Christopher Dunn
Partner | London,
United Kingdom
Christopher.Dunn@kennedyslaw.com
+44 20 7667 9777
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Profile
Chris is the Head of Kennedys' marine practice, and is a member of Kennedys’ global strategy board. His practice is primarily focused on complex coverage as well as liability defence and subrogation with a particular emphasis on marine cargo and stock throughput, marine liability and ports and terminals policies.
Chris handles litigation involving commodities and international trade disputes, carriage of goods by sea (including piracy) and has extensive experience of ICC, LCIA and LMAA Arbitrations.
His practice also includes advice to the yacht insurance industry and fine art/specie market in relation to the insurance of fine art, diamonds, jewellery and bullion/cash in transit.
He has been instructed on some of the market’s most high-profile, complex claims from piracy and hijacking to one of the largest burglaries in English legal history. Chris has been instructed on over 100 piracy incidents in the Gulf of Aden and off the west coast of Africa.
Since 1995 Chris has been recommended as a leading practitioner in all editions of Chambers & Partners “Client’s Guide to the UK Legal Profession”, “Legal 500″ and “Legal Experts”.
Chris is a member of the British International Freight Association (BIFA) Legal and Insurance Policy Group. He is the Director of ICIC (International Cargo Insurance Conference) and the ASG representative on the Commercial Court Users’ Committee. He is an accredited Mediator with CEDR and welcomes appointments as a Mediator. He is also a member of the Forum of Insurance Lawyers.
Christopher Dunn spearheads the practice and is renowned for his proficiency in cargo insurance claims.
Market recognition
- Recognised in Best Lawyers UK for ‘Shipping Law | Transport Law'
Best Lawyers UK 2024 - Notable practitioner for 'Transport: Logistics (UK-wide)'
"Christopher Dunn is always extremely commercial and offers a responsive service".
Chambers UK 2024 - Notable practitioner for 'Shipping (UK-wide)'
"Christopher Dunn is an exceptional lawyer and team leader. He handles matters with the right level of commercial sense".
"Christopher Dunn is smart, accessible and thinks outside the box".
Chambers UK 2024 -
Leading Individual and recommended lawyer for 'Shipping (London)'"Christopher Dunn spearheads the practice and is renowned for his proficiency in cargo insurance claims."The Legal 500 UK 2024
- Notable practitioner for 'Shipping (UK-wide)'
"Christopher Dunn is very versatile and is a good all-round lawyer in the market".
"Christopher Dunn makes some very complex matters easy to understand and has a very approachable and relaxed style".
Chambers UK 2023 - Notable practitioner for 'Transport: Logistics (UK-wide)'
Chambers UK 2023 -
Leading Individual and recommended lawyer for 'Shipping (London)'"Christopher Dunn immediately knows how to understand your case and produces a game plan early on".The Legal 500 UK 2023
- Notable practitioner for 'Shipping (UK-wide)'
"Christopher has an amazing breadth and depth of knowledge and he understands what you want from a lawyer."
Chambers UK 2022 - Notable practitioner for 'Transport: Logistics (UK-wide)'
Chambers UK 2022 - Leading Individual and recommended lawyer for 'Shipping (London)'
"Christopher Dunn stands out for his expertise in cargo insurance claims."
The Legal 500 UK 2022 - Notable practitioner for 'Shipping (UK-wide)'
"He has an encyclopedic knowledge of the law, and the ability to apply common sense to the minefield and complexities of the legal arena."
Chambers UK 2021 - Notable practitioner for 'Logistics (UK-wide)'
Chambers UK 2021 - Leading Individual and recommended lawyer for 'Shipping (London)'
“Christopher Dunn is second to none when it comes to leading his team, has brilliant legal/market knowledge and believes in doing things the right way.”
The Legal 500 UK 2021 - “I would say overall it's his market knowledge. He has a good presence and is a good communicator.”
The Gracechurch London Market Insurance Law Report 2019 - “Chris Dunn is highly skilled and a market leading practitioner in the Marine and Energy field. He’s very clear and concise and he’s a strong leader on claims.”
