David Edwards

Mr. Edwards has advised on numerous international shareholder disputes and strategic battles and has successfully defended a range of clients in respect of worldwide freezing orders granted in the English courts. He also has advised a large number of high-net-worth individuals and ultimate beneficial owners of international business conglomerates in relation to their strategic commercial positions.

Mr. Edwards’ experience with major and ultra-high-value disputes spans industries including energy and natural resources, telecom, power projects, pharmaceutical, banking and finance, cryptocurrency, commodities and trusts. He also has advised on a variety of ESG-related matters for clients.

He is recognised as a rising star in the field of international arbitration in Euromoney’s Guide to the World’s Leading Experts in Commercial Arbitration and was listed as one of Legal Week’s Rising Stars: The New Generation of Litigators Making Their Mark. Mr. Edwards also has been recognised by Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration as a Future Leader, named to The Best Lawyers in the UK and selected to Lawdragon’s Global Litigation 500 list. In addition, he has been repeatedly recognised by The Legal 500 UK as a Leading Individual and included on its U.K. Private Practice Arbitration Powerlist, with clients noting to the publication that he “stands out as a calm presence” and that he is “the kind of lawyer clients want to have,” in addition to commenting that he “always [has] an effective and pragmatic way forward.”

Notable experience includes:

• leading the representation of corporate entities whose stakeholders acquired interests in landmark U.K. hotels that are at the center of a series of high-stakes disputes, including a major LCIA arbitration, across multiple jurisdictions involving financial claims and counterclaims. The disputes have been widely publicized, involve high-profile parties and properties worth more than £1 billion, and center on financial considerations in the luxury hotel industry in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic
• representing a consortium of investors in relation to a multibillion-U.S. dollar financing dispute concerning a major power project
• defending arbitration claims brought by investors in a blockchain project operated by a major international social network developer and operator
• acting for a major Taiwanese client in a complex multibillion-dollar dispute involving court proceedings in Hong Kong, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, Taiwan and the U.S.
• acting for an ultra high-net-worth individual in the English Commercial Court, which involved the successful strike-out of a US$380 million civil fraud claim (with associated worldwide freezing orders) brought by oil giant Tatneft
• representing an ultra high-net-worth individual in English High Court proceedings involving the successful strikeout (on jurisdictional grounds) of a US$300 million partnership dispute
• representing a European energy company in judicial review proceedings before the English High Court concerning high-value investments in oil and gas exploration and production assets in the British North Sea
• representing a major private equity group in parallel arbitration and multijurisdictional litigation proceedings relating to interests in a major social online networking service
• representing a national motor sport body in relation to claims arising in the context of Formula 1 racing
• acting for a consortium of venture partners in a dispute with BP over BP’s attempt to form a US$16 billion strategic alliance with Rosneft, the state-owned Russian oil company, for the exploration of oil in the Arctic Circle. The dispute involved obtaining an emergency injunction blocking the deal with Rosneft in the High Court and subsequently obtaining an award from an arbitration tribunal seated in Stockholm that the deal was prohibited. Both Global Arbitration Review and the Financial Times’ Innovative Lawyers Report recognised Skadden for our innovative role in this representation
• advising a major international mining company in relation to offensive actions taken against its commercial interests by a host state
• representing an offshore construction company in its ICC arbitration (Geneva) against a European oil major relating to a gas production platform in the Iranian gulf
• representing a leading U.S. pharmaceutical company in relation to a series of major London-seated arbitration disputes with excess loss insurers, arising from indemnification of class action claims made in the U.S. by users of its pharmaceutical products
• acting in London High Court proceedings for a leading U.S. private equity firm and one of the world’s major cruise line operators in connection with a construction dispute with a major European shipyard concerning two revolutionary cruise liners. The total value in dispute was €1.3 billion

Mr. Edwards advises his clients on the full range of commercial and legal issues that arise from their businesses, including international corporate crisis and strategy work. He has full rights of audience in the courts of England and Wales, and also serves as the partner responsible for managing the firm’s London pro bono programme.