Asia Pacific: The English Bar
Commercial
Leading silk3David Lewis KC –Twenty Essex
Twenty Essex
twentyessex.comtwentyessex.comBarristers
David Lewis KC
Twenty Essex, London
- Phone020 7842 1200
- Email[email protected]
- Profilewww.twentyessex.com
Work Department
Arbitration; Banking; Civil fraud; Conflicts of laws; Energy and natural resources; Insurance and reinsurance; Mediation; Sale of goods; Shipbuilding; Shipping
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.
Languages
French (proficient)
Mentions
London Bar
Commercial litigation
Leading silk5David Lewis KC –Twenty Essex 'Brilliant strategist - he is able to find solutions where others see nothing. He is great with clients and the judges are always engaged by his focussed and persuasive submissions.'
London Bar
Commodities
Leading silk2David Lewis KC – Twenty Essex ‘A top-level KC for commodities disputes, he is very personable and excellent with clients, and has first-class analytical skills.’
London Bar
Energy
Leading silk2David Lewis KC –Twenty Essex ‘A superb tactician and a highly accomplished advocate, David is extremely quick to grasp the key issues and the underlying commercial drivers.’
London Bar
International arbitration: counsel
Leading silk2David Lewis KC –Twenty Essex
London Bar
Shipping
Leading silk3David Lewis KC –Twenty Essex ‘David is incisive and has an eagle-eye commercial strategy. His cross-examination style is concise and pointed, and he can be counted on to work very quickly and effectively.'
Asia Pacific: The English Bar
Shipping and commodities
Leading silk1David Lewis KC–Twenty Essex 'A silk with a very good nose for how a tribunal will react to an argument.'