Daniel
Wilmot
Partner
International Arbitration
+44 (0)20 7822 8006
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Dan specialises in international arbitration and arbitration-related litigation before the English courts. He counts multiple states and multinational corporations among his clients. He is recognised in Chambers Global and Chambers UK, Legal 500, and Lexology Index (formerly Who’s Who Legal). He is described as a “bright light in the arbitration world”, an “exceptional talent”, and “savvy commercial lawyer” with “a good eye to strategy”.
Expertise
Dan is an arbitration specialist. He represents clients in international commercial and investor-state arbitration, and arbitration-related litigation before the English courts. His practice, experience, and client base are as international as they are diverse.
His experience covers arbitration proceedings under the major institutional rules and under ad hoc arrangements. He has advised on disputes governed by a range of applicable laws, subject to various arbitral seats and involving many jurisdictions.
Dan has equally extensive experience of arbitration-related litigation before the English courts. His recent caseload has involved challenges to arbitral awards, enforcement matters, anti-suit and related injunctive relief, and jurisdictional issues. Dan led the team in the successful, seminal award challenge in Aiteo v Shell, and he is currently representing several states in some of the most significant challenges before the courts.
As a Seychelles and British national, Dan is widely recognised as an expert in disputes connected with Africa and the Middle East. He has a notable practice representing local companies in dispute with multinational partners and financial institutions. A fluent English and French speaker, Dan’s recent activities have involved Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, Seychelles, Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, and Botswana. In the Middle East, his work has involved the UAE, Saudi Arabia Jordan, and Qatar.
Dan is similarly recognised for his expertise in oil and gas disputes, including construction matters. His sector experience includes cases in the technology, infrastructure, healthcare, finance, transport, automotive, mining, power, manufacturing, insurance, shipping, hospitality, and consumer retail industries.
Dan accepts arbitrator appointments. He is a regular speaker and author in his areas of practice. He is an Adjunct Professor of International Commercial Arbitration at Pepperdine University. Dan also consults on legal technology for disputes.
Recognition
Dan is individually ranked in Chambers Global, Chambers UK, Legal 500, and Lexology Index (formerly Who’s Who Legal). He is also ranked in Chambers Global’s listing of Africa-wide dispute resolution specialists. Stewarts is the only UK-based disputes-specialist law firm similarly ranked by Chambers Global in this Africa-focused listing.
Dan was also included in Legal 500’s most recent Powerlist, a curated selection of the UK’s leading international arbitration practitioners. Additionally, he received the International Arbitration Lawyer of the Year (United Kingdom) award in the Lawyer Monthly ADR Awards 2023 and 2024.
Independent legal directories and their research respondents recognise Dan for his high-level strategic thinking, commercial acumen, and leadership in highly complex cases:
- “Daniel Wilmot is simply amazing. He works hand-in-hand with counsel on both legal and procedural issues and brings real expertise and high-level strategic ideas to the table in highly complex cases.”
- “Dan is an excellent strategic and commercial lawyer. He understands the legal landscape of the case but he is able to hone in and give clients the advice that they need.”
- “Daniel Wilmot is an excellent lawyer, very responsive and professional. He provides advice taking into account the client’s needs and desired outcome.”
Career
Dan is an alumnus of University College London (UCL). He trained and qualified at Pinsent Masons and, after many years, moved to White & Case’s top-ranked international arbitration practice. In 2019, he joined Stewarts’ International Arbitration team.
Publications and media
Dan is a regular publisher in his areas of practice and interest. He was a contributor to a chapter in The Law and Business of LNG (3rd ed.) and regularly speaks at conferences and events, especially those focussed on arbitration in Africa. He has also trained Attorneys-General and members of the judiciary in Africa.
Experience
International commercial arbitration
- Advising a Nigerian oil and gas company in consolidated ICC arbitrations against a group of lenders arising from a multi-billion US dollar financing of an onshore oilfield interest
- Advising a Sierra Leonean mining joint venture company in an LCIA arbitration against a Chinese state-owned port operator and a related dispute with a Chinese offtaker
- Advising an Emirati developer in a FIDIC dispute against various subcontractors in connection with a mixed-use tourism and leisure megaproject in Jordan worth several billion US dollars
- Advising a Qatari corporate in LCIA arbitration involving LNG supplies into Ghana
- Advising one of the world’s largest energy companies (based in the Middle East) in respect of various disputes connected with joint venture obligations and licensing issues
- Advising a US wellbore construction services provider in LCIA arbitration involving knock-for-knock indemnity claims regarding drilling activities in Kurdistan
- Advising a Nigerian energy company in LCIA arbitration against a Chinese state-owned shipbuilder involving claims related to the purchase of a crude tanker
- Advising a Cayman crypto trading solutions company in ad hoc arbitration against a major crypto lending company involving disputed loans of Ethereum (ETH)
- Advising a Saudi oilfield services company in ICC arbitration against its joint venture partner in claims related to disputed territorial rights to seismic exploration activities
- Advising a French transportation group in ICC arbitration against a European government involving a FIDIC Silverbook railway infrastructure project
- Advising a global IT company in a major ad hoc arbitration against the UK government in connection with the NHS Connecting for Health national IT programme.
Arbitration-related litigation
- Advising Aiteo Eastern E & P Company Limited in a rare successful section 68 challenge against Shell (and several others), as reported at [2024] EWHC 1993 (Comm)
- Advising the Republic of Poland in its sections 67 and 68 challenges against a £252m BIT UNCITRAL award in its dispute with GreenX Metals (formerly Prairie Mining)
- Advising a West Asian state in its section 67 challenge to a novel BIT award on jurisdiction
- Advising a Dutch/Emirati emergency services company in DIAC arbitration, DIFC court proceedings, and English court section 9 stay proceedings with a customer.
Investment treaty arbitration and public international law
- Advising two European governments resisting English court proceedings to enforce separate arbitration awards obtained under intra-EU bilateral investment treaties
- Representing claimants in an investment treaty arbitration against a Latin American state concerning the seizure of productive assets used in the offshore oil and gas sector, with claims exceeding $800 million
- Representing a UK national in an ICSID arbitration against a Latin American state arising from measures affecting investments in the offshore oil and gas sector.
Accreditations and memberships
Dan is a member of various arbitration and industry associations.
Personal
Dan enjoys music, cycling, computing, and travelling. He is often found chasing after his mischievous dachshund, Dudley.
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