One Essex Court

Derek Spitz is a leading junior who specialises in commercial litigation, competition, with particular expertise in individual and collective private actions for damages, and international arbitration, regularly representing clients from a range of industries including aerospace, banking and finance, oil and gas, mining, pharmaceutical, retail, tech and telecommunications.

With substantial experience in heavy and complex, high value claims, Derek regularly appears as sole counsel, leading counsel or as part of a larger team in proceedings before the CAT, High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court, as well as in arbitrations under UNCTIRAL, LCIA, ICC and AFSA Rules.

Ranked in Chambers UK and the Legal 500 continuously, for several years, in the fields of Commercial Litigation and Competition Law, before being called to the English Bar Derek was a leading junior at the Johannesburg Bar where he continues to be a member with expertise in South African law.

Recent work includes appearing in Le Patourel v BT on behalf 2.3 million BT customers in the high profile £1bn+ collective proceedings; Interchange – representing various claimants in numerous proceedings including Sainsbury’s (High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court); Ocado (CAT) and on behalf of Merchants in the multi-billion collective proceedings lawsuits “the Commercial Card Claims” (CAT); and Stellantis v Autoliv on behalf of the Defendants in a substantial stand-alone claim concerning alleged cartel conduct.

Called to the English Bar in 2001, Lincoln’s Inn; practised as an advocate in commercial, competition and public law at the Johannesburg Bar.

COMBAR

University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (BA Hons, LLB); Columbia University, New York (JD); Cornell University, Ithaca (MA).

Education: University of the Witwatersrand (BA (Honours) LLB cum laude); Cornell University (MA) (Fulbright Scholarship); and Columbia University (JD)(Harlan Fisk Stone Scholar).

Author and joint editor of ‘Constitutional Law of South Africa’, a work which is frequently cited by South African courts at all levels.