Recommended as a top-tier leading shipping and commodities silk in all the main directories. She is also a registered practitioner in the ADGM Court of Abu Dhabi and in the DIFC Court, Dubai.

Aside from her advocacy skills, her professional standing as a commercial arbitrator has been recognized globally with membership of all the main commercial panels worldwide including the HKIAC, SIAC, SHIAC, AIAC , BVI IAC, LCIA Europe and the SCMA. She is also a member of the Baltic Exchange and a supporting member of the LMAA. She has acted as Chairman and sole arbitrator in ICC commercial arbitrations, including not only international trade and supply contract disputes, but also shipbuilding disputes. She has been a LOF Salvage Arbitrator since 2009. In the last 25 years, she has been appointed in over 110 arbitrations and has published numerous awards, mostly as sole arbitrator.

Key cases & testimonials

The Ever Given (2021-) Elizabeth has been representing the Claimant salvors in their High Court salvage claim arising out of the very well-known March 2021 Suez Canal incident. After the successful outcome of an important preliminary issue in the Admiralty Court in March 2023, the case is now due for hearing in the Court of Appeal in February 2024.

The Maersk Honam (2018-2023) Elizabeth has acted throughout for the majority of cargo interests in this very large scale and lengthy LOF arbitration which has raised a multitude of complex issues.

Anti-suit injunction case in Abu Dhabi (2022) Elizabeth defended a complex US$160 million commercial anti-suit injunction in the ADGM Courts of Abu Dhabi.

HKIAC arbitration concerning a high value ship conversion dispute (2022) Elizabeth was one of the panel of arbitrators which determined this high value ship conversion dispute.

Allision in South America 2013-2022 Elizabeth has acted as Leading Counsel throughout this lengthy litigation and then arbitrations arising out of an allision incident in South America.  The case involved not only wet shipping/collision type issues but also unsafe port issues..

Elizabeth has the rare talent of being user-friendly combined with the ability to absorb and process very complex information.Legal 500, 2025
Elizabeth Blackburn is an excellent silk who makes phenomenal points.Chambers UK, 2025
Elizabeth Blackburn is incredibly experienced, user-friendly and fantastic on her feet.Chambers UK, 2025
Elizabeth is a very experienced and highly capable KC.Chambers UK, 2025
She is a dream to work with and is very conscientious.Chambers UK, 2025
Elizabeth is an excellent KC to work with.Chambers UK, 2025
She is a formidable advocate when she is on the other side but is always a pleasure to work with. She gives excellent service and guidance at all the key stages of a matter.Chambers UK 2023
Without a doubt one of, if not the, leading practitioners on LOF salvage cases. A thorough, fair, careful and professional advocate. She masters the detail.Legal 500 2022
She has the ability to absorb, process and retain large amounts of complex information and evidence and turn around work with astonishing speed and attention to detail.Legal 500 2021
Utterly dedicated ... she is everything a KC should be.
She is a first-rate commercial barrister.
A formidable advocate … always a pleasure to work with.

Areas of expertise

Elizabeth accepts instruction in all areas of shipping work and has been involved in numerous high value, complex and mulit- jurisdictional disputes. She is one of the most experienced KCs in large-scale maritime casualty, collision and salvage work, particularly where there are complex expert issues relating, for example, to naval architecture, metallurgy, hydrography, geo-technology and meteorology.  She has also had many years of experience in charterparty and bill of lading disputes.

She accepts instructions in more general international commercial litigation and arbitration, such as international trade disputes and anti-suit injunction cases.

Recent work includes:

Case 1 The Ever Given (2021 ongoing)

Case 2 The Maersk Honam (2018-2023 )

Case 3 US$160,000,000 anti-suit injunction case in Abu Dhabi (2022)

 

Arbitrator

Elizabeth also acts regularly as an arbitrator and she is a panel member of all the main commercial panels worldwide including the HKIAC, SIAC, SHIAC, AIAC , BVI IAC, LCIA Europe and the SCMA. She is also a member of the Baltic Exchange and a supporting member of the LMAA. She has acted as Chairman and sole arbitrator in ICC commercial arbitrations, including not only international trade and supply contract disputes, but also shipbuilding disputes. She has been a LOF Salvage Arbitrator since 2009.

In addition to various charterparty and Wreckhire disputes which settled, recent work as arbitrator includes:

HKIAC arbitration concerning a high value ship conversion dispute (2022) Elizabeth was one of the panel of arbitrators which determined this high value ship conversion dispute.

Large scale LOF arbitration lasting 2 days involving a casualty in the Pacific Coast off Mexico (2022)

Ongoing charterparty dispute (2022 -) arising out of alleged cargo damage and discharge/redelivery issues.

 

 

 

 

Further information

BA Hons University of Manchester

Appointments & Memberships

Bencher of the Middle Temple

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