Outer Temple Chambers members to attend DAW 2024 and The Bar Council Development Event

9 members of Outer Temple’s International Team will be attending Dubai Arbitration Week (DAW 2024) between 11th – 15th November 2024, including The Bar Council Development event.

Outer Temple’s David Russell KC, Andrew Spink KC, Philip Punwar, Justina Stewart, Sean Yates, Peter Linstead, Stephen Doherty, Lucian ILIE, and Lexie Johnson will be joining delegates at this year’s Dubai Arbitration Week. They will be available to meet up with colleagues during their time in the region.

The team will be speaking at a number of seminars and events throughout DAW 2024, as well as the parallel UK-UAE Bar Council Business Development Event between 10-14th November 2024.

UK-UAE Bar Council Business Development Event

The Bar Council will be making its first business development visit to the UAE. Peter Smith will be speaking at the Arbitration event at the DIFC Academy, Dubai on ‘A practical guide to common applications in arbitration, including Security for Costs, interim relief, and challenges based on bias’ alongside Zoe O’Sullivan KC, Sam Karim KC, Chaired by Sharif Shivji KC. 

Sean Yates will also be in attendance. This event will take place on Wednesday 13th November (1 – 4 pm) during the Bar Council Arbitration Event at the DIFC Academy.

To reserve your space at this event and for more details, click here.

Dubai Arbitration Week 2024 events

Outer Temple Chambers is pleased to be hosting a breakfast event on Tuesday 12th November as part of the Dubai Arbitration Week calendar, alongside Stephenson Harwood Middle East LLP. Moderated by Philip Punwar, Stephen Doherty and Lucian ILIE will discuss ‘A “pro-arbitration” jurisdiction? Developments in the Enforceability of Arbitration Agreements, and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments and Arbitral Awards in the UAE’ to a live audience. Find out more and book your place here.

A number of our experts have also been invited to speak at other events on the DAW calendar;

11th Nov (1:00pm to 3:00pm) – Justina Stewart will be speaking on ‘AML & Enforcement of Arbitral Awards’ with Alsuwaidi & Company.

12th Nov (8:30am to 10:30am) – Sean Yates will be joining Reed Smith’s panel at their breakfast event; ‘This can’t keep happening to us”: A dispute management toolkit for In-House Counsel’.

13th Nov (9:30am to 12:00pm) – Justina Stewart will join Mintz Group and Summit Law to discuss ‘Navigating recovery strategies during bankruptcies and liquidation – UAE/UK perspectives’.

Bespoke Training Seminars

In addition to the above, Peter Linstead will be presenting to various firms in Dubai between 11th and 18th Nov, including Pinsent Masons, Simmons & Simmons, Eversheds, Charles Russell Speechlys, Al Tamimi, Hadefs, Stephenson Harwood, Clyde & Co, Davidson & Co, and Hourani & Partners on ‘Key developments in UK non-competition law and obtaining restrictive covenant injunctions in the DIFC and ADGM’. Peter will cover the latest issues highlighted in UK court decisions on employee competition injunctions which also have application in the DIFC, including the effect of delay, the significance of hardship, guidance on costs and guidance on interpreting and enforcing post termination restrictions. In relation to the DIFC and ADGM, there will be a focus on some recent court decisions and on the procedural framework allowing applications for injunctions. The course will also cover the local courts’ views on the applicability of English law and proposed legislation in that area. There will also be consideration of enforcement issues.

If you would like to discuss this training opportunity or arrange for Peter to visit your firm during his visit, please contact Lexie Johnson.

Coffee with the team during DAW 2024

Our International Team will be pleased to meet fellow attendees during the week. Members specialise in international commercial litigation, international arbitration and employment amongst other practices. Contact Lexie Johnson to find out more about the movements of team and arrange a coffee.

For the full agenda of the Dubai Arbitration Week, click here.

Meet the team

David Russell KC, Barrister, Outer Temple Chambers

David Russell KC commenced legal practice in 1974. He is admitted to practise in Australia, England and Wales (Lincoln’s Inn), the Courts of the Dubai International Financial Centre, New York (as a Legal Consultant), New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. He currently practises in Dubai, London, and Abu Dhabi (Outer Temple Chambers), Sydney (Ground Floor Wentworth Chambers) and Brisbane (Sir Harry Gibbs Chambers).

 Andrew Spink KC, Barrister, Outer Temple Chambers

Andrew Spink KC is a highly respected advocate with 38 years’ experience at the Bar and over 20 years as a successful silk (QC/KC). He is a recent Chair of the Commercial Bar Association of England and Wales, was one of the Heads of Outer Temple Chambers for 9 years until October 2022 and is a part-time judge who has sat as a Deputy High Court Judge in the King’s Bench and Chancery Divisions of the English High Court and is a Justice of the Astana International Financial Centre Court in Kazakhstan. He also sits as an arbitrator.

