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Key Contacts
Experience
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Joint Venture Disputes
- An ICC arbitration, sited in Madrid and London and governed by Spanish law, between US and Spanish companies. The arbitration involved amounts in dispute exceeding $150 million. The arbitration was settled on terms highly favorable to our client, after it was awarded provisional measures.
- Two ICC arbitrations, sited in Geneva and governed by Turkish and English law, between a leading private equity fund and a Turkish joint venture partner. The dispute involved amounts in dispute exceeding $75 million and was settled on terms highly favorable to our client after it was awarded provisional measures.
- An ICC arbitration, sited in Brussels with German, French and Belgian law applying, involving the break-up of a joint venture between leading European international telecommunications companies with more than $30 billion in dispute. The arbitration was settled on terms highly favorable to our client.
- An LCIA arbitration, sited in London with English and Greek law applying, involving disputes under a shareholder’s agreement between two large telecommunications companies. The arbitration was resolved following a partial award favorable to our client.
- An LCIA arbitration, sited in London with law of a Latin American state applicable, involving disputes arising from a major joint venture in the financial services sector between European and Latin American parties.
- Two ICC arbitrations, sited in Stockholm with Finnish and German law applicable, relating to the dissolution of a joint venture and the violation of non-competition commitments between two major European industrial enterprises.
- An ICC arbitration, sited in Belgrade, involving breaches of agreements relating to a joint venture company.
- An UNCITRAL arbitration, sited in Western Europe, concerning a former joint venture between two of the world’s largest advertising groups.
- Two related ICC arbitrations, sited in London with Spanish law applying, involving disputes over a joint venture company. We act as counsel for a major multinational aerospace and defense company in these disputes.
- A $50 million ICC arbitration between two major mining companies involving termination of a joint venture in Latin America.
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Merger and Acquisition Disputes
- An ICC arbitration, sited in Paris under Luxembourg law, between major US and French financial services companies arising from a share purchase agreement. Amounts in dispute exceeded $100 million and the matter was resolved by a final award in favor of our client.
- An ICC arbitration, sited in Geneva, involving disputes over the acquisition of a capital goods business. The dispute settled on very favorable terms for our client.
- An ICC arbitration, sited in London and governed by English law, between an oil field services company and a state-owned company in West Asia concerning acquisition of a plant. The matter is ongoing.
- An LCIA arbitration, sited in London under Dutch and Greek law, arising from an aborted acquisition.
- An arbitration and expert determination involving disputes over purchase price adjustments in a $1 billion acquisition. The dispute was resolved by settlement on highly favorable terms to our client.
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Energy Disputes
- A dispute subject to UNCITRAL Rules and governed by New York law relating to a revenue sharing agreement with a US oil and gas production company. The matter involves claims with potential value in excess of $300 million.
- An ad hoc arbitration, sited in New York, pursuant to the UNCITRAL Rules, and related expert determinations between a European energy company and a Caribbean supplier, concerning the pricing mechanism in a LNG sales contract. The amount in dispute exceeds $500 million. The matter is ongoing.
- An ICC arbitration, sited in London, involving rights to an offshore oil block in West Africa allegedly valued in excess of $200 million. The dispute involves claims under a Farm-In Agreement, an Operating Agreement and applicable national law. The matter was resolved in favor of our client on all issues in a final award.
- A dispute subject to arbitration under the Arbitration Rules of the Kuala Lumpur Regional Arbitration Centre between a state-owned oil company and a multinational.
- An ad hoc arbitration, sited in Washington DC, involving disputes between an Asian state and several leading multinational energy companies over a gas supply contract. The arbitration was resolved by an award in our client’s favor.
- Two consolidated ICC arbitration proceedings sited in London, involving disputes under a Farm-In Agreement between our client (a multinational oil company) and a local indigenous company. The amounts in dispute exceeded $1 billion with English law applying. The tribunal ruled entirely in favor of our client.
- An ICSID arbitration involving claims by a leading European energy company against a Central American state. The amounts in dispute are unquantified. The matter is ongoing.
- A dispute subject to UNCITRAL arbitration between a European energy company and an Asian state concerning tax and pricing issues, with amounts in dispute in excess of $2 billion. The matter is ongoing.
- An LCIA arbitration, sited in London with English law applying, involving the breach of a joint study and bid agreement between two leading international oil companies, with amounts in dispute exceeding $250 million. The arbitration was resolved by an award in our client’s favor.
- A UNCITRAL arbitration involving disputes between a Central African state and a foreign investor in the energy sector. The matter is ongoing.
- A conciliation and mediation under ICSID rules in a dispute between a US oil company and a Caribbean nation over termination of a cooperation agreement.
