Our expertise | Litigation & Dispute Resolution

International Dispute Resolution

Resolving complex international disputes and arbitration through strategic advocacy.

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Our International Dispute Resolution Group comprises lawyers focusing on dispute resolution, arbitration, litigation, advocacy, risk and crisis management, dispute prevention and mediation. As one of the few firms with a truly global outlook and service, we have received extensive recognition in this area.

With more than five decades of active involvement in international transactions and disputes, we enjoy solid working relationships with established local counsel in most strategic markets of the world.

Our lawyers are sensitive to the cultural and business nuances of each country and region, expertly guiding you through the complexities of international arbitrations, whether under a common law or civil law regime.

Why Choose Us?

Our team is recognized as one of the world's most successful firms for international arbitration by the 2024 edition of the Global Arbitration Review (GAR), which ranked us 10th in its prestigious GAR 30.

By partnering with our colleagues with substantive industry expertise, our international arbitration practitioners bring you an in-depth understanding of sectors such as oil and gas, technology, pharmaceutical, franchising, infrastructure, construction, transportation, project finance, financial services and M&A.

Our Capabilities

Arbitration

To achieve successful outcomes in arbitration, it is essential to have prior experience with the numerous bodies involved. We have conducted arbitrations involving parties from Africa, the Americas, Asia, Australia, Europe and the Middle East, before all the leading arbitration institutions.

Success is not simply gauged by receiving an award. We also focus on ensuring that awards are enforced in the long term. We are a leader in bilateral investment treaty arbitration, the most important frontier of international law. Amongst our high-profile cases are those involving banking and monetary regulation, oil and gas and gold mining.

We are also one of the very few firms that has invoked the new Emergency Arbitration Procedure under the ICC Rules since their recent introduction.

Public International Law and Investment Treaty and Claims

With a team that includes former US ambassadors and senior government officials, we have a proven track record of representing sovereigns, sovereign-controlled entities and sovereign wealth funds. This has involved investor-state and state-to-state arbitrations and federal court litigation involving commercial, trade, public international law, bilateral investment treaty and Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act issues.

Our lawyers successfully represent companies before international tribunals, such as ICSID, PCA, ICJ, ITLOS, the Iran-US Claims Tribunal and US Courts advancing expropriation, national treatment, most favored nation (MFN) treatment, and minimum standard of treatment claims against sovereign entities.

International Litigation

We help you to manage the risks of international and local disputes at every step of proceedings, striving to achieve the best result in every scenario. Our lawyers around the globe permanently handle the most complex civil law litigation, often working in several jurisdictions or languages. Examples include cartel damages, construction, intellectual property, product liability and unfair competition litigation. In cases of urgency, we regularly assist our clients at short notice in emergency relief actions under appropriate local law.

Broad Dispute Resolution Services, Including Risk Management

We can help you to manage the risks of international disputes by undertaking risk audits, counseling on risk prevention, and assisting in structuring deals to take advantage of investment treaty (BIT, ICSID and ECT) protections and adopting carefully drafted dispute resolution clauses contracts. When a dispute arises, we work closely with our clients to undertake an early case assessment and implement a cost-effective dispute resolution strategy, which may include escalating alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.

Mediation

Increasingly, we find that international disputes are resolved through mediation. While this is not appropriate for all cases, we have dealt with many cases in which it has worked successfully.

A number of our lawyers are accredited mediators and, in the UK, we are publicly recognized by the Centre for Dispute Resolution (CEDR) and have won the CEDR Award for Professional Excellence in ADR three times running. No other law firm holds this accolade.

Ancillary Court Actions

We regularly represent clients in ancillary proceedings relating to international arbitrations, and can represent you in courts around the world. These cases often involve motions to compel arbitration or recognition and enforcement of arbitral awards. In addition, we have substantial experience with pre-arbitration attachment of assets and post-award execution. To ensure we maximize every opportunity to achieve a successful outcome for you, we partner with leading asset recovery investigation consultants.

