PHILIP PUNWAR

Independent Arbitrator | Outer Temple Chambers

Philip Punwar is an English qualified practitioner with more than twenty-five years’ arbitration experience.

His recent arbitral engagements have concerned real-estate Mega Projects in the Gulf, investment treaty claims arising out of the MENA and South Asia regions, aircraft charter agreements, concession agreements in the water sector and technology disputes in the finance and healthcare sectors.

Philip has appeared as counsel before all levels of court in England and the Dubai International Financial Centre, up to and including the Courts of Appeal of each jurisdiction. He was the first practitioner resident in the UAE to be registered as a DIFC Courts advocate, and the first DIFC Courts practitioner to be appointed by the DIFC Courts to the role of Supervising Legal Representative (SLR).

He was an International Dispute Resolution Partner at both Fulbright & Jaworski LLP (2009-2013) and Baker Botts LLP (2013 – 2022).

Philip has significant experience of the laws and practices of both civil and common law jurisdictions gained as counsel and arbitrator in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. He has a proven ability to work collaboratively as part of a team and when necessary to assemble and lead interdisciplinary teams of geographically dispersed professionals in the prosecution and defence of complex and high value disputes.

He is a member of the Abu Dhabi Global Markets (ADGM) Panel of Arbitrators, the Saudi Centre for Commercial Arbitration (SCCA) Panel of Arbitrators and the International Panel of the Arbitration Foundation of Southern Africa (AFSA).