David has 25 years’ experience handling UK and international direct and reinsurance property and casualty coverage disputes, defence and recoveries, policy drafting and claims audits across all marine insurance business lines, as well as aviation, offshore energy, political violence, trade credit.  His marine expertise covers cargo and goods in transit, hull and machinery, mortgagees’ interest, charterers’ liability, freight liability, marine trades, P&I, ports and terminals, war risks, yachts and marine cyber. David acts for Lloyd’s, London and international insurers and reinsurers and maritime sector clients, who value his technical knowledge and ability to find quick, commercial and practical solutions to complex cases. 

David also handles a wide range of maritime and international trade disputes for sector clients including banks, shipowners, charterers, traders, port authorities and terminal operators, marine professional service providers, contractors and shipyards. He advises on claims involving collisions, groundings, LOF salvage, General Average and wreck removal. On the dry shipping side, David helps clients resolve disputes through litigation, arbitration and mediation involving off-hire, unsafe port and berth claims, pollution, liquefaction and dangerous cargo claims, loss and damage of cargo under contracts of carriage by sea, road, air and rail.

 David has been involved with claims arising out of several major shipping casualties including PRESTIGE and MOL COMFORT. He also deals with ship arrest, jurisdiction disputes, enforcement, drafting of contract terms and conditions, shipbuilding and offshore construction matters.  

He is a regular contributor of articles to the shipping and insurance press and has authored distance learning modules on aspects of time and voyage charterparties. 

David joined CMS from Kennedys in September 2020. He trained and qualified with Elborne Mitchell where he was made partner in 2001. 

David has over 25 years’ experience of helping clients resolve international commercial disputes through arbitration and mediation, particularly in the maritime and offshore energy sectors, involving ICC, LCIA, LMAA, commodity trade and ad hoc arbitration.