Three Crowns LLP

Client Satisfaction

Agustin is a partner in the Madrid office. He has been trained in the civil law and common law traditions and has extensive experience of both international commercial and investment treaty arbitration. He has experience under all of the major arbitral institutions, and ad hoc, across several jurisdictions, with a particular focus on Latin America, covering a broad range of sectors including infrastructure, energy, oil & gas, public contracts, and regulated industries. Agustin also has extensive experience advising international clients in connection with local administrative and court proceedings, settlement negotiations and contract renegotiations in the context of major disputes in Latin America. Agustin also sits as arbitrator. He has been ranked as a “Future Leader” for arbitration by Who’s Who Legal.

Carmen Martinez Lopez

Carmen, a partner in the Madrid office, has appeared as advocate in numerous investment treaty and commercial arbitrations. She has handled arbitrations under the rules of the major arbitral institutions and ad hoc across a variety of jurisdictions, with a particular focus on Latin America and Spain. Carmen also sits as arbitrator. Carmen is recognised in all major publications, including as a “Leading Individual” in The Legal 500 Latin America, with sources describing her as “one of the most impressive legal minds I have encountered”, a “truly gifted practitioner”, who “has worked on some of the biggest cases of all time”, delivers “in a friendly and folksy tone, a very persuasive oral argument and a devastating cross-examination”, “gets into the details while keeping a strategic mindset”, “understands problems very well in a global way”, “has a lot of availability for the client”, and “has certainly been building up a fantastic reputation” in the market for her work in both investment treaty and commercial arbitrations. She has also been described as a “brilliant arbitrator”.

Charles (Chuck) Kotuby

Chuck is Of Counsel based in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. His practice focuses on international commercial and treaty-based arbitration, transnational litigation, and public international law.

Constantine Partasides KC

Constantine, one of the founding partners of Three Crowns, has appeared as lead counsel in some of the largest international arbitrations of the last two decades. He has secured a series of multi-billion dollar awards for his clients, and defended others in ‘bet-the-company’ claims arising in a number of different business sectors. He is also listed in the “Hall of Fame” for international arbitration in The Legal 500.

Daryl Chew

Daryl is the managing partner of the firm’s Singapore office. He has an active portfolio of arbitrations involving a wide range of applicable laws and venues, arising from energy, construction, M&A, joint venture, and general commercial disputes. Daryl also serves as presiding arbitrator, co-arbitrator and sole arbitrator in institutional and ad hoc arbitration proceedings.

Donald (Trey) Childress III

Trey is Of Counsel based in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. His practice focuses on international arbitration and litigation, public international law, and private international law (conflict of laws). Trey has briefed and argued cases as counsel before the International Court of Justice and has consulted as an expert on various matters before international arbitral tribunals, with particular experience in PCA and ICSID-administered arbitrations. He has appeared as counsel before courts throughout the United States, including the United States Supreme Court, and has appeared as an expert before various courts outside of the United States. Trey was the 28th Counselor on International Law to the Legal Adviser at the U.S. State Department, which involved advising on the formulation of the government’s arbitration and litigation strategy. He also represented the United States before international bodies, including as part of the U.S. delegation to UNCITRAL Working Group III (regarding reforms to Investor-State Dispute Settlement), before the Council of Europe’s Committee of Legal Advisers on Public International Law (CAHDI), and in the Diplomatic Session of the Hague Judgments Convention.

Erin Culbertson

Erin, a senior associate in the Washington, DC office, has extensive experience representing and advising clients, including governments and government entities, international organisations, and multinational companies, in international arbitration proceedings (contractual and treaty-based), recognition and enforcement proceedings, complex commercial litigation, bankruptcy litigation, and project finance matters. Erin’s representations have concerned diverse industries, such as gaming, mining, life insurance, banking/finance, satellites, and wireless spectrum.

Etienne Vimal Du Monteil

Etienne, a French avocat and senior associate based in the Paris office, has acted for private and sovereign clients in many complex, high-value international arbitrations across a wide range of sectors (including oil & gas, electricity, aviation, and automobile distribution) under all major arbitration rules.

