William O'Brien

Practice Areas

Partner and Head of Cross-Border Litigation & International Commercial Arbitration, Will guides clients through high-stakes international arbitration and litigation, serving as lead counsel before all major arbitral institutions and US courts. He develops global dispute resolution strategies for clients, with a focus on multi-jurisdictional and parallel disputes involving sovereign immunity/FSIA, enforcement of arbitration awards and judgments, government contracts, treaties, Section 1782 discovery actions, joint venture and commercial contractual disputes, laws of war, non-signatories, money laundering and fraud or corruption allegations, among other areas.

Will has successfully handled matters spanning more than 40 countries throughout North America, Asia, Africa, Australia, the Middle East and Latin America. Co-Head of the firm’s Industrials Sector, he represents multinational companies in aviation/aerospace and defense, security, manufacturing, automotive, construction, energy, government, chemicals and plastics, telecom, transportation, and infrastructure.

As an adjunct professor of law at Georgetown University Law Center, he teaches international commercial arbitration with a focus on sovereigns and best practices in international contracting. He also teaches international arbitration at the International Law Institute. Will is a member of the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR, the IBA’s Arbitration Committee, and the Steering Committee on international arbitration for the US Council on International Business.

Will also serves as a member of the Eversheds Sutherland Global Board of Directors.