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David RussellCFA

Counsel | CFA
Counsel | CFA
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Areas of Focus

Overview

A practising barrister with full rights of audience before the English courts, David advises on all aspects of English civil litigation, international commercial arbitration and alternative dispute resolution. He has worked on some of the highest-profile English litigation of recent years, and is especially well suited to disputes involving complex financial, valuation or quantum issues, having worked as an investment banker before coming to the law.

David has a broad commercial practice, with particular experience in civil fraud, product liability, defamation, cybersecurity and breach of contract. He has acted for clients in industries including financial services, insurance, media, automotive, aerospace, property and construction.

Before joining the firm, David completed pupillage at XXIV Old Buildings (a leading set of commercial chancery chambers), prior to which he spent a year as judicial assistant to Sir Geoffrey Vos (then Chancellor of the High Court). In both capacities, he was exposed to a broad range of commercial, financial services, fraud, trust and probate disputes in the English High Court and Court of Appeal, as well as various matters concerning the nature and scope of legal professional privilege.

As a law student, David was awarded the Lincoln’s Inn Lord Mansfield Scholarship, Hardwicke Entrance Award and Buchanan Prize, the University of Law Provost’s Award for Excellence, and the City University / 1 Chancery Lane Prize for Tort Law.

Previously, David spent several years in corporate finance, specialising in international mergers, acquisitions and fundraisings in the technology sector. He continues to hold the Chartered Financial Analyst designation, and enjoys applying his fluency with financial and numerical data to his commercial cases.

Career & Education

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    • University of Law, London, Bar Professional Training Course, Outstanding, 2017
    • City University, London, Graduate Diploma in Law, Distinction, 2016
    • University of Bristol, B.A., First Class Honours, modern languages, 2007
    • University of Law, London, Bar Professional Training Course, Outstanding, 2017
    • City University, London, Graduate Diploma in Law, Distinction, 2016
    • University of Bristol, B.A., First Class Honours, modern languages, 2007

    • England and Wales (Barrister)
    • England and Wales (Barrister)

  • Professional Activities and Memberships

    • The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn
    • CFA Institute, CFA UK

    Professional Activities and Memberships

    • The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn
    • CFA Institute, CFA UK

    • Spanish
    • French
    • Spanish
    • French

David's Insights

Firm News | 6 min read | 01.02.24

Crowell & Moring Elects Seven New Partners, Promotes Four to Senior Counsel, and 26 to Counsel

Crowell & Moring elected seven lawyers to the firm’s partnership, effective January 1, 2024. The firm also promoted four lawyers to the position of senior counsel and 26 associates to the position of counsel.

View All Insights

Representative Matters

  • Acting for claimant in ICC arbitration of $5 billion dispute concerning consultant breach of contract and negligence under FIDIC-based consultant contract.
  • Appeared as junior counsel (led by Henry Warwick KC) for two of the defendants in London Capital and Finance PLC & Ors v Thomson & Ors (English civil litigation concerning an alleged c. £240 million investment fraud, named by The Lawyer as one of its top 20 cases of 2024).
  • Appeared for an engineering company in ICC arbitration proceedings against its main contractor on a construction project, the total value of which (including claims and counterclaims) exceeded £50 million.
  • Represented Qatar Airways in English civil litigation against Airbus, worth more than £1 billion, concerning the premature degradation of an aircraft fleet (named by The Lawyer as one of its top 20 cases of 2023).
  • Acted for a global trade finance fund in its c. £15 million constructive trust and unjust enrichment claim in the English High Court against a counterparty to one of its borrowers.
  • Acted for a venture capital firm in LCIA arbitration proceedings regarding alleged breaches of an investment agreement.
  • Advised a property development company on potential claims and counterclaims arising out of a joint venture agreement.
  • Defended a multinational company against potential data breach claims arising out of a cyber-attack.
  • Defended a national newspaper against a defamation claim in the English High Court, before negotiating a settlement with the claimant.
  • Acted for Dana UK Axle Limited (a subsidiary of global automotive equipment supplier Dana Incorporated) in its product liability claim in the English High Court against Freudenberg FST GmbH, one of its component suppliers.  After a successful application during trial to exclude the Defendant’s technical expert evidence ([2021] EWHC 1413 (TCC)), the Court found fully in Dana’s favour, awarding it more than £11 million in damages and an indemnity for future losses ([2021] EWHC 1751 (TCC)).
  • Defended a multinational trade credit insurer against a breach of contract claim in the English High Court, bringing a counterclaim against the insured for breach of its duty of fair presentation under the Insurance Act 2015.

David's Insights

Firm News | 6 min read | 01.02.24

Crowell & Moring Elects Seven New Partners, Promotes Four to Senior Counsel, and 26 to Counsel

Crowell & Moring elected seven lawyers to the firm’s partnership, effective January 1, 2024. The firm also promoted four lawyers to the position of senior counsel and 26 associates to the position of counsel.

View All Insights

Practices

David's Insights

Firm News | 6 min read | 01.02.24

Crowell & Moring Elects Seven New Partners, Promotes Four to Senior Counsel, and 26 to Counsel

Crowell & Moring elected seven lawyers to the firm’s partnership, effective January 1, 2024. The firm also promoted four lawyers to the position of senior counsel and 26 associates to the position of counsel.

View All Insights