David Allen KC

David Allen KC

Silk: 2008 | Call: 1990

Practice Profile


David Allen KC is consistently recognised as one of the English Bar’s top commercial law advocates. He is in high demand as leading counsel in all manner of commercial cases in the London Commercial Court and Court of Appeal as well as in arbitrations. He is a recognised leader in many fields of commercial law including fraud, shareholder disputes, share purchase agreements, banking, energy, infrastructure, shipping, insurance and reinsurance cases.

His practice is London-based mainly in the Commercial Court, but he is frequently instructed to appear overseas most recently in Singapore, Shanghai, Hong Kong and the British Virgin Islands.

He is described in the independent legal directories as “a truly brilliant, top quality, heavyweight commercial silk” who is “tough, decisive, brilliant, clever, always on the front foot” with advocacy that is “extraordinarily excellent”.  David is “widely respected for his capabilities in all manner of commercial disputes”, he “exudes confidence” and is “very user friendly”.

As a go-to advocate instructed in highly complex commercial cases, he is “spectacular to watch on his feet”, “very engaging, very influential and highly persuasive”. In court and arbitration he is said to be “hardcore and in control“, “a real streetfighter and the barrister you want on your side against a difficult opponent”. He is a fearless and “great” cross-examiner, “punchy, robust and assertive” when needs be, someone who tribunals find “engaging and interesting”.

In addition to his “formidable advocacy”, he is “regularly sought out for his quick, clear and thoughtful advice”. He is “very bright” and “a real expert when it comes to complex legal issues”.  He is an acclaimed strategist “a breath of fresh air” described as a “one-off who can find and shoot the silver bullet”.

David is “very well prepared, very committed to his clients and exactly what you want”. He takes pride in devoting himself completely to his client’s cause and is praised for being “committed 110% to every case he is on”.

He has “a great rapport with his clients” being “one of the few top-quality commercial Silks who truly understands his clients’ businesses”.

David is a quadruple graduate, a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, an author with Professor Dignam of a leading company law textbook and a multiple academic and advocacy prize winner. He was formerly for over 10 years a part-time Judge of the Crown Court (Recorder) and for over 20 years has accepted many appointments to sit as a sole and panel arbitrator, ad hoc, LMAA and LCIA. David is appointed as Honorary Professor of Law, Queen Mary University of London. It is said that his science qualifications and experience are “a bonus offering extra value” in the many highly technical commercial cases he is instructed on.

David provides talks on a wide range of commercial law matters, recently invited by the Bar Council and Law Society to speak to international lawyers in Mexico City on cross-border disputes, cross-border fraud, and ethics in commercial arbitration. Domestically, he has lectured most recently on trial advocacy and strategy in London commercial litigation.

David Allen KC is called to the Bar of the British Virgin Islands where he undertakes fraud, shareholder, banking and other commercial cases and is frequently instructed to appear overseas in other jurisdictions.

Nearly 30 years ago, David’s first trial was against (what was then) City Merchants Bank during which he successfully cross-examined amongst others the Chairman of the Bank, the Chief Financial Officer and the Head of Securities.  Since then, David has been instructed in numerous banking cases concerning bills of exchange, letters of credit, contracts of guarantee, promissory notes, documentary credits, syndicated loans, derivatives (swaps), asset-backed securitisation, misleading prospectuses, fraud, forgery and malpractice.

For example, David appeared in Deutsche Bank v Highland [2009] EWHC 730 (Comm) considering anti-suit injunctions and non-exclusive jurisdiction clauses (see [2009] EWCA Civ 725); PetroSaudi Oil v Novo Banco SA [2016] EWHC 2456 (Comm) and [2017] EWCA Civ 9 advising in overturning a commercial court decision injuncting presentation of a letter of credit for the fraud exception; in Saab v Dangate [2019] EWHC 1558 (Comm) acted for the owners of the Federal Bank of the Middle East in a successful action against ex Metropolitan Police officers who had unlawfully disseminated the bank’s documents to third parties: see also Saab v Dangate [2020] EWHC 48 (Comm) successfully applying for findings of contempt against the former police officers.

David was also asked to speak to and advise the Caribbean Development Bank in Barbados on standard form contracts for international arbitration and mediation.

