London image

London

Founded in 2012, Signature Litigation has grown into one of London’s pre-eminent specialist dispute resolution practices. From the outset, we set out to do things differently: a conflict-free, disputes-only platform designed to give clients the undivided focus and strategic agility that complex, high-stakes matters demand.

FIND OUT MORE
Gibraltar image

Gibraltar

Established in 2017, Signature Litigation's Gibraltar office was founded to address growing demand for specialist expertise in commercial litigation and private wealth disputes on the Rock.

FIND OUT MORE
Paris image

Paris

Signature Litigation AARPI houses one of France’s most enviable product liability practices, with the team also handling commercial and corporate litigation, insurance and reinsurance, toxic tort and ESG, civil fraud and asset tracing, international arbitration, administrative and public law.

FIND OUT MORE
Frankfurt image

Frankfurt

Frankfurt has emerged as one of Europe's foremost financial and commercial centres and, increasingly, as a bridge between European and Asian markets. With that growth comes an increasing demand for sophisticated dispute resolution. Signature Litigation established its Frankfurt office to meet this need, bringing our conflict-free, disputes-only platform to the German market.

FIND OUT MORE
Philip Dunham's profile photo

Philip Dunham

Partner

In his own words:
In his own words:

“Philip Dunham is well-versed in complex disputes and has a remarkable ability to master the multitude of facts that arise in such disputes. He offers sound advice and a measured perspective.”

– Chambers France 2026

“Phillip Dunham’s strength is that he’s very analytical and gets into the details of the matters. He allowed us to have an incontestable line of defense. He reassured us a lot.”

– Chambers France 2026

“Philip Dunham is a very experienced lawyer with deep knowledge in commercial transactions and commercial arbitration. He is excellent in the organising and commanding of his legal team.”

– Chambers France 2026

“Philip also has great analytical skills, such that he can parse through complex legal situations to reveal the critical issues at the core, and to then arrive at logical conclusions to resolve them.”

– The Legal 500 EMEA 2025

“Tied an expert on the opposing side in knots.”

– The Legal 500 EMEA 2025

“Philip Dunham: sharp legal brain allied with an ability to focus on relevant detail. Excellent advocate and cross-examiner.”

– The Legal 500 EMEA 2025

“He is personable, persuasive and able to read others well.”

– The Legal 500 EMEA 2025

“Philip also has excellent people skills.”

– The Legal 500 EMEA 2025

Philip is a Partner in Signature’s Paris office, specialising in international arbitration.

With over 30 years’ experience as counsel in international arbitration, Philip represents multinational corporations, States, and State-owned entities in commercial and investment treaty arbitrations conducted under the rules of the world’s leading arbitral institutions, including the ICC, LCIA, SCC, DIAC, HKIAC, ICSID, and UNCITRAL.

Philip has represented clients in numerous high-value, multi-jurisdictional disputes. He is widely recognised for his expertise in disputes involving construction and engineering, oil and gas, telecommunications, aviation, pharma, military procurement, and shareholder, agency, and joint venture matters.

Philip is particularly renowned for his work in South-East Asia and the MENA region, though his experience spans numerous jurisdictions worldwide, including Africa, South America, and the Balkans.

Philip’s international arbitration practice increasingly encompasses appointments as arbitrator, serving sole arbitrator as well as co-arbitrator and as chair of tribunals.

In the recent Chambers France 2026 Guide, Philip is ranked for his international arbitration expertise and the Guide notes he “is very experienced lawyer with deep knowledge in commercial transactions and commercial arbitration.” Commentators describe him as an “experienced advocate who knows what he is doing”, and praise him for dealing “with very complex legal issues [for us] excellently.” He is also recognised for paying “attention to the slightest details, both on factual and legal issues.”

Philip has been recognised in the Lexology Index (formerly Who’s Who Legal) every year since 2016 for his arbitration expertise in France. He is also ranked in Chambers France 2026 and in The Legal 500 EMEA 2026 Guide for international arbitration.

The Legal 500 notes Philip “is well versed in complex construction disputes and has a remarkable ability to master the multitude of facts that arise in such disputes. He offers clients sound advice and a measured perspective. He has deep experience in Asia and the Middle East, is perfectly fluent in English and French, and also sits as an arbitrator.” The Guide also notes that Philip will “go to great lengths to learn about his clients – their industries, strengths, assets and liabilities, as well as their concerns, so as to be sure that the solutions he provides would be the most suitable and innovative solutions to suit his clients’ needs.” It further highlights Philip’s “great analytical skills, such that he can parse through complex legal situations to reveal the critical issues at the core, and to then arrive at logical conclusions to resolve them.” The Guide also states that Philip has “excellent people skills” and is “personable, persuasive and able to read others well.”

