Twenty Essex welcomes Thomas Wong

February 7, 2023
Following his successful completion of a reduced period of pupillage with Chambers, Thomas Wong has joined Twenty Essex. His practice will continue to focus on commercial litigation and international arbitration, including in England, Hong Kong and Singapore. Thomas is a Barrister called to the English and Hong Kong Bars. He was called to the English Bar in 2021, but has been practising as a Barrister in Hong Kong since 2018, and a Hong Kong commercial litigation solicitor since 2010. His practice focuses on commercial litigation and arbitration, often involving parties from China and Hong Kong. He also has considerable experience in Hong Kong Chancery and insolvency matters. Thomas has more than a decade’s experience serving clients in Hong Kong, the Greater China Region and internationally, and is a native Chinese speaker (both Mandarin and Cantonese). Prior to his move to the Bar, he was a commercial litigator at Hogan Lovells and Clifford Chance, where he worked directly with clients and gained an understanding of their commercial objectives. Thomas is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and the Hong Kong Institute of Arbitrators. He often sits as arbitrator, and will sit as a Deputy District Judge in Hong Kong later in 2023. “We are delighted to welcome Thomas as a new member of Twenty Essex. Thomas is a highly experienced litigator who we have every confidence will continue to build on his practice at the Bar in Hong Kong, now in and from London. His addition to Chambers is a perfect fit for our ever-growing practice in and from the Far East,” said Twenty Essex co-Heads Philip Edey KC...

Leading international Arbitration Practitioner Baiju Vasani Joins Twenty Essex

December 28, 2022
Baiju Vasani has joined Chambers as barrister member, following his completion of BSB transfer qualification. He is the eleventh new practitioner to join Chambers within the past year. For the past 20 years, Baiju has been a very well-known leader in the fields of international commercial arbitration and public international law. Until February 2022, he split his time between Moscow and London. Prior to that, he led the international arbitration practice as a partner in a major American law firm in the US and London.  He has acted as counsel and sat as arbitrator under the rules of every major international arbitration institution worldwide, and is a Senior Fellow at SOAS, University of London, where he teaches international arbitration. His investment law experience has been at the forefront of the intersection of international arbitration and public international law, having acted as lead counsel on seminal cases on treaty succession, disputed territories and the effect of alleged illegality on arbitral jurisdiction. “We are very excited to welcome Baiju to Chambers. He is rightly held in great esteem among his clients and colleagues. His extensive experience and expertise will complement and further enhance the Set’s leading status in international arbitration and public international law,” said Twenty Essex head Duncan Matthews QC. Baiju expressed his excitement on his move. “After twenty years in law firm life in the UK, US and Russia, including 12 years as an international arbitration partner, it is exciting to be able to offer my services as counsel and arbitrator from the Bar with all the flexibility that offers. I consider Twenty Essex’s depth in international arbitration and...