Gordon McAllister

Partner / London

  • Full Bio

    Gordon McAllister advises international businesses facing high-stakes, cross-border disputes, offering multilingual capability, tri-jurisdictional qualification, and a commercial approach that prioritizes dispute prevention alongside resolution. He counsels clients through English High Court litigation exceeding £1 billion and complex international arbitrations—both commercial and investor-state—securing precedent-setting judgments in competition law and civil procedure. Gordon works across aviation, finance, pharmaceuticals, transportation, logistics, and construction sectors, integrating seamlessly into client teams, rather than operating as traditional outside counsel.

    Gordon’s practice centers on resolving business-critical disputes with clarity and commercial judgment. His multilingual skills and qualifications in England and Wales, the Republic of Ireland, and Northern Ireland make him a natural first call for international businesses navigating English or international law issues.

    Gordon has represented clients in some of the largest matters heard in the English High Court in recent years, handling claims valued in excess of £1 billion. His arbitration experience spans proceedings in all major arbitral institutions, with disputes ranging from construction mega-projects in Asia to government contract repudiations and insurance coverage under Bermuda Form policies.

    His approach emphasizes understanding clients’ operations deeply. Rather than maintaining distance as external counsel, Gordon embeds himself within client teams, aligning legal strategy with business objectives and risk tolerance. This style has proven effective across diverse industries: advising aviation insurers on ground handling agreements, representing creditors in multijurisdictional insolvencies, and counseling defendants facing fraud allegations exceeding $200 million.

    Gordon has established a record of obtaining judgments that shape legal practice, including decisions addressing competition law and expert witness obligations in English civil litigation. These precedent-setting outcomes reflect both technical skill and strategic positioning.

    A fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and the Royal Society of Arts, Gordon maintains an active pro bono practice through legal clinics in London and has contributed to capital defense work in Mississippi, demonstrating commitment beyond commercial practice.

    Gordon is recognized in the Legal 500 rankings as a Recommended Lawyer in the Dispute Resolution – International Arbitration, where he “is particularly valued for his strategic judgement.’”

  • Representative Experience

    Examples of recent commercial arbitration representations include:

    • Defending a defence contractor in a multi-million-dollar claim.
    • Representing a multinational chemicals and biotechnology company in London-seated arbitration proceedings for breach of a license agreement.
    • Acting as lead claimant for a French transportation company in an €800 million dispute arising from a construction project in Asia.
    • Representing a South American company in an International Chamber of Commerce arbitration against a Caribbean government in relation to the construction of an aluminum smelter.
    • Defending a claim for losses arising out of the operation of a state lottery.
    • Representing a South African mineral and mining company in a London Court of International Arbitration proceeding, claiming damages of $190 million.
    • Representing a Canadian company in an ICC arbitration against a government- and a state-owned entity, following the repudiation of a joint venture agreement.
    • Providing English law advice to a Middle Eastern company in a commercial arbitration under the Swiss Rules of International Arbitration.

    Examples of recent investment arbitration representations include:

    • Representing an investor in an ad hoc arbitration under the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law Arbitration Rules.
    • Advising an international hotel developer as claimant in a $600 million dispute under Internal Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes rules.
    • Advising a European construction and development consortium as claimant in an investment dispute under ICSID rules.
    • Advising a claimant in relation to an application for the annulment of an ICSID award.

    Examples of recent commercial litigation representations include:

    • Representing a biotech company against claims patent infringement concerning the manufacturer of the world’s first approved CRISPR-based gene therapy.
    • Representing Qatar Airways in a claim against Airbus concerning the premature degradation of its fleet of A350 aircraft.
    • Advising defendants with respect to allegations of a $200 million fraud.
    • Asserting breaches of IP rights on behalf of a multinational medical devices company.
    • Representing a Swedish travel company is claims against a flag-carrier Airline.
    • Advising an aviation insurer with respect to a dispute arising from a ground handling agreement.
    • Representing a group of companies in a cartel follow-on claim in the English High Court seeking £20 million in damages for illegal price fixing across Europe.
    • Representing an AIM-listed transportation company in the English High Court in relation to the repudiation of an operating contract.

  • Bar Admissions

    England & Wales
    Northern Ireland
    Republic of Ireland

  • Education

    Undergraduate
    • University of Warwick

    Law School
    • Oxford Brookes University

  • Languages

    English, German Spanish, Swedish

  • Memberships

    Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators

    Fellow, Royal Society of Arts

    ICC Young Arbitrators Forum

    London Solicitors Litigation Association

    Junior London Solicitors Litigation Association

    DIS (German Institution of Arbitration)

    Solicitors’ Association of Higher Court Advocates

    International Bar Association

  • SGR Publications

  • Press