Arbitration Lawyer

We are Buchanan; London; On-site; NOK 1,133,000 - 1,763,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

US-firm salary

1,800-hour billing target

Two-stage interview process

London office investment

Job summary

We are Buchanan seeks an associate with solid international arbitration experience to join its London International Arbitration & Dispute Resolution team. The role offers exposure to ICC, LCIA, SIAC, HKIAC and ICSID matters, working closely with partners across the US and Europe.

The ideal candidate has 3–4 PQE with strong writing and cross-border dispute experience. Energy or infrastructure exposure is advantageous but not required; a two-stage interview process is described.

Qualifications

• Solid international arbitration experience in a credible disputes practice.
• Strong writing and sharp analysis are essential.
• Experience with cross-border matters under multiple governing laws is preferred.
• Energy, infrastructure, or construction disputes experience is a plus but not required.

Responsibilities

• Work on ICC, LCIA, SIAC, HKIAC, ICSID and UNCITRAL proceedings.
• Prepare witnesses, draft submissions and anticipate strategic arguments.
• Engage with partners; contribute to case management and advocacy.
• Support business development and client relationships in a global practice.

Skills

International arbitration experience

Strong writing

Cross-border disputes

Analytical skills

Education

Qualified in 2022–2023

Job description

About the job

A US-headquartered international firm is expanding its London International Arbitration & Dispute Resolution team. The team has taken on more work, so this is a genuine growth hire, not a backfill. The search has only just opened.

WHERE THE WORK COMES FROM

London is a strategic hub for the firm’s global arbitration group, working closely with colleagues across the US and Continental Europe. The client list is broad: corporates, investors, state-owned entities and governments, in disputes arising across Europe,the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Energy and infrastructure are the engine of the practice. Expect oil & gas and LNG disputes, gas price reviews, renewables and major construction projects. That is not the whole picture, though. The team is equally at home on finance, commodities and trading, technology and IP, telecoms, life sciences, mining and agriculture matters, so the caseload rarely settles into a single groove.

THE DOCKET

On any given day, an associate could be working on an ICC commercial claim, an investment treaty case beforeICSID and an award enforcement action in the English courts. The team runs matters under ICC, LCIA, SIAC, HKIAC,ICSID and UNCITRAL rules, as well as ad hoc proceedings. Dispute types include:

• M&A and financial structuring disputes
• Commodities contract claims
• Infrastructure and construction arbitrations
• Investor-state treaty claims
• Challenges to and enforcement of awards

Related litigation before the English High Court and the DIFC Courts runs alongside the arbitration work. Associates therefore develop as all-round disputes lawyers, not only as specialists in one forum.

A DETAIL WORTH NOTING

The partners here do their own advocacy rather than automatically instructing counsel. For an associate, that means sitting close to the action: preparing witnesses, shaping submissions and seeing first-hand how a case is argued. The incoming associate will work directly with several partners, supported by an established associate structure.

WHO FITS

The sweet spot is 3–4PQE, broadly 2022 or 2023 qualified, with some room either side for an outstanding candidate.

The core requirement is solid international arbitration experience from a credible disputes practice, including complex cross-border matters under multiple governing laws. Strong writing and sharp analysis are essential. Energy experience would be a real advantage but is not a condition. Candidates who have worked on infrastructure, construction, technology, finance or commodities disputes will be just as interesting, particularly if they have also touched High Court litigation or enforcement work.

Applicants do not need to come from an arbitration boutique. Lawyers from broader international disputes teams are very much in scope.

THE PRACTICALITIES

• US-firm salary, highly competitive
• 1,800-hour billing target, comparatively manageable for a US firm
• Two-stage interview process
• A London office that has seen substantial lateral investment across practices