Disputes (International & Cross-Border) | Global

Globally renowned for its leading international arbitration practice, which is driven by its New York and London teams, along with a highly rated cross-office strategy. The team's disputes offering also includes a range of commercial litigation, as well as securities matters. With its nine offices spanning three continents, Debevoise opts to focus on the three primary financial sectors in the world: New York, London and Hong Kong. For key markets beyond its office coverage, the firm typically engages with local counsel, enjoying strong relationships with a selection of acclaimed independent firms.

A formidable presence in the cross-border disputes space, Gibson Dunn remains a stellar choice for clients in multi-jurisdictional litigation. Its California base acts as the hub for environmental and mass tort litigation, and much of its international work is driven by market-leading commercial litigation practices in Washington DC and New York. The team carries out a large amount of cross-office work domestically and internationally, utilising its solid footprint. In addition to its own office coverage, the law firm is part of an ever-growing network of independent firms in various jurisdictions across the world from which it can choose to coordinate with local counsel. The choice of counsel is entirely flexible for clients but is often preceded by a comprehensive vetting process.

It hosts a market-leading disputes practice driven by an impressive New York hub which comprises a top-rated securities team, as well as a strong corporate and commercial litigation offering. The law firm has additionally notable litigation teams in California and Washington, D.C. With its 21 offices worldwide, Skadden is well positioned to coordinate multi-jurisdictional mandates. The law firm is also highlighted for its significant presence in the international arbitration arena, which serves to bolster its global platform.

New York-headquartered Davis Polk has high-end capabilities across transactional, regulatory and contentious areas. It is set up to serve global clients and project-manage matters from key financial centres, including London, Beijing and Hong Kong, and collaborates with selected partner firms in other jurisdictions for local law aspects. Primarily serving large US and international investment banks, financial institutions and corporates, the firm has extensive experience handling sophisticated, multi-jurisdictional M&A, financing and capital markets offerings, as well as running international investigations and disputes, including global antitrust files.

New York-headquartered Paul, Weiss has a strong corporate identity and culture, offering high-end M&A capabilities. The firm's typical clients include financial institutions, multinational companies and large private equity houses and asset managers. For global work anchored in the USA or with US aspects, the firm is a strong choice for transactional work such as M&A, financing and private equity investments. The firm's own offices connect its US base with presence in Europe and Asia, and it is also known to collaborate effectively with high-end firms in other jurisdictions.

Sidley Austin is frequently sought out by international clients for its global sector expertise, with the law firm's focus built around strong relationships with clients in financial service, energy, life sciences and biotechnology. While the law firm's US base remains the central hub of its global operations, Sidley Austin also attracts ample praise for its ability to join up experts across its platform throughout Europe and Asia, with offices in London, Singapore and China among others also playing a vital role in the firm's international appeal. The law firm has an impressive ability to handle global transactions, disputes and investigations, enabling it to provide a comprehensive service on sophisticated matters for clients in its key industry groups.

Sullivan & Cromwell has developed a stellar reputation as an international law firm, combining a leading US law practice headquartered in New York with top-end expertise throughout its offices across Asia-Pacific and European financial centres. The firm provides broad international capabilities on substantial transactions and high-value contentious cases, appealing to a broad range of international companies and banks based both within and outside the USA.

White & Case provides clients with an impressive global platform. The law firm handles high-end, complex mandates from the USA and works seamlessly with other teams in its expansive network across EMEA and Asia-Pacific and with other offices across North and South America. The team excels in transactional and contentious matters, recognised for its ability to drive cross-border deals into other jurisdictions. By remaining highly attuned to the needs of all international clients, it is a popular choice for global operations. 

The law firm's revered New York practice has leading expertise in securities actions and commercial litigation. The firm's impressive roster of litigators frequently represent its elite client base of corporates and financial institutions in matters with international elements and are particularly noted for their expertise in RMBS claims. The team is additionally well versed in antitrust disputes, with the capacity to coordinate multi-jurisdictional class actions. For cross-border disputes, the firm routinely coordinates with top-tier law firms in a variety of countries, including the UK, Germany, Japan and Australia. Cravath frequently represents non-US corporations in disputes overseas, and is notably active in the Asia-Pacific and Latin America regions.

The law firm houses a first-class international trade practice operating out of its Washington DC office, with particular expertise in overseas trade remedies and global sanctions. Additionally prominent in food-related litigation, regularly representing domestic and international trade associations and leading food manufacturers in FDA disputes. The US team is also active in the international arbitration space, utilising its extensive global office coverage with notable expertise in disputes across Latin America and the Middle East. Another notable feature of Hogan Lovells' global disputes offering is its representation of sovereigns across the world. Its extensive regulatory capabilities reinforce the firm's strength in certain sectors, including aviation and e-commerce. Other areas of strength include international disputes related to nuclear energy, FERC litigation, cross-border commercial litigation and class action claims.

King & Spalding has expanded from its US base to offer on-the-ground expertise in transactions, project development and disputes to a global clientele. It is well established in the global energy sector, with complementary expertise in international arbitration. It delivers high-quality international support to clients via a network of offices and affiliated firms that spans the USA, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Highly rated for its international work across a broad range of regulated industries, Arnold & Porter frequently acts as global counsel to a host of leading multinational companies in the life sciences sector. The law firm is particularly highlighted for its high-end expertise in regulatory issues and product liability cases, coordinating advice on the global development and distribution of pharmaceuticals and medical devices across the USA, the EU and Asia. 