David is cited by the legal directories as a recognised leader in cases involving Commercial Fraud. He is a member of the Commercial Fraud Lawyers Association (CFLA) and has lectured frequently on legal and practical issues surrounding fraud. He was asked by the Bar Council and Law Society to deliver a speech in Mexico on cross-border fraud and cross-undertakings. He has lectured domestically on cross-border fraud, insurance fraud, bars to enforcement based on fraud considering JSC VTB Bank (2014), Jet Holdings v Patel (1990), House of Spring Gardens (1991), Gelley v Shepherd and AK Investment CJSC(2011).

David has conducted numerous cases over 30 years involving fraud including cases concerning scuttling (purposeful sinking of ships by their owners), fraud on insurance companies (fire lighting, explosions, mis-statement of accounts, mis-statement of profits), fraudulent breaches of data-room protocols, fraudulent banking practices, fraudulent banking instruments including cheques and letters of credit, fraudulent mis-statements of value in property transactions, fraudulent misrepresentations including about trade and value in share purchase agreements (SPAs), fraudulent representations involving charities, equitable fraud (breach of fiduciary duties), fraudulent obtaining of mining rights and government concessions, fraudulent drug taking in sport, professional fraud (solicitors, barristers, building contractors and accountants), transactional fraud, forgery, piercing the corporate veil, the ‘sham doctrine’, whether a director was personally liable or the company was in the context of fraud and breach of fiduciary duty and the unlawful interference in the transfer of money under a third party contract. David has also heard numerous cases of fraud sitting as a judge in the Crown Court.

As a very junior barrister nearly 30 years ago, David’s first unled trial involved him successfully cross-examining the chairman of a London Merchant Bank on whether he had agreed to indemnify the director of a construction company. Since then he has conducted numerous cases concerning fraud recently as leader in the most critical stage of Fiona Trust v Privalov [2016] EWHC 2163 (Comm), in the largest LCIA London arbitration concerning the breach by a listed company of data-room covenants for profit (Euro multi billions), in LCIA arbitration concerning the copying of a superyacht for profit, PetroSaudi Oil v Novo Banco SA [2016] EWHC 2456 (Comm) and [2017] EWCA Civ 9 advising on overturning a commercial court decision injuncting presentation of a letter of credit for fraud, in IMS SA v Capital oil and Gas [2018] EWHC 1056 considering whether a Chairman of an overseas commodity business was truthful when denying he had signed a counterpart to a deed, and for the Owners of Federal Bank of Middle East when ex Metropolitan Police investigators purposefully disseminated confidential documents in breach of covenants: Saab [2019] EWHC 1558 (Comm).

David is also practised in committal proceedings for contempt of court, recently Tidewater Marine International v PhoenixTide Offshore Nigeria [2015] EWHC 2746 (Comm) and Saab [2020] EWHC 48 (Comm).

David is cited by the legal directories as a recognised leader in Commercial Dispute Resolution.  His clients are almost always international corporations.  David contributes heavily to his Chambers being “pound for pound easily the best Chambers at the Commercial Bar” and the legal directories confirm he is “one of the few top-quality commercial silks, who truly understands his clients’ businesses.

David has been instructed to advise clients on the implications of Coronavirus COVID-19, most recently the owners of a Superyacht, a Premier League Football Club and international security services businesses as regards contract claims, SPAs, insurance / re-insurance coverage and claims.

Examples of other recent cases include Apache North Sea Ltd v INEOS FPS Ltd [2020] EWHC 2081 (Comm) successfully appeared at trial for the Claimant in a dispute over rights to use a North Sea oil pipeline, worth over £120 million; Minera Las Bambas S.A. v Glencore (Comm) [2020] concerning a sum allegedly due on the sale of a Peruvian mine under an SPA pursuant to a Peruvian Tax Court’s decision; Ferand Business Corp v MIHL and Ors [2020], acting in a complex shareholders dispute; Saab v Dangate [2019] EWHC 1558, successfully acting for the shareholders of the Federal Bank of Middle East against ex Metropolitan Police Officers who breached confidentiality agreements distributing private documents worldwide whilst trying to rely on public interest defences; Saab v Dangate [2020] EWHC 48 (Comm) and again for the shareholders of the Bank when the Defendants contemptuously failed to comply with court orders; IMS SA v. Capital Oil and Gas [2018] EWHC 894 (Comm) when Access bank alleged oil had been misdelivered, successfully suing receivers on a disputed Deed of Settlement; Apache v Marathon [2017] EWHC 2504 (Comm) obtaining an expedited hearing in the Commercial Court to require joint venture partners to permit an asset sale to a hedge fund; Fiona Trust Corp v Privalov [2016] EWHC 2657 (Comm) leading this long-running litigation against a fraudulent claimant seeking loss of a chance damages claim; Tidewater International Inc v Phoenixtide [2015] EWHC 2748 (Comm) a long-running series of cases (15 court appearances) resisting jurisdictional challenge, suing successfully for the unlawful interference with the payment of money under a third party contract and bringing successful committal proceedings .

