020 7797 8400
Steven Walker QC is a British Queen’s Counsel and a leading advocate (Scotland), barrister (England) and
attorney (Cayman Islands). He is a registered foreign lawyer in Western Australia. He is an international
commercial lawyer with a specialisation in international arbitration, energy, oil & gas, mining,
commercial/corporate/financial disputes, construction and engineering. He also sits as an international
arbitrator.
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
Early in his career, he worked in the international arbitration group of Allen & Overy. Since then, Steven has
developed an extensive international arbitration practice and now acts as senior counsel in multiple ad hoc
and institutional international arbitrations conducted in many countries around the world and subject to a wide
variety of governing substantive and procedural laws. He has built a formidable reputation acting in
international energy, oil & gas cases involving exploration and production disputes, engineering, procurement
and construction disputes, power purchase disputes as well as a whole range of commercial/corporate
disputes concerning joint venture agreements, shareholders agreements and other financial and commercial
agreements.
Steven is based in Asia Pacific, works internationally and maintains a regular presence in commercial
disputes in South-East Asia, Australia, Europe, Africa and the Gulf. Steven is one of only four British Silks
ranked in Singapore prior to 2019 and was the only resident Scottish Silk practising in Asia Pacific.
Steven has been ranked as a New Silk for Dispute Resolution – Arbitration Singapore in the latest edition of
Chambers & Partners Asia Pacific Guide (2018): ‘New silk Steven Walker of Terra Firma Chambers advises
on a wide range of arbitration mandates connected with energy, natural resources and infrastructure projects.’
Steven was also ranked as a New Silk for Dispute Resolution – Arbitration Singapore in Chambers & Partners
Asia Pacific Guide (2017): Chambers & Partners Asia Pacific Guide 2017 testify to his “amazingly wide
experience of the subject area in which he operates, spanning every energy dispute imaginable,” from his
dedication to “making clients feel at their ease” to his “excellent advocacy, not just in terms of the legal issues,
but in terms of making the best case for the client.”
He was also ranked as a Band 1 leading junior counsel for Dispute Resolution – Arbitration Singapore in
Chambers & Partners Asia Pacific Guide (2016): As one source noted, “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.”
Steven started his career as a solicitor in 1997. He called to the Scottish Bar in 1999, to the Cayman Islands
Bar in 2007 and to the English Bar in 2008. He has been an accredited Mediator since 2003 and became an
accredited arbitrator in 2011.
He was appointed an ad hoc Advocate Depute in 2007 (criminal court prosecutor) by the Lord Advocate
(Head of the Scottish Prosecution Service) and has prosecuted serious offences for the Crown including
attempted murder and armed robbery. Steven also held a public appointment from the Scottish Government
to sit as a Tribunal Judge and did so for 9 years.
He was made an Honorary Fellow of the University of Edinburgh in 2009, an Honorary Lecturer of the Centre
for Energy, Petroleum, Mineral Law & Policy, University of Dundee in 2008 and appointed Seminar Director
& Lecturer on the Professional Seminar Training Programme of the Energy Studies Institute, National
University of Singapore 2014. He was appointed visiting lecturer on international commercial arbitration by
the University of Notre Dame, Australia in 2017.
He lectures frequently on energy disputes, law and policy all over the world.
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.
Practice Areas
Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre for Arbitration
Stockholm Chamber of Commerce
Dubai International Arbitration Centre
Co-Author of leading arbitration book ‘Pleading in Arbitration – A Practitioner’s Guide’, Sweet &
Maxwell/Thomson Reuters, 2012 (First Edition) 2017 (Second Edition).
Numerous articles and papers on commercial law.
Public Appointments
Appointed Queen’s Counsel by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on September 2016
Appointed Ad Hoc Advocate Depute by the Lord Advocate 2007 to date
Appointed Chairman of the Private Rented Housing Panel 2006 to 2015
Appointed member of Geneva Petroleum Club 2014
Academic Appointments
Appointed lecturer and member of the Global Academic Faculty of the Centre for Energy, Petroleum, Mineral
Law and Policy (CEPMLP), University of Dundee in 2002 and 2008
Appointed Principal lecturer on the International Arbitration LLM at the University of Edinburgh 2009
Appointed Honorary Fellow of the University of Edinburgh 2009
Appointed Honorary Lecturer of the Centre for Energy, Petroleum, Mineral Law and Policy (CEPMLP),
University of Dundee in 2008, 2011, 2014
Seminar and Course Director for CEPMLP arbitration conferences and professional seminars
External PhD Examiner CEPMLP 2011
Appointed Seminar Director & Lecturer on the Professional Seminar Training Programme of the Energy
Studies Institute, National University of Singapore 2014
Appointed visiting lecturer on international commercial arbitration by the University of Notre Dame, Australia
in 2017.
