Graham Dunning KC > Essex Court Chambers > London, England > Barrister Profile
Essex Court Chambers Offices
24 LINCOLN'S INN FIELDS
LONDON
WC2A 3EG
England
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Graham Dunning KC
Position
Graham Dunning QC was until recently the co-head of Essex Court Chambers. He has a full time practice as an advocate and arbitrator in substantial international and commercial disputes. Graham has recently appeared at all levels in the English courts from the Supreme Court down, offshore and in international arbitrations in London and other arbitration venues around the world. Amongst other things, he has conducted two heavy fraud trials, several appeals to the English Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and Privy Council, an important Commercial Court banking/commodities trial, commercial arbitrations in London, Dubai and Singapore, a trial in the DIFC in Dubai, various anti-suit injunctions and applications for freezing relief, an appeal in the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal, major oil and gas arbitrations, numerous arbitration-related court applications (including issues of state immunity), and substantial investment arbitrations in Washington, Stockholm and Paris and other international commercial arbitrations (eg ICC, UNCITRAL, LCIA, LCIA-lndia, SCC). His clients have included states and state entities, banks, major commercial corporations and high-net-worth individuals. He also frequently sits as arbitrator in international arbitrations of all kinds, having been appointed in more than 70 cases. He has extensive experience of disputes relating to investments in oil and gas, mining, international trade in all types of commodities, energy, infrastructure, as well as shareholder disputes.
Career
2013-2017 Co-Head of Essex Court Chambers; 2012 Called to Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (St Vincent); 2011 Called to Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (BVI); 2009 Bencher, Lincoln’s Inn; 2001 Silk; 1983 Joined Essex Court Chambers; 1982 Called to the Bar Lincoln’s Inn;
Memberships
LCIA; BMLA, Member ICC UK Task Force on National Rules of Procedure for Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Awards; BILA; SIAC panel; KLRCA panel
Education
Cambridge, England, 1st Class Hons Law, BA; MA; Harvard Law School, LLM
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > Shipping
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 2London Bar > Public international law
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 3London Bar > Energy
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 3Graham Dunning KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘Extraordinarily sharp and effective, Graham can always be depended on to have a mastery of the factual and legal issues.’
For commercial litigation and international arbitration, Essex Court Chambers is ‘at the top of most people’s list: packed with talent’, and it has a strong standing in high-value energy disputes. The set is ‘a go-to on any complex dispute given the calibre of barristers, who are reliable, responsive and always liked by clients’. It has solidified its reputation as a full-service set in recent years, having added to its core strengths in arbitration and public international law, with energy and natural resources becoming a prominent part of many members’ practice. Graham Dunning KC was successful as lead counsel representing the Kurdistan Regional Government Minister of Oil and Natural Resources, in respect of a claim for more than $1.5bn relating to change of control of two blocks under PSCs in Northern Iraq. In Cairn Energy PLC v The Republic of India, Anton Dudnikov is acting for a British company seeking to enforce a $1.7bn arbitral award against India.
London Bar > International arbitration: counsel
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1Graham Dunning KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘Simply at the top of his game: the go-to person for the most complex cases, legally and factually. In the top handful of advocates at the Bar.’
London Bar > Commercial litigation
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 3London Bar > International arbitration: arbitrators
Arbitrators at 24 Lincoln’s Inn Fields is ‘top notch in international arbitration’ and ‘has an outstanding roster of arbitrators’ that cater to the full spectrum of industries, most notably construction, energy, insurance and reinsurance, and shipping. Chambers, an affiliate of Essex Court Chambers, fields an impressive array of high-ranking former judges, esteemed silks, including David Mildon KC, Jeffrey Gruder KC, Iain Quirk KC, Graham Dunning KC and David Joseph KC and up-and-coming arbitrators, such as Angeline Welsh KC and Benedict Tompkins. Amongst the most in-demand full-time arbitrators are Lord Collins and Sir Bernard Eder.