Sir David Steel

Sir David Steel is an international commercial arbitrator. He acts as party appointed member of tribunals, chairman and sole arbitrator in international commercial disputes of a wide-ranging subject matter, including sale of goods, banking, insurance and reinsurance, joint ventures, carriage of goods, oil and gas and shipbuilding. He has been appointed in over 240 references leading to over 70 awards.
He has been appointed under the auspices of LCIA, ICC, LMAA,HKIAC, SMCA, KLRCA, Bermuda Form, DIAC etc as well as ad hoc including under UNCITRAL rules. Sir David was called to the Bar in 1966 and had a prestigious career, becoming a judge of the Commercial and Admiralty Courts in 1998, he was Judge in charge from 2004-6. He was Chairman of the European Commercial Judges Forum from 2009-2011.
Sir David was Deputy Chief Justice of the DIFC between 2011 and 2018.

e: david.steel@arb10fs.com

t: +44 (0)20 7583 4444

Experience

Judicial Career
Judge of the Commercial and Admiralty Courts London: 1998- 2011
Judge in charge of the Commercial and Admiralty Courts: 2004-2006
Chairman of European Commercial Judges Forum: 2009-2011
Deputy Chief Justice of the Dubai International Financial Centre Court: 2011 – present

Career at English Bar

Called to the Bar: 1966
Commercial law practitioner: 1968-1998
Head of chambers at 2/4 Essex Court: 1995-1998
Junior counsel to the Treasury: 1978-1981
Bencher of Inner Temple: 1995
Also appeared in courts of Singapore, Hong Kong, Gibraltar and US.

Other experience

Associate of Coudert Brothers New York – 1967 to 1968
Presiding Judge of the Western Circuit – 2004 to 2006
Member of panel of Lloyd’s Arbitrators – 1990 to 1998
Commissioner for Wrecks – 1990 to 1998
Conducted Judicial Training in Thailand, Kazakhstan, Abu Dhabi and Dubai
Member of the Advisory Committee on Legal Education 1995 to 1998

Recent Arbitration experience

Since 2011 have been appointed arbitrator in over 200 hundred references leading to over 50 awards.
Appointments have been variously as party appointed member of tribunals, chairman and sole arbitrator.
Appointments have been accepted under auspices of LCIA, ICC, LMAA,HKIAC, SMCA, KLRCA, Bermuda Form, DIAC etc. Other appointments have been made ad hoc including under UNCITRAL rules.
Topics have included shipbuilding, insurance (marine and casualty), reinsurance, joint ventures, charterparties, oil and gas, sale of goods