David’s experience in arbitration is equally extensive including having acted as the leader on the largest (Euro multi billion) LCIA arbitration brought in London concerning a European listed utilities company and mineral exploration in Iraq.

David is constantly cited by the legal directories as a recognised leader in Energy and Natural Resources who is “very strong in the energy space”. It is said that his “powerful insight into the oil and gas industry is truly exceptional”. He is particularly known for “his technical flair and deep experience in the domestic and international upstream oil and gas and maritime spheres”.

He has “extensive academic and practical experience of the energy sector and particular knowledge of drilling operations. He is highly in demand as demonstrated by his involvement in numerous high-value disputes such as Global Oil v Maersk.

David has also lectured and published on energy law for example “Oil and Gas: Case Law Review, pre-Emption Rights” published by Thompson Reuters, Practical Law which can be viewed here and here.

His recent cases have included Apache North Sea Ltd v INEOS FPS Ltd [2020] EWHC 2081 (Comm) successfully appeared at trial for the Claimant in a dispute over rights to use a North Sea oil pipeline, worth over £120 million; Global Oil v Maersk in which David successfully acted for Global Oil in a dispute involving construction work to a semi-sub oil rig (which involved David visiting and staying on the Rig in the Atlantic off St. John’s, Newfoundland and advising Global Oil in Houston); Tidewater Marine International v PhoenixTide Offshore Nigeria, in which David successfully acted for Tidewater Marine this long-running case involving over a dozen court appearances including [2013] EWHC (Comm) consideration of causes, of action, applicability of express terms, forum non conveniens, jurisdiction clauses, parallel proceedings and time charters; [2015] EWHC 2748 (Comm) refusing permission to use monies subject to a freezing order for legal fees, refusing a variation to a freezing order; [2018] EWHC 3923 (Comm) committal for contempt of court, attempted discharge of committal proceedings, committal to prison for contempt of court; LCIA arbitration concerning breach of data-room protocols and the rights to explore for oil in Iraqi Kurdistan (said to be the largest LCIA arbitration brought in London); Apache Beryl Ltd v Marathon Oil UK LLC in which David successfully acted for Apache wishing to sell North Sea Continental Shelf seabed assets to a Hedge Fund when the sale was resisted by joint-venturers including [2017] EWHC 2258 (Comm) when David persuaded the Commercial Court to resolve the dispute on an expedited basis prior to a ‘drop-dead’ date and [2017] EWHC 2462 (Comm) on an application considering pre-trial orders including an application to amend; [2017] EWHC 2504 (Comm) when fresh evidence was sought; Apache North Sea Ltd v Euroil Exploration [2019] a case the interpretation of Farm-in and Farm-out agreements, and the joint venture Joint Operating Agreements and whether there was a market cap for the provision and use of drilling assets; PetroSaudi v Petroleum of Venezuela (PDVSA) involved with advising in court proceedings concerned with whether PDVSA was bound to pay under a stand-by letter of credit and whether a director of PetroSaudi had committed fraud (the fraud exception) when certifying tha7t payment was due: see [2016] EWHC 2456 (Comm); and [2017] EWCA Civ 9 (CA) and a three year arbitration on payments due under an exploration and drilling contract.

David has been recently instructed by the Owners of a Superyacht to advise as to their injunctive rights against an overseas Yard following the outbreak of Coronavirus COVID-19 and international security corporations concerning completion of SPAs.

David is very experienced in obtaining and resisting injunctions of all kinds including Freezing Orders and Search orders. Most recently David obtained an injunction requiring the delivery up of documents and other information in favour of the owners of the Federal Bank of Middle East: Saab v Dangate [2019] EWHC 1558.

He was the first barrister to challenge the power of the court to compel a Mareva (now Freezing Order) Defendant to attend for cross-examination in respect of his assets when the answers would also go to substantive issues in circumstances when the Defendant had opted not to give evidence at trial relying on what was then the European Convention on Human Rights: Yukong Line Ltd. of Korea v Rendsburg Investments Corporation of Liberia,  The Times, 22nd October 1996 (CA).

