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.
Known to be a fighter, he has conducted over 80 trials, 15 appeals and 3060 hearings. He acts as a junior on heavyweight litigation and sole counsel unled against KCs and eminent arbitration practitioners and as part of a larger team. He also accepts appointments as arbitrator, adjudicator and dispute board.
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 recommended in Chambers Global, Chambers UK Bar, Legal 500 UK, Legal 500 EMEA and/or Legal 500 Asia Pacific for: international arbitration, commercial disputes, IT and telecoms, shipping and commodities, and construction. 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.
- 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.
- Gideon is the go-to barrister for any IT or outsourcing dispute; brilliant at getting to the nub of any issue and always provides sensible, commercial and pragmatic advice.
- A rising star and one to watch.
- Gideon is a robust and commercial senior junior with acute specialist sectoral insight.
- 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.
- Good at seeing the wood for the trees and dealing with a slippery defendant, he is approachable and easy to work with.
- 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.
International Arbitration
Gideon is instructed 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 is often instructed when a tricky arbitration issue is raised.
Most of Gideon’s work in this area is confidential.
Featured International Arbitration cases
Arbitration (ad hoc, London) about fraud, corruption and embezzlement in an African oil company (deceit, conspiracy, trusts, etc)
Arbitration (LMAA, London) about fraud and corruption (unlawful means conspiracy, deceit, trusts, etc) in an Asian oil company
Arbitration (ad hoc, London) about the failure of an IT project to implement an ERP system for a university
Arbitrations (LCIA, LMAA and ad hoc, London) involving commodities disputes about Nigerian oil
Arbitration (LCAM, London) involving commodities dispute about long-term steel mining contract involving allegations of embezzlement and fraud
Arbitration (SIAC, Singapore) involving dispute about contract of affreightment for oil following exclusion of a preferred port partner from a CIS port (including emergency arbitration)
Arbitrations (UNCITRAL, London, multiple laws) involving software copyright infringement and licence breaches across Asia and raising issues around expedition
Several connected $1bn arbitrations (ICC, London, Saudi law) involving the design of a Middle East metro system and calls on a parent company and third party guarantees
Arbitration (ICC, QFC, Qatari law) involving fallout following insolvency of a tier 1 contractor, including emergency arbitration re injunction to restrain calls on performance bonds and to freeze funds
$1bn arbitration (ICC, London, English law) involving misuse of confidential information in the aviation industry
Arbitrations (LMAA, London) re shipbuilding a new fleet of vessels 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
S69 challenges to Awards in commodities dispute involving collapse of a mine with legal issues about force majeure and allocation of risk
S67 and 68 challenges to an Award about the mismanagement of, and forfeiture of, working interests in an oil field: jurisdiction, conflicting awards and non-consideration of issues
S68 challenge to a yacht construction Award: failure to consider issues, proportionality
S32 jurisdiction challenge, and s24 challenge: multiple appointments and arbitrator conduct
S67 Commercial Court trial on the formation of a coal trading contract
Several s9 stay applications, including issues about arbitrability, scope of arbitration clauses and consumer rights
Advising on the arbitrability of shareholder disputes in an FA Rule K arbitration involving unfair prejudice, minority shareholder rights and breaches of directors’ duties
S67 challenge on multiple references in a single Request under the LCIA rules
Commercial Dispute Resolution
Gideon acts on complex commercial disputes. He is often instructed on cases involving technically or legally complex issues, and across a wide variety of industries (including energy, technology, commodities, banking, fintech, insurance, shipping, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, art, etc). He also regularly appears on injunctions (including freezing injunctions, imaging orders, springboard injunctions, injunctions to restrain demands on bonds, etc).
