Overview

Arbitration is a genuine and effective alternative to litigation. Our market-leading arbitration lawyers, adopt a client first, innovative approach to dispute avoidance, troubleshooting and resolution.

We have led arbitrations across various key sectors, involving significant and complex projects. As well as ad hoc arbitrations, we conduct domestic and international arbitrations according to commonly used arbitral rules, including those of the ICC, ICE, LCIA and UNCITRAL.

Our arbitration experience spans key sectors and disciplines; from construction and engineering, infrastructure and energy, to transport, defence, joint ventures, commercial contract and insurance disputes. This enables us to put together the right team for a dispute, comprising a team of multi-disciplinary specialists working collaboratively, to achieve successful outcomes for our clients.

All of our arbitration specialists deliver a breadth of strategic thinking and innovative solutions that can be brought to bear in order to effectively resolve arbitral disputes.

Areas of focus

Our arbitration expertise includes the following:

  • major construction, engineering and infrastructure projects
  • complex and novel technology
  • energy and utilities
  • public sector
  • transport
  • insurance
  • financial
  • food and farming
  • highly sensitive arbitrations in the defence and telecoms sectors involving parties from multiple jurisdictions.
Experience

Energy & Utilities

Advising a major retailer in an ad hoc arbitration in connection with an energy purchasing dispute.

Acting for a group of companies operating in the oil, gas, petrochemical, power and water industries in an ICC arbitration. The dispute related to the contractual interpretation of a term concerning a performance bond in connection with the development of an oil field.

Acting for a Saudi based water and energy utility company against its Chinese joint venture partners. The dispute arose out of a failed bid for a £6 billion power and desalination plant in Saudi Arabia.

Advising an international import/exporter of coal in relation to an arbitration initiated by a large coal and energy company.

Acting for a utilities client in a high value ad hoc arbitration concerning a price review mechanism for the supply of water.

Public Sector

Acting for a public body in an arbitration relating to the design and build of custodial facilities.

Acting for a charitable body in relation to an LCIA arbitration concerning a price review in a high value long-term agreement.

Financial

Advising a director of a private equity firm in arbitration proceedings regarding a claim for fraudulent misrepresentation (claim value c.£80 million)

Defence

Acting for a complex defence technology provider, in an ICC arbitration successfully defending three person tribunal arbitration proceedings (which also involved satellite French and US proceedings) in a claim for €450 million brought by an industry intermediary. The claim also involved satellite French and US litigation.

Transport

Acting for a multi-national joint venture in disputes relating to the conversion of passenger aircraft to freighters incorporating the ICC arbitration rules.

Acting for a UK train operator in a successful appeal from arbitration to the High Court in respect of the operation of an industry compensation scheme for delays.

Acting for a UK Tier 1 contractor in two arbitrations relating to a £300 million highways project.

Insurance

Acting for a major financial institution in an LCIA arbitration concerning coverage under financial institutions insurance with US carriers.

Telecoms

Acting for a major European telecoms subsidiary in an LCIA arbitration successfully defending a claim for £225 million by reason of wrongful termination.

Acting for a leading wireless telecommunications technology provider in ICC arbitration proceedings to defend a multi-million-dollar claim for breach of contract under Korean law.

Meet the team
David Hall

David Hall Partner

  • Dispute Resolution
  • Banking Disputes
  • Business Crime and Regulatory Investigations
Richard Adams

Richard Adams Partner

  • Construction and Engineering
  • Construction Disputes
  • Energy and Utilities Disputes
Chris Jackson

Chris Jackson Partner

  • Infrastructure
  • Procurement and State Aid
  • Transport
Matthew Walker

Matthew Kaltsas-Walker Partner

  • Dispute Resolution
  • Financial Services
  • Insurance
Jessica Evans

Jessica Evans Partner

  • Construction Disputes
  • Energy and Utility Disputes
  • PFI/PPP Disputes

Arbitration

The team is highly motivated, very well-led, extremely hardworking, very bright and extremely easy to work with. In addition, they have a very keen sense of their clients’ commercial objectives and are outstandingly good at devising legal strategies which seek to achieve them.
Legal 500 2021

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