Since then, he has been leading counsel in dozens of cases involving injunctions including Tidewater Marine International v PhoenixTide Offshore Nigeria [2013] EWHC (Comm); and [2015] EWHC 2748 (Comm) and [2018] EWHC 3923 (Comm), in which David successfully acted for Tidewater Marine in this long running case seeking orders to compel the Defendant to desist on the interference of the payment of money by a third party to Tidewater, see; [2013] EWHC (Comm); and [2015] EWHC 2748 (Comm) in which permission was refused to permit the Defendant from using frozen funds for legal fees; and [2018] EWHC 3923 (Comm) in which the Defendant was committed to prison for contempt of court; Fiona Trust v Privalov [2016] EWHC 2163 (Comm) in which David was appointed to lead the legal team in this seminal case at its most critical moment to determine the damages payable (including loss of chance damages) when a freezing order was improperly obtained; Apache Beryl Ltd v Marathon Oil UK LLC [2017] EWHC 2258 (Comm) in which David successfully acted for Apache requiring joint venturers to permit the sale of North Sea Continental Shelf seabed assets to a Hedge Fund [2017] EWHC 2258 (Comm) when David persuaded the Commercial Court to resolve the dispute on an expedited basis prior to a ‘drop-dead’ date, see also [2017] EWHC 2462 (Comm); and Saab [2020] EWHC 48 (Comm) in which David obtained injunctions compelling the Defendants to deliver up confidential documents disseminated to third parties in breach of an agreement of confidence (defeating public interest immunity defences); and Saab [2020] EWHC 48 (Comm) in which David obtained orders that the Defendants were in contempt of court for failing to comply with the court orders.

David is vastly experienced advising in the context of and representing clients in international arbitration.  He appears before ad hoc as well as UNCITRAL, ICC, LCIA, LMAA. David is by examination and experience a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chartered Arbitrators, a member of the London Court of International Arbitration and an Associate Member of London Maritime Arbitrators Association.

David is instructed to advise clients on the implications of Coronavirus COVID-19, most recently the owners of a Superyacht and the owners of a Premier League Football Club as regards contract claims, insurance / re-insurance coverage and claims.

Due to the confidential nature of arbitration, it is not possible to describe cases in detail but recent cases include:

  • Acting for Austrian listed company in USD multi-million dispute with US software supplier.
  • Acting for seller in SPA agreement dispute between Russian and Ukrainians concerning steel plants.
  • Acting for Owner in alleged copying of superyacht.
  • Acting for Saudi interests in claims against national Venezuelan Petroleum Company (PDVSA).
  • Acting for seller in SPA dispute concerning a group factory sale.
  • Acting in multi USD Billion dispute concerning exploration rights in Iraq (Kurdistan).
  • Acting for oil major in case involving two ship explosions.
  • Construction of research facility.
  • Shipbuilding dispute.
  • Failure of cement plant in Africa.
  • Profit share agreement dispute Russia/ Ukraine.
  • Acting for Owner Superyacht affected by Coronavirus COVID-19.
  • Acting for Owner of Premier League Football Club affected by COVID-19.

Acting for Owner of global corporation closing M&A affected by COVID-19

Conflict of laws and jurisdiction disputes have always been a speciality of David Allen for example Deutsche Bank v Highland (alleged Texan jurisdiction) [2009] EWHC 730 (Comm) considering anti suit injunctions and non-exclusive jurisdiction clauses (see [2009] EWCA; Kingspan Environmental Limited and Ors v Borealis A/S and another [2012] EWHC 1147 (Comm)  (alleged Northern Ireland and Danish jurisdiction); Tidewater Marine v PhoenixTide [2015] EWHC 2748 (Comm) (alleged Nigerian jurisdiction).

David Allen KC is recognised as a leader in product liability cases and has conducted cases including drugs, chemicals, electronic products and software. He has extensive experience of the concept of ‘physical damage’ in the context of all commercial contracts and is currently advising clients following the outbreak of Coronavirus COVID-19.

See for example Balmoral Group Limited v. Borealis A/S and others [2006] 2 Lloyd’s Rep. 629, one of the largest product liability cases in the Commercial Court, David led the case for the Defendants successfully defending the first in a series of claims.  The case concerned the international Sale of Goods, deciding UCTA reasonableness, whether goods at a holding depot were in the course of international carriage, applicability of UCTA to a foreign law contract, inter-relationship of sections 14(2) and 14(3) UCTA, incorporation of standard terms and conditions after trading had commenced, remoteness of damage when loss is increased by a subsequent change in legislation and evidence required to prove corporate losses.