Our Focus Areas

Natural Gas & LNG Negotiation & Arbitration

Our global team has extensive expertise advising clients in relation to corporate transactions, project development, financing and disputes across the gas and LNG industry. As one of the preeminent law firms in the world in this area, and with significant experience in the US, European and Asia Pacific markets, we advise on procurement and trading of LNG and regularly partner with our clients to address all manner of day-to-day issues arising out of the operations of their gas supply agreements, long term LNG sale and purchase agreements, master LNG sale and purchase agreements, and confirmation notices. In particular, we work jointly with our clients to manage potential disputes before they arise, develop negotiation strategies to achieve maximum results, and assist with each step of any contentious process, be it with regard to delivery, flexibility, hardship, termination, force majeure or pricing.

Why Choose Us?

Our multidisciplinary core team of specialists, spread across our global network of offices, work together on a daily basis. Our long-standing collaboration and constant contact between transactional and disputes lawyers lead to great efficiency, flexibility, and the ability to respond to our clients’ issues in real time as they arise, no matter what time zone they happen in. Our natural gas/LNG disputes team regularly advise LNG buyers and traders in preparing for, and participating in, price review negotiations, developing strategies based on the interpretation of the contract, analyzing the price review provision as well as the wider contract, and working closely with the client’s commercial team, economic experts, and in-house legal team as a unified “project working group.”

Our Capabilities

Our natural gas/LNG disputes team has over 20 years’ experience and has acted for parties in over 75 natural gas disputes, achieving several billion dollars in successful outcomes for our clients. We are currently working on natural gas/LNG disputes across the spectrum of industry issues, including:

  • Acting for multiple European buyers in disputes regarding underdeliveries of pipeline gas

  • Acting for Asian LNG buyers in price review arbitrations

  • Acting for Asian LNG buyers in price review negotiations

  • Acting for buyers in multiple jurisdictions in commercial arbitrations regarding missed cargoes, underdeliveries and disputed declarations of force majeure

Our natural gas/LNG transactional team has a strong track record in drafting and negotiating all types of gas/LNG project documents and commercial agreements:

  • Long-term LNG sale and purchase agreements, master LNG sale agreements, confirmation notices

  • Pipeline gas sale and purchase agreements

  • Liquefaction tolling agreements

  • Terminal use agreements

  • Shared facilities agreements

  • Port use agreements/conditions of use

  • Pipeline transportation agreements, pipeline precedent agreements

  • Vessel charterparties

Our team is based in Europe, Asia, Australia and the US and includes civil law and common law qualified lawyers fluent in multiple different languages.

Our Recognitions

  • Recognized as one of the world's most successful firms for international arbitration by the 2023 edition of the Global Arbitration Review (GAR), which ranked us in the upper half of its prestigious GAR 30.

  • George von Mehren (London), Stephen Anway (New York), Michelle Glassman Bock (Brussels), Rostislav Pekař (Prague), José Feris (Paris), John Adam (Paris) and Rodman Bundy (Singapore) are named in Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration 2023: Arbitrators and Counsel

  • Mária Poláková (Prague), Sabrina Aïnouz (Paris), Jerome Lehucher (Paris) and Marija Šćekić (London) are named in Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration 2023: Future Leaders

  • Ranked in Chambers Asia Pacific 2023: Singapore – Dispute Resolution: Arbitration: Highly Regarded

  • Ranked in Chambers USA 2022 (Band 1) for Nationwide: International Arbitration

  • Ranked in Chambers Global 2022 (Band 1) for Dispute Resolution: Czech Republic

  • Recognized by Jus Connect’s 2022 Arbitration Team of the Year Award

  • Ranked in Legal 500 US 2022 (Tier 4) for International Arbitration

  • In 2020, two partners were appointed to the ICSID Panel of Arbitrators: Stephen Anway was appointed by the Slovak Republic, and Ali Gursel was appointed by Turkmenistan

  • In 2020, Law360 named Squire Patton Boggs as International Arbitration Group of the Year, selecting the firm out of 800 other applicants

  • Won three of the top 20 commercial arbitration awards in the world from 2001 to 2013, as ranked by The American Lawyer Arbitration Scorecard:

    • Atlantic LNG Company of Trinidad and Tobago v. Gas Natural Aprovisionamientos SDG, S.A., UNCITRAL arbitration, award dated March 27, 2008 – Serving as counsel for Gas Natural in a UNCITRAL price review arbitration against Atlantic LNG, centering on the conditions in the Spanish and US gas markets. The tribunal issued an award in our client’s favor for more than US$4 billion in value.

