Senior Partner
Margaret A. Chen
Commercial Litigation · Dispute Resolution · Arbitration
Biography
Margaret A. Chen is widely regarded as one of London’s most formidable commercial litigators, with a record spanning complex commercial disputes, group actions, and high-stakes international arbitrations. A graduate of the London School of Economics (LLB, First Class Honours), she trained at a Magic Circle firm and served as a judicial assistant to the Commercial Court before joining hawkings & Associates, where she made partner in record time at age 34.
Named a “Leading Individual” in The Legal 500 UK and ranked Band 1 by Chambers UK for Commercial Litigation, Margaret has conducted more than 150 cases across the High Court, Court of Appeal, and the UK Supreme Court. Her methodology — meticulous preparation, commanding cross-examination, and authoritative advocacy — has earned her a 94% success rate across her career. She is also a CEDR-accredited mediator who frequently resolves high-value disputes before they reach trial.
“Winning at trial begins long before you enter the courtroom. Every word of testimony, every document — preparation is everything.”
Notable Record
£118M Commercial Judgment — Lead solicitor in a breach-of-contract dispute between two FTSE 100 companies; the High Court (Business and Property Courts) entered judgment in full for the client following a four-week trial — one of the largest commercial judgments of that year.
Group Litigation Defence — Successfully defended a major UK financial institution against a 40,000-member securities group action, achieving strike-out of the common issues at a preliminary hearing after 30 months of litigation under CPR Part 19.
IP Trade Secret — £22M — Won a permanent injunction and £22M in damages for a technology firm whose proprietary machine-learning algorithms were misappropriated by a former senior employee and licensed to a competitor, in proceedings before the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court.
£65M LCIA Arbitration Award — Secured a £65M arbitration award under LCIA Rules in a cross-border joint venture dissolution spanning three jurisdictions, successfully enforced across England, France, and Singapore.
Education & Qualifications
London School of Economics
LLB, First Class Hons. · Law Review Editor · 1997
University of Cambridge
BA Philosophy, First Class · 1994
Legal 500 Leading Individual — 2022
Commercial Litigation, England & Wales
CEDR-Accredited Mediator
LCIA · ICC Panel Arbitrator
Chambers UK Band 1 — Litigation
2018 – Present
Qualifications & Admissions
Solicitor of England & Wales · SRA Authorised
Years' Practice
Trial Success Rate
Trials Conducted
Largest Judgment (£)