Steven Walker KC
2008 | Silk 2016
Steven is a King’s Counsel and a specialist in international disputes. He is a leading Silk in international arbitration with formidable expertise in energy, oil & gas, mining, corporate and commercial, financial, construction, engineering and infrastructure disputes.
He has acted as Counsel in more than 200 institutional and ad hoc arbitrations globally, with a particular experience and expertise across South-East Asia, Australia, Europe, Africa and the Arabian Gulf in arbitrations conducted under a wide variety of procedural laws and rules including ICC, LCIA, SIAC, HKIAC, DIAC and UNCITRAL.
He also acts as Counsel in investment treaty arbitrations and was involved in the first ICSID investment treaty arbitration under the Energy Charter Treaty – AES v Republic of Hungary. Steven regularly acts for corporate clients, hedge funds, private equity groups, high net worth private clients and family offices in a wide variety of commercial and corporate advisory matters (especially inrelation to structuring investments to take advantage of bilateral and multilateral investment treaties) and commercial disputes (concerning for example, investment agreements, joint venture agreements, shareholders’ agreements, loan facility agreements, licensing and distribution agreements).
He started his career in Scotland before moving to London and joining the arbitration group of Allen & Overy LLP. Steven practiced in Cayman Islands where he called to the Cayman Islands Bar in 2007.
He became a registered Foreign Lawyer in Singapore in 2015, Ireland in 2016 and Western Australia in 2017.
Steven also sits as an arbitrator and accepts appointments in institutional and ad hoc arbitrations and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. He has been appointed to the leading arbitrator panels of the ICC, LCIA, SIAC, HKIAC, SCCR, DIAC, BAIAC, TAI, AIAC and THAC.
Steven has taught international arbitration, at post graduate level, at some of the World’s leading Universities including, the University of Edinburgh, Centre for Energy, Petroleum, Mineral Law and Policy, (CEPMLP) University of Dundee and the Energy Studies Institute of the National University of Singapore.
Steven is also a member of Themis Advocates in Scotland.
He has acted as Counsel in more than 200 institutional and ad hoc arbitrations globally, with a particular experience and expertise across South-East Asia, Australia, Europe, Africa and the Arabian Gulf in arbitrations conducted under a wide variety of procedural laws and rules including ICC, LCIA, SIAC, HKIAC, DIAC and UNCITRAL.
Ranked as a leading Silk in the legal directories
"Steven Walker KC is a formidable and persuasive advocate. He is an excellent commercial strategist. Clients trust and like him because he has great judgement; they often see him as their knight in shining armour."
Legal 500 [2025] - Band 1 - Leading Silk – Construction
"Steven is a formidable advocate, who exercises exceptional strategic judgement in international litigation. His cross-examination style is concise and precise, and he executes it like a skilled surgeon."
Legal 500 [2025] - Band 1 - Leading Silk – Construction
Commercial
Representative Cases
Acted for Claimant, a leading global financial and analytics company, in a dispute with a value of US$490 million. Dispute involves a breach of data contribution, distribution and licensing agreement.
Acted for Claimant in Switzerland on a complex multi-jurisdictional €70 million corporate loan dispute.
Acted for Claimant, an international private equity group, concerning an investment in Asia Pacific and a dispute under a shareholders’ agreement. The dispute value amounts to US$70 million.
Acted for a major cryptocurrency exchange in a claim by a customer following a hack of the exchange, resulting in the theft of some 20,000 BTC.
Acted for Claimant on a private equity dispute in Asia Pacific. The dispute value amounts to US$50 million.
Construction, Engineering and Infrastructure
Representative Cases
Acted for Claimant in a US$112 million dam reservoir construction dispute in Africa.
Acted for the Claimant in a US$50 million water conveyance aquifer construction dispute in the Middle East.
Acted for Claimant on large construction project in the Gulf. The dispute value amounts to US$100 million.
Acted for Claimant in a multi-million construction dispute concerning asbestos removal from a multi storey building in the UK. Claim was for variations and extensions of time.
Acted for Claimant on US$275 million oil and gas construction dispute in Asia Pacific.
Acted for Claimant on US$100 million construction dispute in Africa.
Mining
Representative Cases
Acted for Claimant in an investment arbitration to advise on the expropriation of gold mining assets in an Asia Pacific country. Dispute value of US$1 billion.
Acted for Claimant on a concession dispute in Asia Pacific. The dispute value amounts to US$50 million.
Oil & Gas
Representative Cases
Acted for Claimant in US$100m European gas shareholders’ agreement dispute.
Acted for Claimant regarding an oil rig construction dispute in Asia Pacific. The dispute value amounts to US$57 million.
Acted for Respondent in a power purchase agreement dispute in Asia Pacific. The dispute value amounts to US$75 million.
Acted for Claimant, an international oil company, concerning a production sharing cost recovery dispute with a national oil company in Asia Pacific. The dispute value amounts to US$500 million.
Acted for Claimant, an oil company, in a large African gas dispute concerning a JOA. The sum in dispute is US$800m.
Renewable Energy (onshore and offshore)
Representative Cases
Acted for Claimant, an offshore wind installation contractor, in a European offshore windfarm dispute. The sum in dispute is €25m.
Academic Appointments
University of Edinburgh – Co-course director of the LLM in International Arbitration with Lord Dervaird QC from 2009-2011. The course was nominated for the EUSA teaching excellence award.
Steven was appointed an Honorary Fellow of the University of Edinburgh in 2009. • Centre for Energy, Petroleum, Mineral Law & Policy, University of Dundee – Honorary Lecturer of the Centre from 2002 and member of the global academic faculty to date.
Energy Studies Institute, National University of Singapore – Seminar Director & Lecturer on the Professional Seminar Training Programme of the Institute in 2014.
University of Notre Dame, Australia – Visiting lecturer on international commercial arbitration in 2017.
Memberships
Members of the Middle Temple
Member of the Faculty of Advocates
Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
Education
LLB(Hons) University of Aberdeen |1996
Dip LP University of Aberdeen |1997
Honorary Fellow University of Edinburgh | 2009
ACIArb | 2000
MCIArb | 2018
FCIArb | 2019
Publications
Steven is co-author of the leading international book ‘Pleading in Arbitration – A Practitioner’s Guide’ published by Sweet & Maxwell/Thomson Reuters 2012.
A second edition of ‘Pleading in Arbitration – A Practitioner’s Guide’ was released in 2017. The leading German International lawyer and arbitrator, Professor Peter Klaus Berger of the University of Cologne, described the first edition of this book as “an essential addition to every arbitration practitioner’s library”, in the Journal of Transnational Dispute Management.
Contributing Author to the chapter on “Arbitration in the Energy & Mining Industry” in the international publication Lexis Nexis Arbitrator’s Handbook published in 2022.