Ben Knowles joined Keystone Law as an arbitration partner

A three-decade run at a global firm ended after one of London's heavyweight arbitration figures bolted for a disaggregated platform that lets lawyers pocket most of their fees.

Knowles signs on at Keystone Law

• Ben Knowles locked down a partner gig at Keystone Law in London.
• Knowles previously ran Clyde & Co's international arbitration practice.
• Keystone's arbitration squad already runs 27 lawyers deep.
• Hermes Marangos came aboard from Signature Law in 2024.

Over three decades in cross-border disputes

• Ben Knowles carries 30-plus years of complex international arbitration work.
• His client roster spans governments, state bodies, and VC investors.
• Knowles leans heavily into Middle East and Saudi-linked matters.
• Shareholder fights across fintech and banking fall under his belt.

Why Knowles ditched Clyde & Co

• Ben Knowles had chaired Clyde & Co's disputes unit since 2017.
• Keystone's flat setup and zero management duties pulled him over.
• His Middle East-focused practice runs from London with no regional office load.
• Conflict-of-interest risk drops without his old firm's insurer ties.

Keystone's model and financial health

• Keystone Law went public on AIM in 2017, after a 2002 launch.
• Self-employed lawyers on the platform pocket as much as 75% of fees.
• Revenue hit £54m in the half-year ending 31 July 2025.
• Adjusted pre-tax profit jumped 20% to £7.3m in that period.

Clyde & Co folds the role entirely

• Clyde & Co confirmed Knowles left the partnership chasing fresh opportunities.
• No replacement will fill the international arbitration head position.
• Arbitration work gets absorbed into sector-specific practice groups going forward.