Gideon Shirazi
Call 2012
Instruct Gideon
To instruct Gideon please contact our clerks on +44 (0)20 7842 5555 or email [email protected].
Gideon specialises in high-value, complex commercial litigation and international arbitration.
He is known to be a fighter and has conducted over 75 trials, 15 appeals and over 300 hearings. He acts unled against KCs and eminent arbitration practitioners and as part of a larger team on mega-disputes. His cases often involve non-English arbitral seats or laws, including China (Mainland and Hong Kong), India, the USA, various EU states, various African states, Russia, CIS countries, the Middle East and Gulf region, Singapore and various Commonwealth countries. He also accepts appointments as arbitrator, adjudicator and dispute board.
Gideon is ranked as a leading junior in Chambers UK Bar, Legal 500 UK, Legal 500 EMEA and/or Legal 500 Asia Pacific for: IT and telecoms, commercial disputes, shipping and commodities, and construction disputes. He was featured in the 2018 Global Data Review’s “40 Under 40”: a list of the top 40 data lawyers worldwide aged under 40. Recommendations include:
- Gideon is absolutely all over the detail. Able to digest enormous amounts of information and represent it in a persuasive and convincing manner. Clearly a rising star and one destined for the top. Clients respect his detailed and careful manner.
- Intellectually brilliant, Gideon is able to grasp difficult and complicated points and distil them to their essence quickly
- An effective advocate under pressure, always very well prepared and on top of the details
- Very bright and articulate. Knows his stuff and gives clear advice
- He is superb at getting through the detail
- Gideon is a very enthusiastic junior who always hits his deadlines. His written work is spot on
- Easy to work with and very good under pressure, Gideon is also an absolutely outstanding courtroom performer. He is at consummate ease dealing with complex technical information
- Very hard working and bright. Very client and user friendly. Great service
- Practical, proactive and confident in his delivery, and he provides effective solutions
- Enthusiastic and responsive, and he quickly gets to grips with matters
- Clear, hands-on and practical
- Good at seeing the wood for the trees and dealing with a slippery defendant, he is approachable and easy to work with
- He works exceptionally hard and is very talented
- Some years ahead of his call in terms of experience. Great on his feet
- Incredibly dedicated and hard-working; nothing is ever too much for him
- He is extremely hard-working, and is very capable of sifting through a vast amount of material to quickly get to the key underlying detail
- He really knows his stuff, is very knowledgeable and very commercial where it counts
- Bright and quick on his feet
- A bright barrister who cuts through the verbiage and technical arguments
- A good operator whose key strength is his ability to absorb an enormous amount of detail and get to the nub of a dispute very quickly
International Arbitration
Gideon acts in arbitrations (ad hoc, LMAA, ICC, LCIA, UNCITRAL, HKIAC, SIAC, etc) and associated court proceedings including interim injunctions, s9 stay applications, s18 applications, s24 applications to remove arbitrators and s67, s68 and s69 challenges. He also assists on arbitration-related court proceedings brought in foreign jurisdictions.
He is often instructed to assist with difficult points of arbitration law including jurisdiction, natural justice, bias, arbitrability, res judicata, provisional measures, emergency arbitration, data protection, consumer rights, anti-suit injunctions, enforcement, etc.
Most of Gideon’s work in this area is confidential.
Featured International Arbitration cases
- Several s9 stay applications, including issues about arbitrability, scope of arbitration clauses and consumer rights
- Junior counsel on s32 jurisdiction application about the steps required to appoint an arbitrator
- Junior counsel on s24 challenge involving issues about multiple appointments and arbitrator conduct
- Junior counsel on several ICC and ad hoc energy, shipping and infrastructure arbitrations involving allegations of bribery, corruption, embezzlement and money laundering
- UNCITRAL technology arbitrations (London seat, multiple laws) involving software copyright infringement and licence breaches across Asia and raising issues around expedition
- Junior counsel on several connected ICC infrastructure arbitrations (London seat, Saudi law) involving the design of a Middle East metro system and calls on a parent company and third party guarantees
- Shadow counsel assisting Hong Kong lawyers in resisting an injunction in the Hong Kong courts pending a London arbitration
- An ICC emergency arbitration (QFC seat, Qatari law) involving an injunction to restrain calls on performance bonds and to freeze funds following insolvency
- Junior counsel on a $1bn ICC arbitration (London seat, English law) involving misuse of confidential information in the aviation industry
- Advising on the arbitrability of shareholder disputes in an FA Rule K arbitration involving unfair prejudice, minority shareholder rights and breaches of directors’ duties
- Junior counsel on a s67 challenge on multiple references in a single Request under the LCIA rules
- Junior counsel on several LMAA and ad hoc multi-vessel shipbuilding arbitrations (London, Singapore and Hong Kong seats and laws) and a s69 claim involving deliverability, delays, the prevention principle, defects and contractual issues
- Advising on a potential ICSID investment treaty arbitration, including most-favoured-nation, fair and equitable treatment and umbrella clauses
Technology & Telecoms
Gideon’s technology and telecoms work includes hardware (including networks and outages), software (development, integration, licensing and copyright), outsourcing and cloud services (SaaS, PaaS and IaaS), cutting-edge technology (including augmented reality, distributed operating systems, internet of things devices, cryptocurrencies, Blockchain and self-driving car software) and as well as miscellaneous claims in an IT context (e.g. satellites, cybersecurity, data protection, breach of confidence and hacking). Gideon is also a contributor to the chapter on IT Consultants in Simpson’s Professional Negligence and Liability and a committee member of the SCL IT Disputes Group.
