We have considerable experience of handling complex international arbitrations. Michael Sparkes trained and worked in specialist shipping, trade and arbitration firms over the years and has acquired a wealth of procedural and technical experience over the past twenty years in a range of LCIA, LMAA, ICA and other forms of arbitration.

The arbitration disputes that we handle frequently have a multi-jurisdictional element to them and often involve related High Court proceedings, such as applications to obtain freezing orders, challenge jurisdiction and enforce arbitral awards. We have experience across a wide variety of sectors, including commodities, hotels and oil and gas.

Examples of our recent work include:

  • Representing a private equity firm in its defence of claims for alleged fraud, breach of contract and unjust enrichment arising out of the allegedly unlawful termination of a hotel joint-venture agreement.
  • Issuing an application for a client under Section 72 of the Arbitration Act for a declaration that our client was not a party to an arbitration agreement.