David specialises in commercial litigation including competition claims and claims on behalf of shareholders, and is Head of the Commercial Disputes & Class Actions department. He was articled with Edwin Coe and qualified in 1980, becoming a Partner in 1984 and Senior Partner in April 2011.
David served as the 176th President of the Law Society – the independent professional body for solicitors in England & Wales. In this role, he represents the organisation at home and abroad, and is Chair of their Council. David won the Law Society’s presidential election for 2018 and was appointed as Deputy Vice President in July 2018, becoming Vice President in 2019 and President in 2020-1.
He has developed a strong following in contentious competition work being involved in cases in front of the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), High Court and Competition Commission. He has for many years advised sovereign states on disputes in international tribunals and particularly specialises in work involving governments in sub-Saharan Africa.
David was appointed by the Lord Chancellor to the Civil Procedure Rules Committee in 1997. He was then appointed in 2002 as a member of the Civil Justice Council. He is the author of ‘Civil Procedure Rules‘, an associate editor of ‘Civil Practice Manual‘, on the editorial board of Butterworths’ ‘The Civil Court Practice‘ (‘the Green Book‘), a contributor to the Law Society’s ‘Civil Litigation Manual‘, and the author of two titles for Atkins Court Forms.
David has worked on numerous high profile cases including:
- Railtrack shareholders’ action against the Government
- Northern Rock
- Resort Hotels
- E-District
- many shareholder groups in complaints to the FSA and in private claims including Langbar, Mayflower and Torex
- depositors in KSF (Isle of Man)
- investors in the Madoff fraud
- Stanford Investment Fund.
Published books include:
- Shareholder Claims (2012) Jordan publishing Ltd
- Civil Practice Manual
- The Civil Court Practice 2003 (‘The Green Book’)
- Atkins Court Forms 2000-2001
- The Civil Litigation Handbook 2001
- International Employment Law 2000
Expertise
Arbitration and Mediation
Asset protection and recovery
Civil Fraud
Commercial Litigation
Competition/EU Litigation
Defamation
Professional and Disciplinary Tribunals
Credentials
Ranked as a Senior Statesperson in Chambers UK 2025
Recommended in Legal 500 UK 2025’s Commercial Litigation ‘Hall of Fame’
Recommended in Legal 500 UK 2025’s Group Litigation ‘Hall of Fame’
Recommended in Legal 500 UK 2025 for Civil Fraud
Recognised by Best Lawyers as a leader in Competition Law and Litigation since 2009
The Law Society’s President 2020-21 (Deputy Vice President 2018 and Vice President 2019)
Winner of The Law Society Gazette 2017 Legal Personality of the Year
Winner of Rule of Law Award for Article 50 litigation at the Solicitors Journal Awards 2017
Founding Co-President of The Collective Redress Lawyers Association (CORLA)
Council member of the Law Society. His seat is for international practice
President of the London Solicitors Litigation Association
Member of the Executive Committee of the London Branch of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
CEDR accredited mediator
Assessor for the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants
David's Blogs
Blog - 23/10/2024
Arbitration explained – principles, why to ...
Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Blog - 02/07/2024
Litigation Funding – the What, Why and How
Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Blog - 03/07/2023
Claim back the secret commissions paid to you...
Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Blog - 30/05/2023
Is the Sun Shining on Shell? Environmental Ac...
Litigation & Dispute Resolution