Featured Commercial Dispute Resolution cases
Dispute (Comm Ct) between two OnlyFans CRM providers about hacking, cyber-attacks, de-banking, unlawful means conspiracy and competition abuse (art 102 / Chapter II)
Dispute (Comm Ct) between two fintech companies and a billionaire about procuring breaches of contract and conspiracy to evading a payments preference obligation following the sale of a domain
Claim (TCC) for breach of exclusivity by a major MVNO in providing 5G services
Freezing injunction battle (KBD, multiple hearings) between former couple and business partners about crypto business
Dispute (Comm Ct) about the sale of several Whiskey brands and casks
Dispute (ChD) about patent laundering in the operation of DSL broadband
Dispute (Comm Ct) about ownership of and payment for a painting following a cyber attack leading to misdirected payment
Dispute (TCC) about crypto trading, involving issues around the legal analysis of cryptocurrency trades and obligations following the first Bitcoin fork and wallet access
Dispute (ChD) about the close-out of a financial trade following a margin call
Dispute (Comm Ct) about deceit, fraudulent misrepresentation and conspiracy in the formation of a charterparty for the carriage of oil
Claim (Admr Ct) for a bank enforcing a ship mortgage against an Indian billionaire involving issues of undue influence, variation, rectification and estoppel
Several claims for secret commissions by brokers and other agents
Consumer credit disputes (including s138, s140A and s75 indemnity issues) – including advising major high street banks on strategy for PPI litigation
Insurance coverage disputes (P&I, D&O, H&M, PII, business interruption, liability cover, reinsurance, etc) about a large range of issues, including fires, theft, fraud, explosions, cyber, etc
Company and Insolvency Disputes
Gideon acts on a wide range of dispute about the operation of companies and insolvency regimes, including statutory and personal claims between shareholders, JV partners and directors.
Featured Company and Insolvency Disputes cases
The first derivative claim under the new Gibraltar Companies Act involving shadow director misappropriating company assets, mis-directing company and diverting business
Claim (Comm Ct and expert determination) for breach of an SPA in delay in issuing shares, and for breaches incorporating a US securities action about fraudulent public statements about accounting which overstated mergers
Representative action (ChD) against directors by hundreds of companies for breaches of directors duties on conflicts, preferences and disclosures relating to a hotel development in Cape Verde
Unfair prejudice petition (ChD) in family business about mismanagement, removal, access to records and denied compensation
Claim (ChD) against directors and alleged shadow/de facto director in the operation of a business involving misappropriation and breaches of duties by the directors
Challenge (ChD) to determinations by liquidators and administrators relating to energy contracts and the operation of the insolvency stay and insolvency set-off
Disputes (TCC) about the interaction between CVAs, liquidation and administration orders and construction contracts and adjudication
Technology & Telecoms
Gideon has experience in hardware (including networks and outages), software (development, integration, licensing and copyright), networks (physical, 4G, 5G), outsourcing and cloud services (SaaS, PaaS and IaaS), cutting-edge technology (including artificial intelligence, augmented reality, internet of things devices, cryptocurrencies, Blockchain and self-driving cars) as well as miscellaneous claims in an IT context (e.g. satellites, cybersecurity, data protection, breach of confidence and hacking) and IP claims.
Featured Technology & Telecoms cases
£500m dispute about bad faith, fraud, trade secrets theft and anti-compete duties in the creation of a new software platform and competing platforms
Several copyright and trade secrets disputes, including source code theft, data theft, team moves and general IP disputes
Several disputes with IT and cybersecurity suppliers about responsibility for cyber-attacks
A dispute involving delays, outstanding works and payments in the implementation of a SCADA and proprietary IT system forming the basis of a megacity electricity distribution network
Junior counsel on a IT project collapse in the development of a new integrated IT system for an energy company, including smart meter requirements
Several SAP, 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
A dispute about the termination of a software licence for autonomous vehicles
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 spans the full range of disputes across the industry. This includes disputes about the sale, pipeline transportation and shipping of cargoes of oil and LNG; disputes about long-term contracts, fiduciary duties, commissions, bribery and other commercial disputes; and large construction and offshore disputes arising out of energy facilities, solar panels, gas pipelines, electricity distribution and decarbonisation
Featured Energy & Natural Resources cases
Challenge to SoS’s issue of abandonment notice imposing decommissioning obligations under the Petroleum Act 1998
Several disputes about claims under letters of indemnities following mis-delivery frauds and arrests
Arbitration involving allegations of bribery of officials, corruption and money laundering in an oil state
An arbitration about hire, seaworthiness, health and safety and the ISPS code in the charter of an accommodation vessel for an offshore windfarm
Disputes about the construction of a new high pressure gas network
Several arbitrations on the consequences of contamination in a major oil pipeline
Several multi-vessel shipbuilding disputes involving fuel efficiency in bulk carriers
Arbitration about the charter of an offshore vessel for drilling and geotechnical explorations with disputes about payment, radar jamming by militia and standby time
Arbitration about com• A multi-vessel shipbuilding dispute about bulk carriers involving issues around deliverability, delay, prevention principle, payments, guarantees and a range of defects in bulk carriersmercial issues arising out of a Legionella outbreak on an offshore accommodation vessel for an offshore renewables project
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
Several arbitrations involving quality, quantity, payment and fraud issues in consignments of crude oil
Advising on the termination of an energy contract based on sanctions
Shipping & Shipbuilding
Gideon’s shipping work includes disputes over shipbuilding contracts, ship sale and purchase agreements, charterparties (time, voyage and bareboat), contracts of affreightment, bills of lading, international sale of goods and commodity sale and purchase agreements as well as admiralty work focussing on mortgages and arrests.