Philip has been recognised in the Best Lawyers in France guide for Arbitration and Mediation, and International Arbitration every year since 2013, most recently in the 2027 edition. Additionally, Philip is ranked in the ‘Excellent’ category for Arbitration & Litigation: International Arbitration in France in the Décideurs Leaders League 2026 Guide.

Prior to joining Signature, Philip was a partner in Dechert’s international arbitration practice in Paris for 18 years, and before that spent 13 years at Coudert Brothers in London and Paris.

Philip is a member of the International Bar Association, the French Arbitration Committee, the European Chinese Arbitrators Association, Francarbi International Arbitration Association, the International Arbitration Institute and the Society of Construction Law. He also serves on the Steering Committee for the Delos Dispute Resolution Remote Oral Advocacy Programme (ROAP) and as a faculty member on the Delos ROAP programmes for EMEA and Construction.

Philip is admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales and to the Paris Bar.

He is a fluent English and French speaker, and also conversant in Spanish.

Infrastructure and Construction Disputes

  • Representing a South American company in an ICC dispute against a state-owned company in the MENA region in a dispute exceeding USD 1bn in relation to the artesian wells drilled as part of the Great Man-Made River project in Libya, one of the largest engineering projects ever undertaken.
  • Representing a joint venture of European construction companies in a c. USD 330m ICSID investment dispute with a Middle Eastern State relating to the construction of an urban highway.
  • Representing a major Turkish construction company in a USD 80m ICC arbitration dispute against a Russian company arising out of the construction of a significant commercial high-rise development in Eastern Europe.
  • Representing a UAE subsidiary of a major U.S. diversified security technology and manufacturing leader in a dispute against a European contractor related to the expansion of an international civil airport in the UAE including issues of variations to the works, payment, delay and disruption and with the total value of claims and counterclaims c. USD 20m.
  • Representing the Saudi affiliate of an Asian construction company against its Middle Eastern subcontractor in a c. USD 20m claim arising from the construction of the residential campus for a large energy research centre in the Middle East.
  • Representing a leading European cement manufacturer in a USD 155m breach of warranty dispute with two Asian parties arising from widespread hidden defects in both the civil works and electrical and mechanical components of a newly-acquired industrial plant in the Philippines.
  • Representing a European company in its defence of a series of arbitrations with a total value of c. USD 20m alleging defects in the design and construction of an offshore oil terminal in Europe.
  • Representing a UAE company in two separate ICC arbitrations with the total value in excess of c. USD 30m related to the construction of oil storage facilities in the UAE and in Europe and involving issues of delay, variations, and unpaid IPCs.
  • Representing a Balkan State in a EUR 12m claim arising from the construction of an international bridge and associated rail and road infrastructure against a Western European construction company and involving issues of delays and variations to the works.

Oil and Gas Disputes

  • Representing a South American country in a USD 3.5bn ICSID arbitration with a major US oil company in relation to the termination of a participation contract for the exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons involving issues of expropriation, as well as discriminatory and abusive conduct.
  • Representing the Republic of Ecuador in two separate major, and high profile investor-state disputes with the total value of c.USD 3bn commenced by two consortium partners claiming expropriation of their oil & gas concessions.
  • Representing a South American country in a USD 1.5bn ICSID arbitration with a major US oil company arising from the termination of a participation contract to explore and exploit oilfields, and a counterclaim for environmental harm.
  • Representing a major U.S. oil company in USD 20m ICC arbitration dispute against a West African state arising under a production sharing agreement and relating to the interpretation of the allocation of cost oil and profit oil.
  • Representing a Middle Eastern multinational company in a claim brought by a major U.S offshore drilling company for payments due in the amount of c. USD 15m under an alleged JV agreement for the provision of oil & gas drilling services in a Middle Eastern country.
  • Representing a West African national oil company in a USD 8mn ICC arbitration dispute with an Asian party arising out of payment provisions under a contract for the acquisition of seismic data.
  • Representing a Balkan State in an ICC arbitration in connection with the acquisition of a refinery and the purchaser’s willingness and ability to produce guaranteed volumes of certain petroleum products.

