Instruct Iain

To instruct Iain please contact our clerks on +44 (0)20 7842 5555 or email [email protected].

Iain has a broad commercial law practice and specialist expertise in technology, construction, energy, shipping and shipbuilding.

Legal directories quotes include:

‘Iain Munro is tactically aware, imaginative and hard-working. His written work is clear, precise and impressive.’ ‘Iain is very clever and has a really good eye for detail.’ ‘He does everything to a high standard and turns things around quickly.’ ‘One of his biggest strengths is that he can assimilate huge amounts of information and retain it for months.’ (Chambers & Partners, IT, 2023)

‘Iain is a highly analytical and intelligent junior – his grasp of detail and superhuman levels of recall is very impressive, he is an ideal junior for document-heavy cases and will leave no stone unturned. As an advocate he is measured but quietly effective.’ (Legal 500, IT, 2023)

‘Iain is clever, incredibly thorough and very thoughtful. He sees things from all angles and thinks ahead. Good and easy to deal with and often feels like he has experience beyond his years of call. Accessible, very hard working and responsive.’ (Legal 500, IT, 2022)

‘He is very good at managing complex issues that require expert knowledge.’ ‘Very experienced in the field, Iain is very measured in his delivery; he doesn’t panic or flap in any way.’ (Chambers & Partners, IT, 2022)

‘Iain is brilliant. He is excellent at getting stuck in and going through detail. He has a good ability to identify what matters from heaps of information and is precise in his drafting.’ (Legal 500, IT, 2021)

‘He’s responsive, user-friendly, and he really gets into the detail.’ ‘He can speak very knowledgeably with experts on quite complicated issues.’ ‘He already has a really impressive legal mind, and he works very diligently.’ (Chambers & Partners, IT, 2021)

Iain welcomes instructions as a mediator. He can draw on his broad, technical practice to understand the issues and offer robust reality testing when the process demands it. He knows that mediation works and wants to help parties resolve their disputes, whatever the size. He is a member of CEDR’s panel of conciliators.

Iain has substantial expertise in technology disputes, particularly IT project failures – both for employers and suppliers, and across varied industries (e.g. healthcare, insurance, automotive, telecoms, and retail websites). These typically involve complex, technical facts and large collaborative teams.

Iain is a specialist contributor to the ‘The Law of Artificial Intelligence (Sweet & Maxwell, 2020), The Encyclopedia of Information Technology Law (Sweet & Maxwell, forthcoming), and the ‘Computers and Information Technology’ chapter of Bullen & Leake & Jacob’s Precedents of Pleadings (Sweet & Maxwell; 19th Ed., 2019ff). He is a member of the Society of Computers & Law AI Group and Adjudication Rules committees, its AI clauses initiative and co-creator of its AI for Schools Programme.

Featured Technology & Telecoms cases


Acting as Junior Counsel for an IT service provider against the Disclosure and Barring Service, who alleges underpayment, unlawful termination of part of the services, and seeks compensation for substantial delays. The DBS has counterclaimed, alleging overpayment, supplier delays and significant defects. Ranked by The Lawyer as one of the ‘Top 20 cases’ of 2023


Acting as Junior Counsel for a well-known luxury car maker against its software supplier, which was due to deliver a 3D photo-realistic vehicle configurator, allowing interactive visualisation of bespoke models.


Acting as Junior Counsel for the defendant asset managers against developers claiming ownership of modified software and track record connected to algorithm-driven investment strategy, as well as damages of USD150m+.


Acting as Junior Counsel in a £20m+ charges variation and payment claim, brought by outsourced IT and administration services provider against its customer. Following the £50m+ counterclaim brought by Iain’s client, focus is now on the data transfer from multiple legacy systems to the successor supplier’s new platform, as part of contract exit.


Acting as Junior Counsel for a systems integrator defending >£100m+ High Court proceedings over the implementation of a new IT solution for the sale and servicing of general insurance products. Identified by The Lawyer as one of the ‘Top 20 cases’ of 2020 and the ‘Top 10 appeals’ of 2022.


Acting as sole Counsel for a systems integrator in a £14m+ claim against a specialist sub-contractor for the failed implementation of an IT system in the Nordic region.


Acting as Junior Counsel in a dispute of the termination of a contract for procurement framework software.


Acting as Junior Counsel in an international arbitration over the automation of a fashion warehouse.


Advising a technology retailer in a dispute with a supplier over outsourced call centres and telephony systems.


Acting for the employer in contractual dispute over an outsourced web-hosting platform.


Advising an internet service provider in relation to alleged breaches of a content protection agreement.


Acting as Junior Counsel for a government department against a provider of bespoke archiving software.


Acting as Junior Counsel in a substantial dispute arising from the Connecting for Health project, the largest civilian IT project in the world.

Iain has acted in energy-related disputes involving construction, ship sale and chartering, transportation of natural resources and other services.

Featured Energy cases


Advising a Chinese yard in disputes over the termination of multiple drilling rigs.


A $400m+ TCC dispute arising out a contract for the supply and fabrication for monopiles and transition pieces for the world’s largest wind farm (Fluor Ltd v Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Ltd [2016] EWHC 2062 (TCC); [2018] EWHC 1 (TCC)).


$200m+ LMAA arbitrations over the cancellation of the construction of offshore accommodation units.