Farouk El-Hosseny

Farouk, a senior associate in our London office, advises clients on arbitrations governed by the ICC, ICSID, LCIA, and UNCITRAL rules, with a focus on complex commercial and investor-State disputes in the oil and gas and telecommunications sectors. He is often called upon by clients to provide strategic advice in respect to disputes raising matters of force majeure, taxation, international sanctions, and claims by competing governments.

Gaëtan Verhoosel KC

Gaëtan is a founding partner of Three Crowns. He has close to 25 years of experience serving as advocate or arbitrator in both commercial and investment treaty arbitrations.

Georgios Petrochilos KC

Georgios, one of the founding partners of Three Crowns, based in the Paris office, has a broad practice spanning more than two decades and covering inter-State, investment, and commercial disputes. He has represented States, international organisations, and private parties in more than 70 disputes, including several appearances in the International Court of Justice. In addition to counsel work, Georgios is regularly sought out to act as co-arbitrator or presiding arbitrator and has experience administering cases heard under ICC, SCC, ICSID, UNCITRAL, and LCIA rules.

Hamid Abdulkareem

Hamid, counsel in the London office, is an experienced arbitration practitioner and litigator, having regularly advised multinational companies on an extensive range of disputes, particularly within the energy and natural resources sector. He has played a lead role in multiple disputes arising from Nigeria’s deep offshore production sharing contracts, resulting in successful outcomes for his clients. Hamid is recognised in The Legal 500 UK for international arbitration and public international law.

Ilija Mitrev-Penushliski

Ilija is a partner in the Paris office. Ilija has represented clients in international arbitrations conducted under all major arbitration rules. His practice focuses on complex investment and commercial arbitrations, particularly in the energy sector. He has extensive experience with proceedings for the annulment and enforcement of arbitral awards in numerous jurisdictions. Ilija has also advised clients in relation to the renegotiation of bilateral investment treaties and on public international law issues, more generally, including on immunities, the law of the sea, and international criminal law.

Jeff Yiu

Jeff is a senior associate in the London office. He has represented governments, state-owned enterprises, and multinational corporations in investment treaty and commercial disputes under all major arbitral rules, with particular expertise in the energy and natural resources, technology, and financial services sectors. Jeff also has experience in commercial litigation, having represented clients in high value and complex disputes in the English and Hong Kong courts. He is qualified as a solicitor-advocate in England & Wales and a solicitor in Hong Kong.

Jonathan Fernandes

Jonathan, an English-qualified solicitor advocate and Counsel based in the London office, has extensive experience acting as counsel in complex, high-value international commercial and investment treaty arbitrations across a wide range of sectors (including energy, aerospace, commodity trading, mining, finance, construction, and insurance) under all major arbitration rules.

Kathryn Khamsi

Kathryn, a partner in the Paris office, acts for corporate clients and States in all types of disputes. She is particularly sought after in high value disputes that raise complex issues of fact and law. Kathryn also sits as arbitrator, and was recently appointed to the ICSID Panel of Arbitrators, and will serve a six-year term. She has lectured and published extensively on questions of international arbitration and public international law, including most recently on the subject of emissions trading schemes.

Leilah Bruton

Leilah is a partner in our London office. She has extensive experience representing corporations on the resolution of complex disputes involving investment treaties and contractual relationships, with a particular focus on disputes in the oil & gas, mining, and telecoms sectors. Leilah has also been recognised as a Next Generation Partner for both international arbitration and public international law in The Legal 500 UK 2023, and a Rising Star in The Legal 500’s International Arbitration Powerlist 2019 for the UK.

Liz Snodgrass

Liz, a partner in the Washington, DC office, has more than twenty-five years of experience as an advocate and adviser in international arbitration matters. Her practice is a mix of commercial and investment treaty arbitration, across a range of industry sectors and for clients based in the US and around the world. Liz has particular expertise handling disputes involving States and State entities, including investment treaty cases, fiscal disputes under long-term contracts, and disputes that implicate both contract and treaty protections. Liz is recognized in leading directories. Chambers & Partners notes that Liz is particularly well regarded for her expertise in the energy sector, and handles both commercial and investment treaty disputes. Clients note: “She is very impressive; a great lawyer with strong analytical skills,” adding that she “knows the client’s needs and works to understand their business”, and Who’s Who Legal notes that she has “a brilliant legal mind” and offers “wise counsel” in arbitrations.