David also acted for Huawei in a dispute concerning a digital motherboard, and an Austrian listed company in connection with software deficits.

This aspect of David’s practice is almost always confidential. He has however acted for decades for Olympic and Commonwealth athletes in different sports in matters of libel, slander, regulation, personal contracts, media rights and coaching rights. He has acted for Premier League football clubs, for sporting governing bodies and for the heads of sporting bodies and in the context of drug agencies. He acted for a professional squash coach wrongly banned by Squash England from coaching (coaching permission now restored) and against the Rugby Football Union.

He has been instructed by the owners of a Premier League Football Club as to their rights following the outbreak of the Coronavirus COVID-19.

David Allen KC has practised for over 30 years in the leading insurance and re-insurance Chambers.  The legal directories describe him as “a highly knowledgeable insurance silk with a reputation for sharp and cutting advocacy”.

Recently, David has been instructed to advise clients on the implications of Coronavirus COVID-19, most recently the owners of a Superyacht and the owners of a Premier League Football Club, an international security company as regards contract claims, insurance / re-insurance coverage, and claims and cases surrounding the invasion of Ukraine.

His practice started with the vast array of Names’ litigation in the 1990s including the Lloyd’s Feltrim syndicates which reported losses of US$550 million.  Since then he has had a continuous stream of seminal insurance cases including The Marel [1994] 1 Lloyd’s Rep. 624 (CA) (Marine insurance,  perils of the sea); Bates v Barrow Ltd. [1995] 1 Lloyd’s Rep. 680  (Comm.) (Illegality, insurance contracts, retrospective interpretation of statute, construction of the Financial Services Act); Colonia v Amoco Oil[1995] 1 Lloyd’s Rep. 570  (Comm.) (Marine Insurance, claims by assignment); John Wyeth & Brothers Ltd v Cigna Insurance Company of Europe SA/NV and Ors [2001] 2 Lloyd’s Rep. IR 420 (CA) (New York law litigation insurance/reinsurance, whether excess layers liable where primary layers exercised “buy-out” clause, whether assured in breach of maintenance clause, apportionment of costs between insurers, whether product liability cover excluded by efficacy clause in excess policy); Audrey Jones and (2) Roger Jones v Congregational and General Insurance plc (2003) The Times, July 7, 2003 (QB) (Fraudulent insurance claim – statutory interpretation of Access to Justice Act 1999 – whether fraudulent publicly funded claimants can receive statutory protection against enforcement of costs orders); Lumberman’s Mutual Casualty Co v Bovis Lend Lease Ltd. (No. 2) [2005] 1 Lloyd’s Rep. 494 (Assured reaching settlement agreement with third party including claims and counterclaims, whether the Assured’s loss had been ‘ascertained’ – a case said at the time to be creating “Ground breaking insurance law”); Balmoral Group Limited v Borealis A/S and others [2006] 2 Lloyd’s Rep. 629 (One of the largest product liability cases in the Commercial Court, David led the case for the Defendants instructed by insurers successfully defending a claim exceeding £50 million plus costs.  The case concerned the international Sale of Goods, deciding UCTA reasonableness, whether goods at a holding depot were in the course of international carriage, applicability of UCTA to a foreign law contract, inter-relationship of sections 14(2) and 14(3) UCTA, incorporation of standard terms and conditions after trading has commenced, remoteness of damage when loss is increased by a subsequent change in legislation, evidence required to prove corporate losses); Andrew Knudtzon v Michael James (on behalf of himself and Lloyd’s Underwriters) [2008] (following a large incident in a refrigeration plant, David successfully defended the claim for an indemnity by demonstrating that the loud “bang” with accompanying rush of air heard and felt by witnesses was not an ‘explosion’ within the meaning of the policy; Biffa waste Services v. Outokumpu Wenmac AB, The Times, November 21, 2008; [2008] EWHC (TCC) and [2008] EWCA Civ 1257 (Court of Appeal) (David successfully overturned a decision by Ramsey J. holding his clients vicariously liable in tort for burning a waste plant down.  The judgment deals with two of the most important aspects of tort law for commercial lawyers namely: (a) the doctrine of vicarious liability; and (b) the doctrine of non-delegable or strict liability for so called ‘extra hazardous’ acts); Kingspan Environmental Limited and Ors v Borealis A/S and another [2012] EWHC 1147 (Comm) a further action in what was seen as a Borecene test case with suppliers waiting on the outcome of this claim initially made for £100 million. David was again successful for Borealis in what was a highly technical case spanning three months in the Commercial Court.