The Gracechurch London Market Insurance Law Report 2019 - “He is very experienced and able to present his opinions in a very down-to-earth format, that is easy to understand and give clear advice.”
The Gracechurch London Market Insurance Law Report 2019 - Notable practitioner for 'Shipping (UK-wide)'
Clients highlight his "astounding knowledge of the law," with one adding: "He is intelligent, thinks outside the box, is fast to respond, tailors communication to how you need it, is very personable and gets the job done."
Chambers UK 2020 - Notable practitioner for 'Transport (UK-wide)'
"Christopher Dunn is valued by clients as a "commercially aware and highly trusted adviser who explains the upside and downside of any litigation." His marine insurance expertise encompasses a range of recovery matters and other disputes."
Chambers UK 2020 - Leading Individual and Recommended Lawyer for 'Shipping (London)'
"Christopher Dunn has a 'common sense approach with the right amount of aggressiveness when needed to get the job done."
The Legal 500 UK 2019/20 - Notable practitioner for 'Transport (UK-wide)'
"Very effective litigator"
Chambers UK 2019 - Notable practitioner for 'Shipping (UK-wide)'
"Immense knowledge of the law and the ability to apply common sense to the minefield of the shipping arena and its complexities."
Chambers UK 2019 - Recommended Lawyer for 'Shipping (London)'
"Christopher Dunn has ‘immense knowledge’, he ‘provides appropriate, common sense advice and knows how to look after his clients’."
The Legal 500 UK 2018/19 - Named the The Best Lawyers™ in the United Kingdom 2019 Transport Law "Lawyer of the Year" in London
- Included in the The Best Lawyers™in the United Kingdom 2019 for Shipping Law (London)
Awards
Work highlights
- Masefield AG v Amlin Corporate Member Limited [2011] Advised on coverage issues for London market insurers in relation to piracy events, including the 2008 Somali pirate attack on the Bunga Melati Dua tanker. This is a leading piracy case involving the Court of Appeal on public policy issues in respect of ransom payments and coverage. The decision clarifies the law of marine insurance, piracy and total losses and the treatment of ransom payments as a matter of English law.
- Instructed by insurers and dealers in relation to the 2015 Hatton Garden jewellery heist, one of the largest burglaries in English legal history. The stolen jewellery, cash, gold and other specie have been reported in the press to be worth significantly in excess of £14m.
- Mr Mohammed Idris Jabir v H.A. Jordan & Co. Ltd [2010] Acted in the successful claim of US$650,000 in the Court of Appeal following the loss of a rare and exceptional natural 13.09 carat pearl. The court upheld the decision at first instance that ‘best evidence’ principles should be applied to assess market value. Evidence of a purchase and prospective sale of the pearl between informed and willing buyers/sellers was sufficient to establish the damages to be awarded to the claimant.
- Advising on insurance coverage issues for London Market, US and European Insurers and advising on potential recovery action in Korea in relation to the 2016 Hanjin Shipping bankruptcy. Hanjin Shipping is the world’s seventh largest container shipper, and the bankruptcy is the largest in shipping history.
- Transamerica Leasing Inc v Institute of London Underwriters, (11th Cir. 2005, US Court of Appeals) Instructed by the defendant in this leading marine insurance case on coverage in situations of bankruptcy. It is now being referred to during the Hanjin Shipping bankruptcy case. The issues concerned the standing of Transamerica as an additional assured or a loss payee, whether there had been disclosure of material facts and/or misrepresentation, and ‘insolvency or financial default’ under the Institute of Container Clauses.
- Micro Anvika Limited v TNT Express Worldwide (Euro Hub) NV (and others); Ninatrans NV [2006] Represented Belgian carrier in case concerning definition of ‘wilful misconduct’ and Article 29 of the CMR. The carrier had been sub-contracted by TNT to deliver US$1.2m worth of computer equipment from Belgium to Micro Anvika’s London premises. Thieves re-directed the driver and stole most of the goods.
Insurance and reinsurance
Shipping and international trade
Transport and logistics