Benjamin Knowles

Practice Areas

ICSID, LCIA, PCA, CIETAC, and ICDR. His work comprises commercial arbitrations as well as investor state cases.

He is currently recognised by Legal 500 in the International Arbitration Powerlist and as a leading individual. Ben also sits on the editorial board of the Global Arbitration Review and on the ICC UK Committee.

Ben has successfully represented a number of different Yemeni interests for close to two-decades, work which has played a major part in Clyde & Co being the only international firm currently recognised by Chambers in Yemen.

Clients describe Ben as an “outstanding professional who combines his extensive knowledge of arbitration with a flexible approach”. He "has excellent tactical skills, knowing exactly what to do and say and at what time" and "his black letter law knowledge is first class"

Experience

• Leading the team in more than 10 arbitrations concerning issues arising under Production Sharing Agreements in the oil and gas sector

• Representing a National Oil Company in a series of arbitrations arising out of fraud and breaches of anti-dumping legislation

• Representing an international offshore drilling company in relation to the expropriation of assets by a South American government

• Successfully defending a state in relation to telecoms licensing and the related investment law disputes, including what was at the time, one of the highest value arbitrations to have been commenced at the ICC

• Representing an insurer in a novel arbitration concerning the jurisdiction to hear disputes in arbitration arising out of an arbitration clause in a contract that was never executed

• Representing the developer in a long running dispute over the construction of a highway

• Defending a state in relation to an investor state claim concerning the redevelopment of an airport

• Representing a port authority in relation to the termination of a port concession agreement

• Representing a developer in relation to disputes concerning the construction of various electricity infrastructure

• Representing a contractor in relation to disputes concerning the deployment of temporary power generation equipment

• Representing states and contractors in relation to various LNG project issue

• Representing a National Oil Company in relation to long-term contract disputes with suppliers and refiners