David Edwards

David Edwards is co-head of our European Disputes practice based in London and has acted in some of the world’s largest and most complex corporate and commercial disputes conducted in the English and international courts, and in international arbitration. 

David has advised on a vast range of high-profile strategic battles, including successfully defending several clients in respect of worldwide freezing orders (the “nuclear weapon” of the English courts). He also has advised a large number of ultra-high-net-worth individuals and ultimate beneficial owners of international business conglomerates in relation to their contentious and strategic commercial positions and has forged a practice in respect of complex international shareholder disputes. 

David’s experience in major international disputes spans industries including energy and natural resources, telecoms, power projects, pharmaceutical, banking and finance (including offshore), cryptocurrency, technology, commodities and trusts. He also has advised on a variety of ESG-related matters for clients.

Notable experience includes representing:

• Corporate entities whose stakeholders acquired interests in landmark London hotels that are at the center of a series of significant disputes across multiple jurisdictions, including a major LCIA arbitration, involving financial claims and counterclaims   
• A consortium of investors in a dispute spanning several arbitration proceedings concerning a multibillion-U.S. dollar financing related to a major Nordic power project

Notable experience prior to joining Simpson Thacher includes representing:

• A global international social network developer and operator in defending arbitration claims brought by investors in a blockchain project     
• A major Taiwanese client in a complex multibillion-dollar dispute involving court proceedings in multiple jurisdictions across Asia, the United States and the Caribbean and involving complex Trusts litigation     
• A U.S. private equity firm and one of the world’s largest cruise line operators in a construction dispute with a major European shipyard concerning two revolutionary cruise liners before the London High Court
• An ultra-high-net-worth individual in successfully striking-out a $380 million civil fraud claim (with associated worldwide freezing orders) brought by oil company Tatneft in the English Commercial Court    
• A high profile private equity group in parallel multijurisdictional litigation and arbitration proceedings concerning interests in a major social online networking service    
• An ultra-high-net-worth individual in English High Court proceedings involving the successful strikeout of a $300 million partnership dispute on jurisdictional grounds 
• A consortium of venture partners in a headline-grabbing dispute with BP over BP’s attempt to form a $16 billion strategic alliance with Rosneft, the state-owned Russian oil company, for the exploration of oil in the Arctic Circle    
• A major international mining company in connection with offensive actions by a host state against the company’s commercial interests     
• An offshore construction company in its ICC arbitration (Geneva) against a major European oil company relating to an Iranian gulf-based gas production platform   
• A giant U.S. pharmaceutical company in a series of major London-seated arbitration disputes with excess loss insurers, arising from indemnification claims related to class action litigation brought in the U.S. by users of its pharmaceutical products   

David was selected to The Legal 500’s inaugural U.K. Private Practice Arbitration Powerlist and is recommended as a Leading Individual in the U.K. edition of The Legal 500 in relation to both International Arbitration, where clients say he “stands out as a calm presence”, that he is “the kind of lawyer clients want to have,” in addition to noting that he “always [has] an effective and pragmatic way forward”, and in relation to Commercial Litigation, Premium, where clients testify him to be a “heavyweight litigator”.  David has been recognised in The Best Lawyers in the UK, as a rising star in the field of international arbitration in Euromoney’s Guide to the World’s Leading Experts in Commercial Arbitration, has been named to Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration as a Future Leader, and was included in Lawdragon’s inaugural Global Litigation 500 list.