Philip Punwar, Barrister, Outer Temple Chambers

Philip is an English qualified practitioner with more than twenty-five years’ arbitration experience.

His recent arbitral engagements have concerned real-estate Mega Projects in the Gulf, investment treaty claims arising out of the MENA and South Asia regions, aircraft charter agreements, concession agreements in the water sector and technology disputes in the finance and healthcare sectors.

Philip has appeared as counsel before all levels of court in England and the Dubai International Financial Centre, up to and including the Courts of Appeal of each jurisdiction. He was the first practitioner resident in the UAE to be registered as a DIFC Courts advocate, and the first DIFC Courts practitioner to be appointed by the DIFC Courts to the role of Supervising Legal Representative (SLR).

Peter Linstead, Barrister, Outer Temple Chambers

Peter specialises in employment and commercial disputes including both UK and international matters. He has particular experience in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) courts and was recently involved in drafting aspects of DIFC primary legislation. He is ranked in the directories as “leading junior” in both UK Employment Law and Commercial Law in the  EMEA region. He also advises in the Isle of Man jurisdiction

He brings a real understanding of his clients’ needs combined with commercial and tactical awareness gained during many years of litigation and advocacy experience.

Sean Yates, Barrister, Outer Temple Chambers

Based in Dubai, UAE, Sean specialises in international arbitration and civil and commercial litigation with a focus on construction and infrastructure, real estate, energy and natural resource disputes. More widely, Sean has experience in employment, fraud and regulatory, as well as substantial experience in the tourism, leisure and entertainment sectors.

Sean is a member of Inner Temple and practised before the courts of England and Wales for ten years before relocating to Dubai. He acted as General Counsel for several years before returning to practise in Chambers.

He has experience in both common law and civil law disciplines and can advise on both international and local law matters in the UAE.

Justina Stewart, Barrister, Outer Temple Chambers

Justina Stewart’s practice encompasses the full range of commercial litigation, with a particular emphasis on banking and financial services, civil fraud, fintech and digital assets, insolvency and international arbitration.

She is ranked in the key legal directories as a Leading Junior in several areas: Commercial Litigation/Commercial Dispute Resolution, Banking and Finance, Fintech and digital assets, Financial Services Regulation; and Insolvency.

Justina is ranked as a Leading Junior in Chambers UK Bar, Chambers Global, Legal 500 and Legal 500 Middle East.

Stephen Doherty, Barrister, Outer Temple Chambers

Stephen has substantial experience of international arbitration, particularly in respect of disputes in the Middle-East, where he spent approximately two years on the ground in Dubai working at a leading UAE law firm, as lead advocate for their international arbitrations. In recent years he has acted as sole counsel, frequently against and before leading silks in the field, in a number of high-value and complex arbitrations, including disputes arising from major infrastructure projects (e.g. the construction of the Doha metro) and other unrealised commercial developments (e.g. stalled projects in major real estate developments).

Stephen also has experience of advising on, and appearing before Tribunals and Courts in respect of matters ancillary to arbitral proceedings, including jurisdictional challenges, applications for injunctive and other interim relief, applications for interim payments, disclosure applications, and other preliminary issues.

Lucian Ilie, Barrister, Outer Temple Chambers

Lucian is an English barrister and French and Romanian avocat specialising in international law, transnational litigation and international arbitration, with particular expertise in investor-State disputes and commercial arbitration cases. With over 10 years of experience in London and Paris, Lucian has acted as counsel and arbitrator in more than 20 international arbitral proceedings brought under many of the major arbitration rules (including the ICSID, UNCITRAL, PCA, SCC, ICC, LCIA, SCAI, CEPANI and VIAC rules), governed by civil law and common law (including under International/EU, English, French, Swiss and Romanian law) with seat of arbitration in England, France, Switzerland, Romania, Belgium and Austria. He is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and is listed as arbitrator at several arbitration institutions.

Peter Smith, Door Tenant, Outer Temple Chambers

Peter Smith joined Outer Temple Chambers in April 2020 as a door tenant. He will be accepting work through Outer Temple Chambers alongside his role as a Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys in Dubai, UAE.

Peter was called to the English Bar in 2008 and is a Part II-registered practitioner in the Dubai International Financial Centre Courts, a Dubai Legal Affairs Department Legal Consultant, a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a registered practitioner with rights of audience in the Astana International Finance Centre Courts and the Astana International Arbitration Centre.

Find out more

If you would like to catch up with any of the Outer Temple team whilst in Dubai, please contact Lexie Johnson on + 44 (0) 207 427 0801 who will be happy to make arrangements.

Events, News 7 Nov, 2024