    • Gas Natural SDG, S.A. v. Nigeria LNG Limited, UNCITRAL arbitration, award dated June 14, 2005 – Representing Gas Natural in a UNCITRAL price review arbitration against Nigeria LNG, centering on the deregulation of the European natural gas markets. The tribunal issued an award in our client’s favor for more than US$2 billion in value.

    • Edison S.p.A. v. Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Company Limited (II) (RasGas), ICC Case No. 17788/VRO – Acting for Edison SpA in a natural gas price review ICC arbitration against RasGas, concerning end-user prices in the European gas market due to the economic crises, increased competition and other factors. The tribunal issued an award in our client’s favor for €450 million.

Public International Law

We have one of the world’s most-preeminent public international law practices. Our lawyers have represented more than 33 sovereign States and various international organizations, and acted in more inter-State proceedings than lawyers at any other law firm in the world.

Members of our group appear regularly before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) and have also advised on matters before international criminal tribunals, international human rights bodies, and other courts and specialized bodies.

We also have a strong advisory practice, supporting our clients in navigating complex public international questions and developing strategies to protect their interests, be those governmental or business-related.

Our team’s experience includes working on:

  • Boundary disputes and sovereignty issues

  • The law of the sea

  • Inter-State arrangements for sharing resources

  • Statehood and recognition of governments

  • The law of treaties

  • State responsibility

  • International environmental law

  • International criminal law

  • International humanitarian law

  • International human rights law

  • Transboundary infrastructure (including pipelines and power and communications cables)

  • The law of international organizations

  • Space law

  • Immunities

  • The interaction between public international law and national law

We also have a market-leading practice advising on international investment treaty law and arbitration.

Our Experience

Our recent publishable work includes:

  • Guatemala – Representing in proceedings against Belize before the ICJ concerning the delimitation of the states’ land and maritime boundary, and sovereignty over islands.

  • Colombia – Representing in proceedings before the ICJ against Nicaragua concerning claims that Colombia’s naval forces had interfered with Nicaragua’s sovereign rights in its exclusive economic zone, and counterclaims including, inter alia, a claim that Nicaragua’s system of straight baselines was unlawful under customary international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

  • Colombia – Representing in proceedings before the ICJ against Nicaragua concerning Nicaragua’s claim to an extended continental shelf beyond 200 nautical meters.

  • Bolivia – Representing in proceedings before the ICJ against Chile concerning international watercourses. The case also raised environmental issues relating to a State’s obligation to prevent significant transboundary harm as a result of possible pollution to a river, and whether provisions of the 1997 Watercourses Convention constitute customary international law.

  • Former president of Kosovo – Representing in his trial for alleged war crimes against humanity before a specialized war crimes court known as the Kosovo Specialist Chambers.

  • World Wide Fund for Nature – Representing in the ICJ advisory opinion proceedings Obligations of States in Respect of Climate Change.

Recognitions

  • Recognized as one of the world's most successful firms for international arbitration for several years in Global Arbitration Review (GAR), including being ranked 14th in the 2025 edition in its prestigious GAR 30.

  • Ranked 4th in the world for Most Active Law Firm in Investment Arbitration (Global) in Jus Connect’s 2025 Data-Driven Arbitration Rankings.

