Christopher Mills

Full Profile

Chris focuses on dispute resolution in local, regional and international litigation and in domestic and international arbitration.  Originally a shipping litigator (and while that still forms a core part of his practice) since moving to Dubai his practice has developed to include a general commercial litigation and arbitration practice and he handles a wide range of commercial dispute resolution work, including carriage of goods, insurance advice and litigation, international trade and charterparty disputes, ship construction / conversion / sale and purchase / management disputes and aircraft maintenance disputes, shareholders, joint venture and investment disputes, property disputes, banking finance disputes, commercial agency / distribution disputes, product liability issues and telecoms disputes.

Having started in the London office of the firm in 1979 and spending 3 years in the firm’s Hong Kong office in the mid-1980’s, Chris first joined Clyde & Co’s Dubai office in 1995.

Chris has written many published articles, is a regular speaker on his areas of practice at conferences and seminars both locally and internationally and was Vice-Chair of the Maritime & Transport Committee of the International Bar Association from 2012 -14.

He is consistently highly recommended in Legal 500 and in Chambers & Partners for his shipping and dispute resolution expertise, with Clyde & Co ranked as a first tier firm in his areas of dispute resolution and shipping. Chris is also recommended for dispute resolution, insurance and arbitration in PLC: Which Lawyer?; and is recommended for shipping and insurance in Who's Who Legal.

He has been described by Chambers Global as “the secret of Clyde's success” and as a "top notch contentious lawyer", "being one of the foremost litigation experts with an impressive track record on maritime claims", as " being held in high regard by his peers who testify to his enormous experience" and as having "vast experience of high value litigation and arbitration" ; and in Legal 500 as “without a doubt the best marine lawyer in the UAE market” and as "experienced, strategic, calm and easy to work with" and as having "great commercial acumen and provides the kind of legal comfort that clients require".

Experience

• Involved throughout his career in dispute resolution, litigation and arbitration worldwide in many areas of what might be considered as Clyde & Co's "traditional" marine, insurance and aviation practice. Chris' clients include marine and non-marine insurers, recovery agents, P&I Clubs, shipowners, charterers, freight forwarders and commodities traders. In Dubai, his practice has also broadened and he has handled a wide range of commercial litigation and arbitration matters for a diverse client base including non-marine insurance claims, joint venture, shareholders and partnership disputes, telecoms disputes, franchising disputes, employee fraud and commercial debt recovery and insolvency, agency and distribution disputes, banking and finance disputes, product liability issues, IT services disputes  and telecoms disputes.

• Disputes arising out of international trade and finance are at the heart of Chris' practice. He has been involved in numerous court actions, arbitrations, mediations and negotiated settlements on matters involving cargo loss/damage, freight and demurrage disputes, unsafe berth claims and ship sale & purchase and construction & conversion disputes, trading disputes, insurance claims (including the largest ever non-petroleum products related fire claim in the Middle East), insurance fraud, regulatory investigation, letter of credit disputes, salvage, collision, allision and General Average (some casualty claims having included significant loss of life claims eg :"MOUNT 1"/"ICL VIKRAM",  "BOW MARINER", "AL-DANA", "DEMAS VICTORY" ), business operations and ownership disputes, investment and property disputes.

• Acting as mediator of a shipping dispute in what is believed to have been the first mediation of its kind in the UAE and mediating as party counsel in shipping and in investment/shareholder disputes.

• In the United Arab Emirates has handled cases for clients in all levels of court (First Instance, Appeal and Cassation) and in the DIFC Court (including that court's first ever declaratory relief action). Chris has managed the litigation process for clients in all regional courts and acted for regional clients in many courts outside the Middle East region, including obtaining injunctive relief in the Courts of England in aid of Middle East litigation and litigation in the Cayman Islands. In addition to his litigation practice, Chris has handled from Dubai local and international arbitrations including DIAC, LCIA, LMAA, ICC, SIAC, AAA and FOSFA arbitrations, many of which have a governing law other than English or UAE law.