Technology, Media and Telecommunications Disputes

  • Telecoms, MENA, ICC – Representing a leading European telecoms company in a JV shareholders’ dispute exceeding USD 1.5bn in relation to the largest mobile phone operator in a country in the MENA region.
  • Telecoms, Africa, LCIA – Representing a European telecommunications company in a USD 30mn dispute arising out of SPAs for the acquisition of mobile networks in two African States and involving issues of contractual entitlement to payments made under the SPAs in the circumstances of non-completion of the underlying transactions.

Pharmaceutical Disputes

  • Representing a European pharmaceutical in LCIA and HKIAC arbitrations arising from a dispute against its Asian joint venture partner pertaining to the promotion and distribution of its products in a South-East Asian state.
  • Representing a US pharmaceutical company in an ICC arbitration brought by an Eastern European State entity regarding the acquisition of the latter’s pharmaceutical stocks and outlets.
  • Representing a US pharmaceutical company against an Eastern European State in an ICC arbitration involving expropriation of the client’s local subsidiary, and a contractual dispute over the development of various cancer drugs.
  • Representing a French subsidiary of an Asian pharmaceutical group in an ICC arbitration brought by a French manufacturer of generic pharmaceutical products in a dispute arising from a distribution and marketing agreement for a pharmaceutical product.

Procurement Disputes

  • Representing an Asian state entity, over twenty years, in five arbitrations arising from two major military procurement contracts and the wrongful recourse to commissioned agents.

Article: Rapport statistique 2023 de la chambre de commerce internationale : la résurgence de l’arbitrage international – 15 October 2024 – Gazette du Palais

Article: Les chiffres-clés de l’arbitrage CCI en 2023 – La lettre Option Droit & Affaires – 7 October 2024

Article: Les enseignements des statistiques de la Cour d’arbitrage internationale de la CCI pour 2023 – Le Monde du Droit – 9 September 2024

Article: ICC Court’s 2023 Statistics Reflect Resurgence in Global Arbitration – Law.com International – 23 July 2024

Press Quote: Signature Litigation : un nouvel associé en arbitrage internationalDécideurs Magazine – 2 February 2024

Press Quote: Signature Litigation recrute Philip Dunham en tant qu’associé en arbitrage international – Le Monde du Droit – 26 January 2024

Press Quote: Philip Dunham rejoint Signature LitigationLa Lettre des Juristes d’Affaires – 26 January 2024

Press Quote: Signature Signs Up Arbitration Pro From Dechert In Paris – Law360 – 9 January 2024

Press Quote: Revolving DoorsLegal Business – 5 January 2024

Press Quote: Dechert Partner Joins SignatureGlobal Arbitration Review – 2 January 2024

Press Quote: Signature signs up former Dechert arbitration partner in ParisThe Global Legal Post– 2 January 2024

Press Quote: Philip Dunham joins Signature Litigation’s Paris office, bolstering global arbitration practice – Solicitors Journal – 2 January 2024

Press Quote: New year, new partner for Signature Litigation – CDR News – 2 January 2024

Article: Dispute Boards: Another Potential Means of Resolving COVID-19 Disputes – Dechert On-Point – April 2020

Article: Construction Arbitration and Concession Contracts – Global Arbitration Review Construction Guide – 3rd edition, 2019

Article: Construction Arbitration and Concession Contracts – Global Arbitration Review Construction Guide – 2nd edition, 2018

Article: Construction Arbitration and Concession Contracts – Global Arbitration Review Construction Guide – 1st edition, 2017

Article: France – The European, Middle Eastern and African Arbitration Review – 2015

Article: Third-party funding: snapshots from around the globe – Global Arbitration Review – March 2012

Article: La consolidation de l’arbitrage commercial international au Brésil : état des lieux en 2008 – Décideurs Stratégie Finance Droit – November 2008

Article: The Use and Abuse of First Demand Guarantees in International Construction Projects – International Construction Law Review – July 2008

Article: Third-Party Litigation Funding and International Arbitration (France) – Global Arbitration Review – March 2008

Article: After 10 Years of Positive Developments, does Confusion Remain in Brazil’s Arbitration Law? – World Arbitration and Mediation Report & Revista de Arbitragem e Mediação – December 2006

Article: Article: Balancing Sovereignty and the Contractor’s Rights in International Construction Arbitrations involving State Entities – International Construction Law Review – April 2006

Article: L’Arbitrage en Amérique Latine : l’éveil du Brésil – Magazine des Affaires – December 2005

Article: L’américanisation de l’arbitrage international – Magazine des Affaires – July 2005

Article: Arbitrage international en Asie: brèves considérations – Décideurs Juridiques et Financiers – May 2005

Article: Current Trends in Investment Treaty Arbitration – Focus Europe – May 2004