Featured Shipping & Shipbuilding cases
Several arbitrations arising out of the Russia/Ukraine war including claims for cargo of blocked vessels, bribery, vessel and cargo damage, CONWARTIME and implied indemnity disputes
Defending several Commercial Court claims under letters of indemnities following mis-delivery frauds and arrests and bank demands in various jurisdictions
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, on/off hire disputes, redelivery, and loading/discharge issues
Several cargo disputes under bills of lading, including misdelivery, quality and fraud involving cargoes of oil, coal, rice, soybeans, etc.
Ship sale disputes involving disputes about contract formation, payments, termination fraud, cyber attacks, defects and delivery
Admiralty Court ship mortgage claim (including acting on the arrest, order for sale, and priorities)
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 including the impact of green shipping
Several shipbuilding disputes about bulk carriers, OSVs, yachts and other vessels involving issues around fuel economy, delays, defects and deliverability
Construction, Engineering & Infrastructure
Gideon’s construction experience focuses on engineering and infrastructure megaproject 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.
Featured Construction, Engineering & Infrastructure cases
Adjudication, DABs and Adjudication Enforcement
- Jurisdiction dispute about incorporation of an adjudication clause in a reinsurance contract
- Enforcement jurisdiction dispute based on service of the notice of adjudication and the S&T rule
- Enforcement breach of natural justice dispute about failure to consider LADs defence in a final account adjudication and associated Part 8 claim
- Enforcement dispute about breach of natural justice in an adjudicator carrying out his own delay analysis, and insolvency
- Enforcement dispute about re-adjudication and associated Part 8 claim
- 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
- Acting on ICC arbitrations about variations, defects and delays in the design of a metro system in the Middle East
- Acting on a delay, defects and payments dispute about a project for a new hospital building and the fit out of a new cancer therapy centre
- Acting on a termination dispute about a road project in central Asia involving allegations of bribery, corruption and terrorism-related defects
- Acting on a series of disputes about defects, delay and variations in a gas pipeline project
- Acting on final and termination account disputes involving defects, delays, variations, rectification and other contractual issues
- Acting on a payments, suspension, rectification, variations and termination dispute about a large modular construction project
- 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
Intellectual Property
Gideon’s IP practice is focussed 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 and breach of confidence/trade secrets disputes.
Featured Intellectual Property cases
Telecoms patent infringement and licensing dispute relating to DSL and DLM software
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
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 copyright and trade secrets disputes in a tech, employment or team move context, including source code theft, data theft, team moves
Stephen Cogley KC, Alex Potts KC, and Gideon Shirazi called to the Gibraltar Bar
Stephen Cogley KC, Alex Potts KC, and Gideon Shirazi were all called to the Gibraltar Bar on 4 September 2025, for the...
Judgment handed down in Contract Natural Gas Ltd v Zog Energy Ltd – Gideon Shirazi
On 21 January 2025, the Chancery Division of the High Court handed down judgment in the case of Contract Natural Gas...
Gideon Shirazi, Jonathan Schaffer-Goddard and Carl Wall to attend IPBA Chicago 2025
Gideon Shirazi, Jonathan Schaffer-Goddard and Carl Wall will be in Chicago between 21-26 April attending the...
4 Pump Court features in the Chambers Global Guide 2025
The Chambers Global Guide 2025 has been released which highlights the top global legal professionals in over 200...
Instruct Gideon
To instruct Gideon please contact our clerks on +44 (0)20 7842 5522 or email [email protected].
Would you like to know more?
For help and advice talk to a member of our clerking team. They can advise on the best options for your matter.
Call: +44 (0) 20 7842 5555
