In the latest edition of The Legal 500’s Private Practice Powerlist UK guide to arbitration, Stewarts’ International Arbitration team receives a profile spotlight.
Head of department Sherina Petit and partner Daniel Wilmot are included on The Legal 500’s 2023 Powerlist, a curated selection of the leading international arbitration practitioners within the UK. Partner Alejandro Garcia, senior associate Mark McMahon and associates James Coen, Louis Peacock-Young and Marco Piccolo are listed as key individuals and the specialist International Arbitration team has been profiled by the Legal 500 in the Powerlist.
The International Arbitration practice at Stewarts strengthened in 2023 with Sherina joining to lead the team, bringing a wide range of experience in all key aspects of international arbitration and implementing a targeted plan to create a market-leading specialist practice. Sherina noted on her arrival that the team will build on its existing strengths to “become a major force within the London arbitration market”.
Interview excerpts
Sherina and Dan spoke to The Legal 500 in exclusive interviews for the Powerlist. See the full publication for the conversations in full.
The Legal 500 asked Sherina about her practice goals for the next five years.
She said: “My goal in the next five years is to define a clear vision and grow a market-leading international arbitration practice, that is diverse, inclusive, intellectually stimulating, focusing on high-value complex disputes and motivated to achieve excellence. The practice will have a jurisdictional focus on the UK, Europe, Asia (including a large focus on India and Singapore), Africa and the Middle East.
For me, it is key to invest in talent so that the team comprises of individuals who coordinate their efforts, promote open communication, have mutual respect and have aligned goals, depending on each other for the overall success of the practice. The focus of the practice is to remain ‘one step ahead’, prioritising exceptional client service and exceeding clients’ expectations.”
Dan was asked about the firm’s wider practice and its strengths as a group of lawyers (with reference to the primary focus of his practice, which is disputes connected with the African continent).
He said: “Every member of our specialist team focuses only on international arbitration (commercial, investment treaty and arbitration-related litigation before the English courts). All of our partners are individually ranked, marking us as a group of genuine experts in the field with bench strength. Stewarts is the UK’s largest disputes-only law firm, with some 84 partners and 400+ staff. That size means we take on the biggest disputes. Our independent and conflict-free platform also means we can act when other practices cannot or prefer not to. All of these features combine to mean that we are better placed than most to act for clients on the continent without compromise on quality. And we regularly do, not just in Africa but in many markets around the world.”
Stewarts in The Legal 500
Fourteen of the firm’s departments are ranked in the 2024 UK edition. The recognition of our International Arbitration team spans commercial and investor-state arbitration, along with arbitration-related litigation before the English Courts. The guide’s interviewees describe them as a “go-to team for international arbitration.”
In the 2024 edition of The Legal 500 Latin America, Stewarts features as a “firm to watch” for International Arbitration. The guide notes that Stewarts “established a significant presence in Latin America-related international arbitration with the hire of Alejandro Garcia from Clyde & Co in May 2022. He and the team act for an impressive number of Latin American businesses in cross-border disputes, with associate Marco Piccolo providing key support.”
About The Legal 500 Powerlist
One of the most well-read Powerlists published annually by The Legal 500, given London’s prominence as a global centre for international arbitration, the international arbitration rankings are also among the most competitive for entry. There is no application process. Practitioners are selected by The Legal 500 on merit, corroborating the strength and brand of the specialist International Arbitration team at Stewarts in the wider, global disputes market.
In the foreword to the list, Legal 500 senior research analyst Elena Lewis says: “Despite the fact that the Arbitration Act 1996 is now over 20 years old, and numerous other jurisdictions are updating their own arbitration laws (no doubt in an attempt to emulate the UK’s success), there are currently no substantive signs that the role of the UK in international arbitration is any less significant – quite the contrary in fact.
…the UK is, undoubtably, an ever-growing global hub for international arbitration, which further shows the incredible talent and knowledge of those included in the following pages. After practising at the very top of international arbitration for many years, these practitioners continue to embrace new global challenges head-on, and show formidable powers of adaptability in a variety of sectors.”
You can find further information regarding our expertise, experience and team on our International Arbitration page.
If you require assistance from our team, please contact us.
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