We are delighted to announce that our International Arbitration team led by Sherina Petit has earned two prestigious nominations at the 16th annual GAR Awards 2026:
- Africa Practice that Impressed Award
- Middle East Practice that Impressed Award
Adding to this success, the India Chapter of the Equal Representation in Arbitration Pledge, chaired by Sherina, has been nominated for GAR’s Pledge Award.
We are immensely proud of these nominations, which underscores our position as one of London’s leading specialist arbitration practices, powered by a team of genuine arbitration experts who continue to influence the global disputes landscape.
Africa Practice that Impressed Award
Under the leadership of Daniel Wilmot, the Africa practice has developed significantly, taking on increasingly complex and high-profile mandates that have strengthened both our market presence and legal impact.
Chief amongst our recent mandates has been the long-running dispute between our client, Aiteo Eastern E & P Company Limited, and a consortium of its lenders, which included Shell. Most notably, this multi-billion-dollar dispute spawned the 2024 decision in the English Commercial Court which resulted in an arbitration award being remitted under section 68 of the Arbitration Act 1996 on account of findings of apparent bias of a UK arbitrator.
The landmark decision developed not just English law but is now regularly cited worldwide in the context of arbitrator duties of independence and disclosure of conflicts of interest. This was recognised by GAR, who shortlisted the judgement at the GAR Awards 2025 for “Most Important Decision”.
Driving our reputation for excellence, many of our matters span some of the most significant disputes across Africa, from acting for an oil and gas independent in a multi‑million‑dollar drilling dispute off the West African coast, to representing a major mining company in concurrent arbitrations against a state‑owned port operator.
We are also acting on an arbitration against an entity of a Southeast African government arising out of a shareholding agreement to set up a sugar company, and are currently advising an investor in connection with several of the Continent’s largest multi-billion-dollar oil and gas transactions in recent history.
Middle East Practice that Impressed Award
Our Middle East practice has grown exponentially with the arrival of Rovine Chandrasekera in September 2025. Leveraging his deep regional knowledge and strong local relationships, Rovine is widely regarded as the market leader for Iraq-related arbitrations and a leading sanctions lawyer in the region. Over the past 15 years, he has acted on some of the largest and most complex fraud cases affecting the Middle East.
Our International Arbitration team have continued to build a standout portfolio of high-value, high-stakes arbitration matters. Notable highlights include two advisory mandates for one of the world’s largest oil, gas and petrochemicals companies (owned by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), and acting for a government department of a Middle Eastern state in claims worth hundreds of millions of dollars arising from delays in the construction of a power plant.
Equal Representation in Arbitration Pledge (the Pledge) Award
Finally, the India Chapter of the Pledge conducted an Arbitration Advocacy Course in Mumbai, which has been nominated for the Equal Representation in Arbitration Pledge Award by GAR. The course was aimed at addressing a persistent structural gap in international arbitration: the limited access of mid-career and senior women lawyers to high quality advocacy training and courtroom equivalent experience.
The Course brought together 30 women practitioners at a critical stage of their careers and provided a safe and technically rigorous environment in which they could practise advanced advocacy skills through a simulated cross-border arbitration. By focusing on seniority rather than entry-level training, the course directly targeted the “last-mile” barriers that limit women’s visibility, confidence and appointment opportunities in arbitration.
Sherina Petit, Head of International Arbitration and the India practice at Stewarts, inaugurated the Course in her role as Chair of the India Chapter of the Pledge and reinforced the Pledge’s mission to drive forward the appointment of women arbitrators on an equal opportunity basis so as to advance the goal of full parity.
This initiative was led by Namrata Shah, Associate Partner at Rashmikant & Partners and a member of the steering committee of the India Chapter of the Pledge. Namrata’s vision and sustained commitment drove the programme from conception to delivery.
The course was conceptualised and delivered by the International Advocacy Training Council (IATC) which assembled an exceptional international faculty of trainers from across the globe.
You can find further information regarding our expertise, experience and team on our International Arbitration pages.
If you require assistance from our team, please contact us.
