Elizabeth Snodgrass

Practice Areas

Liz has more than two decades of experience as an advocate and adviser in international arbitration matters. She has acted in arbitrations around the world, with notable experience of disputes arising in Africa, India, and Asia. Liz has particular expertise handling disputes involving States and State entities and fiscal disputes under long-term contracts. Her practice is a mix of commercial and investment treaty arbitration, with a focus on the upstream energy, power, and mining sectors.

Career

Liz clerked for the Hon. Judge J.H. Wilkinson, then Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Liz has taught courses on international arbitration and global disputes at University College London (2007-2012), American University’s Washington College of Law (2019-2022), and Georgetown University (2021-2022).

Work Highlights

- Representing a subsidiary of an Australian mining company in a dispute with a Central Asian State concerning tax and royalty demands in breach of stability guarantees in a long-term investment agreement relating to one of the world’s largest gold/copper mines

- Representing Elliott Associates in a pending UNCITRAL arbitration against the Republic of Korea under the investment chapter of a free trade agreement, arising out of alleged governmental corruption and political interference in the activities of a State-controlled entity

- Representing consortia of oil majors in a series of arbitrations against a West African State-entity arising out long-term production sharing contracts

- Representing the Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese subsidiaries of a globally diversified mining company in an ICC arbitration with a US glass manufacturer arising out a licence agreement and concerning issues of patent infringement

- Defending an ICC arbitration brought by a counterparty to a technology licensing agreement against a Fortune 10 technology company. Governed by Delaware law, the dispute involves the development of cutting-edge mobile phone technology and a claim of unpaid royalties.