David Lewis KC
Arbitrationbankingcivil fraudconflicts of lawsenergy and natural resourcesinsurance and reinsurancemediationsale of goodsshipbuildingshipping, Twenty Essex
- Phone020 7842 1200
- Email[email protected]
Work Department
Position
David is a specialist advocate who took silk in 2014 at the age of 36. He has been described as a “meticulous and formidable silk who can cut through complex cases”.
He is experienced in a wide range of general commercial and private international law disputes, with an emphasis on energy and natural resources (including renewables), shipping and commodities, civil fraud and the conflict of laws. He also has a particular interest in crypto disputes.
David is renowned for his strategic instincts as to how judges and arbitrators think, his incisive intellect and his responsiveness. He is frequently involved in complex, high value, multi-jurisdictional disputes either leading a large team or working as co-counsel with foreign lawyers. He also has considerable experience of injunctive relief, in particular anti-suit and freezing injunctions.
A substantial amount of his work is in international arbitration. David has acted as lead counsel in arbitration hearings in London, Singapore (where he was based permanently from 2009 to 2010), Paris, Dubai and Hong Kong. He is regularly instructed on challenges to arbitration awards and disputes relating to their enforcement. He was nominated for ‘International Arbitration Silk of the Year 2019’ by The Legal 500.
In addition to appearances at all levels of the High Court (including the appellate courts), he is called to the Bar of the British Virgin Islands (BVI), registered to appear in the Singapore International Commercial Court (as a foreign lawyer) and in the DIFC Courts and has appeared (ad hoc) before the Courts of the Cayman Islands and Gibraltar.
He also accepts appointments as arbitrator, and has acted as arbitrator under various institutional rules and ad hoc. He also gives expert evidence on English law in foreign Court proceedings.
https://www.twentyessex.com/people/david-lewis/
Mentions
London Bar
Commercial litigation
HALL OF FAME5David Lewis KC –Twenty Essex 'Massively able and unflappable. Very measured advocacy.'
London Bar
Commodities
HALL OF FAME2David Lewis KC – Twenty Essex ‘Very highly regarded by solicitors, David is encyclopaedically brilliant, authoritative and yet polite, and meticulously prepared.’
London Bar
Energy
HALL OF FAME2David Lewis KC –Twenty Essex ‘David has an outstanding intellect and is always available, courteous and excellent with clients.’
London Bar
International arbitration: counsel
HALL OF FAME2David Lewis KC –Twenty Essex ‘David is incredibly thorough and meticulously prepared for every conference and every hearing. He has deep expertise in international trade matters. A team player who interacts wonderfully with lay and professional clients.’
London Bar
Shipping
HALL OF FAME3David Lewis KC –Twenty Essex ‘David is incredibly bright, calm and collected on his feet, with razor-sharp attention to detail.’
Asia Pacific: The English Bar
Shipping and commodities
HALL OF FAME1David Lewis KC–Twenty Essex 'A silk with a very good nose for how a tribunal will react to an argument.'