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International Arbitration

In today’s world, commercial agreements and business transactions regularly span national borders and markets. When disputes arise between parties from different countries and legal systems, the means for achieving resolution can be elusive. Those parties need international arbitration specialists with deep experience and expertise to help them achieve effective, economical, and enforceable resolutions to their most complicated, challenging, and critical disputes. Our International Arbitration team understands the business aspects of international commercial disputes and shapes the process to achieve the client’s core business objectives.

What Sets Paul Hastings Apart

Wide-Ranging Industry Expertise: As a globally recognized leader in international dispute resolution, we advise and represent domestic and foreign clients spanning a broad range of industries and commercial sectors. We have particular experience achieving favorable results in disputes involving Oil & Gas, Energy, Infrastructure, Hospitality & Gaming, Real Estate, Media & Entertainment, International Trade Credit Insurance, Political Risk Insurance, Securities, Technology, Private Equity, National Defense Intellectual Property, Patent Licensing, E-Commerce, and Joint Venture and Shareholders’ disputes.

Complementary Legal Capabilities: Our team of professionals includes experienced commercial litigators, international trade specialists, foreign-qualified lawyers, transnational corporate practitioners, and colleagues in numerous complementary disciplines to field the most appropriate, qualified team for any given matter in any given jurisdiction. As necessary on a particular matter, we also have established relationships with leading local law firms in jurisdictions around the world.

Broad Arbitral Tribunal Experience: We represent clients in the Americas, Asia, and Europe in cases involving domestic and foreign law brought before each of the major arbitral institutions, including the ICC, the HKIAC, the SIAC, the LCIA, the AAA/ICDR, ICSID, CEPANI, CIETAC, the Brazil-Canada Chamber of Commerce, JAMS, and UNCITRAL. We have acted as counsel in threatened or actual litigation or arbitration in over 50 countries. Our lawyers also regularly serve as arbitrators in commercial matters administered by the major arbitral institutions.

Arbitration-Related Litigation: Our team possesses wide-ranging experience in all aspects of litigation related to arbitration, including bringing and defending motions to compel arbitration, obtaining and opposing interim and protective measures, seeking and opposing the recognition of arbitral awards, and bringing and opposing motions involving the taking of evidence in the U.S. in aid of international arbitrations and foreign litigation. We regularly call upon Paul Hastings’ team of experienced commercial litigators, international trade specialists, foreign-qualified lawyers, transnational corporate practitioners, and colleagues in numerous complementary disciplines to field the most appropriate team for any given matter.

Counseling on Arbitration Agreements: Thoughtful planning can prevent expensive and time-consuming litigation after a dispute arises and can provide distinct tactical advantages to a party. We regularly negotiate, draft, advise, and teach courses on the drafting and interpretation of arbitration and forum-selection agreements in circumstances ranging from simple two-party deals to complex commercial transactions involving multiple parties, jurisdictions, and applicable local law. In every case, our objective is to achieve the unique goals of our client in a cost-effective manner. We use these interactive “round-table” format (in-person and virtual) seminars to discuss and further develop effective methods and strategies for the prevention and early resolution of complex international commercial disputes based on actual case studies and experience.

Client Successes

  • Lotte Chemical, a South Korean company and member company of the Lotte Group previously known as Honam Petrochemical, faced a wide-ranging lawsuit involving multiple South Korean parties involving serious allegations of misappropriation of trade secrets and numerous related causes of action in a complex intellectual property dispute. Under a novel arbitration doctrine, Lotte Chemical moved to compel arbitration of the entire dispute pursuant to a long-term supply agreement concerning carbon-fiber technologies. The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama granted the Paul Hastings motion in its entirety, agreeing that the dispute should be resolved in South Korea, not Alabama. The Court concluded that the “nonsignatory” arbitration doctrine permitted our clients to invoke an arbitration clause in the long-term agreement, to which Lotte Chemical was not a signatory. The U.S. District Court then stayed the proceedings pending resolution of the trade-secret dispute before the International Chamber of Commerce in Seoul, South Korea. Plaintiffs subsequently dismissed the suit in its entirety without filing any arbitration against Lotte Chemical. This reflected a complete win for the client.

  • Served as co-lead counsel for a leading Japanese manufacturer in an LCIA arbitration seated in London concerning the dissolution of a multi-billion dollar joint venture with a European conglomerate.  Secured a final award that reflected all of the relief that our client requested, including the costs of the arbitration.

  • Served as co-lead counsel in a political risk insurance arbitration based on claims of expropriation and discrimination by a Latin American sovereign.  Defeated US$50 million claim in a UNCITRAL arbitration seated in New York.  Successfully defended the award in a subsequent action to vacate the award in U.S. District Court.

  • Served as lead counsel in a tripartite ad hoc international insurance arbitration seated in New York. Secured a favorable ruling in parallel litigation in the Southern District of New York concerning non-signatories to the arbitration. Following a week-long merits hearing, the arbitral tribunal issued a final award that found no liability for our client.

Industry Recognition

  • Ranked a Top 100 Global Practice, Global Arbitration Review's GAR Top 100, 2021

  • Ranked Firm for Dispute Resolution: International Arbitration, The Legal 500 U.S., 2021

  • Recognized for Nationwide International Arbitration, Chambers USA, 2019

  • Ranked Firm for Latin America-wide International Arbitration, Chambers Global, 2019

Contact Us

Image: Jonathan C. Hamilton
Jonathan C. Hamilton

Global Co-Chair

Image: Joseph R. Profaizer
Joseph R. Profaizer

Global Co-Chair

Image: Garreth Wong
Garreth Wong

Global Co-Chair

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