Mishcon de Reya’s head of international arbitration Louis Flannery KC has left the firm, and is set to join Littleton Chambers in August as a silk in the set’s international arbitration team.
Recognised in the Legal 500 Hall of Fame for international arbitration in London, Flannery joined Mishcons in 2020 from Stephenson Harwood, where he built the firm’s London international arbitration practice after joining in 2008. He took silk in 2018, and has appeared before a range of international tribunals and domestic courts.
‘My aim is to put Littleton Chambers higher up the ranks for international arbitration’, Flannery told Legal Business. ‘I know that with the assistance of their many brilliant juniors and other talented silks such as Rupert D’Cruz KC and Charles Samek KC, I am in a very good place to do so.’
Mishcons dispute resolution chair Hugo Plowman commented: ‘Louis has done a great job helping to build the foundations of our international arbitration group, and he will be missed by me and many here at Mishcon. As he moves to the Bar, we thank him for his service to the firm and wish him all the very best for his future.’
Flannery’s departure leaves the firm with just one international arbitration partner in London: Greg Falkof, who joined from Eversheds Sutherland in November 2022 and is recognised in the Legal 500 as a next generation partner. Other recent departures have included Alexander Slade, who left for construction, energy, and infrastructure sector disputes boutique Mantle Law in November 2023 after joining from Vinson & Elkins in February 2022, while Zachary Segal moved on in February 2024 to become an investment manager at litigation funder Litigation Capital Management.
On his former firm, Flannery said: ‘I shall miss my many friends at Mishcon but am delighted to remain working with my soon-to-be former colleagues on my existing matters, whilst not having to deal with billing guides or targets that bedevils every law firm. With Greg Falkof at the helm, the firm will continue to grow the footprint that I have helped to place into the sands of international arbitration.’
Flannery described his choice of Littleton as based on ‘pure intuition’. ‘No one joining a new organisation can be truly certain as to what it will be like on the inside, but I am more than confident that my hunch about Littleton will prove correct and that I will have finally found my true home,’ he said.
He added that he had been considering a move to the Bar ‘almost continually’ throughout his 34 years as a solicitor. ‘Four years ago I was about to make the jump across, but I was persuaded by an excellent offer from Mishcon and a looming pandemic. This meant I spent four enjoyable years at an excellent law firm with a justifiable worldwide reputation for dispute resolution.’
Littleton Chambers head Gavin Mansfield KC commented: ‘We are thrilled to have Louis Flannery KC joining us. He is so well recognised as a leading expert in international arbitration. He will be a most welcome addition to our already thriving group.’
