George von Mehren

Senior Partner

About George

George von Mehren is global co-chair of our International Dispute Resolution Practice – ranked in the Top 10 by the Global Arbitration Review.

With more than 40 years of experience in complex adversarial proceedings, George spends 100% of his time representing clients in international arbitrations and providing strategic advice for litigation in courts outside the US. He has an established record of working effectively with counsel worldwide to achieve strong results for clients.

George has been lead counsel in more than 200 high-value international arbitrations, many resulting in multimillion-dollar to multibillion-dollar victories for his clients.

George is a recognized expert in energy industry disputes.

George’s legal training at Cambridge University (Trinity College) and Harvard Law School provides him with the background necessary to deal with cases governed by both common and civil law. Qualified to practice in several US courts, George is also a Registered Foreign Lawyer with the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (England and Wales). Whether a contract, licensing or joint venture dispute, construction, product liability, securities, insurance or regulatory matter, George is skilled in developing sophisticated strategies designed to win his client’s case either at hearing or in settlement negotiations.

Experience

  • Lead counsel for claimant in what is acknowledged to be the largest arbitration in the world – a US$100 billion plus UNCITRAL arbitration arising out of the development of an oil field in Asia.
  • Advising the government of Ecuador in connection with the Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) dispute between the US and Ecuador related to an alleged expropriation and unfair treatment of the claimants’ investment in an oil concession (International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID)). We successfully appealed the amount of the award and achieved the largest amount ever annulled up until that time in ICSID history of approximately US$800 million.
  • Acting for an Asian buyer in its pipeline gas and LNG price reviews.
  • Acting for a leading Japanese LNG buyer in a billion-US-dollar price review arbitration with Asia Pacific-based sellers.
  • Acting for a leading Chinese LNG buyer with its price negotiations in a billion-US-dollar pricing dispute with an Asia Pacific-based seller.
  • Acting for a leading Japanese LNG buyer with two price negotiations in two billion-US-dollar pricing negotiations with Asia Pacific-based sellers.
  • Acting for a leading Japanese LNG buyer in change of circumstances negotiations with various Asia Pacific-based sellers.
  • Acting for a leading Chinese LNG buyer with its price negotiations in a billion-US-dollar pricing dispute with an Asia Pacific-based seller.
  • Advising a Chinese terminal operator in respect of a potential missed cargo dispute against Asia-Pacific based sellers, including in relation to annual programming obligations.
  • Representing a Chinese LNG buyer in an ICC arbitration in relation to cargo deliveries under a long-term gas supply contract with an Asia Pacific-based seller.
  • Acting for a major state-owned Chinese LNG buyer in an English law multimillion-US-dollar dispute in relation to the pricing of, and cargo deliveries under, a long-term gas supply contract with an Australasian seller.
  • Acting for a major state-owned Chinese LNG buyer in an English law multimillion-US-dollar dispute in relation to cargo deliveries under a long-term gas supply contract with an Asia Pacific seller.
  • Acting for an Asian party in a missed cargo dispute, applying New York law.
  • Acting for an Asian party in connection with an LNG force majeure dispute, applying New York law.
  • Acting for an Asian party in an LNG dispute regarding contested diversions, applying New York law.
  • Acting for a Spanish buyer in numerous LNG price reviews.
  • Acting for a market participant in the very first LNG price review arbitration.

Credentials

Education
  • University of Cambridge, M.A., 1985
  • Harvard University, J.D., editor, Harvard Law Review, 1977
  • University of Cambridge, B.A., 1974
  • Harvard University, A.B., magna cum laude, 1972
Admissions
  • Ohio, 1977
  • England and Wales (Registered Foreign Lawyer)
  • U.S. Ct. of App., Sixth Circuit
  • U.S. Dist. Ct., N. Dist. of Ohio
  • U.S. Supreme Court
Courts
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Ct. of App., Sixth Circuit
  • U.S. Dist. Ct., N. Dist. of Ohio

Recognitions

  • Recognized in the 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Litigators guide

  • Included in the 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Litigators guide

  • Recognized in the Lexology Index: Arbitration 2026 Report in association with Global Arbitration Review

  • Recommended in Who’s Who Legal 2024, 2023 and 2021 in the Arbitration category – England

  • The American Lawyer’s Arbitration Scorecard has recognized three of George’s arbitration victories as among the largest in the world

  • Acknowledged in Legal 500 UK 2019: “has profound experience and skill, especially in strategy and tactics as well as full comprehension of client’s needs”

  • Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America every year since 2014

  • Recognized in Who’s Who Legal Thought Leaders 2018: Arbitration

  • Recognized in Who’s Who Legal for many editions

  • Former member of the ICC Court of Arbitration’s Task Forces on Emergency Arbitrator Proceedings and the Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards and the ICC’s Task Force on Amiable Composition and Ex Aequo et Bono principles in international arbitration

Expertise

Services
International Dispute Resolution
Industries
Construction & Engineering Energy & Natural Resources

Publications and Speaking Engagements

  • Speaker, “Asian Gas Disputes: Trends for a New Market Era”, SIAC, Singapore, June 2023.
  • Co-author, Chapter 11, “The Evolution of Natural Gas Price Review Arbitrations,”Global Arbitration Review: The Guide to Energy Arbitrations 5th ed., 2022.
  • Co-author, “Considerations in Natural Gas and LNG Price Review Claim Quantification,” Journal of World Energy Law and Business, Vol 8, No.2, 2015.
  • Co-author, “Beyond Price Reviews: Adjudicating Claims of Financial Hardship,” The Leading Practitioners’ Guide to international Oil and Gas Arbitration, JurisNet LLC, 2015
  • Co-author, “The arbitrator’s role,” Globe Law and Business: Gas Price Arbitrations – A Practical Handbook, 2014.