- An ICSID arbitration and expert determination involving pricing disputes under a complex set of agreements between an operator and a state-owned oil company.
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Construction and Engineering Disputes
- An ICC arbitration, sited in Geneva and governed by Swiss law, between a leading US information technology company and a Latin American telecommunications company and a UN agency. The arbitration involved amounts in dispute exceeding $100 million, and the matter is ongoing.
- An ICC arbitration, sited in Madrid, between a defense contractor and a Spanish software company. The arbitration involved intellectual property and software issues and was settled on terms highly favorable to our client.
- A number of separate ICC and ad hoc arbitrations, sited in London, The Hague and Geneva with Dutch, English and Swiss laws applicable, involving disputes over construction of power plants in Western Europe and Africa.
- An ad hoc arbitration, sited in London, involving claims for faulty construction of a Latin American chemicals plant. The dispute settled on highly favorable terms.
- An ICC arbitration, sited in The Hague, involving disputes over a consortium agreement on a major infrastructure project.
- A $40 million ICC arbitration, sited in London, involving a construction dispute between an Asian state entity and the Western supplier of a turn-key plant. The dispute was resolved on highly favorable terms following several preliminary rulings in favor of our client.
- A $1 billion construction arbitration under UNCITRAL rules between a major multinational petroleum company and a Middle Eastern state arising from the destruction of a refinery. The arbitration was resolved by an award in our client's favor.
- Two consolidated ICC arbitrations, sited in New York, between a leading American capital goods manufacturer and two Colombian companies involving the sale of aircraft equipment in Colombia.
- An ICC arbitration sited in Seoul, Korea, with Korean law applicable, involving an indemnification dispute concerning the sale of automobile equipment to a major Korean manufacturer.
- An ICC arbitration, sited in London, involving disputes over construction of a steel mill.
- A mediation and Commercial Court litigation involving a leading US manufacturer in complex and high-stakes proceedings arising from alleged breaches of a joint collaboration agreement, involving claims in excess of £3.5 billion.
- An ICC arbitration regarding the establishment of a pan-European data service for consumers, involving a major Swiss watch and consumer electronics manufacturer. The arbitration is sited in London, with German law applying. Proceedings commenced in late 2007 and are ongoing.
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Insurance Disputes
- A $40 million ad hoc arbitration, sited in London, under a Bermuda Form insurance policy. The arbitration was settled on highly favorable terms.
- An AAA arbitration, sited in Washington DC with District of Columbia law applying, involving claims of expropriation and violations of international law in connection with an investment in the Middle East. The arbitration resulted in an award in favor of our client on all issues.
- A multiparty ICC arbitration with English and Texas law applicable, arising from a political risk insurance policy. The arbitration involved more parties than any other ICC arbitration to date and was settled on favorable terms.
- An ad hoc arbitration, sited in London with English and Indian law applying, involving US, English and Indian parties. The arbitration involved issues of English insurance and contract law, with the IBA Rules of Evidence applying.
- Representation of a leading North American manufacturing corporation in ongoing disputes with a major European insurer in relation to coverage for a medical incident in the United States.
- An ad hoc international arbitration seated in Bermuda under a Bermuda Form policy, governed by New York substantive law, involving one of the largest US insurance companies.
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Intellectual Property Disputes
- A multiparty ICC arbitration, sited in London with Indian and Texas law applicable, involving claims in excess of $100 million under a technology transfer agreement between US and Asian parties.
- An AAA arbitration, sited in London with English and European Community competition law applicable, involving claims under a distribution agreement between US and European parties.
- A $45 million arbitration sited in Stockholm under Stockholm Arbitration Institute Rules with Russian and New York law applying. The arbitration involved claims by a Russian purchaser against a North American supplier. The dispute was settled on highly favorable terms.
- A $90 million ICC arbitration, sited in London, involving technology transfers between two US parties and one Asian party.
- An ICC arbitration, sited in Zurich between two computer software producers involving claims of copyright infringement and competition law violations.
- An arbitration under ICC rules, sited in Geneva, between two chemical companies in a dispute over intellectual property rights.
- An arbitration under ICC rules between a US high technology company and a Scandinavian manufacturer over misappropriation of trade secrets.
- A complex arbitration under ICC rules, sited in Geneva, between industrial equipment manufacturers, raising issues of EU, US and other competition laws.
- Related LCIA and ad hoc arbitrations, sited in London, between Latin American and Western European shipping lines, raising issues of competition and unfair trade practice law.
