Department profile
A&O Shearman

International Arbitration: Commercial Arbitration

UK Guide 2026 : UK-wide

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A&O Shearman

Rankings

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

International Arbitration: Commercial Arbitration - UK-wide

Band 2

What the Team is Known For

A&O Shearman is highly regarded for its stellar track record in representing sovereign states and corporates in high-value investment treaty disputes. The firm has considerable experience carrying out its own advocacy before courts and tribunals. It is also adept at handling a number of other PIL matters, such as ECT and BIT claims, sovereign immunity concerns and international treaty drafting. The firm's practitioners regularly appear before tribunals under the auspices of UNCITRAL, ICSID and LCIA rules, among others. The team is experienced across a number of industries, acting for clients in the financial services, energy and telecoms sectors.

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Work Highlights

Provided by Chambers

  • A&O Shearman continued to advise The Kingdom of Morocco in a USD2.7 billion investment treaty claim brought by Corral Morocco Holdings AB regarding the privitisation of Morocco’s only oil refinery, SAMIR.

Strengths

Provided by Chambers

  • They go the extra mile to personally understand the client.

    International Arbitration: Commercial Arbitration respondentUK

  • Their ability to grasp the essence of the case but also leave no stone unturned is impressive.

    International Arbitration: Commercial Arbitration respondentUK

  • The firm provide excellent response times, no matter how difficult or how diverse the questions. They very effectively utilise the strength of their global network.

    International Arbitration: Commercial Arbitration respondentUK

Notable Practitioners

Provided by Chambers

  • David Herlihy
    David Herlihy

    David Herlihy

    David Herlihy has a strong practice representing investors and sovereign states in high-value and often-novel investment treaty claims. He demonstrates notable strength in ICSID disputes and has experience acting for European and Middle Eastern entities.

    • David is an excellent, talented practitioner.

      International Arbitration: Commercial Arbitration respondentUK
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  • Mark A Levy
    Mark A Levy

    Mark A Levy

    Mark Levy KC is a well-known arbitration specialist with a notable depth of expertise in the oil and gas sector. He often acts in arbitrations under LCIA rules and in disputes that involve complex political and foreign law issues.

    • Mark is a heavy-hitting specialist in the field and does an absolutely fantastic job.

      International Arbitration: Commercial Arbitration respondentUK

    • Mark has a winning mentality and is diligent.

      International Arbitration: Commercial Arbitration respondentUK

    • Mark has excellent intuition.

      International Arbitration: Commercial Arbitration respondentUK

    • He gets into the details of the case.

      International Arbitration: Commercial Arbitration respondentUK
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  • James Freeman
    James Freeman

    James Freeman

    James Freeman has a wide-ranging arbitration practice, acting for major clients in the oil and gas, financial services and telecoms sectors in a range of LCIA, UNCITRAL and ICC proceedings.

    • James is super intelligent and has a very rigorous mind and good judgement.

      International Arbitration: Commercial Arbitration respondentUK

    • James is extremely well prepared and thoughful.

      International Arbitration: Commercial Arbitration respondentUK

    • James is a brilliant strategic mind whom you will never catch by surprise, staying calm even in the heart of the storm. A superb combination of strategy and fighting the detail.

      International Arbitration: Commercial Arbitration respondentUK
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  • Guled Yusuf
    Guled Yusuf

    Guled Yusuf

    Guled Yusuf has noteworthy experience advising clients in both commercial and investor state arbitrations. He is well versed in a number of rules including ICSID, UNCITRAL, ICC and SIAC. His client base include sovereign states and corporate clients across a range of sectors.

    • He is a very good advocate, and is very smart and thorough in the way he approaches his cases.

      International Arbitration: Commercial Arbitration respondentUK

    • He is highly responsive and incredibly technical. He applies his technical ability with a strategic lense.

      International Arbitration: Commercial Arbitration respondentUK
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Ranked Individuals at A&O Shearman (4)

UK-wide

A&O Shearman has rankings in the following guides

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