Biography
David is a commercial litigation and arbitration partner with a strong focus on complex and high-value disputes, often, if not always, with a multi-jurisdictional element.
His international practice, as well as his ability to speak four languages fluently, makes him ideally placed to provide strategic solutions to international clients.
David also advises clients on a wide variety of corporate, commercial, financial and property-related disputes as well as on directors’ duties, commercial fraud, asset recovery and shareholders claims. Primarily, his work is focused in the banking, finance and real estate sectors, and clients include Sovereign States, banks, financial services providers, corporates, serial entrepreneurs and high-net worth individuals.
David is ranked in the legal directories, and is described in Legal 500 as “first rate… a good team player with excellent client skills” and “good at dealing with particularly demanding clients”.
David is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb).
Recent Highlights
- Acted for a global foreign exchange company providing currency exchange and international payments, in defending a £78m claim brought by a major film production company, and nine other claimants, for unlawful means conspiracy, breach of fiduciary duties, fraud and bribery. The claim arose as a result of foreign exchange and derivative trades and swaps placed, the total of which was approx. $5.6bn.
- Acted for a Sovereign State and its state-owned national carrier in defending a £30m claim brought by a aircraft leasing company in the Commercial Court, London. The Government and the airline defended this claim on the basis that the contract was procured illegally, and that the former CEO acted in breach of his fiduciary duties and outside his authority when entering into this contract.
- Acted for a Sovereign State in respect of international arbitrations conducted under LCIA, SIAC and ICC rules. The dispute surrounded the delivery of a major infrastructure project totalling $150m.
- Acting for an ultra-high net worth individual in pursuing a claim for breach of undertaking, breach of trust and professional negligence arising out of the intended purchase of a high-end residential property worth £9.75m in prime Central London.