Debevoise has been present in Europe for over 60 years, giving our practice a depth of institutional knowledge and market awareness that few firms can match. Today, the European disputes team includes lawyers who are both civil- and common-law qualified, speak over 35 languages, and are recognized as leaders in their field.
Our European disputes practice is advocacy-led. Our versatile trial lawyers, arbitration specialists and regulatory experts together cover the full range of contentious proceedings: arbitration before every major arbitral institution; arbitration-related court proceedings for interim measures, emergency injunctions, anti-suit relief, award challenge and enforcement; regulatory investigations and national court litigation — all handled seamlessly across jurisdictions. We take matters through every stage, from initial risk assessment through hearing, settlement, or enforcement, providing a continuity and quality of service that is unmatched in the market. We were recognized as Benchmark Litigation Europe’s Arbitration Firm of the Year 2025, Legal 500 UK noted that our team “shows stellar quality through its advocacy and strategy,” and Chambers UK describes the team as a “stellar international arbitration practice, regularly undertaking complex commercial disputes and investment treaty arbitrations.”
Debevoise partners hold leadership positions in leading arbitral institutions and professional bodies and lead proceedings in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish. Building on our lockstep, collaborative culture, our team works seamlessly across offices and practice groups to ensure that whatever the scale or complexity of a matter, clients have access to the right combination of skills and experience.