Stephen Du

• Lakatamia Shipping Co Limited v Nobu Su [2021] EWHC 1907 (Comm). Acted for the Claimant in a four-week trial against Madam Su, the mother of the former billionaire shipping magnate, who was found to have conspired with her son to dissipate over €27m in assets.
• Net Insurance SpA v Torzi [2021] EWHC 26 (Comm). Acted with Richard Southern KC on behalf of an Italian insurance company against its investment managers who had allegedly misappropriated in excess of €26m of securities belonging to their principal.
• Entertainment One Limited v Monex and Anr: Acted as sole counsel on behalf of a former senior executive alleged to have received bribes in exchange for entering forex contracts which resulted in losses in excess of £17m.
• Republic of Djibouti v Boreh: acting (as junior counsel) for Mr Boreh in defending claims by the Republic of Djibouti in the Commercial Court alleging abuse of his position as Chairman of the Djibouti Ports and Free Zones Authority.

Stephen has experience with arbitrations involving all major governing bodies such as ICC, CIETAC, LMAA, LCIA, SIAC and HKIAC and has conducted hearings in many foreign jurisdictions. Stephen has appeared as sole counsel, as well as lead by KCs and has appeared in a number of arbitrations unled, against KCs.

Recent examples of work are as follows:

• Acting with Jern-Fei Ng KC in a SIAC arbitration concerning a joint venture agreement for the construction and operation of two offshore platforms with a combined price in excess of US$600m.
• Acting as junior counsel in a major LCIA arbitration concerning the termination of a 10-year Gas Sales Agreement in West Africa.
• Acted as sole counsel in a LCIA arbitration concerning a dispute worth over US$120m arising from a Cooperation Agreement relating to the provision of a customised mobile phone web browser.
• Acting as junior counsel in a Commercial Court claim worth over US$130m concerning late payments for oil deliveries.

• Acted with Peter MacDonald Eggers KC on behalf of a commodities trader based in Dubai in a GAFTA arbitration regarding a contract for the sale of wheat, the cargo having been rejected by inspectors from the Egyptian government.
• Appeared as sole counsel in a HKIAC emergency arbitration hearing in Hong Kong on behalf of a buyer seeking urgent interim relief in a dispute regarding the sale of coal.
• Acted as sole counsel on behalf of Chinese buyers in a CIETAC arbitration regarding a series of contracts for the purchase of US corn and DDGS.

• Instructed for the insurers in a credit risk insurance policy dispute worth around US$1bn arising from the collapse of a high-profile financing company.
• Acting with Robert Bright KC in a US$15m claim under a credit risk insurance policy arising from the financial collapse of a Russian refinery.
• Advised with Alistair Schaff KC on a US$60m business interruption claim by a well-known airline arising from COVID-19.
• Acted with Peter MacDonald Eggers KC and Sarah Martin on a marine insurance claim concerning the detention of The Badr in Burgas, Bulgaria through fraudulent means. .
• Acted with Sioban Healy KC in a SIAC arbitration concerning a US$8.5m claim by a commodities trader under a credit insurance policy.

• Glory Wealth Shipping Pte Ltd v Flame SA [2016] EWHC 293, [2016] 1 Lloyd’s Rep 571. Appeared with Richard Southern KC in an arbitration appeal concerning breach of a contract of affreightment and whether the owners had suffered substantial loss.
• Acted with Stephen Hofmeyr KC in a dispute arising from US sanctions against Venezuela, for shipowners whose oil tankers were delayed in Venezuela for over 6 months.
• Acting with Alistair Schaff KC, Stephen Phillips KC and John Bignall in a multi-million dollar arbitration concerning a dispute under three shipmanagement agreements involving a major Greek shipping family.
• Appeared as sole counsel against a KC in a LMAA arbitration hearing concerning the chartering of a Floating Storage Regasification Unit and a claim for over US$45 million in hire and related expenses.
• Acting as sole counsel for a buyer in a LMAA arbitration concerning the construction of a crane vessel claiming damages in excess of US$16m.