Donny Surtani specialises in commercial and financial disputes, with a focus on international arbitration.
His areas of practice include financial services, joint ventures and M&A disputes, civil fraud claims, insurance disputes (coverage and otherwise), third party funding, and disputes involving professional services firms. Donny is dual-qualified in England and Ontario, and divides his practice largely between London and Toronto.
Prior to being called to the Bar, Donny was a solicitor (since 2006) and solicitor-advocate (since 2008) and spent 15 years at Herbert Smith Freehills, where he was a partner in its London office, and he continues to be a consultant to the firm. He has also lived and worked in India, on secondment to the in-house legal department of a large conglomerate with interests in energy, telecoms, shipping and infrastructure.
He has acted in a number of large scale disputes, including the Russian Aircraft Claims insurance litigation (relating to losses suffered by Russian airlines’ non-return of aircraft following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the international sanctions that followed), the RBS Rights Issue litigation (a large group action under s.90 of FSMA relating to the bank’s April 2008 rights issue prospectus) and a $1.3 billion insurance coverage claim brought by Single Buoy Moorings against a number of insurers (relating to a mobile offshore production unit under construction in the Norwegian North Sea).
Donny accepts instructions to act as an arbitrator or mediator. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a CEDR-accredited mediator and a panel neutral with a number of arbitral institutions (including in Canada, the US, Dubai, Singapore and Hong Kong). He also serves as a Senior Adviser to the Investment Committee of a well-known global litigation funder, and has been an invited guest lecturer at universities in England, Canada and India.
Prior to his legal career, Donny was a chartered management accountant, working for an energy major in Sri Lanka and in London. As such, he is often instructed in disputes involving accounting issues and matters with complex quantum aspects.
View full profile »Awards
- LSE Hughes Parry Prize – Law of Obligations (2001)
- CIMA Leverhulme Prize – Management Accounting Applications (1997)
News
- Donny Surtani becomes an approved DIAC Arbitrator
- Donny Surtani speaks on Decision Analysis in Fraud Disputes to International Academy of Financial Crime Litigators
Articles
Qualifications
- Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) professional examinations all stages
- LLB (Hons), London School of Economics
- LPC, BPP Law School
- Solicitor, England & Wales
- Solicitor-Advocate, England & Wales
- Accredited Mediator, Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution
- Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
Recent Publications
- Guide to Effective Conflict Management – International Chamber of Commerce, July 2023 (contributing author)
- Durable as gold: Canada’s 1989 investment treaty with the USSR is binding on Kazakhstan (2022) 3:1 Can J Comm Arb 137-143
- Arbitration – 2021 in review: reasons (for claimants) to be cheerful – New Law Journal, 2022, 17
- What is the investment value of a dispute? (with M.L. McGrath) – Thomson Reuters Westlaw, October 2021
- Setting aside arbitral awards: warnings from the common law courts – Lexis Middle East Journal, August/September 2021
Recommendations
“Donny has a very crisp style in both his written and oral advocacy. He cuts to the core of the issues in dispute and presents them in a concise yet persuasive manner.”
Leading International Arbitration Silk
“He really excels in dealing with financial matters for which he has a natural aptitude far beyond the reach of most lawyers.”
Leading International Arbitration Silk
“A first rate advocate with a modern, solutions-oriented outlook: clever, responsive and commercial in his approach.”
Partner, Herbert Smith Freehills
“An extremely bright and able lawyer: always in control even in the most difficult cases, Donny’s calm and measured approach always inspires confidence.”
Partner, Herbert Smith Freehills
“… an excellent junior … He is exceptionally bright and hard-working … He has the ability to take a case and analyse the issues clearly, succinctly and with insight and judgment. He is particularly strong on matters where his numeracy and analytical skills can be brought to bear. I would not hesitate to recommend him as junior counsel on a matter.”
Partner, Stewarts
“Donny is that rare breed of advocate who can jump seamlessly between big picture strategy and key technical detail whilst always having an eye on damages/quantum and client objectives. Donny is also great to work with.”
Managing Partners, Global Litigation Funder
