SILK PROFILE
Ruth den Besten KC

Ruth den Besten KC

UK Bar 2026

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Ranked in 3 practice areas

About

Provided by Essex Court Chambers

UK Bar

Practice Areas

Ruth den Besten KC has substantial expertise in heavy commercial and chancery litigation. She specializes in civil fraud and asset recovery, insolvency, contractual and company disputes, and the obtaining and discharge of injunctive relief (worldwide freezing, anti-suit, search and Norwich Pharmacal orders). She has recently appeared in Suppipat v Narongdej, a 20 week Commercial Court trial, in which she represented the CEO of Siam Commercial Bank and a prominent Thai lawyer; Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank PJSC v Shetty & Ors [2022] EWHC 529 (Comm), a successful jurisdictional challenge in which Ruth acted for Dr Shetty; Tatneft PJSC v (1) Bogolyubov, (2) Kolomoisky & Ors [2021] EWHC 411 (Comm); and ArcelorMittal USA LLC v Ruia [2020] EWHC 740. Ruth also acts in HNW divorce and probate cases giving rise to multi-jurisdictional corporate, tax and trust issues.

Ruth won Commercial Litigation Junior of the Year (Legal 500, 2022) and was appointed silk in March 2023. She is recommended in Chancery: Commercial, Commercial Dispute Resolution, Fraud: Civil and Restructuring / Insolvency (Chambers & Partners 2022); and UK, Dispute Resolution: Commercial Chancery (Chambers Global). She has been described variously as “Ferocious, but in a good way” “Superwoman” and “A real master of her brief who does brilliant cross-examination and can own the witness“. It is also said that she “writes beautifully and with brevity”.

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

UK Bar

Fraud: Civil - London (Bar)

Band 3
Band 3

Individual Editorial

Ruth den Besten KC is an accomplished barrister who focuses on sizeable commercial fraud litigation. Her cases pertain to the full swathe of allegations including breach of trust, misrepresentation and misappropriation of assets.

Strengths

Provided by Chambers

  • She engages with everyone and is magnificent on her feet.

    Fraud: CivilUK Bar
  • She is a beautiful advocate, and she puts things into a very eloquent way.

    Fraud: CivilUK Bar
  • She is instrumental in devising strategy.

    Fraud: CivilUK Bar
  • Ruth is supremely clever. She is a very sophisticated advocate.

    Commercial Dispute ResolutionUK Bar
  • Judges like Ruth. She is no-nonsense and writes commendably concise skeleton arguments, and her oral advocacy is direct. She gets the point across with great charm.

    Commercial Dispute ResolutionUK Bar
  • Ruth is well liked in the market. She is good all around.

    Commercial Dispute ResolutionUK Bar

Ranked Barristers at Essex Court Chambers (190)

All Circuits

London (Bar)

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