Mr John Townsend > Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP > Washington DC, United States > Lawyer Profile

With extensive experience across the full range of international arbitration cases, Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP is arguably best known for its expertise in the investment treaty space, particularly cases under ICSID, UNCITRAL and PCA rules. Primarily active on behalf of investors, the team also acts for sovereign states. The group additionally fields a thriving commercial arbitration practice, which represents corporate and state-owned companies, with a focus on the pharmaceutical, energy, infrastructure, and M&A spheres. In New York, Hagit Muriel Elul brings niche expertise in representing Asia-based companies. Elul paired up with Washington DC-based arbitration expert John Townsend to advise Beijing-headquartered BeiGene—acting as co-counsel alongside Goodwin—in a $1.2bn breach-of-contract claim against Bristol-Myers Squibb. Washington DC-based James H. Boykin co-heads the arbitration practice alongside Elul and also fronts the investment treaty arbitration group; his practice has an emphasis on state-to-state and investor-state cases. Other key names include New York’s Daniel Weiner, who specializes in arbitration and IP disputes, while Diego Durán de la Vega, who co-chairs the Latin America practice, and Rémy Gerbay are noted in Washington DC.