Paul Hastings LLP

Partner, Litigation Department

Jonathan C. Hamilton is Global Co-Chair of International Arbitration with leading global law firm Paul Hastings, based as a partner in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office.

Over more than a quarter of a century, Mr. Hamilton has been a true pioneer in the field of international arbitration. He is a “Hall of Fame” ranked lawyer who is described by professional guides as "a brilliant strategist and leader," "an incredible powerhouse," "a leading figure in the international arbitration sphere," "famous in the arbitration field" and “an incredibly strategic lead lawyer on complex international cases.” (Chambers/Legal 500)

With a worldwide client base, he has successfully advised on billions of dollars in multinational and multilingual disputes and transactions across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. His matters have spanned sectors such as aviation, energy, financial services, infrastructure, mining, telecommunications and transportation. They have involved bet-the-asset legal issues, complex investment planning and "Gordian Knot" negotiations. Mr. Hamilton has deep experience with high stakes disputes involving arbitration, mediation, and litigation, and deals involving complex negotiations, crisis management, and investment protections. His experience encompasses major institutional arbitration centers and rules (such as ICC, ICSID, LCIA, AAA, ICDR, JAMS, PCA, UNCITRAL), as well as regional arbitral institutions and ad-hoc proceedings.

Professional guides and clients describe him as "a fantastic lead partner," "a brilliant lawyer," "a great negotiator," and "a dynamic driving force" with "first-class expertise, outstanding technical capability, shrewd insight in formulating strategy and a radiant leadership charisma" – "he owns the battleground." (Chambers / Legal 500) As one guide summarizes, "Jonathan Hamilton has exceptional strategic insights and tactical know how…. He is unwavering in his desire to win and every minute he invests is about how to drive the case towards a successful outcome." (Legal 500) He is "outstanding in a lead role" as "a brilliant legal strategist who sees the dispute from all angles," and "knows how counterparts behave and the issues that come up." (Chambers/Legal 500) "He is a very strategic lawyer and achieves great results for his clients." (Who’s Who Legal)

Accolades for his landmark matters have included Global Arbitration Review Most Influential Arbitration Award of the Decade, Financial Times Innovative Lawyers (three times), OGEMID Best Arbitration Award (twice), Most Surprising Arbitration Award (twice), Latin Lawyer Deal of the Year (three times), and American Lawyer Global Dispute of the Year/Americas. He is "an incredibly sharp attorney with an exceptional drive that is transferred to his team and transforms into positive results." (Legal 500) He is "a super-lawyer-dealmaker," with "dominance in the field," "single-minded commitment to the client's cause," "exceptional drive," "very impressive advocacy," "impressive grasp of strategy," "deep understanding and efficiency," "experience, expertise, commitment," "great dynamism, extraordinary background and deep understanding," and "experience, tenacity and relationship-building." "He alleviates anxiety because he knows how to lead these situations." (Chambers/Legal 500/LatinLawyer)

With deep experience in Washington and New York, and other global financial centers and foreign capitals, Mr. Hamilton has a strong record of proven strategic and organizational leadership and extensive experience in public affairs, with "unlimited skills on the political side of the fence; his ability to foresee, to judge, to understand, he really covers it all. He prepares for everything, knows what's going on and is always one step ahead." (Chambers) He has an inter-disciplinary background with degrees in history, communications and law, and also completed the Oxford Strategic Leadership Programme at the Saïd Business School of Oxford University.

He is also a professor and seasoned thought leader who has served as the Distinguished Faculty Chair of the International Arbitration Institute at the University of Miami School of Law and been a global professor with IE University in Madrid. His though leadership includes more than 250 publications and presentations over more than twenty-five years, including a book on investment protections, a first-of-its-kind survey of regional arbitration institutions and numerous articles and chapters on globalization, investment, procedure, policy, and public affairs. He has spoken at major conferences worldwide and major universities such as Berkeley, Columbia, Georgetown, Harvard, NYU, Oxford, Penn, Virginia and Yale.

Based in Washington, he previously practiced in New York City and Mexico City, and also worked in Lima. He has profound travel experience worldwide for his clients, such as site visits in Bulgaria, negotiations in Ecuador, strategy sessions in Hong Kong, witness interviews in Italy, and hearings in The Hague, London, Geneva, New York, Paris, Singapore, Washington, Miami, Madrid, Buenos Aires, Bogota, among other locations. He has additional experience as a federal law clerk and a research assistant to legal fiction author John Grisham, and in public policy, the press, and philanthropy.

JD, University of Virginia, Editor-in-Chief, Virginia Journal of International Law MA, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill BA, Brandeis University Oxford University, Saïd Business School, Strategic Leadership Programme; undergraduate study abroad