Projects, Software Development & Outsourcing
Featured Projects, Software Development & Outsourcing cases
- Acting in a dispute involving delays, outstanding work and payments in the implementation of a SCADA and proprietary IT system forming the basis of the Bangalore electricity distribution network.
- Acting on a full IT infrastructure transformation dispute following the merger of two major telecoms companies involving delays, variations, scope creep and a range of project issues.
- Several SAP implementation disputes involving delays, project management, defects and payment issues
- Several SCADA, ERP and CRM implementation disputes involving delays, project management, poor design, scope creep, variations, defects and payment issues
- Several disputes about the outsourcing and maintenance of telecoms networks
- Several e-commerce website implementation disputes about defects during or following the development of e-commerce websites and alleged loss of profits
Hacking and Cyber Fraud
Featured Hacking and Cyber Fraud cases
- Several pull and push payment frauds involving phishing, whaling, man-in-the-middle attacks and other cyber frauds
- Several disputes involving telecoms fraud (including AIT, abuse of promotions, RIPA obligations, etc.)
- Several copyright and trade secrets disputes, including source code theft, data theft, team moves and general IP disputes
- A dispute on the consequences of, and B2B duties owed in the context of, a man-in-the-middle attack in the sale of a painting
- A dispute with a cybersecurity company about business interruption caused by a hack of an international airport
- A dispute about responsibility of an outsourced IT supplier for a ransomware hack of a prison involving data exfiltration and other losses
- A dispute involving a shutdown hack of a retail display unit and associated losses
Intellectual Property
Gideon has wide experience of IP disputes, focussed particularly on patents, copyright, trade secrets/breach of confidence, data protection and other economic torts. Much of his IP work involves complex issues under the Software Directive and Enforcement Directive in the context of technology. He has a particular interest in breach of confidence/trade secrets disputes and SEP/FRAND cases
Featured Intellectual Property cases
- Junior counsel on a telecoms patent infringement and licensing dispute relating to DSL and DLM software
- Junior counsel on a software reverse engineering dispute involving issues around the scope of the decompilation and investigation rights under the Software Directive
- An UNCITRAL software copyright and licensing arbitration involving issues around interoperability, copyright infringement in multiple jurisdictions and termination
- A dispute about the termination of a licence agreement for software for the remote stopping of cars and industrial internet of things (IoT) connected devices
- Junior counsel on a $1bn ICC arbitration involving misuse of confidential information in the aviation industry in the development of aircraft
- A copyright claim about a well-known pop song (which hit top of the charts)
- Several software licensing disputes, including copyright infringement, over-deployment, piracy, scope of licence provisions, linking, termination, decompilation, virtualisation, cloud computing, mis-selling and resale rights under the Software Directive
- Several data protection/privacy disputes (including SDARs, claims for compensation under the GDPR and Data Protection Act, wrongful disclosure under RPIA, the processing of foreign electoral data, data loss by an online data storage platform and resisting pre-action disclosure of employees’ medical records)
- Several copyright and trade secrets disputes in a tech context, including source code theft, data theft, team moves
- Advising on a software copyright claim around the scope of the resale right for used software
- Advising on trademark infringement and validity in online sales
Energy & Natural Resources
Gideon has acted on a wide range of energy disputes, focussing on upstream and midstream oil and gas and renewables. His experience includes acting as a junior on very large construction and offshore construction disputes arising out of energy facilities, as well as disputes about the sale, pipeline transportation and shipping of cargoes of oil and LNG, the installation of solar panels, electricity distribution projects and general commercial disputes in the energy industry.
