David Sawtell

Barrister at 39 Essex Chambers

Speaker

David specialises in substantial construction and property disputes, as well as commercial dispute resolution. He is frequently instructed in cases involving the development and use of land, buildings and property, as well as matters involving serious commercial, insolvency and company law issues. His work frequently has an international edge, involving cross border and overseas transactions and disputes.

His clients appreciate his robust advocacy allied to his practical and user-friendly manner. His work is typically legally complex.

In 2017 David completed the MSc in Construction Law and Dispute Resolution at King’s College, London, achieving a Distinction. He was awarded prizes for the best overall graduate, best dissertation, the best performance in the second-year examinations, and best performance in the Module AL construction technology examination. David is currently undertaking a part time PhD at the University of Cambridge, researching the taxonomic interface between construction law and property law.

David is regularly instructed in disputes in the High Court (including the TCC, the Chancery Division, the Queen’s Bench Division and the Companies Court) and the Court of Appeal. He is also regularly involved in construction disputes referred to adjudication or arbitration. He is adept in different forms of alternative dispute resolution, regularly representing clients in mediations and joint settlement meetings: he is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

David speaks regularly at seminars and conferences on both construction and property law. He is also frequently published in leading practitioners’ journals. In 2017, along with Richard Hayes, he wrote ‘A Practical Guide to the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954: Commercial Tenancies’ (published by Law Brief Publishing), placing a particular emphasis on the development aspects of commercial property.