David Kavanagh QC

Lawyer information

Practice Areas

David Kavanagh QC is co-head of Skadden’s Global International Litigation and Arbitration Group. Based in the London office, he focuses on international arbitration and cross-border litigation. He has acted on several major investment treaty disputes for both governments and investors. He also has extensive experience in international finance litigation, and his clients include major investment banks and hedge funds, which he regularly represents in High Court litigation.

He regularly acts as counsel in arbitrations, which are seated in Paris, Geneva, Zurich, Stockholm, the Hague, Vienna and London. He has extensive experience of managing multijurisdictional court actions in Europe, the Caribbean and the Middle East. He also regularly advises companies on regulatory matters and civil/criminal investigations including advice under the U.K. Bribery Act and the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Some of his successful representations include acting for:

- Vodafone International Holdings B.V. in its landmark victory against the Republic of India under the Netherlands-India bilateral investment treaty;

- the owners of Devas Multimedia Private Limited in a US$1.6 billion investment dispute with the Republic of India, under the Mauritius-India Bilateral Investment Treaty;

- Vivendi against Deutsche Telecom in Europe’s largest telecom arbitration.