The core areas of David Bailey’s practice are insurance and reinsurance, shipping, arbitration, professional negligence and general commercial disputes.

In addition, he also has experience in a wide range of specialised areas of commercial law, including: aviation, shipbuilding contracts, telecoms, banking, commercial fraud, conflicts of laws, energy, injunctions, international trade, international jurisdictional disputes, the carriage of goods (intra-European and inter-continental), the sale and distribution of goods and share purchase agreements.

David has particular experience of the demands (in terms of long-term preparation, tactical planning and cross-examination) of complex, long running commercial cases having been involved in the Lloyd’s litigation, the Barings litigation, the tail-end of the film finance litigation and a number of substantial international arbitrations (including the Bermuda form), which often involve questions of foreign law. Most recently, David has been involved in a series of substantial shipbuilding arbitrations, invoice discounting insurance and the continuing West Tankers litigation.

In addition to trials and arbitrations, David has considerable experience of interlocutory advocacy, especially in relation to injunctions and jurisdictional disputes. He has acted in three cases (The Front Comor and Toepfer v Cargill on anti-suit injunctions in aid of arbitration and The Tatry on Articles 21 and 22) that resulted in references to the European Court of Justice and in numerous jurisdiction disputes concerning reinsurance placed in the London market.

He has written the chapters on jurisdiction and arbitration in Mance et al. Insurance Disputes (3rd edition 2011) and regularly lectures on insurance, reinsurance and jurisdictional issues.

David has also given expert evidence on English law for use in foreign proceedings, appears at mediations and accepts appointments as an arbitrator in commercial cases.

BA (Oxon), First Class Honours Degree in Jurisprudence.
LLM, University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA).

Eldon Law Scholarship, Oxford University (1990).
Tuition Fellowship; UCLA (1987).
Entrance Award and Senior Holker Scholarship; Gray’s Inn (1987 & 1989).

David Bailey was born in 1965 and educated at Oundle. He read law at Oxford University, where he was awarded a First Class Honours Degree and the Eldon Scholarship, and at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) where he was awarded a Tuition Fellowship and obtained his Masters Degree in law.

David was called to the Bar by Gray’s Inn in 1989 (where he was awarded an Entrance Award and, later, a Senior Holker Scholarship) and became a member of chambers on completion of his pupillage. He has since practised full-time as a barrister at 7 King’s Bench Walk. He took Silk, in the first year of its reintroduction, in 2006.

David Bailey QC is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. He is also the Chairman of English Sinfonia, a trustee of the Menat Trust and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He is also a former member of the Great Britain Shooting Team.

• Agency
• Banking and Finance
• Injunctions & Arrests
• Insurance & Reinsurance
• Shipping
• Arbitration
• Jurisdiction/Conflicts of Laws
• Professional Negligence
• European Law

Selected cases:

• Scan Shipping v APL [2008] EWHC 634 (agency – injunction – arbitration)

Selected cases:

• Bank of Scotland v Euclidian [2008] Lloyd’s Rep. IR 182 (Banking – claim on insurance)
• Dornoch v Mauritius Union [2006] 2 Lloyd’s Rep. 475 (Banking – fidelity insurance)
• Barings Futures v Coopers & Lybrand [2003] Lloyd’s Rep IR 566 (Audit negligence – collapse of Barings – derivatives trading - causation – contributory negligence – misrepresentation – relief under Companies Act, section 727) 
• Barings Futures v Coopers & Lybrand [2002] Lloyd’s Rep PN 395 (Deceit – recklessness – causation – circuit of action) 
• Barings Plc v Coopers & Lybrand [2002] Lloyd’s Rep PN 127 (Reflective loss – scope of duty - strike out of shareholder’s claim) 
• Barings Plc v Coopers & Lybrand [2001] Lloyd’s Rep 379 (Banking – admissibility of expert evidence)
  

Selected cases:

• Oceanconnect v Angara [2011] 1 Lloyd’s Rep. 399 (Injunction – arrest – maritime lien – letter of undertaking)
• Unicargo v Flotec, The Cienvik [1996] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 395 (injunction – jurisdiction to serve out of the jurisdiction) 
• Toepfer v Cargill [1998] 1 Lloyd’s Rep. 379 (breach of arbitration agreement – anti-suit injunction) 
• The "Front Comor" [2008] 2 Lloyd’s Rep. 661 (anti-suit injunction in aid of arbitration) 
• Scan Shipping v APL [2008] EWHC 634 (agency – injunction – arbitration) 
• Gidrixslme Shipping v Tantomar Transportes [1995] 1 W.L.R. 299 (Freezing injunction – scope – jurisdiction in relation to disclosure order)
  

