Sullivan & Cromwell’s international arbitration practice is recognized as one of the leading international dispute resolution practices worldwide. S&C’s international arbitration practice has been cited by
Chambers Global in its annual listing of
The World’s Leading Lawyers for eight consecutive years and in the
Chambers USA listing since the inception of that publication in 2003. The
PLC Which Lawyer? Yearbook and
Global Counsel Dispute Resolution Handbook have likewise recommended S&C as a leading arbitration/dispute resolution firm in every edition since 2001 and the Firm’s arbitration practice is also cited in Legalease’s
The Legal 500: United States. In its 2006 edition,
Chambers Global praised S&C as “an ‘
absolutely first-class practice,’ [which] has the expertise ‘
to make a critical difference to the outcome of a case.’”
The Firm has handled international disputes for more than a century and has unparalleled expertise and experience in this area. In particular, S&C offers expertise in international commercial arbitration, which has become a part of many, if not most, major international disputes.
S&C’s arbitration lawyers analyze issues and draft mediation and arbitration clauses in international joint venture and other financial and commercial agreements. They advise on business decisions and plans that pose arbitration and litigation risks. They develop strategies to resolve complex international disputes, such as those involving multiple claims, multiple parties, multiple jurisdictions and parallel or closely related arbitral and judicial proceedings, and they represent clients in arbitration, mediation and other alternative dispute resolution proceedings.
Selected Clients
S&C’s recent arbitration experience extends to all regions of the world and encompasses a wide range of industries and issues. Clients for whom S&C has handled arbitration or dispute resolution matters reflect the international breadth of its client list and include, among many others: Bancolombia S.A., Centerra Gold Inc., Consorcio Transmantaro, Exxon, Goldman Sachs, Grupo IMSA, Grupo Techint, IMS Health Incorporated, Microsoft, Minera Alumbrera Limited, Pharmacia, Philips, SCOR, Softbank, Statoil S.A., Telefónica S.A. and TeliaSonera AB.
Recent Arbitration Highlights
Recent arbitration representations include, among others:
- S&C has achieved significant arbitration victories for Swedish client TeliaSonera in its efforts to obtain a controlling interest in Turkcell, Turkey's biggest mobile phone service provider. In 2007, a Tribunal of the International Chamber of Commerce in Geneva held that TeliaSonera was entitled to specific performance of a $3.1 billion contract to purchase control of Turkcell from Cukurova Holding. In 2008, another ICC Tribunal in Vienna found that Cukurova breached a shareholders agreement with TeliaSonera relating to Turkcell by selling its interest in Turkcell to another party.
- In an example of successful coordination of international litigation and arbitration, S&C represented Bancolombia, the largest commercial bank in Colombia, in a long-running dispute arising out of the merger in 1997 with Banco de Colombia. The plaintiffs sought to pursue securities litigation in New York, citing the fact that Bancolombia’s ADRs trade on the New York Stock Exchange. S&C successfully moved to compel arbitration of the claims in Colombia. After the Colombian arbitral tribunal issued a 315-page award, plaintiffs sought unsuccessfully to continue their claims in New York. In June 2008, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit summarily affirmed the dismissal of the complaint.
- Counsel in a dispute among U.S. and Canadian energy futures trading companies resulting in an award in favor of our client.
- Counsel in a dispute among U.S./European electronic information providers over allocation of shared tax liabilities.
- As part of its employment arbitration practice, headed by partners Ted Rogers and Rick Fessel, successfully defending a prominent financial firm in a series of NASD arbitrations in connection with claims by former employees concerning a stock award plan and compensation.