Steven Walker KC is a British King’s Counsel.
Early in his career, he worked for the international law firm Allen & Overy. Since then, he has built a formidable reputation acting as an international commercial lawyer with a specialisation in international arbitration, energy, oil & gas, mining, commercial/corporate/financial disputes, construction and engineering. He also advises in a wide variety of corporate and commercial matters for corporate clients, for high net worth private clients and family offices. From time to time, he sits as an international arbitrator and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.
Steven is a highly respected King’s Counsel, commercial strategist and team player. He is able to combine both the commercial and legal objectives into a coherent and effective strategy for clients. He is able to build an immediate trust and rapport with clients and is tenacious in protecting their interests. He is an exceptional advocate and a polite, yet ruthless, cross examiner.
He has a great legal ability to analyse complex issues, has an intuitive legal instinct and is able to present them in a way that is highly persuasive to the court, tribunal or in a negotiation. He represents and advises clients on a wide range of commercial and corporate matters.
With his considerable experience in international dispute resolution, his multinational clients value his professional, commercial and negotiation experience in recognizing commercial and cross border risks his clients may face. They seek his advice on strategies to minimize exposure to those risks in challenging multinational complex corporate and commercial transactions and environments.
Steven works internationally and maintains a regular presence in commercial disputes in South-East Asia, Australia, Europe, Africa and the Gulf.
Representative Cases
Steven Walker KC is a commercial Silk. He has acted as Counsel in more than 200 arbitrations around the world. Examples of his cases are provided within his Expertise sections.
Practice Areas
- Arbitration
- Commercial law
- Corporate law
- International Finance
- Construction & Engineering & Infrastructure
- Energy & Natural Resources
- International Commercial Arbitration
- International Investment Arbitration
- International Trade, Trade Finance & Commodities
- Mining
- Oil & Gas
- Renewable Energy (onshore and offshore)
Commercial, Corporate, Financial
Recent cases include:-
M v C
Arbitration – Instructed for Claimant in Switzerland on a complex multi-jurisdictional €70 million corporate loan dispute.
F v G
Arbitration – Instructed by Claimant, an international private equity group, concerning an investment in Asia Pacific and a dispute under a shareholders’ agreement. The dispute value amounts to USD$70 million.
P v T
Arbitration – Instructed by Claimant on a private equity dispute in Asia Pacific. The dispute value amounts to USD$50 million.
Construction & Engineering & Infrastructure
Recent cases include:-
B v M
Arbitration – Instructed for Claimant in a USD$112 million dam reservoir construction dispute in Africa.
G v B
Arbitration – Instructed for the Claimant in a USD$50 million water conveyance aquifer construction dispute in the Middle East.
A v R
Arbitration – Instructed by Claimant on large construction project in the Gulf. The dispute value amounts to USD$100 million.
D v U
Arbitration – Instructed by Claimant in a multi million construction dispute concerning asbestos removal from a multi storey building in the UK. Claim was for variations and extensions of time.
Mining
Recent cases include:-
N v P
Investment Arbitration – Instructed for Claimant to advise on the expropriation of gold mining assets in an Asia Pacific country. Dispute value of USD$1 billion.
P v T
Arbitration – Instructed by Claimant on a concession dispute in Asia Pacific. The dispute value amounts to USD$50 million.
Oil & Gas
Recent cases include:-
A v Z
Arbitration – Instructed for Claimant in USD$100m European gas shareholders agreement dispute.
T v U
Arbitration – Instructed for Claimants regarding an oil rig construction dispute in Asia Pacific. The dispute value amounts to USD$57 million.
P v P
Arbitration – Instructed by Respondent in a power purchase agreement dispute in Asia Pacific. The dispute value amounts to USD$75 million.
X v Z
Arbitration – Instructed by Claimant, an international oil company, concerning a production sharing cost recovery dispute with a national oil company in Asia Pacific. The dispute value amounts to USD$500 million.
