Zachary Douglas KC KC > Chambers of Ewan McQuater KC and David Quest KC > London, England > Barrister Profile
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Zachary Douglas KC KC
Position
Barrister specialising in public international law, conflict of laws and arbitration. Counsel in cases before the International Court of Justice, European Court of Human Rights and other international courts and tribunals, and in investment treaty arbitrations and commercial arbitrations under the ICC, LCIA, SCC, UNCITRAL and ICSID arbitration rules. Arbitrator in more than 40 investment treaties and commercial arbitrations. Counsel in cases before the English courts on questions of international law. Formerly counsel to the IOC on all arbitrations arising from the Olympics. Professor of international law at the Graduate Institute in Geneva. Formerly lecturer in public international law at Cambridge University and Fellow of Jesus College.
Career
Practised for several years in international arbitration and public international law at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in Paris. Author of ‘International Law of Investment Claims’ (CUP 2009) and numerous chapters and articles on topics of international law.
Languages
Russian, French.
Education
University of Melbourne (BA; LLB Hon); Oxford University (BCL; Proxime Accessit Vinerian Scholar); Cambridge University (MA; PhD).
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > Public international law
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1Zachary Douglas KC – 3 Verulam Buildings ‘First-rate expertise in public international law, including international investment law. Despite his relatively young age, he has become an authority in the field.’
Clients praise 3 Verulam Buildings as having ‘transformed from an international investment arbitration set to an international law powerhouse’, where members receive instructions in a range of high-profile cases concerning state immunity, boundary disputes and state obligations, while continuing to excel in high-profile investment treaty disputes. Members of the set frequently appear before the international courts, with examples including Cameron Miles, who has recently acted on behalf of Latvia in the Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change before the ICJ. Mark Wassouf continues to practice across a broad range of public international law matters, including state immunity issues and investment treaty work, as does Zachary Douglas KC who is praised for his ‘first-rate expertise in public international law’. Christopher Harris KC acted in ICSID arbitration case Viaduct d.o.o. Portorož, Zevnik and Goljevšček v Bosnia and Herzegovina, a dispute over a hydropower dam project in the Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
London Bar > International arbitration: arbitrators
(Leading counsel as arbitrators)Ranked: Tier 1Zachary Douglas KC – 3 Verulam Buildings ‘He is among the topflight of international law scholars and practitioners. It is always a pleasure to work with him. He is collegiate and candid.’
3 Verulam Buildings ‘has been able to attract many leading practitioners over the last few years’ and is increasingly recognised as ‘strong in international arbitration’ where it stands out in particular for their expertise in investor-state arbitrations, in addition to the full gamut of commercial arbitration work. Zachary Douglas KC continues to sit as arbitrator in investor state and investment treaty arbitrations, including recently in the high-value Gabriel Resources v Romania case concerning the investment in a gold and silver mine in Romania under the ICSID convention. Members who have recently taken appointments as arbitrators include 2024 silk appointment Jane Davies Evans KC, Ali Malek KC, Christopher Harris KC and Nicholas Craig KC, while Christopher Symons KC also continues to be active as a full-time arbitrator.