Mr Cyrus Benson > Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher > London, England > Lawyer Profile
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Mr Cyrus Benson
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)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 advocate‘ Cyrus Benson, who regularly appears before commercial and investment treaty tribunals in telecoms, mining, infrastructure, and oil and gas claims; and ‘superb arbitration practitioner‘ Penny 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.
Lawyer Rankings
- Hall of Fame London > Dispute resolution > International arbitration
- International arbitration London > Dispute resolution
- Public international law London > Dispute resolution
Top Tier Firm Rankings
Firm Rankings
- Real estate > Commercial property: investment
- Dispute resolution > International arbitration
- Real estate > Property finance
- Corporate and commercial > VAT and indirect tax
- Corporate and commercial > Corporate tax
- Corporate and commercial > Equity capital markets – mid-large cap
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Infrastructure: M&A and acquisition financing
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Oil and gas
- Dispute resolution > Public international law
- Risk advisory > Regulatory investigations and corporate crime (advice to corporates)
- Dispute resolution > Banking litigation: investment and retail
- Dispute resolution > Competition litigation
- Corporate and commercial > EU and competition
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > IT and telecoms
- Corporate and commercial > M&A: Upper Mid-Market And Premium Deals, £750m+
- Corporate and commercial > Private equity: transactions – high-value deals (£250m+)
- Public sector > Administrative and public law
- Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: premium
- Corporate and commercial > Financial services: non-contentious/regulatory
- Employment > Employers
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Power (including electricity, nuclear and renewables)