Oil and gas disputes

Farm-in dispute

Claiming damages from a JOA operator of an onshore block in sub-Saharan Africa, under the farm-in agreement, the JOA and PSC.

Expert determination – gas pricing dispute

Resisting a claim for a reduction in the price of North Sea gas under a price review clause following the alleged imposition of an environmental tax.

LCIA multi-party/multi-contract arbitration

Represented an independent US company and its affiliates in a dispute with the operator of an offshore Nigerian oil field.

UNCITRAL multi-party arbitration

Represented the claimant in a multi-party arbitration between an independent oil and gas company and its JOA partners concerning participation in an offshore India gas field.

Rights of use and allocation of capacity dispute

Advised the operator of an international gas pipeline in a dispute concerning rights of use and allocation of capacity in an UNCITRAL arbitration.

ICC arbitration – upstream oil and gas

Two ICC arbitrations involving an energy major and the national oil and national gas companies of a South American state, issues enforcing a contractual stabilisation clause.

More: Oil and gas disputes

International arbitration

Arbitrator appointments

Appointed as co-Arbitrator, sole arbitrator and chair in arbitration proceedings under the LCIA, ICC and UNCITRAL arbitration rules.

UNCITRAL arbitration – upstream oil and gas

Represented a major oil and gas producer in a JOA dispute concerning the rights of use, construction and engineering of a subsea gas pipeline.

Swiss chambers arbitration – shareholders agreement

Represented the claimant an arbitration concerning pre-emption rights under a shareholders agreement.

LCIA arbitration – LNG plant

Represented the  respondent/counter claimant in an arbitration concerning the engineering and construction of an LNG plant in the Yemen.

ICSID arbitration – upstream oil and gas

Represented a US investor in a claim against a Caribbean state concerning the redevelopment of an offshore oil field. 

LCIA arbitration – futures trading

Represented the claimant in an arbitration concerning a high profile scandal involving futures trading in the oil reserves of an African state.

UNCITRAL arbitration – reps and warranties

Advising an international bank in a reps and warranties dispute with a state agency following the sale of the bank by the agency.

Investment treaty dispute - mining

Advising a precious metals mining corporation in connection with a claim arising under the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand FTA and negotiations with host state government.

High Court

Successfully defended a jurisdictional challenge to an arbitral award relating to competing arbitration clauses - C v. D1 and Others [2015] EWHC 2126 (Comm). 

Successfully challenged a jurisdictional award where the arbitrators declined to exercise jurisdiction over defamation claims - S Limited v C Limited [2009] EWHC B23 (Comm)

Oil and gas

UNCITRAL multi-party arbitration – upstream oil and gas

Represented the claimant in a multi-party arbitration between an independent oil and gas company and its JOA partners concerning participation in an offshore India gas field.

LCIA multi-party/multi-contract arbitration – upstream oil and gas

Represented an independent US company and its affiliates in a dispute with the operator of an offshore Nigerian oil field.

ICC arbitration – upstream oil and gas

Represented an independent oil company in a dispute arising from a JOA and a farm-in agreement related an East Africa exploration block.

UNCITRAL arbitration – upstream oil and gas

Advised the operator of an international gas pipeline in a dispute concerning rights of use and allocation of capacity.

ICC arbitration – upstream oil and gas

Two ICC arbitrations involving an energy  major and the national oil and national gas companies of a South American state, issues enforcing a contractual stabilisation clause.

Expert determination – upstream oil and gas

Represented an oil and gas major in an expert determination procedure successfully resisting a claim for a reduction of North Sea gas pricing due to an alleged imposition of an environmental tax.

International trade

ICC arbitration – offtake agreement

Represented the respondent in a dispute arising from an oil sales contract following a force majeure event in a West African rig.

Force majeure – contracting advice

Advised a major coal marketing company on a force majeure event impacting over a hundred individual sales and contracts.

ICC arbitrations – energy trading

Represented the claimant in related disputes arising under EFET electrical energy trading contracts.

