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Lionel Persey KC
Arbitrator
Called: 1981
Silk: 1997
'One of the best presiding arbitrators in the field.’
(Legal 500, 2023)
"Lionel is simply one of the very best presiders."
(Legal 500, 2022)
“An excellent choice of chairman for the complex construction dispute. He’s authoritative and user-friendly.”
(Chambers UK, 2021)

Lionel Persey KC

Academic
1981 - Called to the UK Bar.
1980 - University of Birmingham: LLB (Hons) Law with French.
1979 – Université de Limoges: Diplôme d’Etudes Juridiques Françaises.
Awards
Birmingham: Holdsworth Jurisprudence Prize 1980.
Gray’s Inn: Band Commercial Prize 1981.
Gray’s Inn: Lord Justice Holker Award 1981.
Appointments
Deputy High Court Judge 2010

Recorder of the Crown Court 2002

Lloyd's Arbitrator 2009

Chair of Merchant Shipping Act Public Inquiries in 2000 and 2006
Memberships
Commercial Bar Association (COMBAR)

London Maritime Arbitrators’ Association (LMAA) - Supporting Member

London Common Law and Commercial Bar Association (LCLCBA)

Technology & Construction Bar association (TEBCAR)Member of the Bar of Gibraltar

Member Bar Pro Bono Unit
Languages
French (good working knowledge)

Lionel Persey KC is a leading commercial barrister and arbitrator specialising in Shipping, Energy and International Arbitration.  He was called to the Bar in 1981 and was appointed Silk in 1997.  He was joint head of Quadrant Chambers between 2006-2012.  He is a Deputy High Court Judge (Commercial Court and QBD) and sits regularly as an arbitrator in shipping, energy and commercial disputes.  He is ranked in Band 1 for Shipping and Energy in both Chambers & Partners (UK, Global & Asia) and the Legal 500.   As a junior counsel he represented the UK Government in a number of maritime matters, acting for the Royal Navy, the UK Coastguard, the Ministry of Defence and appearing before a wide range of Tribunals, including the European Court of Justice.   He was subsequently appointed to chair two Merchant Shipping Act public enquiries.

Lionel Persey has considerable experience as an arbitrator, having been appointed in over 320 arbitral references, as sole arbitrator, party-appointed arbitrator and chair.   He has chaired ICC, LCIA, Uncitral, LMAA and SCMA arbitrations and has also sat as a party appointed arbitrator in HKIAC and SIAC references.

Salvage and wreck-removal have formed a large part of Lionel Persey’s maritime practice over the past 36 years.  He has conducted well over 250 salvage arbitrations as counsel and, since his appointment as an LOF arbitrator in 2009, has been appointed sole arbitrator in nearly 70 salvage arbitrations, covering a wide range of salvage services.

Lionel is known for his command of the technical issues that arise in maritime, shipbuilding and energy cases and has received repeated commendation for this in the Legal Guides.  He has been involved either as counsel or arbitrator in well over 100 shipbuilding disputes.   He has also acted as counsel or arbitrator in a significant number of onshore and offshore construction disputes, involving FPSOs, semi-submersible rigs, fixed platforms, TLPs and pipelines.  He was the recipient of the first award for “Silk of the Year in Energy & Projects” at the Legal 500 2014 Awards and was shortlisted again for this award in 2017.