Luke Sobota

A founding partner of Three Crowns, Luke represents private and sovereign clients in some of their largest and most important commercial, investor-State, and inter-State arbitrations, including the successful prosecution of one of the largest ICC cases in history. He also has more than 20 years of experience litigating international issues in U.S. courts. Luke’s practice experience spans a variety of sectors, with a focus on the energy, financial, and technology industries. The Legal 500 writes that Luke “is extremely smart and a great strategic thinker” and is “an excellent draftsman”.

Manish Aggarwal

Manish is a dual-qualified English solicitor and Indian advocate, and partner in the London office. He has extensive experience of representing clients in both commercial and investment treaty arbitrations across a broad range of sectors (including energy, infrastructure, life sciences, telecommunications, and technology) and in arbitration-related court litigation. He has also been recognised in the India Business Law Journal’s list of top international lawyers for India-related matters, in which peers describe him as a “highly skilled advocate with a staggering depth of investment law insight”.

Mihir Chattopadhyay

Mihir is a senior associate in our Washington, DC office. He has experience advising clients across a range of industries, including the oil and gas, technology, aerospace, and financial services industries. Mihir has acted as counsel in several high-value and complex commercial and investment arbitrations under the ICSID, ICC, AAA-ICDR, HKIAC, and SIAC Rules.

Nicola Peart

Nicola is an England and Wales qualified Barrister and Special Legal Consultant in the Washington, DC office, where she has a broad practice in international dispute resolution. She has appeared as counsel in international commercial and investment treaty disputes, as well as in proceedings before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea and International Court of Justice. Nicola is the Legal Secretary to the International Tennis Federation Ethics Commission and has led numerous investigations into ethical complaints in sport. She also has an active pro bono practice and for over ten years has provided legal support to developing country negotiators and NGOs attending the international climate change treaty negotiations.

Penny Martin

Penny is counsel in the Singapore office. She has substantial experience in international commercial arbitration, public international law, and international human rights law. Her primary focus has been on energy-related disputes, including disputes relating to long-term oil and gas agreements (including environmental, abandonment and decommissioning, and cost recovery issues), renewable energy, gas pricing, licensing, and intellectual property.

Reza Mohtashami KC

Reza is a partner in the London office. He has represented clients as counsel and advocate in more than 90 arbitrations conducted under a variety of arbitration rules in many different jurisdictions. Reza has particular expertise in disputes arising in emerging markets with a focus on the telecoms, energy, and infrastructure sectors. Reza regularly acts as arbitrator and has been appointed as party-nominated arbitrator, Chair or Sole Arbitrator in more than 20 arbitrations conducted under the ICC, LCIA, ICDR-AAA, SIAC, DIAC, DIFC-LCIA Rules. Reza is a qualified English solicitor-advocate and was appointed King’s Counsel in recognition of his advocacy skills in 2018.

Richard Trinick

Richard is counsel in the London office. He has acted on many large and complex arbitrations across a variety of sectors and regions, with a particular focus on energy, M&A, finance, and life sciences disputes. Richard is recognised as a recommended lawyer for international arbitration in The Legal 500 UK��s 2023 and 2024 guides.

Ridhi Kabra

Ridhi is a senior associate in the London office. Her experience includes advising clients in investment treaty and commercial arbitrations relating to taxation, oil and gas, infrastructure, and joint venture disputes. She has acted in several arbitrations under the ICSID, ICC, LCIA and UNCITRAL Rules. Ridhi is recognised as a recommended lawyer in The Legal 500 UK’s 2023 and 2024 guides for international arbitration and public international law.

Rudolf Simone-Pont

Rudolf is a senior associate in the Paris office. He has represented clients in international arbitrations conducted under all major arbitration rules and his practice focuses on investment and commercial arbitrations across a broad range of sectors. Rudolf also has experience with proceedings for the annulment and enforcement of arbitral awards, as well as advising clients on the renegotiation of bilateral investment treaties. Rudolf is admitted to practice in England & Wales and Paris.

Ryan Manton

Ryan is Counsel in the Paris office. He practises in all areas of international dispute settlement, including international commercial arbitration, investment treaty arbitration and inter-State disputes. His experience extends across cases before a wide range of international tribunals, including as counsel before arbitral tribunals and standing international courts. His arbitration practice has included cases governed by a range of applicable laws spanning international law and both common law and civil law legal systems, and it has covered various industry sectors with particular experience in disputes arising in the energy and financial sectors. Ryan is admitted as a Barrister and a Solicitor in New Zealand.