LME arbitrations – international sale of goods/defamation

Represented the claimant in a dispute arising from contracts for the sale of aluminum, involving letters of credit and defamation claims.

Fosfa, Gafta, LME and FCC arbitrations - commodities

Acted for sellers and buyers in numerous arbitration proceedings under the rules of Fosfa, Gafta, LME and FCC.

Technology

ICC arbitration - telecoms

Represented the claimant in a dispute concerning physical access to an inter-continental submarine fibre optic cable. 

ICDR – technology

The first arbitration brought pursuant to the AAA International Arbitration Rules in a contractual dispute relating to an advanced sonar technology application.

Ad hoc arbitration - IT

Representing the claimant in an arbitration concerning the delivery of an IT project to a national credit agency.

ICC arbitration – solar technology

Represented the claimant in a dispute concerning solar energy technologies.

Power and renewables

ICC arbitration – solar technology

Represented the claimant in a dispute concerning solar energytechnologies.

ICC arbitration – power station

Represented the respondent power station provider in a dispute with a Far East industrial customer. 

Representing a power station owner in the first consolidated ICC multi-party arbitration, involving a dispute over the re-fit of power station stacks.

India

India power station construction dispute

Served as an arbitrator in an ICC arbitration concerning the construction of a power station in India.

Offshore India gas field dispute

Represented the claimant in an UNCITRAL arbitration between an independent Oil and Gas Company and its JOA partners concerning participation in an offshore India gas field.

Major Indian telecoms dispute

Representing the claimant in an ICC arbitration between two of the largest telecoms operators in India concerning access to a subsea fibre optic cable stretching from the UK via the Middle East, India and South East Asia to Japan.

Defamation

Represented the claimant in an arbitration arising out of an LME contract for the sale of iron ore (FOB Mumbai), being the only known case in which commercial arbitrators were required by the English High Court to accept jurisdiction over defamation claims.

Africa

Kenya JOA and farm-in agreement dispute

ICC arbitration arising under a JOA and farm-in agreement relating to an oil and gas block in Kenya.

West Africa oil and gas blocks arbitration

LCIA arbitration concerning the sale of shares in offshore West African oil and gas blocks and the conduct of the Operator of the block prior to the sale.

West African offtake dispute

ICC arbitration relating to a claim following on from an alleged force majeure event affecting a West African rig.

Offshore drilling arbitration

LCIA arbitration of a multi-party, multi-contract, dispute concerning the drilling of two deep water oil wells offshore Nigeria.

Futures trading dispute

LCIA arbitration concerning a high profile scandal involving futures trading in the oil reserves of an African state.

Farm out contract litigation

High Court action arising out of a farm out contract between a European oil and gas major and a Nigerian independent oil and gas company.

LCIA multi-party/multi-contract arbitration – upstream oil and gas

Represented an independent US company and its affiliates in a dispute with the operator of an offshore Nigerian oil field.

ICC arbitration – upstream oil and gas

Represented an independent oil company in a dispute arising from a JOA and a farm-in agreement related an East Africa exploration block.

More: Africa

CIS and CEE

Multi-million dollar oil and gas sector dispute

Appointed as the President of an UNCITRAL Arbitration Tribunal in relation to a dispute between a Russian subsidiary of an international oil field service provider and an indigenous CIS state oil company. 

Investor in the Russian banking sector

Advised in relation to $100+ million investment treaty arbitration.

Multi-million LCIA arbitration for a Russian company

Acted as counsel in a multi-million LCIA arbitration concerning an investment into and management of a food processing company in Russia.

Shareholder dispute

Represented a party in a shareholder dispute (LCIA) relating to a well-known Russian car dealership.

CIS related transactions

Advises clients in relation to CIS transactions, and has recently advised on the disposal of an interest in an important Ukrainian media Group, and a transaction relating to a major Russian high street retail group.

More: CIS and CEE