Samantha Rowe > Debevoise & Plimpton LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, praised for its ability to combine ‘world-class lawyers with unusual integrity and diligence’, is renowned in the market for its contentious work connected to international climate change law. The team is also well-positioned to represent corporate clients in climate and environmental disputes in domestic courts. Lord Peter Goldsmith KC heads up the team and excels in environmental class actions. Conway Blake represents both corporates and nation states and is well-versed in issues including international environmental law, human rights law and the law of the sea. Samantha Rowe‘s practice straddles contentious and advisory work and extends to matters that fall at the nexus between energy transition and international dispute resolution.

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is ‘one of the few truly expert law firms for public international law’. The sizeable team in London represents states in high-stakes International Court of Justice (ICJ) proceedings, and is particularly experienced in state-to-state matters of international significance. The practice further acts for intergovernmental organisations in UN-related matters, along with representing major corporations in the domestic courts. Resuming his role as chair of the House of Lords International Agreements Committee in 2023, former UK Attorney General Lord Goldsmith KC has an enviable market reputation for his appearances before international courts; Jeffrey Sullivan KC, a July 2023 recruit from Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, is a renowned Energy Charter Treaty expert; Samantha Rowe‘s track record includes disputes before the ICJ, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, the International Civil Aviation Organisation, and the WTO; and investor-state arbitration specialist Conway Blake ‘rapidly cuts through the noise to identify the key issues’. The team also includes Aimee-Jane Lee, who focuses on public international law, international treaties and international arbitration; and Monika Hlavkova, who is experienced in both investment and commercial arbitrations under a wide range of rules.

‘One of the top arbitration practices in London‘, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is consistently mandated to act in big-ticket investor-state matters. It is also highly experienced in large-scale private fund, insurance and healthcare-related commercial arbitrations. Regularly sought out to act in complex commercial and investment disputes, former UK Attorney General Lord Peter Goldsmith KC is chair of the firm’s European and Asian litigation practice. Jeffrey Sullivan KC, a July 2023 recruit from Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, is co-chair of international arbitration in Europe and ‘superb lawyer’ Patrick Taylor co-leads the firm’s Africa practice group. The practice further showcases construction-related commercial arbitration specialist Tony Dymond, who works across the firm’s London and Hong Kong offices and Conway Blake, who acts in international commercial and investor-state arbitrations. Samantha Rowe focuses on commercial arbitration, investor-state arbitration and public international law. The next line of experienced practitioners includes construction and engineering expert Robert Hoose, international arbitration and public international law specialist Aimee-Jane Lee, and Gavin Chesney and Shreya Aren, who are ‘responsive and well prepared’. Other key figures are Laith Najjar, Monika Hlavkova, Sonja Sreckovic, and Mark McCloskey. Maxim Osadchiy left the firm in May 2024.

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP ‘has one of the strongest arbitration teams in the market‘, covering a broad range of investment and commercial disputes involving multiple jurisdictions across Latin America. It has represented clients in some of the largest cases of recent years, securing significant wins involving large awards. The firm is noted for its experience representing investors in high-value cases against Latin American states; it has acted for clients in series of headline cases against the Government of Peru in particular. The practice also has an outstanding record in commercial arbitrations. Clients praise the group’s team work and collaboration, its abilities in the Spanish language, and its expertise in common and civil law. The global international arbitration practice is co-led by Catherine Amirfar and New York and London-based Mark Friedman, the latter having an outstanding record in Latin America investor-state and commercial disputes. Dietmar Prager  is co-head of the Latin America practice group and has represented clients in some of the largest cases involving the region, including recently acting for Freeport-McMoRan and its affiliate Sociedad Minera Cerro Verde in an ICSID arbitration against the Government of Peru. Colombian national and native Spanish speaker Laura Sinisterra is a recently elected partner, having been promoted in 2022, and is dedicated to the Latin America market, including major cases in the mining, financial services and energy sectors. Ina Popova splits her time between New York and Paris, and has a primary focus on international arbitration and public international law cases in Latin America. London partners Samantha Rowe and Patrick Taylor are also active in Latin America cases. Julio Rivera Ríos is an experienced associate and is admitted to practice in both Mexico City and New York. The international arbitration team has a number of other well-regarded associates that are dedicated to the Latin America region. Named individuals are based in New York unless stated otherwise.