I am a highly experienced international dispute resolution specialist with over 40 years of practice in complex, high-value matters. I began my career as a partner at Simmons & Simmons and later served as Managing Director and firm wide Head of Legal at Goldman Sachs.
I have handled a wide range of disputes—litigation, arbitration, and mediation—across multiple jurisdictions and industries. My experience includes financial and derivatives disputes, professional negligence, fraud, employment, IP, shareholder and M&A disputes, cross-border regulatory investigations, and class actions in both Europe and the US.
Among the first lawyers trained by CEDR in the early 1990s, I bring a practical, commercially-minded approach to mediation, grounded in deep legal knowledge and decades of board-level advisory experience. I have worked extensively with senior stakeholders and legal teams around the world, including in Asia and the Middle East.
I have also served as a Director and Trustee of CEDR and continue to complement my mediation practice through leadership coaching and my ongoing studies in psychology at Oxford.
With a strong track record in resolving disputes efficiently and effectively, I offer law firms and their clients a mediator who understands the legal, commercial, and human dynamics at play in the most challenging cases.
"A class act: analytical, but also intuitive; always thoughtful and considered, but decisive and capable of making fine judgements in difficult situations; collegiate and collaborative, but a natural leader, with clarity of thought and strategic wisdom" (king's counsel)
"David has great judgment and a marvellous way of helping people work through challenging situations! I cannot recommend him more highly!" (partner, global law firm)
"Razor sharp. Succinct and pithy but able to cut through the noise and get to the heart of the issue" (partner, global law firm)
"I could not recommend him more highly. He is patient, methodical, engaged and really cares about the problems and people in front of him." (head of litigation & investigations, global bank)
"David is always calm and measured and has a way to build trust." (general counsel, global bank)
"David has the worldliness and wisdom to fashion solutions to the most challenging and sophisticated of problems." (barrister and chair of international arbitration)
"Able expertly to navigate difficult interpersonal and organisational dynamics, without losing focus on the end goal" (partner, global law firm)