The majority of David’s insurance and re-insurance work is of course conducted in arbitration both in London and Hong Kong, and must remain confidential.

For thirty years, David has been instructed on innumerable shipping law cases and has very extensive experience.  He is recognised in the legal directories as a leading Silk in this field and described as “one of the stars of the shipping Bar”, “strong in shipping,” “a tough shipping and commodities barrister” and “one of the best advocates available in shipping”.

In his first five years of practice (September 1990 to 1995) he had been instructed on over 200 shipping and cargo cases by one set of solicitors alone.  He has conducted countless charterparty disputes, unsafe port cases, casualty disputes, shipbuilding disputes, dangerous cargo disputes and cases involving transhipment.  Most recently he worked for an oil major following two ship explosions and a case concerning a claim for force majeure due to a hurricane.

Most of David’s shipping work has been in London and Hong Kong arbitration and therefore confidential, but he has also been appointed counsel in a number of seminal reported cases including those cited in practitioner textbooks for example “The Marel” (Perils of the sea); “The Golden Victory” (damages following repudiation); Zodiac Maritime (termination by Fortescue Metals Group of 17 Charterparties on one day); “The Falkonera” (transhipment); Berazovsky (agent’s entitlement to a commission on the sale of a super-yacht); IMS SA v Capital Oil (discharge of cargoes without bills of lading); and Glencore (orders for the sale of distressed cargoes of oil).

David Allen KC has been recognised by the independent legal directories as a recognised leader in many categories of commercial law.

Solicitors, clients and his peers have described his attributes in the most recent publications of Legal 500, Legal Expert, Chambers and Partners, Chambers Global and Legal Week in the following ways:

  • “I think of David Allen when we need a compelling advocate. He is brilliant in court, extremely well prepared and he gives you a very clear steer on the merits of your position.”
  • “David Allen is very bright and this is reflected in his excellent advocacy.”
  • “David Allen is a fantastic advocate. He is your prize fighter; the person you want on your team when you have to go to court and stand up before a judge.”

         Energy & Natural Resources, Chambers UK Bar 2025

  • “David has an excellent combination of fraud and commodities expertise.”

         Shipping & Commodities, Chambers UK Bar 2025

  • “Forceful and client-focused.”

         Commercial Dispute Resolution, Chambers UK Bar 2025

  • ‘David can always be relied upon to argue a case vigorously. Clients love the fact that he is passionate about their cases.’

         Energy,  Legal 500 2025

  • ‘David is outstanding and a tour de force.’

         Commercial Litigation, Legal 500 2025

  • ‘A commercial, pragmatic, straight-talking, heavy-weight silk.’

         Shipping, Legal 500 2025

  • ‘A direct and accessible silk.’

         Commodities, Legal 500 2025

  • “David has an eye for detail and establishes a great relationship with the client. He is really pleasant to work with.”
  • “A wonderful barrister, who’s great and always on the front foot.”

         Commercial Dispute Resolution, Chambers UK Bar 2024

  • “David Allen is an outstanding advocate. He’s able to focus on the big issues and convince a tribunal of his client’s case.”
  • “David’s powerful insight into the oil and gas industry is truly exceptional.”

         Energy & Natural Resources, Chambers UK Bar 2024

  • ‘One of the best advocates available.’

         Shipping, Legal 500 2024

  • ‘David is commercially focussed, gives very clear advice on the merits and is a forceful advocate. He is a real example of a KC who argues a client’s case fearlessly.’

         Commodities, Legal 500 2024

  • David is a brilliant advocate who knows how to focus on the important issues, works very hard and presents them in an effective and simple way.’

         Energy,  Legal 500 2024

  • He is very approachable and bright, and leads his team well.’