Baker McKenzie offers one of the most expansive and established international footprints in the legal industry, and its global reach is frequently referred to by multinational clients as one of its primary assets. The New York office acts as an important hub of lawyers with international experience and expertise across multiple areas, offering a full-service scope. The law firm enjoys an excellent reputation for its international and cross-border capabilities, and is often praised for the smooth execution and collaboration that clients experience across the firm's network.

Covington & Burling is a leading law firm globally for regulatory advice with a consistent focus on regulatory issues across all of its offices. The firm assists clients around the world with matters related to international trade, public policy and global compliance issues such as data protection, antitrust and competition regulation. The firm also has a notable industry focus across its global platform, targeting pharmaceuticals and healthcare products, food, technology and media.

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., Crowell & Moring advises multinational corporations on international trade disputes, with particular expertise in customs litigation. Additionally active in export controls and economic sanctions, representing clients in the TMT, transport and insurance sectors, in cases concerning licence applications and government investigations. The law firm has additional offices in New York and California, along with teams in London, Brussels and Shanghai, which facilitates cross-border coordination on multi-jurisdictional matters.

Dechert is widely acknowledged to have an extensive international footprint with which it is able to handle major complex matters concerning multiple jurisdictions. With a significant focus on the financial sector, private equity and life sciences, the law firm is able to provide clients with assistance on a myriad of mandates, including disputes, from key offices across the major markets in the USA, Europe and Asia. To complement its significant global reach, the law firm also frequently collaborates with co-counsel from other jurisdictions to provide a complete service.

Sought after by clients for its expertise in cross-border disputes, Jones Day has strong corporate and commercial litigation practices operating out of Chicago and New York, along with additionally notable teams in California and Washington DC. The law firm is also experienced in multi-jurisdictional cartel litigation and sophisticated product liability claims, making full use of its extensive global footprint.

As a top-tier New York practice, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett is regularly sought out by major private equity firms and global corporations as a go-to law firm for advice on international transactional mandates. Primarily handling high-end mergers and acquisitions as well as sophisticated fund formation, financing and cross-border tax matters, the law firm's New York office is a significant hub of global expertise. It frequently coordinates cross-border work with the firm's other international offices across Europe, Latin America and Asia and with carefully chosen independent co-counsel from other jurisdictions.

Weil, Gotshal & Manges has forged an excellent reputation internationally through a global platform principally built around its transactional capabilities. The law firm's primary headquarters in New York and its impressive London base both act as important global hubs and are coupled with a far-reaching network of offices which extends across the USA and Europe, with Asian operations run from China. All the law firm's offices have a principal focus on advising international banks, large multinational corporations and private equity funds. The law firm typically offers strength in cross-border finance, restructuring, high-end M&A and tax across its platform. 

Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle has globally-recognised international trade specialists who regularly represent a wide array of multinational clients in WTO litigation, trade remedies and bilateral trade negotiations. Additionally reputed for its international arbitration and public international law offering, notably acting for state entities and sovereign states in investor-state arbitrations, as well as commercial disputes. Its arbitration expertise extends to Latin America, with particular strength in representing the Mexican and Venezuelan states in commercial and investment treaty matters. Beyond its traditional New York base, the law firm has an established global footprint with offices in key financial centres across the world, including London, Paris, Dubai, Frankfurt, Buenos Aires and Beijing. The law firm's D.C. office frequently collaborates with the increasingly prominent Geneva team for WTO disputes.

Foley Hoag is a world-renowned public international law boutique with a particularly acclaimed inter-state arbitration practice. The law firm boasts a formidable reputation for representing clients before the ICJ and ITLOS in arbitrations pertaining to boundary delimitation, sovereignty rights and armed conflict. The team is also uniquely positioned to represent sovereign states before the UN. Headquartered in Boston, the firm has additional offices in New York, Washington DC and Paris. To facilitate cross-border work, the law firm is part of the elite Lex Mundi network, an association of independent law firms spanning across 100 countries on five continents, providing an accessible platform for cross-office collaboration in multi-jurisdictional disputes. Foley Hoag is particularly well established in Latin America, frequently representing national governments and state-owned enterprises in commercial and investor-state arbitrations.

Highly recognised for its strength and excellent handling of cross-border mandates, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is adept at bringing an international mindset to resolving disputes. It has an international disputes practice experienced in high-value cross-border work. Freshfields has offices throughout the USA, including in New York, Silicon Valley and Washington DC. Beyond the USA, the law firm has teams in multiple jurisdictions throughout the world including the UK, Singapore and the UAE.

Reputed for its strong international arbitration practice, Hughes Hubbard is particularly adept at commercial, investor-state and state-to-state disputes. The group is also recognised for its expertise in multi-jurisdictional disputes involving Brazil and Venezuela, notably investor-state arbitrations. Its practitioners are additionally experienced in international trade, regularly representing multinational corporations, governments and trade associations in cases concerning export controls, economic sanctions and trade remedies. The law firm's scope of expertise also includes product liability defence, particularly within the pharmaceutical and tobacco sectors, as well as mass torts that are cross-border and carry global implications. Based in New York, Hughes Hubbard has additional offices in Washington, D.C., Missouri, Florida and California. The law firm's footprint also extends beyond the USA, with offices in Paris and Tokyo and a partnership with Saud Advogados in Rio de Janeiro.