International Arbitration

Matrix is home to some of the leading international lawyers of their generation who are involved in a significant proportion of the cases before international courts and tribunals. Members are frequently instructed as counsel and arbitrators in international commercial, investment treaty and inter-state arbitrations.

Matrix lawyers have acted as counsel or arbitrator in arbitrations under a diverse number of rules, including UNCITRAL, ICC, LCIA, HKIAC, SCC, Swiss rules, ICSID and its Additional Facility Rules. They also specialise in court proceedings relating to arbitration, acting in leading cases dealing with interim relief and enforcement of awards.

Our broad range of expertise across Matrix means that members are also well placed to assist with ancillary and specific issues such as privacy and confidentiality, addressing allegations of bribery and corruption and fraud, and related criminal proceedings.

Inter-State arbitration

Our members regularly act on inter-state claims, such as maritime boundary disputes, international claims relating to the environment and international trade disputes. We have acted for the Australian government in Australia v Japan (“Antarctic Whaling”) ICJ Reports 2014, p. 226.

Investment treaty arbitration

Our lawyers are involved as counsel in high profile investment treaty cases acting for states and investors.

Cases include:

Philippines v China (South Sea China dispute).
Niko Resources (Bangladesh) Ltd v Bangladesh & Ors.
British Caribbean Bank Limited v The Government of Belize.
Dunkeld International Investment Limited v The Government of Belize.
Chevron Corporation (USA) and Texaco Petroluem Corporation (USA) v the Republic of Ecuador.
Compañiá de Aguas del Aconquija S.A. and Vivendi Universal S.A. v. Argentine Republic.
Tecnicas Medioambientales Tecmed SA v United Mexican States.
Salini Costruttori SpA v The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
Saluka Investments BV v Czech Republic.

Members also advise on the structuring of investments to secure investment treaty protection.

Commercial arbitration

We have experts who advise on, and act as counsel in, commercial arbitrations across a range of sectors (energy, construction, financial and telecommunications) and jurisdictions across the world. We have acted on arbitrations under all the major institutional rules, including ICC, LCIA, HKIAC as well as ad hoc arbitrations under the UNCITRAL Rules.

Arbitrators

We have members on designated arbitrator panel and lists, including on the ICSID Member of the Panel of Arbitrators, the PCA list of arbitrators in the field of natural resources and the environment maintained by the Secretary General to the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the HKIAC list of arbitrators and the FA Premier League Panel. Our members have also sat as arbitrators in cases under the ICSID, LCIA, ICC, UNCITRAL and Swiss Rules.

Court applications in support of arbitration

Members have expertise in court applications arising from arbitration, including:

Anti-suit injunctions,
Freezing orders and orders for disclosure,
Injunctions in support of arbitration proceedings,
Challenges to arbitrators and to arbitral awards,
Enforcement of arbitral awards.

Members of chambers have particular expertise in issues relating to sovereign immunity arising in proceedings brought against a state.

Sports arbitration

Members at Matrix appear as counsel in sports arbitration, including representation before the Court of Arbitration for Sports in Lausanne, acting for West Ham United in the FA/FAPL arbitration brought by Fulham FC, and the players of Sheffield United arising out of the Carlos Tevez affair. Some of our members act as ad hoc clerks for the Court of Arbitration, including in Dutee Chand v International Associations of Athletics Federations CAS 2014/A/3759, the well-reported case of a female athlete with hyper-androgenism who was prevented from competing in international competitions.

Class actions claims in arbitration

Our human rights team have experience in using arbitration in large group claims against corporations for breach of their business and human rights obligations. For more information see our Corporate Social Responsibility, Investigations and Audits practice area.