Latham & Watkins

John V.H. Pierce, Global Chair of the International Arbitration Practice, represents a global client base from a wide variety of industries and business sectors in high-stakes, complex international arbitration matters in venues around the world.

A widely recognized expert in international dispute resolution, John has nearly 25 years of experience representing clients in institutional and ad hoc arbitrations seated in both common and civil law jurisdictions. John has been involved as lead counsel or arbitrator in arbitrations pending before all major arbitral institutions and he has extensive experience with international arbitral procedure and advocacy.

John regularly guides clients through disputes, under a wide variety of procedural and substantive laws, involving joint venture and shareholder matters, post-M&A issues, IP rights, financial services, energy and chemical contracts, as well as commercial and corporate matters. He also advises clients on the international enforcement of arbitration awards and judgments, and on the protection of foreign investments. In addition to his counsel work, John regularly serves as an arbitrator in international disputes.

John is consistently recognized by clients and competitors as a leading authority in the field of international arbitration and dispute resolution. In 2020, John was named the recipient of the International Law Office (ILO) 2020 Client Choice Award for Arbitration in the United States. According to Client Choice’s research, clients praised John as “an outstanding lawyer” and a “practical and strategic thinker,” “who is adept at legal writing and leading a large team.”  Clients specifically praised John's “excellent advocacy skills before tribunals” and noted that his “professional preparation of each submission and the hearing itself are phenomenal.”

He was elected to the American Law Institute in 2020. He is a member of the ICC Commission on Arbitration, a former member of the Executive Committee of the New York International Arbitration Center, a founding member of the International Arbitration Club of New York, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Prior to private practice, John served as a law clerk to the Honorable M. Margaret McKeown on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He was selected as a Jean Monnet fellow at the École Polytechnique in Palaiseau, France (1992-1993) and as a Young Leader of the American Council on Germany (2009-2010).