Featured Energy & Natural Resources cases
- Several disputes about claims under letters of indemnities following mis-delivery frauds and arrests
- Junior counsel on a dispute involving allegations of bribery of officials, corruption and money laundering in an oil state
- Junior counsel in dispute about the construction of a new high pressure gas network
- Arbitrations on the consequences of contamination in a major oil pipeline
- Junior counsel on several multi-vessel shipbuilding disputes involving fuel efficiency in bulk carriers
- Advising an international energy company about its liability for broker commissions received in SME energy contracts
- A dispute about failure to operate a hedging strategy in a long-term district heating and power contract
- A dispute about the new electricity grid software in Bangalore, India
- Several arbitrations involving quality, quantity and payment issues and fraud issues in consignments of crude oil
- Advising on the termination of an energy contract based on sanctions
- Junior counsel on a dispute about a new Smart meter and billing IT implementation project for a major energy company
Construction, Engineering and Infrastructure
Gideon is listed by Legal 500 as a leading junior for construction. He has particular experience in engineering and infrastructure disputes (including roads, tunnels, stations, airports, metros, hospitals, telecoms networks, energy facilities, etc.) located across the globe. He is also in demand in the highly specialist area of adjudication enforcement disputes and regularly appears in the TCC on such disputes.
Adjudication and Adjudication Enforcement
Featured Adjudication and Adjudication Enforcement cases
- Adjudication enforcement dispute about a breach of natural justice in failing to consider LADs defence in a final account adjudication and associated Part 8 claim
- Adjudication enforcement dispute about jurisdiction in the service of a notice and the S&T basis
- Adjudication enforcement dispute about breach of natural justice in an adjudicator carrying out his own delay analysis, and insolvency
- Adjudication enforcement dispute about re-adjudication and associated Part 8 claim
- Several “smash and grab” disputes raising issues as to the validity of payment notices
- Acting on dispute board referrals, including complex jurisdictional points arising in international projects
- Several interim payment and final account adjudications including disputes around repudiation and termination, contractual interpretation, rectification, delay, defects and variations
Litigation and Arbitration
Featured Litigation and Arbitration cases
- Acting on ICC arbitrations about variations, defects and delays in the design of a metro system in the Middle East
- Acting on final and termination account disputes involving defects, delays, variations, rectification and other contractual issues
- Several PFI/PPP disputes involving good faith, termination, maintenance obligations, service points, defects, long-term payments, estoppel and fire safety
- Several disputes about construction and maintenance of hospitals and schools
Shipping & Shipbuilding
Gideon’s shipping work includes disputes over shipbuilding contracts, charterparties (time, voyage and bareboat), contracts of affreightment, bills of lading, ship sale MOAs, carriage of goods by sea (Hague and Hague-Visby rules) and by road (CMR claims including wilful misconduct), international sale of goods and commodity sale and purchase agreements as well as collisions, mortgages and arrests.
Featured Shipping & Shipbuilding cases
- Acting on a long-running multi-vessel shipbuilding dispute, involving issues around deliverability, delay, prevention principle, payments, guarantees and a range of defects in bulk carriers.
- Acting on a series of multi-vessel shipbuilding disputes about bulk carriers, OSVs, yachts and other vessels involving issues around fuel economy, delays, defects and deliverability.
- Acting on ship sale disputes involving disputes about fraud, cyber attacks, defects and delivery.
- Advising on cyber insurance claims in connection with the alleged total loss of a yacht.
- Acting on an Admiralty Court ship mortgage case (including acting on the arrest, order for sale, and priorities).
- Acting on a number of voyage charter disputes including seaworthiness, demurrage/detention and freight issues.
- Acting on a number of time charter disputes, including seaworthiness, unsafe ports, off hire disputes, redelivery, rectification, speed and consumption and loading/discharge issues.
- Acting on a number of bills of lading disputes, including misdelivery, identity of the issuer, the incorporated charterparty and cargo damage.
Shipping & Admiralty
Featured Shipping & Admiralty cases
- Several disputes about claims under letters of indemnities following mis-delivery frauds and arrests
- Several disputes about demurrage/detention of vessels with issues around the validity of NORs, the time of arrival, weather conditions, arrests, etc.
- Several disputes about seaworthiness, unsafe ports, off hire disputes, redelivery, and loading/discharge issues
- Several bill of lading disputes about quality involving cargoes of oil, coal, rice, soybeans, etc.