Selected cases:

• Starlight Shipping v Allianz [2012] Lloyd’s Rep. Plus 2 (Marine Insurance – jurisdiction) 
• Pratt v Aigaion [2009] Lloyd’s Rep. IR Plus 2 (Insurance – construction of warranty)
• Bank of Scotland v Euclidian [2008] Lloyd’s Rep. IR 182 (ATE insurance)
• Dornoch v MUA [2006] Lloyd's Rep IR 127 (Reinsurance – jurisdiction)
• Goshawk v Bank of Scotland [2006] 2 All ER 610 (ATE insurance)
• GE Frankona v CMM Trust [2006] Lloyd’s Rep. IR 704 (Insurance - breach of warranty)
• Equitas v Wave [2006] Lloyd’s Rep. IR 646 (Reinsurance- negative declaratory relief - Jurisdiction - Article 5 of Jurisdiction Regulation)
• Munich Re v Commonwealth [2005] Lloyd's Rep IR 99 (Reinsurance – jurisdiction – significance of English law – related claim against the brokers – forum non conveniens)
• Martini Investments v McGinn [2001] Lloyd’s Rep IR 374 (Insurance – explosion – proximate cause – whether property damage caused by tephra – indemnity costs)
• Universities Superannuation Scheme v Royal Insurance [2000] Lloyd’s Rep IR 524 (Fidelity Insurance – discovery of fraudulent acts and limitation)
• Royal Boskalis v Mountain [1999] Q.B. 674 (Insurance – illegaility and duress arising out of the first Gulf War)
• Den Danske Bank et al v Skipton Building Society [1998] 1 EGLR 155 (Mortgage Indemnity Insurance – mortgage portfolio securitisation)
• Municipal Mutual Insurance v Sea Insurance [1998] Lloyd’s Rep IR 421, [1996] L.R.L.R. 265 (Reinsurance – fs clause – proper and business like steps - time on risk)
• Arig Insurance v Sasa (1998) (Reinsurance – as original – incorporation of terms from underlying insurance)
• Bank of Nova Scotia v Hellenic Mutual, The Good Luck [1992] 1 A.C. 233 (Insurance – war risks – leading House of Lords authority on effect of breach of warranty).

Selected cases:

• Starlight Shipping v Allianz [2012] Lloyd’s Rep. Plus 2 (Marine insurance – total loss – jurisdiction)
• West Tankers v Allianz [2012] EWCA Civ 27 (charterparty – arbitration – enforcement of declaratory relief)
• Substantial Shipbuilding Arbitrations (2009), (2010) and (2011)
• Pace Shipping v Churchgate [2011] 1 Lloyd’s Rep. 537 (title to sue – bills of lading)
• Oceanconnect v Angara [2011] 1 Lloyd’s Rep. 399 (maritime liens – injunction)
• The "Reborn" [2008] 2 Lloyd’s Rep. 628 (voyage charter - safe berth – implied warranty) 
• Scan Shipping v APL [2008] EWHC 634 (agency – injunction – arbitration) 
• Sea Trade v Hellenic [2007] 1 Lloyd’s Rep. 280 (Arbitration - total loss) 
• Caribbean Petroleum v Cristal Limited [2004] 1 Lloyd’s Rep. 48 (Oil pollution – construction of the Cristal contract)
• Gefco v Mason (No 2) [2000] 2 Lloyd’s Rep. 555 (carriage of goods – exclusion of damages for delay) 
• Cero Navigation v Jean Lion, The Solon [2000] 1 Lloyd’s Rep. 292 (strike clause – proper approach to construction of charterparty) 
• Rank Enterprises v Gerard [2000] 1 Lloyd’s Rep. 403, [1999] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 666 (Sale of ship – construction of MOA – claims against the ship – aggregate financial limits) 
• The "Sea Maas" [1999] 2 Lloyd’s Rep. 281 (Admiralty practice – arrest of vessel – unseaworthiness - jurisdiction) 
• Manatee Towing v Oceanbulk, The Bay Ridge [1999] 2 Lloyd’s Rep. 227 (Sale of ship – whether negotiations resulted in binding contract of sale) 
• Gefco v Mason [1998] 2 Lloyd’s Rep. 585 (carriage by road – umbrella contract – application of CMR) 
• Laceys v Bowler [1997] 2 Lloyd’s Rep. 369 (carriage by road – wilful misconduct – limitation of liability) 
• Philipp Brothers v Republic of Sierra Leone [1995] 1 Lloyd’s Rep 289 (garnishee order – intervention of EC Commission) 
• Gidrixslme Shipping v Tantomar Transportes [1995] 1 W.L.R. 299 (Freezing injunction – scope – jurisdiction in relation to disclosure order) 
• Aqualon v Vallana [1994] 1 Lloyd’s Rep 669 (Title to sue – parties to contract of carriage) 
  

