A practicing barrister with full rights of audience before the English courts, David advises clients on all aspects of English civil litigation and international commercial arbitration. He is particularly suited to cases involving financial or numerical evidence, having spent several years as an investment banker before coming to the law.
David has acted for clients in complex and high-value disputes involving civil fraud, product liability, defamation, cybersecurity, and breach of contract. He has experience across multiple industry sectors, including financial services, insurance, media, automotive, property, and construction.
Before joining the firm, David completed pupillage at XXIV Old Buildings (a leading set of commercial chancery chambers), prior to which he spent a year as judicial assistant to Sir Geoffrey Vos (then Chancellor of the High Court). In both capacities, he was exposed to a broad range of commercial, financial services, fraud, trust, and probate disputes in the English High Court and Court of Appeal, as well as various matters concerning the nature and scope of legal professional privilege.
As a law student, David was awarded the Lincoln’s Inn Lord Mansfield Scholarship, Hardwicke Entrance Award and Buchanan Prize; the University of Law Provost’s Award for Excellence; and the City University / 1 Chancery Lane Prize for Tort Law.
Prior to his legal studies, David spent several years as an investment banker working on international mergers and acquisitions and capital raisings in the technology sector, and obtained the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. He enjoys bringing his fluency with numerical data and analysis to his commercial cases.
Affiliations
Professional Activities and Memberships
- The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn
- CFA Institute, CFA UK
Representative Matters
- Representing an engineering company in international arbitration proceedings against its main contractor on a construction project, the total value of which (including claims and counterclaims) exceeds £50 million.
- Acting for a global trade finance fund in its £15 million constructive trust and unjust enrichment claim in the English High Court against a counterparty to one of its borrowers.
- Advising a property development company on potential claims and counterclaims arising out of a joint venture agreement, and termination of the same.
- Advising a multinational corporate on its response to a data subject access request made under the UK General Data Protection Regulation.
- Defended a national newspaper against a defamation claim in the English High Court, before agreeing to a settlement with the claimant.
- Acted for Dana UK Axle Limited (a UK subsidiary of global automotive equipment supplier Dana Incorporated) in its product liability claim in the English High Court against Freudenberg FST GmbH, one of its component suppliers. After a successful application during trial to exclude the Defendant’s technical expert evidence ([2021] EWHC 1413 (TCC)), the Court found fully in Dana’s favor, awarding it more than £11 million in damages (the entire amount claimed) and an indemnity for future losses, as well as interest and costs ([2021] EWHC 1751 (TCC)).
- Acted for a multinational trade credit insurer in: (i) defending a breach of contract claim brought against it in the English High Court; (ii) bringing a counterclaim against the insured for breach of its duty of fair presentation under the Insurance Act 2015; and (iii) ultimately agreeing a settlement with the insured.
Client Alerts & Newsletters
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"Data Breach Decisions: A Turning of The Tide?,"
International Dispute Resolution Alert
(January 26, 2022).
Contacts: Robert Weekes, Laurence Winston, Maarten Stassen, David Russell, CFA
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"UK Supreme Court Decisions on Arbitration Agreements and Procedure in 2020-2021,"
International Dispute Resolution Alert
(January 26, 2022).
Contacts: Robert Weekes, Laurence Winston, Nicola Phillips, David Russell, CFA
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"English High Court Judgment Narrows The Scope of Data Breach Claims,"
International Dispute Resolution Alert
(September 15, 2021).
Contacts: David Russell, CFA, Robert Weekes, Laurence Winston, Maarten Stassen
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"U.K. Supreme Court Delivers Landmark Judgment on Apparent Bias of Arbitrators,"
International Dispute Resolution Alert
(December 10, 2020).
Contacts: Robert Weekes, Laurence Winston, Nicola Phillips, Gordon McAllister, David Russell, CFA
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"U.K. Supreme Court Clarifies How to Determine the Governing Law of Arbitration Agreements,"
International Dispute Resolution Alert
(October 30, 2020).
Contacts: Nicola Phillips, Robert Weekes, Laurence Winston, David Russell, CFA
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"Will Lenders be able to use COVID-19 to Invoke Material Adverse Change Clauses?,"
Corporate Alert
(April 17, 2020).
Contacts: Andrew J. Knight, Nicola Phillips, Robert Weekes, Laurence Winston, David Russell, CFA
Firm News & Announcements