Daniel Corteville

Daniel Corteville specialises in commercial litigation and arbitration. He has a broad commercial practice encompassing insurance and reinsurance; professional negligence; civil fraud; shipping and general commercial disputes.

Daniel is also a mediator (CEDR-accredited and a Registered Mediator with the Civil Mediation Council) and accepts instructions as a mediator across a broad range of commercial disputes.

Daniel has particular expertise in insurance and reinsurance. He has acted (both led and as sole counsel) in a wide variety of insurance and reinsurance disputes, and spent eight months on secondment at the insurance and reinsurance team of a leading London firm. Daniel’s expertise has been recognised by The Legal 500, which ranks him as a leading junior (band 3) in this area.

Much of Daniel’s work has an international dimension, and he has experience of jurisdiction and private international law issues. Daniel is also a fluent Spanish speaker.

Examples of Daniel’s recent work include:

Acting for Dubai Aerospace (one of the lead Claimants) in the Russian Aircraft Litigation. In the trial of claims under the “Lessor Policies”, Daniel’s clients successfully argued that the decision to retain leased aircraft in Russia was covered as a War Risk peril (amongst other points).
Junior counsel in major reinsurance arbitrations concerning coverage for aggregated losses arising out of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Sole counsel in a claim for Covid-19 Business Interruption losses, applying the High Court and Supreme Court judgments in the FCA Test Case.
Junior counsel in a major commodities arbitration relating to Russian sanctions imposed by the UK and other jurisdictions.
Various applications in the Commercial Court, including an urgent interim application for the payment of a specified fund into court and an application for summary judgment on a defaulted loan.

Before commencing practice, Daniel spent five months as a full-time Judicial Assistant in the Commercial Court, assisting Judges with a variety of trials and procedural hearings, including sitting as the judicial assistant to Bryan J in the trial of National Bank Trust v Yurov & Others [2020] EWHC 100 (Comm), a fraudulent misappropriation claim brought by a Russian bank against its former directors and shareholders.

Expertise

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Arbitration

Acted for the Claimant in a multi-million pound energy arbitration relating to the construction of a power plant.
Successfully challenged the appointment of an arbitrator under UNCITRAL rules on the ground that there were justifiable doubts as to their impartiality or independence.
Acted in a number of reinsurance arbitrations, including major reinsurance arbitrations concerning coverage for aggregated losses arising out of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Acted as junior counsel in a major commodities arbitration relating to Russian sanctions imposed by the UK and other jurisdictions, including acting as lead advocate for one of the substantive points determined in the arbitration.
Acted as junior counsel in arbitration proceedings relating to commission entitlements under a Binding Authority Agreement, including taking conduct of procedural and consequential matters as lead advocate.
Acting for various insurers in a proposed arbitration relating to claims under an Employment Liability Insurance Policy (which settled following a successful mediation).

Insurance & Reinsurance

Instructions on various insurance and reinsurance disputes (both led and as sole counsel).
Frequently advises both insurers and policyholders on coverage and other issues.
Experience of claims under a wide range of insurance and reinsurance policies, including: professional indemnity, public liability, employment practices liability, business interruption, event cancellation, D&O, trade credit, marine, and aviation insurance
Experience of disputes relating to coverage, aggregation, notification of claims, material non-disclosure / breach of duty of fair presentation, “follow settlement” clauses and conflict of laws.
Spent eight months on secondment at the insurance and reinsurance team of a leading London firm, gaining exposure to a variety of insurance and reinsurance disputes.
Acted for Dubai Aerospace (one of the lead Claimants) in the Russian Aircraft Litigation. In the trial of claims under the “Lessor Policies”, Daniel’s clients succeeded in arguing that the decision to retain leased aircraft in Russia was covered as a War Risk peril (amongst other points).
Experience of Covid-19 Business Interuption claims (both insurance and reinsurance), including:
- Advising on coverage for business interruption losses arising out of the Covid-19 pandemic;
- Appearing as sole counsel in a claim for Covid-19 business interruption losses, applying the High Court and Supreme Court judgments in the FCA Test Case.
- Acting as junior counsel in a major reinsurance arbitration concerning coverage for aggregated losses arising out of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Experience advising on disputes between brokers and insurers under Coverholder / Binding Authority agreements. This includes an arbitration under LCIA rules, a case in the Commercial Court, and a current instruction (as sole counsel) in the London Circuit Commercial Court.
Experience defending professional negligence claims against insurance brokers, including alleged failures to advise on coverage and alleged underinsurance.

