Mr Cyrus Benson > Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher > London, England > Lawyer Profile
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Mr Cyrus Benson

Work Department
International Arbitration
Position
Cyrus Benson is a U.S. and English qualified partner in the London office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and serves as co-chair of the firm’s International Arbitration Practice Group.
Cyrus represents clients from a wide variety of sectors before commercial and investment treaty tribunals with particular experience in telecoms, oil & gas, mining and infrastructure disputes. He continues to represent a Dutch and a Luxembourg investor in two separate multi-billion dollar arbitration proceedings against the Russian Federation under the Energy Charter Treaty.
He is lead advocate for a major international contractor in billion dollar ICC proceedings against a Middle Eastern state arising from an airport project, and spear-headed a team in the successful prosecution of a US$ 2 billion LCIA arbitration for a global mining corporate against a Middle East steel manufacturer. He also continues to represent a Middle Eastern conglomerate in a US$ 500 million ICSID arbitration under the Kuwait/Iraq bilateral investment treaty arising out of an investment in Kurdistan; and a Swedish holding company in a US$ 1.5 billion ICSID arbitration against a North African State for expropriation of a refinery and related businesses.
He was a member of the IBA Arbitration Committee Task Force on Ethics for Counsel and served as one of the UK members to the ICC Rules Revision Task Force. He sits regularly as an arbitrator, and writes and lectures on a wide variety of arbitration issues.
Lawyer Rankings
London > Dispute resolution > International arbitration
(Hall of Fame)Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher fields ‘excellent lawyers, who are experienced and accomplished in running large, complex international arbitrations’. The practice has significant experience in disputes in the energy, telecoms, insurance, construction, pharmaceutical and banking sectors. Praised for his ‘ability to navigate complex facts and legal arguments’, Cyrus Benson routinely acts before commercial and investment treaty tribunals in high stakes matters. Penny Madden KC has particular expertise in shareholder, telecoms, energy, international trade and insurance disputes. The London office also showcases former UK Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer KC, who is a specialist in both international arbitration and commercial litigation. Osma Hudda is an expert in insurance and reinsurance claims, financial services disputes, and conflicts arising out of oil industry divestments and delivery contracts. Other key team members include former President of the European Court of Human Rights Robert Spano, Doug Watson, who conducts arbitrations under a broad range of rules and arbitral institutions, and Piers Plumptre, who has ‘vast amounts of work and new cases’. Other key lawyers are commercial and investment treaty arbitration practitioners Ceyda Knoebel and Stephanie Collins, and Cassie Aprile, who is ‘able to lead and advocate on the most complicated matters’.
London > Dispute resolution > Public international law
The ‘very strong public international law practice’ at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher has notable sector experience in the energy, telecoms, insurance, construction, pharmaceutical and banking sectors. The practice is co-led by international arbitration specialist Cyrus Benson, who is a ‘first-rate lawyer and advocate’; and the ‘outstandingly energetic and tireless’ Penny Madden KC, who has significant expertise in shareholder, telecoms, energy, international trade and insurance disputes. The practice further showcases former President of the European Court of Human Rights, Robert Spano; Piers Plumptre, who has significant investment treaty arbitration experience; and ‘excellent public international law practitioner’ Ceyda Knoebel.
Lawyer Rankings
- Hall of Fame London > Dispute resolution > International arbitration
- International arbitration London > Dispute resolution
- Public international law London > Dispute resolution
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Infrastructure: Project finance and development
- Finance > Transport finance and leasing
Firm Rankings
- Real estate > Commercial property: investment
- Dispute resolution > International arbitration
- Real estate > Property finance
- Corporate and commercial > VAT and indirect tax
- Corporate and commercial > Corporate tax
- Corporate and commercial > Equity capital markets – mid-large cap
- Risk advisory > ESG
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Fintech: regulatory
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Infrastructure: M&A and acquisition financing
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > IT and telecoms
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Oil and gas
- Dispute resolution > Public international law
- Risk advisory > Regulatory investigations and corporate crime (advice to corporates)
- Industry focus > TMT
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Artificial intelligence
- Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: premium
- Dispute resolution > Competition litigation
- Corporate and commercial > EU and competition
- Corporate and commercial > M&A: Upper Mid-Market And Premium Deals, £750m+
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Power (including electricity and nuclear)
- Corporate and commercial > Private equity: transactions – high-value deals (£500m+)
- Public sector > Administrative and public law
- Dispute resolution > Banking litigation: investment and retail
- Corporate and commercial > Financial services: non-contentious/regulatory
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Renewables
- Risk advisory > Data protection, privacy and cybersecurity
- Employment > Employers
- Corporate and commercial > Venture capital
- Finance > Corporate restructuring & insolvency