Herbert Smith Freehills LLP

Dispute Resolution

Damien is a partner in the dispute resolution practice.

Based in London, Damien helps banking sector clients resolve or navigate major disputes. Damien led our multi-award winning global disputes practice from 2018 to 2023 and is now co-head of the firm's crisis management practice.

Damien specialises in providing advice on high-value, contentious issues facing domestic and international banks, investment funds, private equity houses and other financial institutions. These include disputes about corporate finance transactions, investment advice, fund management, securities trading, project finance, private equity investment, enforcement of security and structured finance.

He has helped clients with company and commercial disputes in London and Asia across a wide range of industries, in both High Court litigation and international arbitration.

Damien is ranked in the Hall of Fame in Legal 500 UK 2024 for Commercial Litigation: Premium and Banking Litigation: Investment and Retail.  Damien was named as the Dispute Resolution Individual of the Year (London) in the Legal 500 UK 2019 awards.

Damien has an M.A. in history from Cambridge and qualified as a solicitor in England and Wales (1993) and Hong Kong (1998).

Damien trained with Herbert Smith in London and spent five years in the firm’s Hong Kong office in the wake of the Asian financial crisis. He was promoted to partner in 2000.