- Several bill of lading disputes involving misdelivery
- Ship sale disputes involving disputes about fraud, cyber attacks, defects and delivery
- Cyber insurance claims in connection with the alleged total loss of a yacht
- Acting in the Admiralty Court on a ship mortgage claim (including acting on the arrest, order for sale, and priorities)
Shipbuilding
Featured Shipbuilding cases
- A multi-vessel shipbuilding dispute about bulk carriers involving issues around deliverability, delay, prevention principle, payments, guarantees and a range of defects in bulk carriers
- A multi-vessel shipbuilding dispute about bulk carriers involving issues about fuel economy and future charter performance
- Several shipbuilding disputes about bulk carriers, OSVs, yachts and other vessels involving issues around fuel economy, delays, defects and deliverability
Banking, Financial Services and Fintech
Gideon acts on a wide range of banking and financial services work including the full range of banking products, guarantees, mortgages, lending, mis-selling and other traditional banking disputes, as well as cryptocurrency, payment services and other Fintech disputes
Featured Banking, Financial Services and Fintech cases
- A cryptocurrency trading dispute involving issues around the legal analysis of cryptocurrency trades and obligations following the first Bitcoin fork and wallet access
- Acting for a bank on a ship mortgage case involving issues of undue influence, variation, rectification and estoppel
- Several M&A disputes (under SPAs and TSAs) involving post-completion obligations, breaches of warranty, non-disclosures, indemnities, fraud, breaches of directors’ duties, economic torts and misrepresentation
- Several corporate finance commission, guarantee and negligence disputes concerning capital raising for FinTech and energy businesses
- An Emergency Arbitration involving restraints on calling performance bonds following an insolvency and an alleged attempt to defraud creditors
- Several lending and fraudulent payment disputes
- Acting on several bonds and guarantees claims involving issues including interpretation, undue influence, consideration, the application of UCP 600 and the Statute of Frauds
- Syndicated loans (including a very high value dispute about enforceability)
- Consumer credit disputes (including s138, s140A and s75 indemnity issues) – including advising major high street banks on strategy for PPI litigation
- Several banking fraud and FSMA cases (including payment fraud, cyber fraud and collective investment schemes)
Insurance & Reinsurance
Gideon regularly acts in claims involving insurers, both in subrogated claims and coverage disputes. This includes both marine and non-marine insurance, and claims against insurance brokers. Gideon has a particular interest in cyber risk.
Featured Insurance & Reinsurance cases
- Coverage disputes relating to COVID-19
- A coverage dispute for a combined business policy involving avoidance under the Insurance Act 2015 for unfair presentation of the risk
- A dispute between an underwriting agent and a broker about unpaid premiums, misuse of confidential information and economic torts
- A £10m coverage claim following an explosion raising issues of the scope of a product liability policy, aggregation and policy interpretation
- Advising on coverage under an NHBC policy for newbuilding defects
- Advising on coverage on a claim for constructive total loss of a vessel following a cyber attack
- Acting and advising on coverage disputes on a range of commercial & marine policies
Commercial Dispute Resolution
Gideon acts on the full range of commercial disputes, including cyber, fraud, M&A, art, sale of goods, bailment, product liability, economic torts and trade secrets disputes.
Featured Commercial Dispute Resolution cases
- Several disputes about exclusivity, procuring breaches of contract and unlawful means conspiracy
- A dispute about breaches of directors duties by shadow and/or de facto directors
- Several outsourcing and PFI/PPP disputes around SLA breaches, service points, service credits, duties of good faith, affirmation, delays, defective work, exemption clauses, indemnities, estoppel and termination
- Several disputes involving breaches of fiduciary duties, the misuse of confidential information and data theft (including hacking and cyber fraud) by JV partners, suppliers, ex-directors, employees and consultants in the aviation, banking and technology industries
- Several commercial fraud disputes involving alleged fraudulent payments, bribery and fraudulently exaggerated invoices in the construction industry (including ghost workers)
- Several sale of goods and product liability disputes, including mistake, defects and title issues, contamination, faulty alarms, corroded steel boilers, exploding bottles, shop displays and tiles
- Several aviation disputes, including a drone/UAV crash, s76 CAA and trade secrets
4 Pump Court recognised in the Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2023 Guide
4 Pump Court is pleased to again be recognised for our work in the Asia Pacific region in the newly published Legal 500...
TCC rules on arbitrability of adjudication enforcement disputes and notices of dissatisfaction- Gideon Shirazi
In Sefton MBC v Allenbuild [2022] EWHC 1443 (TCC), the TCC handed down judgment giving the latest word in the debate...
TCC ruling on the S&T rule- AM Construction v The Darul Amaan Trust [2022] EWHC 1478 (TCC
In AM Construction v The Darul Amaan Trust [2022] EWHC 1478 (TCC), the TCC gave judgment on an adjudication...
Commercial Court clarifies requirements for appointing arbitrators in ARI v WXJ [2022] EWHC 1543 (Comm) – James Leabeater KC and Gideon Shirazi
In ARI v WXJ [2022] EWHC 1543 (Comm) Foxton J considered when an arbitrator is validly appointed under English...
Instruct Gideon
To instruct Gideon please contact our clerks on +44 (0)20 7842 5522 or email [email protected].
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Call: +44 (0) 20 7842 5555