Biography
Dorrien specialises in commercial and construction litigation and dispute resolution (including domestic arbitration and international dispute resolution).
He qualified as a solicitor in 2002, having spent seven years working in the aerospace engineering sector.
Dorrien has extensive experience of commercial dispute resolution including High Court litigation, adjudication, mediation, expert determination and domestic arbitration. He has advised clients or been involved in cases in many foreign jurisdictions including the USA, Hong Kong, the Middle East and much of Europe.
Dorrien particularly enjoys cases with technical content or that are heavily reliant on expert evidence. He has significant experience of IT, manufacturing, engineering and construction disputes for clients that include engineering companies, construction contractors and local authorities.
Dorrien also specialises in the gathering of electronic evidence and the use of computer forensic methods in support of civil fraud claims.
Recent cases include:
- Leading a transatlantic team of disputes lawyers acting for a heavy engineering company in a case worth $20m in the Federal Court of Illinois relating to alleged design and manufacturing defects.
- Acting for a multi-national company in a claim with potentially over 3000 claimants regarding alleged employment candidate blacklisting and breach of data protection legislation.
- Acting for a government department in relation to an arbitration valued at over £200 million in respect of claims relating to the delayed implementation of an IT system thought to be the largest civilian ICT software project attempted.
- Acting for a client and its insurer in relation to the defence of a product liability claim valued at potentially £8.5 million in the Middle East.
- Acting for a construction company in proceedings issued in the Chancery Division of the High Court against a senior ex-employee alleging unauthorised copying and misuse of confidential information, and successfully obtaining and executing a search order allowing the search of the ex-employee's home and his IT equipment.
- Acting for a construction company in proceedings issued in the Technology and Construction Court. It was in a case that required extensive and complex forensic IT analysis against three senior ex-employees and their new employer, alleging unauthorised copying and misuse of confidential information and seeking springboard damages and injunctive relief.
Market view:
Dorrien "has extensive experience of heavy litigation and shows great coolness of thought under pressure, good judgment and excellent strategic analysis." – Legal 500, 2020
Dorrien is "extremely experienced and hardworking" – Legal 500, 2016
Dorrien is praised for his "strong commercial acumen" – Legal 500, 2015
Clients also praise the "brilliant Dorrien Peters, who is up there with the best" – Legal 500, 2018/19