         Commercial Litigation, Legal 500 2024

  • ‘Tough, decisive and clever. It’s good having him on the team.‘

          Fraud: Civil, Legal 500 2024

          Below are Directory Quotations 2010 to 2022

  • “David is forthright and able.” “He is a formidable advocate.” “David is a fearless cross-examiner.”
  • “He is a very effective advocate and very impressive on his feet.” “He is very strong in the energy space.”
  • “David Allen QC is a no-nonsense advocate who can be trusted to fight your corner even in the most difficult situation.”
  • ‘A straight-talking and formidable QC, highly effective at cross-examination and oral advocacy.’
  • ‘A stellar advocate at the top of his game and able to handle high-value claims.’
  • “He is imaginative in his thinking, looking for interesting, clever angles for arguments.”  “An absolutely great advocate.” “He is very good on the technical aspects as well as the law.”
  • “David Allen is very good, an entirely fearless advocate.” “He has a good courtroom presence and exudes confidence.”
  • “He looks for interesting and clever angles in cases and is impressive on his feet.” “At trial he is on top of absolutely every fact.”
  • “He is a strong advocate and tribunals find him interesting and engaging.” “He is a great cross-examiner. He is really excellent and very committed to his clients.”
  • “A fearless advocate who has good courtroom presence and exudes confidence.” “A great cross-examiner who is very well prepared, very committed to his clients and exactly what you want in a silk.”
  • “David Allen QC adopts a direct, no-nonsense attitude.” “He’s a great cross-examiner who is very well prepared and very committed to his clients, which is exactly what you want in a silk.”
  • ‘Cuts through the pomp and gets straight to the heart of the issue.’
  • ‘A good commercial silk who is strong on his feet and in cross-examination.’
  • ‘An experienced silk with a great depth of technical knowledge.’
  • ‘Commercial, easy to deal with and doesn’t pull punches.’
  • ‘Great with clients, clever and incredibly hard working – he has a technical background, which is a massive advantage in grasping complex technical issues.’
  • ‘A fantastic barrister.’
  • “An extraordinarily excellent advocate who devotes himself 110% to any case he is on.”
  • “He is a strong advocate and tribunals find him interesting and engaging.”
  • “He is a great cross-examiner. He is really excellent and very committed to his clients.”
  • “A fearless advocate who has good courtroom presence and exudes confidence.”
  • “A great cross-examiner who is very well prepared, very committed to his clients and exactly what you want in a silk.”
  • “David Allen QC adopts a direct, no-nonsense attitude.”
  • “David Allen fights cases in a clear and determined way and has a good rapport with clients.”
  • “Brilliant on his feet.” “Very user-friendly.”
  • “Hard-working, very bright and a real fighter.”
  • “Pugnacious and effective, he fights cases in a clear and determined way.”
  • ‘Strong in both shipping and commodities.’
  • ‘An impressive advocate with excellent technical knowledge.’
  • ‘Has a confident and assertive manner.’
  • ‘Direct, to the point advice, a robust advocate, and a down-to-earth and friendly QC.’
  • ‘An extraordinarily excellent advocate.’
  • “Hard-working, very bright and a real fighter.” “Pugnacious and effective, he fights cases in a clear and determined way.”
  • “Brilliant on his feet.”
  • “Very user-friendly.”
  • “David Allen fights cases in a clear and determined way and has a good rapport with clients.”
  • ‘A tough shipping and commodities barrister.’
  • ‘He is very able.’
  • ‘A real expert when it comes to complex legal issues.’
  • ‘An excellent barrister and advocate, his desire to win is most impressive.’
  • ‘A highly knowledgeable commercial silk who is known for his excellent advocacy.’
  • “A breath of fresh air. He has a positive attitude and the ability to find and shoot the ‘silver bullet’.”
  • “A very good advocate who is very confident on his feet.”
  • “David is very impressive. He is hardcore and in control.”
  • “A real streetfighter and the barrister you want on your side against a difficult opponent.”
  • “Brilliant.
  • “The barrister you want on your side when you’re up against a difficult opponent.”
  • “He is spectacular to watch on his feet, very engaging, very influential and highly persuasive.
  • “He’s a tactician who is very good at analysing the position and advising which steps to take to get the best result. He’s very passionate about what he does and aggressive when he needs to be.”
  • “A strong advocate, he has a no-nonsense but pleasant attitude.”
  • “A personable chap and a really aggressive cross-examiner, I want him on cases that require someone really robust.”
  • “His advocacy is superb and he leaves the other side no chance of a successful outcome.”
  • “One of the few top-quality commercial silks, who truly understands his clients’ businesses.”
  • “Very highly regarded.”
  • “A very strong and highly persuasive advocate.”
  • “He is robust, very commercial, direct and can deal with difficult opponents.”
  • “He is good in a fight and his written work is very good.”
  • “A powerful and persuasive advocate who excels in complex matters”
  • “Truly brilliant.”
  • “Delivers advocacy which is sharp and cutting.”
  • “He is very industrious and great fun to work with. Not frightened of ramming his points home, he gets things across well.”
  • A highly knowledgeable insurance silk with a reputation for sharp and cutting advocacy.
  • “He works with experts in fields as diverse as stress cracking, physics and corrosion – he has very good technical knowledge himself.”
  • A commercial silk with noted expertise in shipping and commodities disputes.”
  • “He is increasingly recognised as a go-to barrister for complex property damage disputes and offers extra value by virtue of the fact that he is not only a barrister but also someone with qualifications in material sciences and engineering.”
  • “He is highly knowledgeable and highly effective.”
  • “David Allen QC is a “heavyweight commercial silk who is regularly sought out for his formidable advocacy and his “quick, clear and thoughtful” advice”.
  • “David Allen is outstanding in every respect.”
  • “His peers rate him because he takes innovative points and hits upon cracking points that no one else has thought of.”
  • “He handles commercial cases involving the engineering side of oil rigs, other offshore structures and pipelines.”
  • “A direct advocate who quickly separates the wheat from the chaff”
  • “Much of his allure comes from the fact that he evinces great assurance under pressure, and is someone who will take on difficult cases and do a good job”
  • “David Allen QC is very knowledgeable with a brilliant understanding of energy companies”
  • “Commentors note his good work in handling a dispute between Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky and Edmiston & Company of the sale of the superyacht Darius.”
  • “… one of the stars of the shipping bar … highly thought of by solicitors”
  • “David Allen Q.C.’s recent efforts include acting on a dispute over commission arising out of the sale of the mega-yacht ‘Darius’. He is widely respected for his capabilities in all manner of commercial disputes.”
  • “David Allen Q.C. is known for his advocacy before arbitration tribunals. An expert when it comes to complex technical issues, he was recently the leading defence counsel in a three-month Commercial Court trial concerning the international sale of goods.”
  • “Viewed variously as a “punchy, robust and assertive” counsel David Allen is admired for his fight and capability in court.”
  • “An exceptional performer and a delight to be against.”
  • “Pugnacious and sound, he behaves properly before the tribunal, he is fair in not seeking to argue bad points but never compromises his integrity or that of his client’s case”
  • “Sources viewed him as straightforward, down to earth and sensible.”
  • “His shipping, commodities and insurance abilities run in parallel with his abilities in product liability, construction and professional negligence”
  • “A sound choice for commercial cases that incorporate construction and engineering concerns such as those relating to oil rigs and other offshore structures.”
  • “Highlighted by sources as a pragmatic advocate … frequently instructed in offshore construction cases.”
  • “Recognised for his technical flair and deep experience in the domestic and international upstream oil and gas and maritime spheres.”
  • “David Allen QC has extensive academic and practical experience of the energy sector and particular knowledge of drilling operations. He is highly in demand as demonstrated by his involvement in numerous high-value disputes such as Global Oil v Maersk.”
  • “I’ve seen him on some bad cases that he’s made a brilliant job of.”

