The International Arbitration and Enforcement Forum 2024

Recognised as one of the leading dispute resolution lawyers of his generation, Trevor brings his extensive legal knowledge and shrewd analysis to bear for clients in highly-complex matters across various jurisdictions.

A thought leader and a ‘distinguished name in the English litigation market’, Trevor was awarded 2019’s Client Choice Award for Arbitration and ADR in the UK. Surveying senior corporate council only, this award recognised Trevor’s exemplary client service and his ability to add real value to clients’ businesses – above and beyond other players in the market.

He has been lauded by Chambers and Partners, The Legal 500 and Who’s Who Legal for commercial litigation, banking litigation, civil fraud, asset recovery and his experience in co-ordinating proceedings in several jurisdictions, particularly in relation to injunctive relief.

Pavini Emiko Singh is a dual qualified partner in White & Case's Dispute Resolution group based in London, whose practice focuses on international arbitration.

Emiko has a broad range of experience representing states, companies, and individuals on high value cross-border arbitrations under the LCIA, ICC and UNCITRAL Rules. She has represented clients in the energy, construction, financial services and regulatory sectors on matters ranging from shareholders' and financial services disputes to investor-State disputes.

Emiko also has substantial experience with advising and representing corporate and financial services clients before the English courts, particularly in relation to the challenge and enforcement of arbitral awards arising out of investor-state and commercial disputes.

Noor Kadhim is a Solicitor Advocate of the English Courts, with 15 years’ experience in international dispute resolution. She has First Class (Undergraduate Honours and Masters level) degrees in the areas of Law, French, and International Dispute Settlement. Her areas of focus are commercial and investment arbitration, litigation financing, art and cultural heritage law, and international law.

Noor has established her legal consultancy, Kadhims, with global clients on matters ranging from representing individuals to States and State entities, in high value investor-State actions in the projects or financial sectors. Having worked for international law firms in London, Paris, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Noor is well versed in international law and cross-border disputes, notably those in the French and Arab-speaking regions of the world and those with a civil law element. In addition, Noor has in-house experience at the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris (ICC) where she worked as Deputy Counsel in the Eastern Mediterranean team, and at a global litigation fund, Vannin Capital (now part of the Fortress Group). She currently advises Axia Funder on cases for funding.

Abdul Azeem is an accomplished litigator who focuses his practice on complex multi-party disputes and international dispute resolution matters, in particular commercial litigation and arbitration. Abdul Azeem has extensive experience advising international listed companies on multi-jurisdictional disputes and on high-stakes trial strategy. He also regularly counsels clients on matters relating to contentious insolvency and restructuring, strategically managing heavily-contested insolvency related trial proceedings.

Abdul Azeem taught Tort Law at the University of Bristol from 2007-2008 and taught Constitutional Law and Legal Practice at a private university in Singapore from 2008-2009. He was also the recipient of the University of Bristol Student Research Award during his LLM, Master of Laws.

Egishe Dzhazoyan is a partner in King & Spalding’s London office and specializes in international arbitration and litigation. As a dual qualified (England & Wales and Russia) lawyer with both civil and common law background, Egishe is uniquely placed to provide strategic legal advice concerning large and complex disputes, often involving a cross-border element and enforcement issues. During 23 years of practice, Egishe has advised and represented clients in more than 200 arbitration and litigation proceedings across a host of various jurisdictions and in a broad range of industries.

An accomplished advocate, Egishe has represented clients in arbitrations under the rules of most of the leading international arbitration institutions including the ICC, LCIA, ICSID, VIAC, SCC, the Zurich Chamber of Commerce and the International Commercial Arbitration Court of Russia.

Emilia Onyema is a Professor of International Commercial Law at SOAS University of London where she teaches international commercial arbitration, international investment law and commercial law in a global context. She is qualified to practice law in Nigeria, as a Solicitor in England & Wales, Fellow of Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and independent arbitrator. She is a member of the Cairo Regional CICA Advisory Committee, LACIAC Court member, among others. She convenes the SOAS Arbitration in Africa conference series and leads the SOAS Arbitration in Africa biennial survey research project; she co-authored the African Promise and founded the Arbitration Fund for African Students (AFAS) a registered charitable organisation in England. Her research interests focus on the development of international arbitration in Africa and the engagement of Africans in international arbitration. She publishes widely in her areas of expertise. She has experience as presiding, co and sole arbitrator, and acts as legal expert witness in international arbitration.