  • Four partners have been appointed to the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) Panel of Arbitrators by signatory states under the ICSID Convention, each serving a term of six years:

    • Stephen Anway, Slovakia appointed in 2019

    • Ali Gursel, Turkmenistan appointed in 2020

    • Rostislav Pekar, Czech Republic appointed in 2021

    • Dr. Eveli Lume, Estonia appointed in 2023

  • In 2020, Law360 named Squire Patton Boggs as International Arbitration Group of the Year, selecting the firm out of 800 other applicants

  • Won three of the top 20 commercial arbitration awards in the world from 2001 to 2013, as ranked by The American Lawyer Arbitration Scorecard:

    • Atlantic LNG Company of Trinidad and Tobago v. Gas Natural Aprovisionamientos SDG, S.A., UNCITRAL arbitration, award dated March 27, 2008 – Serving as counsel for Gas Natural in a UNCITRAL price review arbitration against Atlantic LNG, centering on the conditions in the Spanish and US gas markets. The tribunal issued an award in our client’s favor for more than US$4 billion in value.

    • Gas Natural SDG, S.A. v. Nigeria LNG Limited, UNCITRAL arbitration, award dated June 14, 2005 – Representing Gas Natural in a UNCITRAL price review arbitration against Nigeria LNG, centering on the deregulation of the European natural gas markets. The tribunal issued an award in our client’s favor for more than US$2 billion in value.

    • Edison S.p.A. v. Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Company Limited (II) (RasGas), ICC Case No. 17788/VRO – Acting for Edison SpA in a natural gas price review ICC arbitration against RasGas, concerning end-user prices in the European gas market due to the economic crises, increased competition and other factors. The tribunal issued an award in our client’s favor for €450 million.

Chambers

  • Recognized in Chambers Global for:

    • Global Market Leaders – Arbitration (International)

    • Europe-wide – Arbitration (International)

    • Public International Law

    • UK – International Arbitration: Commercial Arbitration

    • USA – International Arbitration: Highly Regarded

    • Latin America – International Counsel, Arbitration (International)

    • Czech Republic – Dispute Resolution

    • Dominican Republic – Dispute Resolution

    • France – International Arbitration

    • Singapore – Dispute Resolution: Arbitration: Highly Regarded

  • Recognized in Chambers Europe for:

    • Dispute Resolution – Czech Republic

    • Arbitration (International) – Europe-wide

  • Recognized for International Arbitration: Nationwide in Chambers USA

  • Recognized for International Arbitration: Commercial Arbitration – UK-wide in Chambers UK

  • Recognized for International Arbitration in Chambers France

  • Recognized for Dispute Resolution: Arbitration – Singapore in Chambers Asia-Pacific

  • Recognized for International Arbitration – International Counsel and Dispute Resolution – Dominican Republic in Chambers Latin America

Legal 500

  • Recognized in Legal 500 UK in London for:

    • Dispute Resolution – Commodities Disputes

    • Dispute Resolution – International Arbitration

    • Dispute Resolution – Public International Law

  • Recognized for Dispute Resolution – International Arbitration in North America – United States in Legal 500 US

  • Recognized in Legal 500 Asia Pacific for:

    • RCEP – Australia: Dispute Resolution: Arbitration

    • East Asia – Japan: Dispute Resolution: International Firms And Joint Ventures

    • Asia Pacific – Asia Pacific: Regional International Arbitration – Leading Firms

    • Southeast Asia – Singapore: International Arbitration

  • Recognized in Legal 500 EMEA for:

    • Europe – Spain: Dispute Resolution

    • CEE/CIS – Slovakia: Dispute Resolution

    • Europe – France: Dispute Resolution: International Arbitration and International Arbitration Latin America: International Firms

    • Middle East – United Arab Emirates: Dispute Resolution: Arbitration and International Litigation and Dispute Resolution: Compliance and Investigations

    • CEE/CIS – Poland: Dispute Resolution

    • CEE/CIS – Czech Republic: Dispute Resolution

  • Recognized in Legal 500 Latin America for:

    • Latin America – Dominican Republic: Dispute Resolution

    • Latin America – Latin America: International Firms: International Arbitration

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