Scope of Practice - International Commercial Arbitration - International Law

David Williams QC has over 30 years' experience as counsel in commercial litigation before New Zealand and overseas Courts, Tribunals and Arbitral Tribunals. He has acted as counsel in over 100 cases before the New Zealand Court of Appeal and in numerous New Zealand cases heard in the Privy Council, London, England. Based on this extensive and broad based commercial litigation background and after serving as a Justice on the High Court of New Zealand he developed a strong emphasis on international commercial arbitration and international law.

David Williams QC has wide experience as counsel and arbitrator in international commercial arbitrations. He has been involved in over 100 international arbitrations in Australia, Bermuda, Canada, Cook Islands, France, Hong Kong, India, Japan, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Switzerland, Tanzania, United Kingdom, USA and Vanuatu.

Arbitral appointments include ICC (Paris), LCIA, ICSID, American Arbitration Association and Singapore International Arbitration Centre arbitrations in disputes involving construction contracts, infrastructure or development projects, oil and gas concessions, intellectual property matters including licensing disputes, joint ventures, insurance coverage cases, political risk (expropriation) insurance claims, insurance and reinsurance, and investment treaty claims under bilateral and multilateral investment treaties including the Energy Charter Treaty. He is presently involved in seven investment treaty cases, one of which involves a claim for US$3 billion and another US$4.5 billion.

Who's Who Legal (2005) listed David Williams QC as one of the world's outstanding commercial arbitrators. In 2007 Global Arbitration Review listed him as one of London's "super arbitrators". The 2008 Chambers UK Guide stated that "... interviewees conveyed admiration at David Williams QC's judgment, handling of parties and ability to keep arbitral proceedings moving." Who's Who Legal 2008 said in the English section that "David Williams QC of Essex Court Chambers is many peoples Chairman of choice at the moment. Williams is a New Zealander but runs his arbitration work from Europe. He is well organised and very bright". Who's Who Legal 2009 said in the Arbitration section of New Zealand that "David Williams is number one in the country". Who's Who Legal 2010 in listing worldwide leaders in international commercial arbitration said that David Williams QC is "in a league of his own in New Zealand."

He is a former member of the ICC Court of International Arbitration (1999-2002), the London Court of International Arbitration (2000 - 2005) and the Board of Directors of the American Arbitration Association (2006-2009). He is a Past President of the Arbitrators' & Mediators' Institute of New Zealand and a Council member of the International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA).

Academic and Professional Qualifications

• LLB, University of Auckland Law School, 1965
• LLM, Harvard Law School, 1966
• Visiting Scholar University of Virginia Law School, USA, 1978
• Visiting Fellow Cambridge University, UK, 2002
• Honorary Professor Law, University of Auckland Law School, 2009 -

Experience at the Bar

• Admitted as a barrister to New Zealand Bar (1965) and also to English Bar (Lincoln's Inn) (2003); Australian Bar (1986), N.S.W. (1987), Victoria (1987), A.C.T. (1986); Cook Islands Bar (1998)
• Litigation partner, Russell McVeagh McKenzie Bartleet & Co, Auckland 1969 - 1984
• Barrister at Law 1985-1991, 1995 -
• Queen's Counsel, 1987 -

Judicial Experience

• Justice of the High Court of New Zealand, 1991 - 1994
• Justice of the High Court and Court of Appeal of the Cook Islands, 2000-2005 -
• Chief Justice of the Cook Islands 2005 - present (part-time appointments)
• Justice of the Court of the Dubai International Financial Centre 2007 (part-time appointment)