Scott Vesel

Scott, a partner in the Washington, DC office, has a decade and a half of experience handling complex international investment and commercial arbitrations in the oil and gas, construction, energy, mining, gaming, defence, technology, and agribusiness sectors. In addition to his private practice in international arbitration, he has served as an attorney-advisor at the U.S. Department of State and at an international organisation. He is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center, where he teaches a course on advocacy in international arbitration. He is listed in The Legal 500’s 2019 UK Arbitration Powerlist and recommended in The Legal 500 UK where he “attracts praise for his ability to ‘master complex issues’”.

Shaparak Saleh

Shaparak is a partner in the Paris office. She has acted as counsel in a large number of commercial arbitrations both ad hoc and institutional, including under the ICC, IEMA, LCIA, UNCITRAL, and VIAC rules. Her experience includes post-M&A disputes, and disputes in the construction, energy, aeronautics, space, telecommunications, food, chemicals, and pharmaceutical sectors, relating to projects in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. Over the years, she has acted for, among others, States, State entities, major international oil, gas and mining companies, leading construction groups, an aircraft manufacturer, and electricity companies. She regularly sits as arbitrator, including as chairperson. In addition, Shaparak has broad experience in pre- and post-arbitration litigation before the French courts, having represented clients in some 25 set-aside proceedings. She was also involved in enforcement proceedings of numerous awards against sovereign States.

Shaun Pereira

Shaun, counsel in the Singapore office, has advised and represented States, State-owned entities and multinational corporations in disputes subject to arbitration under the ICC, SIAC, HKIAC, LCIA, UNCITRAL, and AAA-ICDR rules in proceedings across the energy, construction, and financial services sectors. Shaun previously served in a judicial capacity as a magistrate and assistant registrar in the High Court of Singapore and the Singapore International Commercial Court. Before that, he clerked for the Chief Justice and Justices of the Supreme Court of Singapore.

Simon Elliot

Simon, a partner in the Singapore office, provides advice and representation in commercial and treaty proceedings conducted under the rules of the major arbitral institutions and ad hoc, and in pre-arbitration dispute resolution processes. His practice has a particular focus on disputes arising out of large infrastructure and major projects involving disputed technical, delay, and quantum related issues. Simon is admitted and entitled to practice at both the Paris Bar as an Avocat and in England and Wales as a Solicitor. He is also admitted in New Zealand.

Simon Consedine

Simon is a partner in the Washington, DC office. He has significant experience in commercial arbitration and investment arbitrations, having represented clients across a wide range of sectors. Simon has been recognised for International Arbitration in The Legal 500 US since 2020 and clients have described him as having “formidable analytical skills and great client service”.

Thomas Dauvillier

Thomas is an associate in the Paris office. He has experience in a number of contentious and non-contentious procedures in international commercial arbitration in relation to the energy, aeronautics, construction and banking sectors, primarily in Europe and Africa. Thomas also has a broad experience of annulment proceedings before the Paris Court of Appeal and litigation proceedings before the French domestic courts. Thomas is qualified in Paris (Avocat à la Cour).

Todd Wetmore

Todd Wetmore, a founding partner of Three Crowns, is based in Paris, where he has handled complex international commercial arbitration cases for over 25 years. As counsel, he represents clients in high-stakes disputes around the world in diverse sectors including high-tech manufacturing, automobile distribution, aviation, oil and gas, electricity, and mining. He has deep experience with disputes presenting challenging financial and technical issues, such as those arising from banking operations, teaming arrangements, supply and M&A deals, and gas pricing, under both common law and civil law systems. Todd is also a recognised specialist in infrastructure and construction disputes and has led teams handling some of the largest construction disputes in arbitration. Todd regularly sits as an arbitrator under the ICC, LCIA, Swiss, and UNCITRAL Rules. One prominent appointment includes the much-publicised van der Garde v. Sauber arbitration, which had an impact on the 2015 Formula 1 motor-racing season.

Legal 500

Our Team

FAQs

Marketing Resources

Newsletters

Contact us