David Quest

Call 1993; MA (Cantab) (Mathematics)
Email: dquest@3vb.com

David advises and appears as an advocate in all kinds of commercial disputes, particularly in the fields of banking and finance, commercial fraud, insurance and reinsurance, professional negligence, and in technological and industrial disputes.

David received the 2010 Chambers & Partners Bar Award for Banking and Finance Junior of the Year.

David is recommended by the legal directories as a leading junior in banking and finance, civil fraud, insurance and reinsurance, and commercial litigation; he is variously described as "ferociously intelligent", "fearless and on the ball", "one of the outstanding senior juniors on the circuit", "a formidable opponent who should not be underestimated under any circumstances", and also "one of the nicest barristers in the field".

Most of his cases have an international element, and David is frequently involved in advising on or arguing issues of conflicts of jurisdiction or choice of law. A significant part of his practice is in international arbitration or in the courts of offshore jurisdictions; he regularly works with overseas lawyers.

Areas of practice

In banking and finance, he has extensive experience of all aspects of commercial and retail banking, including investment advice and investment management, trade finance, securities, guarantees, swaps (particularly under the ISDA master agreement), options and structured financial products. Recent work has included several significant banking and financial disputes arising out of the credit crunch.

His fraud experience includes some of the largest, most complex and highest profile commercial frauds, such as the ongoing US$10 billion Algosaibi/Saad Group fraud litigation, the Langbar fraud litigation, a US$500 million claim arising out of the Enron and the Niru v Milestone commodity fraud.

In the insurance and reinsurance field, David acts for or against insureds, insurers, reinsurers and retrocessionaires, brokers and coverholders. He was involved in the Lloyd's market litigation and, more recently, in the litigation concerning the insurance of the Lloyd's Central Fund.

David's professional negligence practice is focussed on lawyers, accountants, actuaries and brokers. A particular area of expertise is in relation to professional conflicts of interest: he was junior counsel in Prince Jefri v KPMG and in a number of subsequent cases, and is regularly called on to act for or advise professionals or their clients where a potential conflict has arisen.

He is accustomed to dealing with detailed technical issues, in areas including computer hardware and software (he previously worked in software development at ICL Mainframe Systems), telecommunications, oil and gas exploration, power stations, pipeline construction, and satellites.

Academic and professional qualifications

Trinity College, Cambridge

MA Mathematics (1991)
Senior Scholarship in mathematics
Law (exemption subjects) (1992)
Maitland Prize, Lizette Bentwich Prize in law

Gray's Inn

Atkin Scholar
Uthwatt Award; Tapp Prize
Inns of Court School of Law Certificate of Honour
Inns of Court Pegasus Scholarship: 3 months at Skadden Arps, Delaware

David is a visiting fellow and external examiner at the London School of Economics.

Publications  

• Jack: Documentary Credits (2009), co-author with Ali Malek QC.
• Banking Litigation (2005), contributed to chapters on credit insurance, global custodianship and electronic banking.
• Capital Markets in the Age of the Euro (2002), chapter on conflicts of law with William Blair QC).