P v E
Arbitration – Instructed by Claimant, an oil company, in a large African gas dispute concerning a JOA. The sum in dispute is US$800m.
Renewable Energy (onshore and offshore)
Recent cases include:-
X v J
Arbitration – Instructed by Claimant, an offshore wind installation contractor, in a European offshore windfarm dispute. The sum in dispute is EUR25m.
Recommendations
"Steven Walker KC is a formidable and persuasive advocate. He is an excellent commercial strategist. Clients trust and like him because he has great judgement; they often see him as their knight in shining armour."
― Legal 500 [2024] - Band 1 - Leading Silk"One of very few people in Scotland with an international construction arbitration practice - he is brilliant with clients and offers strength in depth."
― Legal 500 [2022] - Band 1 - Leading Silk"New silk Steven Walker ……… advises on a wide range of arbitration mandates connected with energy, natural resources and infrastructure projects."
― Chambers & Partners Asia Pacific Guide [2018]"amazingly wide experience of the subject area in which he operates, spanning every energy dispute imaginable,"
"making clients feel at their ease"
"excellent advocacy, not just in terms of the legal issues, but in terms of making the best case for the client."
― Chambers & Partners Asia Pacific Guide [2017]"he is very quick, able to see the key points and give the right wording. He makes complicated matters very simple. He is very familiar with how arbitrators think, what they want....he also maintains a regular presence in Malaysian disputes."
― Chambers & Partners Asia Pacific Guide [2016]"Steven is a formidable advocate, who exercises exceptional strategic judgement in international litigation. His cross examination style is concise and precise, and he executes it like a skilled surgeon."
― Legal 500 [2022] - Band 1 - Leading SilkAppointments
Academic Appointments
University of Edinburgh – Co-course director of the LLM in International Arbitration with Lord Dervaird QC from 2009-2011. The course was nominated for the EUSA teaching excellence award. He was made an Honorary Fellow of the University of Edinburgh in 2009.
Centre for Energy, Petroleum, Mineral Law & Policy, University of Dundee – Honorary Lecturer of the Centre from 2002 and member of the global academic faculty.
Energy Studies Institute, National University of Singapore – Seminar Director & Lecturer on the Professional Seminar Training Programme of the Institute in 2014.
University of Notre Dame, Australia – Visiting lecturer on international commercial arbitration in 2017.
Arbitrator Panels
ICC Arbitrators database – UK
LCIA – UK
HKIAC Panel – Hong Kong
SCCR Panel – Saudi Arabia
DIAC – United Arab Emirates
BAIAC – Singapore
TAI – Thailand
AIAC – Malaysia
THAC – Thailand
Publications
Steven is co-author of the leading international book ‘Pleading in Arbitration – A Practitioner’s Guide’ published by Sweet & Maxwell/Thomson Reuters 2012.
A second edition was released in 2017. The leading German International lawyer and arbitrator, Professor Peter Klaus Berger of the University of Cologne, described the first edition of this book as “an essential addition to every arbitration practitioner’s library”, in the journal of Transnational Dispute Management.
Contributing Author to the chapter on “Arbitration in the Energy & Mining Industry” in the international publication Lexis Nexis Arbitrator’s Handbook published in 2022.
Memberships
Member of the Middle Temple
Member of the Faculty of Advocates
Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
Languages
English – Fluent
French – Conversational
Hebrew – Conversational
Education
Silk: 2016
Call: 1999 (Scotland)
Call: 2007 (Cayman Islands)
Call: 2008 (England & Wales)
Registered Foreign Lawyer: 2015 Singapore
Registered Foreign Lawyer: 2016 Ireland
Registered Foreign Lawyer: 2017 Western Australia
LLB(Hons) University of Aberdeen 1996
Dip LP University of Aberdeen 1997
Honorary Fellow University of Edinburgh 2009
ACIArb 2000
MCIArb 2018
FCIArb 2019