Daniel Gal KC

Prior to joining Skadden, Mr. Gal led the strategic development of the Middle Eastern litigation practice of another major U.S. law firm. Over the course of the last 20 years, he has represented some of the world’s leading companies in sectors such as telecommunications, banking and finance, infrastructure, energy, construction and technology under a variety of different rules including ICC, ICSID, LCIA, UNCITRAL, AAA and ad hoc arbitrations. He served, until recently, as one of Australia’s representatives to the ICC Commission on Arbitration and, from 1998-99, served as the law clerk to the Chief Justice of Australia. 

Mr. Gal sits on the firm’s global Financial Oversight and Audit Committee.

Chambers UK cited sources describing Mr. Gal as “a superb advocate and a terrific tactician” who “is an absolute pleasure to work with and a creative and fast thinker.” He also was named to The Legal 500’s inaugural U.K. Private Practice Arbitration Powerlist in 2022 and named in Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration 2021 as a Global Leader. Additionally, he has repeatedly been named to Best Lawyers in the UK and was included in Lawdragon’s inaugural Global Litigation 500 list in 2021. Mr. Gal was named one of the 45 top international arbitration counsel worldwide under the age of 45 by Global Arbitration Review in August 2011. Mr. Gal has twice been part of arbitration teams that won Legal Business’ International Arbitration Team of the Year award.

Representations include:

• one of the world’s largest construction groups in a several hundred-million-dollar ICC arbitration proceeding concerning the termination of a hydropower project in the Caucasus;
• Agility in ICSID annulment proceedings commenced against the Republic of Iraq arising out of the expropriation of Agility’s investment in Iraq;
• DP World Plc in a bilateral investment treaty claim against the Kingdom of Belgium concerning the expropriation of an infrastructure concession;
• a subsidiary of a major investment group in a series of multibillion-dollar LCIA arbitrations related to the ownership and control of one of the largest Middle Eastern telecommunications companies, and related British Virgin Islands litigation;
• the trustees of Bermuda trusts with assets of approximately US$15 billion as respondent in the defence of multiple proceedings attacking those trusts, including the largest claim by value ever to come before the Bermuda Supreme Court;
• a major alcoholic drinks manufacturer in a significant dispute over distribution arrangements in the U.K.;
• a major U.K. alcoholic drinks manufacturer in a series of disputes on both sides of the Atlantic regarding alleged infringement of IP rights;
• the government of Ras al Khaimah, UAE, in the enforcement of a multimillion-dollar ICC arbitration arising out of a concession agreement, and in the negotiation of a major new strategic infrastructure concession and related litigation aspects;
• the government of South Sudan in its highly publicized and strategically important arbitration with Sudapet Co. Ltd. concerning the disputed ownership of significant oil field interests (with a disputed amount exceeding US$1 billion). Legal Business named Skadden as its 2017 International Arbitration Team of the Year for the defence of this case;
• a leading international telecommunications company in a multibillion-dollar investment treaty claim against a Southeast Asian sovereign state;
• Cypriot and Bermudan entities in connection with a substantial dispute arising under an English law-governed distribution agreement for alcoholic beverages in the U.K. market;
• Cayman and Cypriot entities in connection with U.S. Chapter 11 restructuring of a subsidiary and advice in relation to related LCIA arbitration proceedings in London connected to former Yukos assets; and
• a major Turkish construction company in connection with ICC arbitration proceedings against an African state concerning a series of high-profile construction projects.

Experience prior to joining Skadden includes representing:

• a series of British Virgin Islands funds in connection with the successful setting aside of a significant arbitral award in Singapore affecting, amongst other things, the rights of those funds to receive payment under certain tranche notes;
• Saudi and Bahraini companies in a multimillion-dollar claim brought by them in the English High Court alleging lawful and unlawful means conspiracy, defamation and breach of confidence;
• the controllers of Brasil Telecom in their high-profile multibillion-dollar shareholders’ dispute with Telecom Italia over the control of Brasil Telecom;
• the Republic of Ecuador in a series of significant investment treaty disputes brought by foreign investors in the energy sector under the auspices of ICSID; and
• one of Turkey’s largest construction companies in a substantial dispute in ICC arbitration under three contracts concerning an iconic development in the heart of Moscow.