Mark Pelling KC

Mark accepts appointments as international arbitrator and mediator.  He also sits as a judge in the DIFC Court of Appeal from February 2026. Mark’s appointment to the DIFC Court demonstrates his experience in the region developed during his practice as an English Barrister for over 27 years as well as the substantial experience he has acquired trying Commercial Court cases since 2019. 

When in practice as a Barrister, Mark was regularly instructed in cases and in an advisory capacity in the GCC region as well as appearing in arbitrations and in similar capacities in Bangladesh, Gibraltar, Isle of Man, India, Russia, and Switzerland. He was called to the Bars of Gibraltar and Northern Ireland for the purpose of conducting particular specialist cases in those jurisdictions. He has particular expertise in cases concerning banking and finance, competition, insurance, construction, engineering, technology, competition, shipping and cross border fraud. He is a qualified mediator and adjudicator and previously served on the board and was Chairman of the Board of Governors of Ravensbourne College of Design and Communications until 2000.

Mark grew up and was educated in North East London. He read law at Kings College London and was called to the Bar by the Honourable Society of Middle Temple in 1979 who awarded him the Lloyd Jacob Exhibition in 1978. In 1979, he was awarded the Van Heydon de Lacey Memorial Exhibition by the Inns of Court School of law. He practiced from Monckton Chambers and later 3VB, where he specialised in commercial and construction litigation both in the Courts in England and Wales and in arbitration both in London and internationally. He was appointed a QC (now KC) in 2003. He was elected a bencher of the Honourable Society of Middle Temple in 2011. 

In 2003, he was appointed a Civil Recorder and in February 2006 begun to sit as a High Court Judge in the Queens Bench and Chancery Divisions, Circuit Commercial Court, Technology and Construction Court. Later also sitting in the Administrative and Planning Courts of the High Court and the Upper Tribunal, Immigration and Asylum Chamber. In 2019, he was appointed Judge in Charge of the London Circuit Commercial Court (“LCCC”) and authorised to set as a Judge of the Commercial Court. Since 2019, Mark has undertaken a substantial amount of trial work in the Commercial Court as well as hearing a significant number of arbitration claims concerning challenges under ss.67-69 of the UKs Arbitration Act 1996. He has lectured extensively both in the UK and elsewhere for which he was recognised by being elected an Honorary Bencher of the Hon Society of the Kings Inns, Republic of Ireland. He is a specialist editor of the White Book – the authoritative text book concerning the Civil Procedure Rules, Practice Directions and Specialist Court guides for the Courts of England and Wales. He is also primary editor of the 2022 edition of the Circuit Commercial Court Guide and its 2023 revision. 

Mark is very well known for his commitment to the court system and legal development. Whilst combining his permanent role as a Specialist Senior Circuit Judge, he led projects concerning the redeployment of judiciary based in closing courts, introduction of IT change, flexible hours and utilisation pilots and programmes. On becoming the LCCC’s lead judge he (a) implemented change to LCCC practice by making the court a paperless court, (b) standardised case management directions, (c) implemented a default remote hearing rule for hearings of 1/2 day or less whilst encouraging such hearings for all interim applications of up to 1 day, (d) created a specialist sub list with dedicated hearing windows for Arbitration Claims ensuring that they are heard speedily mainly by full time authorised judges and (e) instituted a monitoring system for judgments so as to ensure that all judgments are delivered within a period of 3 months or less. Mark has been heavily involved in managing the relationship between the LCCC and the Commercial Court leading to a practice direction in 2025 providing for commencement of most Commercial Court work with a value at risk of £7m or less in the LCCC and for the transfer of cases with such values from the Commercial Court to the LCCC.