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Steven Walker QC is a British Queen’s Counsel.
Early in his career, he worked for the international law firm Allen & Overy. Since then, he has developed an extensive international arbitration practice and now acts as Lead 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/financial disputes concerning joint venture agreements, shareholders agreements and other financial and commercial agreements.
He also advises in a wide variety of corporate and commercial matters for corporate clients, for high net worth private clients, family offices and, from time to time, sits as an international arbitrator. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.
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
Middle Temple 2008
Faculty of Advocates 1999
LLB(Hons) University of Aberdeen 1996
Dip LP University of Aberdeen 1997
Honorary Fellow University of Edinburgh 2009
ACIArb 2000
MCIArb 2018
FCIArb 2019
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 and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in 2019.
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.
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.
Steven works internationally and maintains a regular presence in commercial disputes in South-East Asia, Australia, Europe, Africa and the Gulf.
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 ……… 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.”
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.
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
Appointed member of the Middle Temple 2008
Appointed member of the Faculty of Advocates 1999
Appointed lecturer and member of the Global Academic Faculty of the Centre for Energy, Petroleum, Mineral Law and Policy (CEPMLP), University of Dundee since 2002
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 since 2008
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
August 2021
Steven Walker QC appointed Committee Member of the Beihai Asia International Arbitration Centre (BAIAC), Singapore
Steven Walker QC has been appointed Committee Member of the Beihai Asia International Arbitration Centre (BAIAC), Singapore The Beihai Asia International Arbitration Centre (BAIAC), Singapore, BAIAC – Beihai Asia International Arbitration Centre was launched on 8 August 2019. Established by ...
read moreAugust 2021
International Arbitration Webinar - Arbitrating under the ICC Rules
Arbitrating under the ICC Rules – Tuesday 14th September 11am to 12.30pm BST Members of Six Pump Court listed on the ICC UK Arbitrator Database will be joined by guest speaker Iain Quirk QC. Panel of Speakers: David Travers QC (Chair), Iain Quirk QC, Steven Walker QC, Paul McGarry SC, ...
read moreJuly 2021
Where to arbitrate? A fireside chat
The importance or arbitration is increasingly growing as it is now also a key method of dispute resolution for cross-border disputes. Meanwhile various jurisdictions globally are also developing their local capabilities and shaping themselves as a hub for the conduct of arbitration. Is there a ...
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