Team Single

David Donaldson KC

  • Year of call: 1968
  • Appointed to Silk: 1984
  • Degree: MA (Cantab), Dr Jur (Freiburg)
  • Languages: French, German (fluent), Spanish (working knowledge)

Personal Experience

David Donaldson KC is a highly respected commercial silk, with a broad range of experience across a number of specialist disciplines. These include extensive experience of financial services, banking, insurance and reinsurance, contractual and jurisdictional disputes. He has appeared in a wide range of domestic, European, overseas and international courts and tribunals, including  many times in important cases in the House of Lords and the European Court of Justice.

A highlight was his involvement in the long-running Kuwait Airways Corporation v Iraqi Airways Corporation, litigation arising out of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990 and involving claims for $1.5 billion after the seizure and removal of the Kuwaiti Airbus and Boeing airliner fleet by Iraq. The case involved complex and fundamental issues of public and private international law, non-justiciability, rights to property in a transnational context and damages.

David was appointed a Recorder in 1994 and a Deputy High Court Judge from 1995 to February 2016, sitting initially in the Queen’s Bench and from 1999 mainly in the Chancery Division. He has also sat as an arbitrator in international arbitrations.

Professional Experience:

1986-1996 Arbitrator

1995-2016 Deputy High Court Judge

1965-1969 Fellow of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge

Experience

  • Commercial
  • EU & Competition
  • Public & Regulatory

ACHIEVEMENTS

Selected earlier reported cases

Commercial

 

  • Kuwait Airways Corporation v Iraqi Airways Corporation [2002] AC 883.
  • Ex Parte Granada Television [2001] 1 AC 300 (HL)
  • Groupama Navigation et Transports & Ors v Catatumbo C A Seguros (CA) (2000) 2Lloyd’s Rep 350
  • In the matter of Westminster Property Management Ltd (No 1) (CA) [2000] 1 WLR 2230
  • Mander v Equitas [2000] Lloyds IR 520 (Commercial Court)
  • Sea Assets Ltd v PT Garuda Indonesia QBD (Commercial Court) [2000] 4 All ER 371
  • Groupama Navigation et Transports and others v Catatumbo Seguros (CA) [2000] 2 Lloyds Rep 350
  • Vehicle Inspectorate v (1) Bruce Cook Road Planning Ltd (2) Anthony Cheetham (HL) [1999] 1 WLR 1907
  • Modahl v British Athletic Federation (HL) (1999)
  • On Demand Information v Michael Gerson (1999) 2 All ER 811
  • Prince Jefri Bolkiah v KPMG [1999] 2 W.L.R. 215, HL
  • Sacor Maritima SA v Repsol Petroleo SA (1998) 1 Lloyd’s Rep 518
  • Source Ltd v TUV Rheinland Holding AG and Others [1998] Q.B. 54, CA
  • Boss Group Ltd v Boss France SA [1997] 1 WLR 351, CA
  • Bank Tejarat v Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation 1995 1 Lloyds 239 (Commercial Court)
  • Bates v Barrow 1995 1 Lloyds 680 (Commercial Court)
  • Standard Bank v Bank of Tokyo 1995 2 Lloyds 169 (Commercial Court)
  • Kitechnology B.V v Unicor Gmbh 1995 F.S.R. 765 (Court of Appeal)
  • Toomey v Eagle Star (No. 2) [1995] 2 Lloyds Rep 88 (Commercial Court)
  • Toomey v Eagle Star (No.1) 1994 1 Lloyds Rep  516 (Court of Appeal)
  • Leyland Daf Ltd v Automotive Productions Ltd [1994] 1 BCLC 245, 1993 BCC 389, CA
  • Deutsche Gennossenschaftsbank v Burnhope [1995] 1 WLR 1580 [HL]
  • Napier v Hunter 1993 A.C. 713 (House of Lords)
  • G & H Montage GmbH v Irvani [1990] 1 Lloyds 14 (Court of Appeal)
  • First National Bank of Boston v Union Bank of Switzerland [1990] 1 Lloyds 32 (Court of Appeal)
  • R. I.R.C. ex parte Camacq 1990 1 All E.R. 173 (Court of Appeal)
  • The ‘Simona’ 1989 A.C. 788 (House of Lords)
  • Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank v Kloeckner [1989] 2 QB 514  (Commercial Court)
  • Etri Fans Ltd v NMB [1987] 1 W.L.R. 1110 (Court of Appeal)
  • British Caledonian Airways v Laker 1985 A.C. 58 (House of Lords)
  • “Tilly Russ” [1985] 3 WLR 179 [ECJ]
  • “Bureau National Interprofessionel du Cognac v Aubert [1988] 4 CMLR 331 [ECJ]
  • Ahmed Saeed Flugreisen v. Zentrale zur Bekampfung unlauteren Wettbewerbs eV [1990] 4 CMLR 102 [ECJ]

Public & Regulatory

 

  • R (on the application of Merseyside Passenger Transport Authority & Ors) v Secretary of State for Transport [2006] EWHC 226 (Admin)
  • Mass Energy Ltd v Birmingham City Council, 1993 Env. L.R. 298, CA