Ogier; Angela Barkhouse, Kroll; H.E. Justice Michael Black KC, Court of Appeal Judge & Judge in Charge of the Digital Economy Court.
Seminar: A new age for Space Disputes
Date: 6 June, 9am
Join the panel from Monckton Chambers and A&O Shearman as we look into how the sector is evolving at pace to keep up with the boom in private sector investment and the related issues this can bring. We’ll look at everything from launches to debris and everything in between.
Speakers: Andrew Denny, A&O Shearman; Pranay Lehki, A&O Shearman; Michael Bowsher KC, Monckton Chambers; Jenn Lawrence, Monckton Chambers.
Seminar: The future of mass claims in the UK and US: evolution or revolution?
Date: 6 June, 9am
In this round-table discussion, litigators from Travers Smith and Monckton Chambers reflect on what recent developments are likely to mean for mass claims in the UK going forwards, and will be joined by their US counterparts to discuss how this compares to trends emerging on the other side of the Atlantic.
Speakers: Heather Gagen, Travers Smith LLP; Stephanie Lee, Travers Smith LLP; Rob Williams KC, Monckton Chambers
Holger Hestermeyer – written evidence for the House of Lords International Agreements Committee
Holger Hestermeyer together with with Alex Horne have written a submission for the House of Lords International Agreements Committee’s inquiry on the review of treaty scrutiny.
This joint submission to the International Agreements Committee is based upon a research project undertaken by the authors for the Centre for Inclusive Trade Policy which concluded in 2024.1 It considered the role of Parliament in scrutinising international agreements and proposed several ideas for reform. Both authors have practical experience of the issue having recently worked for the UK Parliament undertaking treaty scrutiny.
The Legal Cheek Awards 2025 – Monckton Chambers longlisted for four awards
The Legal Cheek Awards 2025 longlists have been announced and Monckton Chambers is delighted to announce that it has been recognised in the following categories:
- Best chambers for training 2025
- Best chambers for quality of work 2025
- Best chambers for colleague supportiveness 2025
- Best chambers for legal tech 2025
The winners of this year’s awards will be announced on Thursday 15 May at the Battlebridge Suite of Kings Place, London.
The Lawyer Awards 2025
Monckton Chambers is delighted to have been recognised and shortlisted for the 2025 Lawyer Awards in the category of ‘Chambers of the Year’, following being awarded the title last year.
The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on Tuesday 17 June 2025 at JW Marriott Grosvenor House London.
The full shortlist can be seen here.
Pro Bono Recognition List 2025
617 barristers across England & Wales were celebrated on the second ever Pro Bono Recognition List endorsed by the Lady Chief Justice.
The following Members of Monckton Chambers featured on the list: Reuben Andrews, Alan Bates, Brendan McGurk KC, Cliodhna Kelleher, Jenn Lawrence, Conor Mccarthy, Eric Metcalfe and Hugh Whelan – recognised for their dedication to pro bono work, which this year has seen a 30% increase in barristers featured on the List.
The Pro Bono Recognition List recognises barristers and solicitors who have given 25 or more hours of pro bono legal assistance over the previous calendar year.
Endorsed by its patron The Lady Chief Justice of England & Wales, The Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill, the Recognition List was set up under the sponsorship of the Attorney General’s Pro Bono Committee, with the support of the Law Society, Bar Council, and all major pro bono legal organisations.
In addition this year, we are delighted that Jenn Lawrence was nominated for the Bar Pro Bono Awards, commending her dedication to pro bono work.
Monckton Chambers continue to support Advocate through being a Silver Circle Pro Bono Patron. We are proud and committed to champion this worthwhile cause, and to support Advocate to continue to provide this important service. Read more here.
Azeem Suterwalla – New Silk
The members and staff of Monckton Chambers warmly congratulate Azeem Suterwalla on ‘taking silk’ today.
Azeem will be sworn-in along with other new KCs, at the official King’s Counsel Appointments Ceremony at Westminster.
Azeem has a well-established practice across Chambers’ core areas, offering expertise in Judicial Review, Public Procurement, Competition, Information Law, and general commercial work. He is a member of the Attorney General’s A Panel of Junior Counsel to the Crown, advising and representing the UK government in his areas of practice. Azeem is recommended in the Legal 500 and Chambers UK as a leading practitioner across four practice areas: Administrative/Public Law, Public Procurement, Civil Liberties and Human Rights, and Community Care. Azeem appears regularly in the High Court and Upper Tribunal. He has undertaken cases in the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and European Court of Human Rights. In addition to acting as a trial and appellate lawyer, a significant part of Azeem’s practice is advisory.
The full list of appointments, announced on 24 January, can be viewed on the KCA website here.
Christopher Vajda KC appointed to Panel of arbitrators at the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC)
The Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) has appointed Christopher Vajda KC to its Panel of arbitrators.
Established in 1991 as an independent, not-for-profit organisation, the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) provides neutral arbitration services to the global business community.
For further information please click here.
Lexology European Awards 2025
CMA Panel of Standing Counsel Appointments – Monckton now eight members strong
Congratulations to Julian Gregory and James Bourke on their appointment to the CMA’s panel of counsel following an open competition. They join Rob Williams KC, Ben Lask KC, Josh Holmes KC, Julianne Kerr Morrison, Michael Armitage and Daisy Mackersie, current Standing Counsel members from Monckton Chambers.
The CMA, the UK’s primary competition and consumer authority, is an independent non-ministerial government department with responsibility for carrying out investigations into mergers, markets and the regulated industries and enforcing competition and consumer law. The panel of counsel is intended to provide the CMA with a strong team of advocates and external legal advisers, who are enthusiastic about and committed to its work – but also able to give it detached and objective advice. The CMA has expanded its Standing Counsel to make sure it has the right number of members to assist in its work going forward. This reflects the growth in litigation undertaken by the CMA across all areas of activity as well as in anticipation of an increase in workload, following the UK’s departure from the EU and the establishment of the Office for the Internal Market and the Digital Markets Unit.
These appointments were made following an open competition with the consent of the Attorney General. They are for an initial period of 3 years.
Further information is available here.