Katrina is a senior associate in Allen & Overy’s International Arbitration and Public International Law team. She has acted for a range of State clients in cross-border investment-treaty and commercial arbitrations under the ICSID, UNCITRAL, LCIA, ICC, CIArb and SIAC rules. Before joining Allen & Overy, she studied Law at the University of Cambridge and French Law at the Université Paris II (Panthéon-Assas), and worked as a legal advisor to the Legal Affairs, Disarmament and Terrorism Committees at the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations, New York. 

Her State clients in investment treaty claims have included the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Republic of Slovenia.

She has also acted on enforcement and challenge proceedings before the UK courts, including defending enforcement proceedings against a State on the basis of sovereign immunity.  

Alejandro Escobar practises in public international law and arbitration. He advises businesses and states in disputes arising out of investment protection treaties and in arbitrations arising out of project agreements. He has handled numerous claims of expropriation and abusive regulation in various industries, including power, oil & gas, telecommunications, and public concessions and procurement. Alejandro advises on other international law issues, including boundary disputes, relevant to international business.

Tatiana is a partner in the litigation and arbitration team at Withersworldwide and focuses on disputes involving the CIS.

She is an experienced commercial litigator, working on both court cases and arbitrations, with market-leading experience in complex cross-border disputes. She has worked on a range of high profile cases for both corporates and high net worth individuals. Some recent individual instructions include representing a Lichtenstein foundation in discharge of Receivership Order application (in both High Court and Court of Appeal proceedings), representing a state-owned company in a multi-jurisdictional construction dispute in the ICC arbitration claim, acting for a company in arbitration claim challenging $72 million LCIA Award and representing a shareholder in an LCIA dispute and a related application for injunction in the High Court.

Tatiana qualified as a Solicitor – Advocate with Higher Rights of Audience, Civil Proceedings (England and Wales). She is also qualified as a Russian Advocate and was called to the Moscow City Bar in 2002.

Hinesh Shah is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and joined the Pinsent Masons forensic accounting team in February 2019 where he specialises in investigations and financial crime, with a particular focus on the rapidly evolving realm of cryptocurrency.

Hinesh has a wealth of experience in leading high-profile investigations and reviews across Europe and the Middle East. He has cultivated a deep understanding of the financial and legal intricacies associated with fraud, anti-money laundering, bribery and corruption, accounting irregularities, whistle-blower allegations, market abuse, and regulatory inquiries. Recognizing the profound impact of cryptocurrencies on the global financial landscape, Hinesh has honed his expertise in crypto-related investigations across both civil and criminal matters and he is also regularly cited in articles on the topic of crypto-fraud.

Having practised as a commercial-chancery barrister for over 20 years, Jennifer practises ADR as a neutral, helping parties to resolve their disputes by acting as an arbitrator, mediator or conducting binding or non-binding evaluations and private FDR’s.

Jennifer’s experience as an arbitrator includes disputes involving partnerships, pharmaceuticals, companies, media contracts and finance agreements. She has been appointed to many of the major arbitral institution lists, including those of BVI IAC, HKIAC, AIAC and DIAC. She is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.  She has acted as sole arbitrator, co-arbitrator and presiding arbitrator.

Katia is a Partner in our International Arbitration Practice.

She has significant expertise in both commercial and investment disputes, and advises clients on global dispute resolution strategy and settlement negotiation, and acts on their behalf in commercial and investment disputes under ICSID, ICC, LCIA and UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules.

Katia acts as counsel for and against governments in investor-state disputes, with a particular focus in the energy, mining and construction sector. Her practice focuses mainly on international commercial and investment arbitration. She acts on behalf of governments and private parties in energy, large construction projects and post M&A disputes, where she has extensive experience. Her practice mainly involves multijurisdictional issues and she regularly advises clients on investment structuring and restructuring.

Stuart is the Global co-head of our international arbitration practice.

Stuart has drafted complex choice of law clauses and multi-tier and multi-party arbitration and jurisdiction agreements for many transactions, including multi-million dollar M&A deals and international oil and gas projects in the Middle East, Nigeria, India and South America.

Stuart has conducted arbitrations under both common law and civil law in England, mainland Europe (including Sweden, Switzerland, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic), the Middle East, Africa and Australia. He has acted for and against parties from the UK, mainland Europe, Central Europe, Asia, North and South America, Australia and Africa.

My primary teaching and research interests are international commercial law, international litigation and arbitration, comparative law and the conflict of laws: see my books and other publications on this website for more detail.

I hold a Doctorate in Law from Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne University and an LL.M. degree from Yale Law School. I was also a Paris-Oxford Doctoral Program Scholar for a year at Trinity College, Oxford.

I was a member of the Paris bar and practiced commercial law on a part-time basis in the Paris office of a leading English firm from 1999 until 2004. During that time, I argued a number of cases before French courts (including courts of appeal) and arbitral tribunals. I then became an independent consultant.

