Samuel practises in all of Chambers’ core areas, including commercial, public, procurement and state aid, EU, public international law, employment, data and information, and sport.

He acts in cases before a range of international and domestic courts. Current and recent highlights include:

  • J v Bath and North East Somerset Council [2025] EWCA Civ 478; [2025] 3 W.L.R. 137, for the Secretary of State for Education (led by Joanne Clement KC) intervening in an appeal about the deprivation of liberty of children under Article 5 ECHR.
  • The UN General Assembly’s request to the International Court of Justice for an advisory opinion on the obligations of Israel in relation to the presence and activities of the United Nations, other international organisations, and third states in and in relation to the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
  • Friend Media Technology Systems Ltd v Friend [2025] EWHC 2897 (KB) (led by Gavin Mansfield KC and Tom Ogg), successfully defending a claim for breaches of restrictive covenants, directors’ duties, and confidence.

Before coming to the Bar, Samuel was a research fellow in constitutional law at Public Law Project. In this role, Samuel assisted with drafting successful amendments to the Retained EU (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023, provided policy advice on proposed reforms to human rights law, and conducted scrutiny of treaties and other international agreements.

Samuel also worked as a trainee at the EFTA Court in Luxembourg (equivalent to a judicial assistant in England and Wales). In this capacity, Samuel worked on a wide variety of EU and EEA law matters, including state aid and competition, tax, discrimination on the basis of nationality, free movement of services, freedom of establishment, and consumer protection.

Samuel is a contributor to Tolley’s Employment Handbook, 39th edition (June 2025) and to Public Law and the UK Supreme Court: Key Cases and Decisions (August 2025). Samuel is also an editor of the Administrative Court Blog.

Samuel graduated with a Double First and an M.Phil in History from the University of Cambridge.

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Achievements

ToggleAwards

Sir John and Lady Sophie Laws Scholarship, Bar European Group, 2024

Maitland Chambers Prize, ICCA, 2022

EFTA Court Scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn, 2022

Lord Denning Scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn, 2021

Lord Haldane Scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn, 2020

McMahon Law Studentship, St John’s College, Cambridge, 2020

The History of Parliament Trust Dissertation Prize, 2019

Mansergh Prize, St John’s College, Cambridge, 2019

M.Phil Scholarship, St John’s College, Cambridge, 2019

Larmor Award, St John’s College, Cambridge, 2019

Wright Prize, St John’s College, Cambridge, 2019

Alfred Hall Prior Scholarship, St John’s College, Cambridge, 2018 and 2019

College Prize, St John’s College, Cambridge, 2018

ToggleEducation

MA (Cantab.), History, St John’s College, University of Cambridge

M.Phil, History, St John’s College, University of Cambridge

GDL, City St George’s, University of London

Bar Course, Inns of Court College of Advocacy

TogglePublications

“Discrimination and Equal Opportunities II” and “Equal Pay”, in Tolley’s Employment Handbook, 39th edn (June 2025).

“Haunted by Obiter Dicta: R (Chester) v Secretary of State for Justice and another; McGeoch v Lord President of the Council [2013] UKSC 63, [2014] AC 271”, in Lewis Graham and Jenny Russell (eds), Public Law and the UK Supreme Court: Key Cases and Decisions (August 2025).

Co-Editor of the Administrative Court Blog

ToggleLanguages

Competent in reading French

Competent in reading Spanish

Insights&News

  1. News

    Samuel Willis gives oral evidence to the House of Lords on the Windsor Framework

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  2. News

    9 members of chambers included in the Pro Bono Recognition List for 2026

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  3. Podcasts

    Daniel Isenberg and Samuel Willis on ET International jurisdiction

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  4. News

    Samuel Willis contributes to new book, Public Law and the UK Supreme Court

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  5. News

    Joanne Clement KC and Samuel Willis in Court of Appeal case on Article 5 and deprivation of liberty of children

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  6. News

    11KBW members act for Palestine in ICJ advisory proceedings on Israel’s aid obligations

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  7. News

    Samuel Willis joins 11KBW as a tenant

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