Shipping

Prior to undertaking pupillage, Daniel worked as a paralegal at a boutique shipping firm, gaining exposure to a wide range of international shipping disputes.
Experience of LMAA arbitrations, including acting for the Owners of a vessel defending a speed and consumption claim.
Advised on various contractual issues in a grain cargo dispute.
Acting for the Owners of a vessel in a claim for unpaid hire, including a dispute about whether the vessel was properly taken off-hire and who was responsible for hull-fouling; as well as a separate dispute relating to bunker specifications.

Professional Negligence

Experience acting in professional negligence claims against auditors and insurance brokers.
Acting (as sole counsel) for an insurance broker, defending a professional negligence claim which alleged a failure to advise on coverage.
Experience advising on professional negligence claims against auditors (including in claims alleging failures to spot fraudulent activity).

Commercial Litigation

Acted for the Claimant in a successful Commercial Court application for summary judgment on a defaulted loan. The case involved various applications for alternative service out of the jurisdiction.
Advised on an application to serve out of the jurisdiction in a commodities dispute.
Acted for a respondent in resisting an urgent Commercial Court application for the payment of a “specified fund” into court.
Assisted in giving advice on a number of conflict of laws issues, including choice of law in an insurance dispute and special jurisdiction under Article 7(2) of the Brussels Regulation (Recast).
Acting (as sole counsel) in a dispute in the London Circuit Commercial Court relating to the proper construction of a profit commission clause in Binding Authority Agreements.

Civil Fraud

Yukos Finance BV & Others v Lynch & Others [2019] EWHC 2621: instructed as a junior in a dispute concerning an alleged fraudulent conspiracy to rig a bankruptcy auction in Russia. The case involved disputes as to the true meaning and effect of Russian law. It was featured by The Lawyer as one of its “Top 20 Cases of 2019”.
As a Judicial Assistant Daniel worked on a number of civil fraud matters, including sitting as the assistant to Bryan J in the eight-week trial of National Bank Trust v Yurov & Others [2020] EWHC 100 (Comm).

Mediation

Daniel is a mediator (accredited by CEDR, and a Registered Mediator with the Civil Mediation Council).

He accepts instructions as a mediator across the full range of commercial disputes, particularly those falling within his principal practice areas, where he is able to draw on his experience as counsel.

What the directories say

Directories

‘Daniel is a very good and effective junior. He is intelligent, hard-working and delivers work of an excellent standard. He takes ownership of any task that is assigned to him, and his contributions are valued by more senior members of the counsel team.’

Insurance and Reinsurance, Legal 500 2026

‘Daniel is an excellent junior barrister – his work is above that for his call. He gets stuck into the weeds of a case and delivers an excellent work product every time. He is attentive and a great team player. Definitely a star of the future.’

Insurance and Reinsurance, Legal 500 2025

‘Danny is exceptionally smart and a real problem solver. He is good at seeing things from different angles.’

Insurance and Reinsurance, Legal 500 2024

‘Very clever, hardworking and great to work with. Very on top of the detail and dogged in making sure that the end product is top quality.’ Legal 500 2023
‘A very competent young barrister already punching above his weight, and with a future as a star at the bar.’ Legal 500 2022

Daniel Corteville

Expertise

Arbitration

Insurance & Reinsurance

Shipping

Professional Negligence

Commercial Litigation

Civil Fraud

Mediation

What the directories say

Directories

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