David Edwards KC > Chambers of Gavin Kealey KC > London, England > Barrister Profile
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David Edwards KC
Position
David Edwards KC specialises in commercial litigation and arbitration, both as an advocate and as an advisor, in particular in insurance and reinsurance – where he is acknowledged as one of the leading silks at the bar – banking and finance, professional negligence, commercial arbitration and shipping and international trade.
A good deal of his work is done in confidential arbitration. His practice is international, and he has substantial experience of working together with foreign lawyers (particularly United States lawyers) and dealing with cases governed by a foreign substantive law (in particular New York law). He is well known as an expert in Bermuda Form arbitrations and has acted as leading counsel in a number of very high value cases. He was Chambers & Partners Insurance Silk of the Year in 2013 and has been nominated for the same award on three other occasions.
In addition to his practice as an advocate, David Edwards has sat and accepts appointments as sole or as party-appointed arbitrator in ad hoc or institutional (ICC and LCIA) arbitrations. He has also been instructed to give expert evidence on English insurance law for the purposes of foreign proceedings. David Edwards was appointed by the Lord Chief Justice as a Deputy High Court Judge, sitting in the King’s Bench Division, predominantly in the Commercial Court, between 2017 and 2023.
Career
Qualified 1989, Lincoln’s Inn; silk 2006.
Memberships
British Insurance Law Association; COMBAR; LCIA; IBA.
Education
King’s School, Chester; Peterhouse, Cambridge (MA Hons).
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > Insurance and reinsurance
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1David Edwards KC – 7 King’s Bench Walk ‘Has all the qualities of a KC you would ever want – always prepared, good on paper, good on his feet, and a good judge of the mood of the court.’
The ‘go to set on insurance and reinsurance matters‘, 7 King’s Bench Walk is a premier set both in litigation and arbitration, with members having experience in disputes concerning areas including avoidance of cover, points of instruction and a range of coverage issues. Members, including Peter MacDonald Eggers KC were instructed on Axis Capital v ABSA, in which he acted for insurers in relation to a claim for indemnity in connection with claims relating to improper investments in South Africa, which raised issues relating to policy exclusions and the policy attachment provisions. David Edwards KC handles a range of insurance disputes, with a focus on international arbitration, having been involved in arbitrations in London, Bermuda and the United States. Crossing over with the set’s notable expertise in shipping, Julia Gibbon is noted for her work in insurance matters related to marine cargo, innocent owners and business interruption insurance.
London Bar > International arbitration: counsel
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 2David Edwards KC –7 King’s Bench Walk ‘Has all the qualities of a KC you would ever want – always prepared, good on paper, good on his feet, and a good judge of the mood of the court.’
7 King’s Bench Walk remains a ‘go-to set’ for international arbitration across a wide range of sectors spanning international business and commerce, aviation, shipping and logistics, and most notably insurance and reinsurance related arbitration across multiple jurisdictions. Ongoing arbitrations range from high-value pharmaceuticals arbitrations, contractual construction disputes, including the ongoing UNCITRAL arbitration where David Allen KC is instructed to act on behalf of a local insurance company in a dispute arising out of an alleged well-out-of-control incident. Jonathan Gaisman KC, James Brocklebank KC and Michael Ryan are instructed in a major dispute between two Russian oligarchs and their technology companies in connection with sanctions while David Edwards KC successfully defended a Bermudian insurer against a $200m insurance claim arising out of the settlement of an underlying product liability litigation. On the senior end, Noel Casey KC was appointed Silk in March 2023, boosting the set at the senior end.
London Bar > Commercial litigation
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 47 King’s Bench Walk is ‘a very strong commercial set‘. Although particularly well known for its insurance and shipping credentials, the set’s members are also consistently mandated for other heavyweight commercial litigation. In Premia Reinsurance Ltd v Amtrust International Insurance, Ltd, David Edwards KC acts for Premia Reinsurance in an approximately £20m claim regarding its purchase of the legacy business of a number of Lloyd’s syndicates run by another insurer. In the AerCap litigation, over fifty members of chambers (including Gavin Kealey and Clara Benn for AIG, and Richard Waller KC and Michael Ryan for Lloyd’s) are instructed in Commercial Court claims brought by aircraft lessors against their insurance companies and concern the Russian government’s banning of Western aircraft from leaving Russia, effectively expropriating them, after its invasion of Ukraine.