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Telecommunications Disputes
- An ICC arbitration, sited in Zurich with English and Swiss law applying, involving disputes between two major European enterprises over control of a joint venture company valued at more than $1 billion. At our request, the arbitration was conducted on a fast-track basis, proceeding from Terms of Reference to a successful award in less than three months.
- A series of related ICC arbitrations, sited in Geneva with Italian and Swiss law applying, involving the break-up of a telecommunications joint venture between German, French and Italian parties, involving claims in excess of $10 billion.
- Two related arbitrations sited in Vienna under the Rules of Arbitration of the International Arbitral Center of the Federal Economic Chamber in Vienna. The arbitrations involve disputes over control of a major telecommunications joint venture, with Polish and Austrian law applying.
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Public International Law
- The Abyei Arbitration between the Government of Sudan and our client, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army, under the auspices of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, concerning boundary delimitation issues arising out of a peace agreement seeking to end decades of civil war in Southern Sudan. The proceedings were webcast live and archived footage is on the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s website.
- An arbitration, sited in London, under the auspices of the Permanent Court of Arbitration between two African nations over territorial sovereignty.
- Disputes between an aerospace company and a Middle Eastern state involving claims under a bilateral investment treaty and contractual instruments.
- An ICSID arbitration, sited in Washington with international law applicable, involving multiple disputes between a European multinational and an Asian state, with amounts in dispute exceeding $100 million.
- A $100 million ICC arbitration, sited in London, involving a European/Japanese consortium and an Asian state.
- An arbitration, sited in Stockholm, under ICC Rules, between an international energy company and a Central Asian state.
- An ICSID arbitration between a multinational petroleum company and an Asian state.
- An ICSID annulment case involving a challenge to an ICSID arbitration award made in an expropriation dispute between two Hong Kong companies and the government of a Middle Eastern nation.
- An arbitration between an international environmental nonprofit organization and a European government over an attack on the organization’s property and personnel.
- Arbitrations before the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal in The Hague.
Recognition
- Chambers UK (2012–2024) recognized our international arbitration practice as “one of the most impressive” in the market and “outstanding,” “with an enviable track record.” In 2024, Gary Born, Steven Finizio, Franz Schwarz, Charlie Caher and Jonathan Lim were praised for their knowledge and experience in all aspects of the field.
- Chambers Europe (2014–2023) recognized our “supportive, responsive and helpful” international arbitration practice as “the crème de la crème of international arbitration,” and “a huge arbitration force,” praising the firm's “very high standard for both knowledge and ethics.” In 2022, Gary Born, Steven Finizio and Franz Schwarz were praised for their knowledge and experience in all aspects of the field.
- Chambers USA (2011–2024) recognized our international arbitration practice, calling us “outstanding [and] very professional,” “one of the best law firms in international arbitration,” “excellent advocates,” and “an impressive firm, home to talented lawyers who provide an excellent service.” Rachael Kent and Danielle Morris were individually recognized as leaders in the field.
- Chambers Global (2012–2024) recognized our “creative and detailed" international arbitration practice as having a “stellar multinational team” that receives “praise for their international approach, attention to detail and impressive cross-examination techniques,” is “thorough, extremely knowledgeable in arbitration and very pleasant to work with,” and has a “stellar reputation for handling a portfolio of big-ticket, highly complex institutional and ad hoc arbitrations.” In 2022, Gary Born, Steven Finizio, Rachael Kent and John Pierce were praised for their knowledge and experience in all aspects of the field.
- Legal 500 UK consistently honors the firm’s International Arbitration Practice with top rankings, praising it as “one of the most experienced teams around for international arbitration.”
- Legal 500 USA recognized the firm's international arbitration practice in its 2015–2024 editions.
- Consistently named a "Best Law Firm" by U.S. News - Best Lawyers®, most recently in 2024, and ranked a top-tier international arbitration practice across the USA.
- Global Arbitration Review’s Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration consistently recognizes WilmerHale lawyers for their industry-leading experience in international arbitration. Seventeen individuals were recognized among the top lawyers in their field in 2022 and WilmerHale was named a leading firm in EMEA for international arbitration.
- Since its inception in 2008, WilmerHale has been named among the world’s top international arbitration practices within Global Arbitration Review’s GAR 30 list.
- Latinvex named WilmerHale among the top international law firms in Latin America in 2022. In addition to being named one of the top firms overall, WilmerHale was recognized in three subcategories: arbitration; corporate/M&A; and FCPA, fraud & investigations.
- Legal Week and The American Lawyer named our International Arbitration Practice the Transatlantic Dispute Resolution Team of the Year for 2018.
- A number of WilmerHale lawyers were named in the 10th edition of The Best Lawyers in the United Kingdom, which recognizes lawyers for their outstanding reputations in their areas of law.