Practice Areas
Christina Hioureas is a partner and Global Co-Chair of the firm's International Litigation & Arbitration Department, and Chair of the firm’s United Nations practice group. Christina also serves on the firm’s Management Committee.
Christina represents States, State-owned entities, and corporations in international commercial and investment treaty disputes and public international law matters—including before all major arbitral fora (ICSID, UNCITRAL, ICC, SIAC, LCIA, ICDR, AAA), the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS). She also serves as presiding, sole, emergency and co-arbitrator in international and domestic arbitration disputes. Described as a “dominant force in the international arbitration community,” a "formidable advocate" and "a skilled investigator, case strategist, and disciplined team leader," Hioureas has been recognized in Chambers & Partners - Global and USA in the areas of Arbitration Counsel, Arbitrators, and Public International Law, respectively (2020-present). Chambers & Partners – USA: Arbitrators (2025) notes: "Christina's work as an arbitrator is outstanding. She prepares for each hearing thoroughly and is a balanced and efficient arbitrator.
As head of the United Nations Practice Group, Christina also advises States, organizations, and private entities on matters before the United Nations and its bodies, including the UN General Assembly and the Security Council. As a Visiting Professor at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Law and as a Lecturer in Law at the USC Gould School of Law, Christina teaches courses on the interplay between arbitration, inter-State proceedings, environmental law, and human rights.
Christina has been recognized as one of the "Top 10 Most Innovative Lawyers—North America" (2024) by the Financial Times. She has also three times been awarded the Center for Justice and Accountability’s "Partners in Justice" award for her work on transitional justice in Somalia, Cambodia, and Chile.
Her experience includes:
-As presiding, sole, emergency, and co-arbitrator in over 80 disputes under UNCITRAL, ICC, ICDR, LCIA, and AAA Rules relating to construction, natural gas, renewables, hospitality, franchise, supply chain, pharmaceuticals, fashion, technology, civil rights, cryptocurrency, and cyber-security, with amounts at stake upwards of $650 million. She is also a CEDR-certified mediator.
-As counsel in investment treaty and commercial arbitrations relating to cleantech, gas pricing/re-opener, energy supply, banking, construction, hospitality, taxation, and shareholder matters, under investment treaties and foreign investment laws; joint venture agreements; EPC contracts; sale and purchase agreements; production sharing contracts; power purchase agreements; joint development agreements; offtake agreements; and long-term leases, with amounts at stake upwards of $10 billion. Her extensive counsel experience encompasses representation of both private investors and claimants as well as sovereign States and State-owned entities, providing her with an understanding of the legal and commercial perspectives of all stakeholders in investment disputes.
-As counsel to States before the United Nations and before the ICJ, ITLOS, and regional human rights tribunals on issues relating to decolonization, self-determination, jus cogens, law of occupation, climate change, sea level rise, human rights, international humanitarian law, and rendition.
-As counsel before U.S. courts under the Alien Tort Statute and the Torture Victim Protection Act in cases alleging extrajudicial killing, torture, cruel treatment, arbitrary detention, and crimes against humanity; Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act in connection with embassies and consulates; and defense and enforcement of arbitral awards under the Federal Arbitration Act.