Jenny has long-standing experience in data protection, privacy and cybersecurity matters and is a CIPP/E. She advises multinational clients, including those developing, deploying and investing in ML/AI technologies, on related UK and European Union (EU) legislation and regulation. Her practice includes assisting clients who operationalize innovative technologies such as facial recognition.

An advertising executive turned barrister (called to the Bar in 2004), Stuart has pioneered a new kind of advisory role which combines both aspects of his background. Specialising in reputation management, Stuart helps to manage the communications around complex litigation, helping to guide and protect his clients during the most challenging of circumstances.

He has led a whole new approach to litigation communications and crisis management for major corporate clients drawing on his experience in international PR, eight years with Pump Court Chambers as a barrister and as a senior account handler with several top advertising agencies.

Ella has acted for clients in international commercial arbitrations, both institutional and ad-hoc, and in an investor-state arbitration administered by ICSID. Her post-graduate specialisation and international experience has leant her valuable insight into the practice of international arbitration within common law and civil law jurisdictions alike, as well as from an institutional perspective.

Hanna is a Global Leader in international arbitration and a Solicitor Advocate in the English Supreme Court. She acts as counsel in arbitrations and litigations, sits as arbitrator and serves as an External Professor. She co-counsels with the best in the business. Hanna previously practised at Freshfields (then the globally #1 ranked practice by Global Arbitration Review), Latham & Watkins and Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan UK. Hanna was educated at Oxford University and Cambridge University.

Ashley is a senior knowledge lawyer in London specialising in international arbitration.

She is responsible for knowledge management, training and business development for the international arbitration practice in London, and supports the work of the arbitration practice globally.

Lucy is Counsel in the Global Commercial Disputes Group. She advises on international arbitration, particularly cases relating to investment treaty arbitration and public international law. Lucy has been involved in cases in the mining, energy, construction, and telecommunications sectors.

Linda acts for clients all over the world and has an excellent understanding of trade issues which arise out of the carriage of goods by ship, air and land. It is common to find lawyers specialised in one of these fields but rarer to find a lawyer who fully appreciates the entire trade chain. She offers a pragmatic and incisive view to try and get issues and disputes resolved as cost-effectively as possible.

Dr. Tadas Varapnickas is an Associate Partner working in the field of litigation and international arbitration. The lawyer has accumulated valuable experience in representing clients in complex arbitration cases under the regulations of SCC, ICC, LCIA, VCCA, UNUM and other arbitration institutions. His exceptional experience in international arbitration is confirmed by his inclusion in the first Legal 500 list of the best arbitration specialists in the region, Arbitration Powerlist 2021: Central and Eastern Europe. Tadas also represents clients in the courts of general jurisdiction and administrative courts, and his experience includes disputes regarding the performance and termination of contracts, the application of civil liability, annulment of administrative penalties, etc. The lawyer has accumulated many years of experience working in a law firm, as well as serving as an adviser on legal affairs to the President Dalia Grybauskaitė.

Paschalis Paschalidis is a Counsel in the Litigation & Dispute Resolution practice of Arendt & Medernach.

He acts as counsel in commercial and investment treaty arbitrations under a variety of arbitral rules (including ICSID, SCC, ICC and UNCITRAL) as well as arbitrator. He also acts before the courts of EU Member States and the Court of Justice of the European Union.

Yael Ribco Borman is a senior associate at Gaillard Banifatemi Shelbaya Disputes.

She specializes in both commercial and investment disputes. She advises companies, State-owned entities and States in international arbitrations under all major international arbitration rules, including the Rules of ICSID, UNCITRAL, ICC and CRCICA, particularly in disputes related to oil & gas, renewable energies and infrastructure.

Yael also has experience in setting aside and enforcement proceedings.

Prior to joining Gaillard Banifatemi Shelbaya Disputes, Yael Ribco Borman worked as an associate in the corporate department of one of Uruguayan most renowned law firms.

Jonathan Lim is a triple-qualified English solicitor, Singapore advocate, and New York lawyer with a focus on complex international disputes. He has a broad practice representing clients in all types of commercial and investment treaty arbitrations seated in common law and civil law jurisdictions worldwide, including England, New York, Singapore, Hong Kong, France, Brazil, The Netherlands, and Switzerland. His experience also includes ad hoc and institutional arbitrations under the rules of the HKIAC, ICC, ICDR, LCIA, PCA, SIAC, UNCITRAL, and others. He has represented both private sector and government clients in the aerospace, construction, energy, financial services, insurance, telecommunications, technology, and retail sectors, among others. Mr Lim has also worked on WTO dispute settlement matters and advised international organisations and governments in Africa and Asia on public international law issues.  

