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David is a Legal Director in the Commercial Dispute Resolution South team and works out of the firm’s London office.

David has a wealth of experience in a range of contentious areas including: group actions, banking and financial services litigation, commercial contract disputes, business ownership disputes, insurance coverage claims, high value property disputes, judicial review and claims against professionals.

As a commercial litigator, he has successfully run cases in the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and the Business and Property Courts. He has been involved in many mediations, institutional arbitrations (including appeals thereof) and other forms of Alternative Dispute Resolution.

David is an enthusiastic Court advocate and holds the Higher Rights of Audience (Civil) qualification, which authorises him to appear before any civil court in England and Wales. He was appointed a Road User Charging Adjudicator by the Lord Chancellor in 2019.

Notably, his clients have included: several international banks, a large multinational IT company, the publicly owned passenger railway network in the USA, major flag-carrier airlines, public limited companies, local authorities, high street retailers and a number of wealthy and well-known clients.

David was a Recommended Lawyer in the 2019, 2021 and 2024 Legal 500 rankings.

Memberships

David is a member of the City of London Law Society, the Property Litigation Association, the London Solicitors Litigation Association and the Solicitors Association of Higher Court Advocates.

Notable Cases

  • Various SAM Borrowers v Bank of Scotland – group action on behalf of over 100 shared appreciation mortgage claimants seeking to set aside an unfair relationship of borrower and creditor under s.140A Consumer Credit Act 1974.
  • PBO v DONPRO & Ors [2021] EWHC 1951 (Comm) – the successful appeal of a multi-million arbitration award under s67, 68 and 69 Arbitration Act 1996.
  • R (on the application of East Bergholt Parish Council) v Babergh District Council & Ors [2016] EWHC 3400 (Admin) – judicial review of a planning decision to allow development of hundreds of homes opposed by local community.
  • AIG Europe Ltd v OC320301 LLP [2015] EWHC 2398 (Comm), [2016] EWCA Civ 367 and [2017] UKSC 18 – an insurance coverage claim exceeding £12 million involving 214 individual claimants up to appeal before the Supreme Court. The leading authority on aggregation of insurance claims arising from solicitor’s negligence.
  • Sea Cargo Skips AS v State Bank of India [2013] EWHC 177 (Comm) – an important decision in a £16 million claim highlighting the importance of properly framing demands under documentary credits.

Services:

  • "David Bowman is a talented and tenacious lawyer, who has a real eye for injustice and obtaining redress for his clients."

    Legal 500 2025

  • "David Bowman is exactly the kind of lawyer clients need to fight a large institution or, equally, to defend an unmeritorious claim."

    Legal 500 2025