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

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher
TELEPHONE HOUSE
2-4 TEMPLE AVENUE
LONDON
EC4Y 0HB
England
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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)

Cyrus BensonGibson, Dunn & Crutcher

With ‘deep international arbitration experience across the board‘, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher is best known for large-scale, complex disputes. The London practice is jointly headed by ‘superb advocateCyrus Benson, who regularly appears before commercial and investment treaty tribunals in telecoms, mining, infrastructure, and oil and gas claims; and ‘superb arbitration practitionerPenny Madden KC, an expert in shareholder, telecoms, energy, international trade, and insurance disputes. The next line of experienced practitioners comprises former UK Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer KC, who focuses on commercial litigation, international arbitration and investigations; Osma Hudda, who maintains a broad disputes practice; and Doug Watson, who conducts arbitrations under a range of rules and arbitral institutions. In late 2022, former President of the European Court of Human Rights, Robert Spano, was recruited, while Piers Plumptre, who ‘takes a very commercial and practical approach‘, was made partner. Former partner Jeffrey Sullivan KC joined Debevoise & Plimpton LLP in July 2023.

London > Dispute resolution > Public international law

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher‘s ‘first-rate public international law practice‘ is routinely sought out to act in heavyweight investment treaty claims. The team is jointly headed by Penny Madden KC, whose international arbitration  expertise covers shareholder, telecoms energy, international trade, and insurance disputes; and Cyrus Benson, who ‘argues points of public international law with great skill‘. In late 2022, former President of the European Court of Human Rights, Robert Spano, joined the practice, while Piers Plumptre, who ‘has wide experience in public international law issues‘, was elevated to partner. Former partner Jeffrey Sullivan KC joined Debevoise & Plimpton LLP in July 2023.