Experience

• • Sberbank in its successful challenge to the jurisdiction of the English High Court to hear a $300 million conspiracy claim brought by a subsidiary of Russian bank VTB.
  • A former head of state in defending Commercial Court proceedings brought by a foreign national and several related corporate entities in the nationalization and bail-in of a commercial bank.
  • Tethyan Copper Company Pty Limited in a challenge against an ICC Award under ss. 67 & 68 of the 1996 Act.
  • A Bermudian physician in a successful challenge to his arrest and the search of his home before the Bermuda Supreme Court, upheld by the Bermuda Court of Appeal.
  • A large Russian investment company in its defence of an LCIA arbitration claim brought by a Russian individual, relating to a corporate dispute with respect to a manufacturing group.
  • The Russian Federation in several disputes brought by former subsidiaries of Yukos Oil under the Energy Charter Treaty, including an arbitration brought by Financial Performance Holdings relating to an alleged expropriation and other breaches. In that matter, the claimant withdrew its claims and we obtained a full costs order for our client.
  • Tethyan Copper Company in its US$6 billion arbitration win against the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, which is the second-largest ICSID award ever rendered.
  • The State of Qatar and Qatari entities and individuals in international claims arising out of the measures imposed by the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Egypt against Qatar, including twice prevailing in proceedings on provisional measures before the International Court of Justice against the United Arab Emirates under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, obtaining a unanimous decision in Qatar’s favor in proceedings before the International Court of Justice under the Chicago Convention and the International Air Services Transit Agreement, and in investment arbitrations and claims in other international tribunals.
  • The Center for Reproductive Rights in an intervention in the UK Supreme Court in Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission v. Attorney General of Northern Ireland, regarding the criminality of abortion in certain circumstances in Northern Ireland.
  • Tatneft in complex civil fraud proceedings in the English Commercial Court.
  • An international pharmaceutical company in an ICC emergency arbitration concerning supply obligations.
  • Human Dignity Trust in a joint intervention on behalf of the Human Dignity Trust, International Committee of Jurists and Commonwealth Lawyers Association, which saw a law in Belize that disproportionately affects gay men ruled unconstitutional. London co-managing partner Lord Goldsmith QC also acted as lead advocate before the Supreme Court of Belize in the course of the proceedings.
  • Helios Investment Partners and its investment vehicle Samba Luxco Sarl in the settlement of claims made in an ICC Arbitration regarding Samba's stake in Africatel BV. The settlement involved reducing Samba’s stake in Africatel BV from 25% to 14%, and the transfer from Africatel BV to Samba of a 34% stake in Mobile Telecommunications Limited, the Namibian telecoms operator.
  • Ust-Kamenogorsk Hydropower Plant, a subsidiary of Samruk Energy, as advocates to the appellant in the UK Supreme Court on a landmark arbitration appeal to determine whether the English Court has jurisdiction to grant an anti-suit injunction in circumstances where no arbitration is intended or in prospect.
  • British Caribbean Bank Ltd, in successfully defending anti-arbitration injunction proceedings brought by the Government of Belize to avoid arbitration under a BIT in the courts of Belize and the Caribbean Court of Justice (before which Debevoise is believed to have been the first non-Caribbean firm to argue a case).
  • Property developer Paddy McKillen in the UK Court of Appeal against the Barclay brothers concerning the £1 billion Mayfair Group of hotels.
  • A major London-based mining company and its African subsidiary, one of the largest mining and metals companies in Africa, in four parallel LCIA arbitrations relating to a $500 million dispute with a major contractor over short delivery and other alleged breaches of a contract for mining services at an open cast copper mine in Southern Africa.
  • A Canadian mining group in a dispute with the government of an African country, concerning claims of breach of the tax stabilisation and other provisions of an agreement for the operation of a copper treatment facility, and an expropriation of certain of the mining company’s rights.
  • The Attorney-General of St. Kitts and Nevis in the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (St. Kitts and Nevis) and Court of Appeal in constitutional proceedings brought against the Government by Members of Parliament seeking to carry a motion of no confidence in the Government.
  • BTL Employees' Trust, a shareholder in Belize Telemedia Limited, concerning the re-nationalisation without compensation of BTL, and the amendment of the Belize Constitution to enshrine the nationalisations and to curtail the courts’ power to protect fundamental rights, including the right to property.
  • Vincent Tchenguiz, in judicial review proceedings brought in respect of search warrants issued against Mr. Tchenguiz and Vincos Ltd, a company which provides advice to the Tchenguiz Family Trust and which is chaired by Mr. Tchenguiz, relating to a Serious Fraud Office investigation into the collapse of Kaupthing Hf., an Icelandic bank.
  • A major automotive corporation as claimant in consolidated ICC London arbitration proceedings against Volkswagen in respect of a dispute involving a multibillion euro cross-shareholding and arising out of a commercial alliance formalised in December 2009.
  • Norilsk Nickel and Interros International Investments in a dispute with United Company Rusal, including LCIA arbitration proceedings and related court litigation in the United States, England, Russia, Switzerland, St. Kitts & Nevis and The Netherlands.
  • An Asian government in an inter-state treaty dispute in an ad hoc international arbitration under the auspices of the Permanent Court of Arbitration.
  • Nambaryn Enkhbayer, the former President of Mongolia, in defence of corruption charges brought against him by the current Government of Mongolia. We advised on strategy concerning domestic legal proceedings and liaised with press and lobbying NGOs and foreign governments to bring attention to and explain the various abuses of the former president’s human rights that occurred during these proceedings.