7 King’s Bench Walk is a specialist commercial set, with practice areas spanning the full range of commercial law. The work of members covers everything from small-scale contractual disputes to high-value and complex multi-jurisdictional disputes in areas such as banking and financial services, commodities and shipping, energy, fraud, insurance, international trade and professional negligence.
A great strength of 7 King’s Bench Walk is that every member of Chambers practises in the field of commercial law. This provides a unique concentration of expertise, as well as a coherent and supportive working environment. There is a relaxed and collegiate atmosphere in Chambers, backed up by an exceptionally friendly and efficient clerking team.
The vast majority of our work is in the commercial and appellate courts, and in commercial arbitrations in London, although members also appear regularly in other courts and jurisdictions. The general character of Chambers’ work is of an international flavour, representing clients from across the world.
A career at 7 King’s Bench Walk promises high-calibre commercial work that is intellectually demanding and stimulating, across a wide and varied range of subject matters.
Further information: https://youtu.be/H5wXsxoOElk?si=yLvPxQs97RLWCvnO
Social mobility and inclusion
7KBW is committed to promoting social mobility at the Commercial Bar and to ensuring that it is an inclusive community that welcomes and supports all practitioners regardless of background. The short video below highlights members’ reflections on their experiences and priorities in these respects:
https://youtu.be/aAuqhkX7uFA?si=JODsto74Tqzt04iI
Our work
A great strength of 7 King’s Bench Walk is that every member of Chambers practises in the field of commercial law. This provides a unique concentration of expertise, as well as a coherent and supportive working environment.
Chambers’ work remains highly varied. Commercial law covers everything from small-scale contractual disputes to complex multi-jurisdictional disputes in areas such as international trade, energy, insurance, banking, financial services, professional negligence, fraud, commodities and shipping. Cases are mostly London-based, typically in the Commercial Court or appellate courts, or in arbitration. But most of Chambers’ work has a strong international element, involving jurisdiction disputes; clients, facts and contracts from around the world; or, often, the consideration of foreign law alongside English law principles. Members also appear regularly in other jurisdictions such as Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong and Bermuda.
For most of us, the primary appeal of commercial work is that it is intellectually demanding and stimulating, and covers a wide and varied range of subject matters. Our work involves absorbing and understanding large quantities of factual and technical information; analysing and researching the complex legal and commercial issues which arise; and developing, advising on, and applying arguments and strategies in the interests of our clients. Being a good commercial lawyer requires strong intellectual and analytical abilities, as well as common sense and sound judgement.
One of the questions most commonly asked by applicants is what work new junior members of Chambers can expect to undertake. There is no single ‘mould’ for the practice of new tenants at 7KBW, but the one constant is that the work is diverse. Typically, junior tenants divide their time between advising and representing clients on their own in smaller cases and working as junior to more senior members of Chambers in large and complex disputes. The nature of commercial work is such that opportunities for oral advocacy are less frequent during the early years of practice than in many other branches of the law. However, advocacy remains an important element of our work and we encourage our junior members to appear in county courts, in arbitrations and in suitable High Court hearings whenever they can. The opportunities to appear as an advocate in commercial cases increase rapidly after a few years in practice.
Our members
One of the most important, but also most difficult, factors for a candidate to assess when applying for pupillage is whether he or she would be happy working in a particular set of Chambers. 7KBW distinguishes itself by its supportive and inclusive atmosphere. The working environment in Chambers is relaxed and collegiate, backed up by an exceptionally friendly and efficient clerking team. Members often work together in teams on large cases, building relationships between members at all levels of experience. Chambers prides itself on the approachability, as well as the professionalism, of its members. Whilst we have a strong contingent of KCs (25 out of 70 current members), we are a relatively young and dynamic set.
Pupillage is Chambers’ key channel for recruitment. Members of Chambers have come to pupillage and the Bar through a variety of routes. Many of our members are non-law graduates, a few are former solicitors and some are practitioners from other jurisdictions. On leaving Chambers, many of our members have become judges, including Lord Denning, Lord Brandon, Lord Goff, Lord Hobhouse, and Lord Mance. There is no single model for a member of 7KBW and we welcome applicants of high calibre from any background.
If you are interested in a career at 7KBW, we recommend that you spend a few days in Chambers to gauge the atmosphere for yourself. Details of how to apply for a mini-pupillage appear in the Mini-Pupillage section. We also encourage applicants to whom we make an offer of pupillage to spend a day or two in Chambers before deciding whether to accept our offer to assist them in making an informed choice. Doing a mini-pupillage at 7KBW is not a pre-requisite for an application for pupillage, and any mini-pupillage that is done will form no part of the assessment process on an application for pupillage.