International Arbitration

First-class legal advice through the full life-cycle of arbitration, delivering top quality representation, together with practical solutions, across domestic and international proceedings

Overview

The experienced arbitration team at Travers Smith advises on high-value and complex disputes across a broad range of sectors, spanning energy, financial services, sports, construction, healthcare and life sciences, consumer goods, aviation, diversified industrials and telecommunications. Our leading team has advised on disputes across Africa, Eastern and Western Europe, the CIS, the Middle East and Asia, acting under the ICC, LCIA, UNCITRAL, SIAC, CAS, ICSID and LMAA rules, as well as in ad hoc proceedings. We combine first-class legal expertise with clear, practical thinking to deliver the swift and cost-effective outcomes our clients need.

Beyond representing clients in arbitral proceedings, we advise across the full spectrum of arbitration-related issues, including drafting robust arbitration agreements / clauses, establishing effective pre-dispute strategies, securing court relief in support of ongoing proceedings and enforcing arbitral awards both domestically and abroad.

Our lawyers are active members of prominent arbitration bodies, including the London Court of International Arbitration, the LCIA Young International Arbitration Group, the ICC Young Arbitrators Forum, the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and the International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution (Committee on Energy, Oil and Gas), and Young Attorneys in Alternative Dispute Resolution.

Selected highlights

  • Acting for a sports team in its claim against an international sports league, involving a potential arbitration before the Court of Arbitration for Sport for breach of contract and abuse of dominance.

  • Acting for a private equity firm in an LCIA arbitration relating to a partnership dispute, including claims for breach of contract and misuse of confidential information.

  • Advising a joint venture partner of a Pakistani  and gas exploration company on its defence to ICC arbitration proceedings brought by its joint venture partner.

  • Advised one of the world’s largest insurance companies in an international dispute, involving both arbitration and High Court proceedings, between its subsidiary and a major competitor which alleged claims in excess of US$600m and involved allegations of conspiracy to injure.

  • Advised a US energy company on an ICSID arbitration against a Caribbean State relating to a state of the art “gas to liquids” plant.

  • Advised a Middle Eastern State in its submission to the ICJ on climate change related obligations (recognised by GAR in 2026 as one of the most important decisions of the year).

  • Advised two BVI holding companies in respect of a shareholder dispute in a major listed Russian oil company – The arbitration was governed by the LCIA Rules and involved numerous freezing injunctions obtained from various courts around the world.

*Some work carried out previous firms

What others say

Our Disputes Practice

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