Simon Chapman KC

Practice Areas

Simon is the Joint Managing Partner of Dispute Resolution and Global Co-Head of International Arbitration.

Simon leads the firm's market-leading disputes practice in Asia and focuses on international arbitration and arbitration-related litigation. A specialist advocate, he appears regularly as lead counsel before courts and tribunals in the world's foremost arbitration centres.

His practice covers investment treaty and commercial arbitration under all of the major arbitral rules, with particular expertise in complex claims in fraud and breach of warranty, as well as post-M&A, joint venture and shareholder disputes.

Simon has acted for governments, state-owned entities, sovereign wealth funds and corporations across a range of industries, including in the energy, private equity, cryptocurrency, finance, hospitality and TMT sectors.

An expert in set-aside proceedings, Simon has appeared in some of the largest cases before the Hong Kong courts concerning challenges to arbitral awards and has advised on related proceedings before the courts in Singapore and England & Wales. He is regularly instructed to obtain urgent, interim measures from courts and emergency arbitrators, including anti-suit relief to restrain litigation proceedings in favour of arbitration.

In addition to his work as counsel, Simon sits regularly as arbitrator, including as presiding arbitrator, co-arbitrator and sole arbitrator across a range of institutional and ad hoc cases. He has been a member of the ICC Court of Arbitration since 2021 and is ranked in the top tier in all of the major directories. Simon was named International Lawyer of the Year by Benchmark Litigation in 2021 and 2023, and was recently listed in Global Arbitration Review's '45 under 45' list of leading arbitration practitioners.

Career

Simon has worked in the Asia disputes team for over a decade, having previously been based in the firm's London and Paris offices.

He is dual-qualified in Hong Kong and England and Wales, with higher rights of audience in both jurisdictions. One of a small number of solicitors to have been appointed Queen's Counsel (now King's Counsel) in England & Wales, Simon has appeared as lead counsel before the High Court, Court of Appeal and Court of Final Appeal in Hong Kong and advises regularly on challenges to arbitral awards in other jurisdictions, notably Singapore and England & Wales.

Experience

Global Advocacy

International Arbitration

Dispute Resolution

Commercial Arbitration

Investment Arbitration and Treaty Protection