Rafael Fernández is Partner of Pérez-Llorca’s Insurance and Reinsurance practice area. Prior to this, Rafael worked in the Insurance and Reinsurance areas in two highly prestigious international firms, in the legal department of the World Bank’s Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency in Washington DC and as Vice President, Legal Counsel at the head office of the reinsurer Swiss Re Europe in Luxembourg.

Managing Partner of Iscar Arbitraje. Arbitrator with more than 25 arbitrations administered under ICC rules, International Arbitration Centre (CIAM), Court of Arbitration of the Madrid Chamber of Commerce, Court of Arbitration of the Madrid Bar Association and the PUCP, as well as arbitrator in ad hoc arbitrations. Experience in arbitration in construction, insurance, EPC and EPCM contracts, banking products, financial, commercial and competition law.

Charles Claypoole, a leading arbitration and international trade law practitioner, advises governments and investors on public international law, with a particular focus on investment treaty arbitration and trade sanctions. A seasoned advocate with an impressive track record, he draws on more than two decades of experience representing clients before a range of international courts and tribunals.

Camilla Godman is an Investment Manager and Senior Legal Counsel based in London responsible for originating, assessing and managing funded cases internationally with a focus on EMEA and the UK.

Alex is a Partner in our London litigation group with extensive experience of domestic and international cases.

In the past four years he has conducted cases across seven jurisdictions with over US $9bn in contention. With a focus on pursuing or defending assets in complex civil fraud situations, Alex has pursued his clients’ interests in the UK, BVI, Cayman, Cyprus, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Gibraltar, France, Spain and multiple U.S. states.

Trained in both civil and common law, Oriane Cannac is a senior associate in the London office of Aavagard where she specialises in international arbitration and commercial litigation. Triple-qualified in Paris, New York and England and recommended as a key lawyer in The Legal 500 UK, Oriane acts as both counsel and advocate on complex high-value disputes. Oriane has extensive experience of international arbitration proceedings under the major institutional rules and has acted for clients in a wide array of economic sectors, including technology, banking, life sciences, telecommunications, automotive and mining. Oriane’s international caseload has included acting in a multi-billion Euro shareholder dispute arbitration under the DIFC-LCIA Rules, representing two heirs of the oldest private banking family in Geneva in a high value ad hoc arbitration against all former partners of the private bank, and defending an ultra-high net worth individual in a multi-billion, multi-jurisdictional ICC arbitration.

Serena Cooke has experience in complex commercial litigation and arbitration. She acts for clients across a broad spectrum of sectors including energy and commodities, financial services and media.

Serena has represented clients before leading arbitration institutions such as the LCIA, ICC and SCC and in proceedings before the High Court of England and Wales.

Her experience includes contract and commercial disputes, corporate merger and acquisition disputes, shareholder and joint venture disputes, commercial fraud and breach of trust claims.

Jonathan is a Managing Associate in the firm’s Disputes & Investigations team in London. His practice focuses on acting for clients on complex, high-stakes civil disputes and regulatory investigations, often spanning multiple jurisdictions.

Jonathan has significant experience advising clients on complex technology disputes. He has acted in disputes concerning a range of underlying technologies, including software licences, telecoms equipment, IT services, outsourcing arrangements, and digital assets (including cryptocurrency and utility tokens). He also regularly advises clients on tech regulatory investigations.

Jonathan is a member of the firm’s artificial intelligence (AI) group, and frequently advises companies on legal and ethical issues relating to AI, including regulatory compliance, governance, and responsible AI. He is also active in the firm’s internal AI adoption initiatives: as the AI Champion for Disputes & Investigations in the UK and the Middle East, Jonathan is responsible for coordinating and advocating for the adoption of AI across the practice (comprising over 100 fee earners).

David is a seasoned litigation funder having worked on a broad range of litigation financing transactions including international enforcement, commercial litigation, and arbitration globally.

David is a specialist in international disputes and previously worked in the arbitration teams at Arnold & Porter and Withers, including on a number of commercial and investment disputes for States and State entities.  David is named a Thought Leader by Who’s Who Legal Third Party Funding.

Joaquín Ruiz Echauri has more than 30 years of experience providing corporate, regulatory and litigious advice for the insurance and reinsurance industry, as well as to manufacturers and distributors of consumers’ products in safety and product liability matters.

Jeff is a senior associate in the London office. He has represented governments, state-owned enterprises, and multinational corporations in investment treaty and commercial disputes under all major arbitral rules, with particular expertise in the energy and natural resources, technology, and financial services sectors.