Julian Stait is a partner and head of the Litigation & Arbitration practice in the London office. Prior to joining Milbank in 2009, Mr. Stait had been a partner for over 13 years at a major international law firm where he had served both as head of its Technology, Media & Communication practice and, subsequently, as global co-chair of its Litigation & Arbitration Group.
Primary Focus & Experience
Mr. Stait specialises in the resolution of large, high-stakes and complex business and regulatory disputes. He has extensive experience of litigation before the English Courts (up to and including the Supreme Court), the resolution of complaints, disputes and investigations before a number of regulatory authorities, international arbitration under the auspices of many of the major institutional rules, expert determination and other forms of ADR. He has acted in a number of the largest pieces of technology and communications litigation to go before the UK Courts (an area in which he has a market-leading reputation) and has significant experience in major fraud litigation, international and cross-border disputes, corporate and joint venture disputes, major project disputes, public law and regulatory disputes, competition/antitrust cases and banking litigation.
Mr. Stait has acted for a number of the world’s leading companies (particularly those operating in the TMT and finance sectors) and financial institutions as well as governments and government departments.
His recent experience includes leading teams in the following matters:
- Acting in litigation between two of the world’s leading technology companies arising out of a contract relating to a £5bn project for a UK government department.
- Acting for one of the world’s leading technology companies in defending claims brought by a major pay-TV company for breach of contract, negligence and deceit, amounting to over £700m. The trial of the action, which lasted for an entire court year, is one of the largest trials to come before the UK courts.
- Acting on behalf of the Official Committee of the Unsecured Creditors of Lehman on a number of aspects of the English restructuring and insolvency of Lehman entities, including the defence of claims under a US$ multi-billion programme of synthetic CDO products.
- Acting for a leading UK pay-TV company in relation to various appeals before the Competition Appeal Tribunal arising out of Ofcom’s high-profile investigation into the Pay TV market.
- Acting in LCIA arbitration proceedings between two leading satellite operators in relation to claims for breach of contract and misrepresentation arising from the critical malfunction of a communications satellite.
- Acting for one of the world’s largest industrial conglomerates in a variety of sets of ICC arbitration proceedings relating to its steel trading arrangements and contracts for the supply of plant for an oil refinery.
- Acting for a leading international investment fund in various sets of proceedings arising out of a major cross-border fraud.
- Acting for one of the world’s leading IT companies in relation to disputes arising out of a US$1bn global outsourcing agreement.
- Advising a major bank and one of the world’s leading insurance companies on the implications of international sanctions and related regulations on their trading arrangements.
- Acting for a number of leading international IT and telecommunications companies in substantial commercial disputes.
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Acting for a number of UK and international banks in a variety of claims arising from complex loan arrangements and products, and in pursuing fraud claims.
Recognition & Accomplishments
Mr. Stait is recognised as one of Europe’s leading dispute resolution lawyers in the main legal directories.
Chambers has said of him in recent years: "Seasoned market observers are not remotely surprised by how well Julian Stait succeeds in this market. He has 'an eye for detail and rises to a technical challenge'” , "Julian Stait... has cultivated an 'excellent reputation' in the arena in top-end, complex business and regulatory disputes", “[He] … 'shows great analytical and tactical ability and a tremendous grasp of his cases,” “Julian Stait… has ‘everything you'd want from a litigator: he's a great team leader, excellent with clients and has superb analytical skills’” and “Julian Stait is ‘an outstanding litigator – very well organised, efficient and thorough’”.
The Legal 500 has said of him: "Litigator Julian Stait [has] an excellent market reputation for IT matters" and "Julian Stait... a ‘very thorough and competent litigator’… [is] highly recommended" and “Julian Stait is an ‘outstanding lawyer’”.
Mr. Stait is a co-author of the chapter on Evidence in the Encyclopedia of IT Law (Sweet & Maxwell). He is also a co-author of Dispute Resolution in Project Finance Transactions (a chapter in International Project Finance – Law and Practice (Oxford University Press, 2011)).