James Egerton-Vernon has more than 12 years of experience focused on investor-state and international commercial arbitration and on international litigation. Dual-qualified as an English solicitor and New York lawyer and fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, and French, James has acted in multiple arbitrations under the ICSID, UNCITRAL, ICC, LCIA, SCC, and SIAC rules across a range of sectors and industries, including oil, uranium and gold mining, gas, telecommunications, and construction projects.
James is currently advising multiple investors with high-value investment claims against Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and Latin American states and played a key role on a recent case setting important legal precedents on the rules of treaty succession. His prior representations include advising: clients with investments in the Venezuelan oil sector, in both English and Spanish, on their claims arising out of unilateral changes to the hydrocarbon regime in that country; a Brazilian energy company on a construction dispute with its Italian joint venture partner; a Kuwaiti fertilizer company in ICSID proceedings against Egypt; a Romanian energy company in ICC proceedings against a Russian oligarch; a U.S. energy company in ICC proceedings against its Indian co-contractor; and a Spanish entertainment company involved in Madrid-based LCIA dispute proceedings.
James is included on the roster of arbitrators of the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce, served as North America Regional Chair for Young ITA, is a member of many other international arbitration associations, and was previously an assistant editor of ICSID Review. He is a frequent speaker and author on commercial and investor-state arbitration.