Philip J. Devenish

Philip Devenish is a dual-qualified English and Australian trial lawyer who acts as lead counsel and advocate in complex commercial litigation and international arbitration, with a particular focus on contractual disputes and fraud. Over the past decade, he has won or favorably settled more than 95% of his cases.

Philip has secured billions of dollars for global corporations, financial institutions, and sovereign clients in some of the most significant international disputes of the past two decades, as recognized by The American Lawyer and Global Arbitration Review. He has conducted arbitrations under all leading institutional rules and appeared before trial and appellate courts in London, Dubai (DIFC), Sydney, and Brussels.

His landmark victories include a US$1.1 billion damages award against Russia arising from the expropriation of banking investments in Crimea. He defended Saudi Arabia in a US$2 billion dispute arising from the Qatar diplomatic crisis, achieving a "drop hands" settlement with no payment made. He is currently acting in the enforcement of arbitral awards and judgments worth several billion dollars.

Philip is ranked as a Legal 500 UAE "Leading Partner" in Dispute Resolution: Arbitration and International Litigation and is listed in the Legal 500 UK's Arbitration Powerlist of lawyers "deemed the gold standard by businesses." Directories describe him as "the lawyer to go to when facing highly complex cases" (Legal 500 EMEA), with "first rate" cross-examination (Chambers Global) and "advocacy skills that are second to none" (Lexology).