$50m+ LMAA arbitrations arising from the cancellation of MOAs for the sale of specialised offshore construction vessels, which were under government arrest.


Multi-million $ claims in SCMA arbitration against charterers in respect of breaches of separate long- term contracts for the transportation of coal in bulk.


$20m+ claims and counterclaims in HKIAC arbitration in connection with a subsea power cables laying project.


$6m LMAA arbitrations concerning tax exemptions for oil and gas exploration off-shore Brazil.


A multi-million $ dispute over the construction of oil treatment facilities in the Middle East.

Overlapping with his energy expertise, Iain has particular experience in shipbuilding disputes, often focusing on the cancellation of shipbuilding contracts.  As co-counsel with Chinese lawyers, he has advised on the negotiation and drafting of contracts, including one of the largest offshore deals in Chinese history.

Featured Shipbuilding cases


Acting as Junior Counsel for a shipyard in $400m LMAA arbitrations concerning termination rights and the proper application of funds provided to the buyer for specified purposes.


Acting as Junior Counsel for buyers in >$10m LMAA arbitrations over the cancellation 4 vessels.


Advising on the impact of the Greek financial crisis on instalment payments and claims under a payment guarantee.


Acting as Junior Counsel for a Chinese shipyard in an arbitration concerning a disputed cancellation. The arbitration gave rise to an appeal to the English High Court about whether a third-party could participate in on-going arbitral proceedings.

Iain’s shipping and ship-related experience includes ship management, safe berth, speed/performance/ consumption, redelivery notices, failure to meet cargo specifications, the international sale and carriage of goods by sea and wrongful repudiation by both owners and charterers.

Featured Shipping cases


Acted as Junior Counsel for owners in a charterparty dispute and obtained anti-suit injunctions against parallel Chinese proceedings.


Acted for owners in an LMAA arbitration over the charter of a superyacht.


Assisted in multiple LMAA arbitrations concerning unpaid bunker supplies following the OW Bunker collapse.


Acted for owners in a charterparty disputes over alleged variations to the demurrage rate and damage to craneage.


Advised owners on a claim for wrongful deduction of hire and underwater cleaning expenses.


Acted for ship brokers and managers defending a €3m claim for breach of duty and contract during the purchase of a superyacht and management of repairs thereafter.


Acted for time charterers in a $2m claim involving two sister vessels that were alleged to be unseaworthy and to have failed to perform as warranted.

Iain acts in general construction disputes in adjudication and court.  He is happy to assist with ADR and has a training in mediation. His cases include: a claim against architects in a PFI hospital project; a dispute over two blocks of student accommodation; construction of a bespoke eco-home; wrongful repudiation of contract by a builder after disagreements with an architect; loss of profit claims arising from development projects; disputed renovation works at a church; and subsidence caused by tree roots. Such cases have often required complex fact management and multiple experts.

Iain has acted in numerous commercial disputes, both in an advisory and adversarial capacity.

Featured Commercial cases


Acting for a component sub-supplier in a dispute over the cause of engine field failures and a product recall.


Acting for a headphones manufacturer in a dispute over the purchase of designs and stock.


Bank of Beirut v (1) Prince El-Hashemite (2) Registrar of Companies [2015] EWHC 1451 (Ch): Conjoined actions by banks against an individual who fraudulently claimed to have entered into limited partnerships with each of the banks and for consequential rectification of the public register.


A multi-million Euro dispute over the validity of price amendments to a series of Emission Reduction Purchase Agreements with Chinese parties. As part of these arbitrations, freezing injunctions were sought from the tribunal and High Court.


The termination of agreements for the sale of carbon credits generated by Chinese hydropower projects to European buyers.


Enforcement of a foreign judgment obtained against an English sporting events company.


Installation of robotics at a food processing facility.


Royalties payable by a pharmaceutical company to inventors.


A $10m claim under a guarantee by investors in a Brazilian luxury resort.


Claims against business brokers, involving allegations of fraudulent misrepresentation and unenforceable contractual terms.

Iain acts for and against professionals in fields linked to his other specialist practice areas.

Featured Professional Negligence cases


Acting as Junior Counsel for surveyors in a case involving the alleged undervaluation of 37 properties and counter-allegations against the claimant conveyancing solicitors for failure to alert the lender to a fraudulent scheme.


Acting for solicitors in relation to a dispute over conduct of tax proceedings.


Advising on a claim against an architect for the negligent installation of under-floor heating throughout a build.


Assisting on a multi-million $ claim for misattribution of a painting by an auction house.


Defending a marine surveyor against a claim for negligent performance of yacht surveys.

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Instruct Iain

To instruct Iain please contact our clerks on +44 (0)20 7842 5522 or email [email protected].

  • CEDR accredited mediator
  • Specialist contributor to the ‘Computers and Information Technology’ chapter of Bullen & Leake & Jacob’s Precedents of Pleadings (Sweet & Maxwell; 19th Ed., 2019ff)
  • Contributor to the ‘Liability for Economic Harm’ chapter of The Law of Artificial Intelligence (Sweet & Maxwell, 2020).
  • Contributor to the AI chapter of The Encyclopedia of Information Technology Law (Sweet & Maxwell).
  • Society of Computers & Law AI Group Committee
  • Society of Computers & Law Adjudication Rules Committee
  • BA (Oxon) Modern History, First Class
  • DipLaw (BPP)

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