Robert Bedford

Career

Rob is a partner and solicitor in our commercial dispute resolution practice. Rob has deep expertise in resolving complex, high-value, cross-border disputes; often involving thorny conflicts of law and jurisdictional issues and requiring the assembly and tight co-ordination of teams of foreign counsel and specialists.

He oversees a number of the firm’s largest cases, including acting for the claimants in Stati & Ors v Republic of Kazakhstan, a multi-jurisdictional action to enforce a US$500 million arbitral award resulting from breaches of the Energy Charter Treaty.

Other recent instructions include a EUR900 million investment arbitration against the Republic of Moldova and a complex civil fraud and asset recovery action in which worldwide freezing orders were obtained against 29 defendants and Chabra respondents across five jurisdictions. Rob has a growing reputation in relation to crypto disputes and was named as one of Citywealth’s Top 50 Crypto Professionals 2023.

Rob regularly advises a range of clients on sanctions compliance and has led internal investigations into alleged sanctions breaches, as well as hundreds of millions of dollars of suspicious payments.

Professional Memberships

Solicitor, Senior Courts of England and Wales, 2008

Solicitor, Roll of Solicitors of Ireland, 2019

Young International Arbitration Group

Education

Industry Sector Expertise

Rob joined Astraea from a global firm and specialises in large-scale, cross-border dispute resolution and asset recovery.

His clients include multinationals, private equity and credit funds, ultra-high-net-worth individuals, and owner-managed businesses. Recent instructions include: enforcing a US$500 million SCC arbitration award against the Republic of Kazakhstan across multiple jurisdictions, representing investors in a EUR900 million investment arbitration against the Republic of Moldova over airport concession rights, and leading a complex asset recovery action involving worldwide freezing orders against 29 defendants and Chabra respondents in five jurisdictions.

He has led a number of investigations including into suspicious prepayments of almost US$300 million to a counterparty shortly before it entered insolvency and into alleged breaches of Russia related sanctions.

Rob also advises clients on sanctions compliance.

Languages Spoken

English