Publications

David Allen KC and Professor Dignam “Company Law and the Human Rights Act” published by Butterworths (Cambridge Law Journal, November [2001] pp. 628-629; and Public Law [2001] Winter pp. 824-826). This work remains a core authority for company lawyers and forms the basis of the United Nations Judicial Training Programme.

David Allen KC, Jason Robinson and Henry Moore “Pre-emption rights: oil and gas” published by Practical Law.

  • David Allen KC is a member of the Bar of the British Virgin Islands.

    David was appointed a part-time judge of the Crown Court and sat in that capacity for 10 years. He has frequently been appointed as an arbitrator, both a sole and panel arbitrator, following ad hoc agreements and also through various appointing bodies.

    David is Honorary Professor of Law, Queen Mary University of London.

    David was invited to sit on the Commercial Court Guide Consultative Committee and the Commercial Court Users’ Committee. He has for many years been a member of the Commercial Bar Association and the Commercial Fraud Lawyers’ Association.

  • David is a quadruple graduate – BSc (Hons) Construction Economics (mathematics, economics, material sciences, civil engineering, critical path analysis, construction methodology, accounting and computer coding) (Prizes for ‘the most outstanding contributions’); LLB (Hons) (Best student prize); LLM (International Comparative Commercial Law); and MA (Criminology and Criminal Justice) (top Distinction). He was awarded scholarships by the Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn and the Inns of Court School of Law and following international competition, the Gray’s Inn International Mooting Prize. By experience and examination, he is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

    David is Honorary Professor of Law, Queen Mary University of London.

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