Selected cases:

• West Tankers v Allianz [2012] EWCA Civ 27 (enforcement of declaratory award)
• The "Front Comor" [2008] 2 Lloyd’s Rep. 661 (anti-suit injunction in aid of arbitration)
• Scan Shipping v APL [2008] EWHC 634 (scope of section 44 of the Arbitration Act)
• The "Athena" (No 2) [2007] 1 Lloyd’s Rep 280 (incorporation of arbitration agreement)
• West Tankers v RAS & Generali [2007] EWHC 2184 (power to appoint an arbitrator)
• The "Athena" [2006] 2 Lloyd’s Rep. 147 (costs – power to publish additional award)
• Toepfer v Cargill [1998] 1 Lloyd’s Rep. 379 (breach of arbitration agreement – anti-suit injunction)

Selected cases:

• Starlight Shipping v Allianz [2012] Lloyd’s Rep. Plus 2 (Brussels Regulation and joinder of non-parties)
• West Tankers v Allianz [2012] EWCA Civ 27 (Declaratory judgment and Brussels Regulation)
• Oceanconnect v Angara [2011] 1 Lloyd’s Rep. 399 (anti-suit injunction)
  
• The "Front Comor" [2008] 2 Lloyd’s Rep. 661 (anti-suit injunction against subrogated insurers - proper law of arbitration agreement).
• Dornoch v MUA [2006] 2 Lloyd’s Rep. 475 (Reinsurance - jurisdiction agreement)
• Equitas v Wave [2005] EWHC 923 (Article 5 of Jurisdiction Regulation - Negative declaratory relief)
• Munich Re v Commonwealth [2005] Lloyd's Rep IR 99 (Reinsurance – jurisdiction – significance of English law – related claim against the brokers – forum non conveniens.
• The "Sea Mass" [1999] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 281 (Article 5 of the Brussels Convention)
• Toepfer International v Cargill [1998] 1 Lloyd’s Rep 379, [1997] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 98 (anti-suit injunctions – arbitration – Brussels Convention).
• Unicargo v Flotec, The "Cienvik" [1996] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 395 (injunction – jurisdiction to serve out of the jurisdiction)
• The "Maciej Rataj" [1992] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 552 (Articles 21 and 22 of the Brussels Convention.

Selected cases:

• Starlight Shipping v Allianz [2012] Lloyd’s Rep. Plus 2 (total loss of ship – claim against solicitors – jurisdiction)
• Barings Futures v Coopers & Lybrand [2003] Lloyd’s Rep IR 566 (Audit negligence – collapse of Barings – derivatives trading - causation – contributory negligence – misrepresentation – relief under Companies Act, section 727)
• Barings Futures v Coopers & Lybrand [2002] Lloyd’s Rep PN 395 (Deceit – recklessness – causation  – circuit of action)
  Barings Plc v Coopers & Lybrand [2002] Lloyd’s Rep PN 127 (Reflective loss – scope of duty - strike out of shareholder’s claim)
• Barings Plc v Coopers & Lybrand [2001] Lloyd’s Rep 379 (Banking – admissibility of expert evidence)

David has acted in three cases that resulted in references to the European Court of Justice and in numerous jurisdiction disputes concerning reinsurance placed in the London market.

Selected cases:

• Toepfer v Cargill [1998] 1 Lloyd’s Rep. 379 - breach of arbitration agreement – anti-suit injunction.
• The Front Comor [2008] 2 Lloyd’s Rep. 661 - anti-suit injunction against subrogated insurers - proper law of arbitration agreement.
• The "Tatry" on Articles 21 and 22

David is recommended as a leading silk in the fields of shipping (Legal 500) and insurance and reinsurance (Legal Experts).

extremely bright, client friendly and articulate.Legal 500 2011

• outstandingly good with clients; good at thinking of simple and useful answers to difficult questions.  Legal 500 2010

• highly rated indeed  Legal 500 2009

• a “very popular and commercial silk.”  Legal 500 2008

• rated highly indeed.  Legal 500 2008

West Tankers Inc v Allianz SpA & Generali Assicurazione Generali (2012) EWCA Civ 27. Court of Appeal (Civil Division). Carnwath LJ; Toulson LJ; Lloyd LJ. 24 January 2012

"Case of the Week" The Lawyer 6th February 2012 

Contributor to Insurance Disputes, (3rd ed.2011).

Regularly lectures on shipping, insurance, reinsurance and jurisdictional issues.