Ms Sarah Vasani > CMS > London, England > Lawyer Profile
CMS Offices
CANNON PLACE
78 CANNON STREET
LONDON
EC4N 6AF
England
Ms Sarah Vasani

Position
Partner, Co-Head of International Arbitration
Career
Sarah is Co-Head of International Arbitration at CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP, a role covering the U.K., Central and Eastern Europe, the UAE, Singapore, Turkiye, China, Brazil and Mexico. She is a seasoned international arbitration lawyer specialising in both international commercial arbitration and investor state disputes, representing clients before all key arbitral institutions including the LCIA, DIFC-LCIA, ICC, ICDR, SIAC, HKAIC, SCC, ICSID, and in arbitrations conducted under the UNCITRAL Rules, and foreign investment laws. She is dual-qualified in England & Wales and the U.S. (Texas and Washington D.C.), is a Solicitor-Advocate of the Higher Courts of England and Wales, and works in both English and Spanish.
In addition to advocating for her clients’ interests before international tribunals, Sarah advises clients on investment (re)structuring, and on strategies, options, and tactics for minimising the prospects of full-blown disputes. She is an adroit counsellor on managing and sharing the risks of arbitration through third-party funding, ATE insurance, and conditional-fee and damages-based agreements, and enforcing arbitral awards. She has particular experience in energy, oil and gas, mining, and other large scale project disputes in Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, and Latin America and has represented many of the leading global energy and construction companies. Sarah regularly sits as party-nominated, sole, and presiding arbitrator.
Memberships
- Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.
- Member of the Panel of Arbitrators for the CIArb’s Business Arbitration Scheme.
- Member of the International Mediation Institute (IMI) Investor-State Mediation Taskforce (2017-present), and head of the Singapore Convention subgroup (2018-present).
- Pledge for Green Arbitration, Steering Committee
Education
- 2006 – Juris Doctorate, Vanderbilt University Law School
- 2002 – Bachelor of Arts, International Relations, Michigan State University
- 2002 – Bachelor of Science, Agriculture & Natural Resources Communications, Michigan State University
- Specialisations: Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Environmental
Lawyer Rankings
London > Dispute resolution > Public international law
CMS‘ London group covers a range of public international law issues, including jurisdiction, immunity and enforcement matters. The team also comprises experts in expropriations, The Law of the Sea, treaty law, state responsibility, international institutional law, and obtaining evidence for use in overseas proceedings. The practice further encompasses sanctions and investor-state arbitrations. Karen Denny represents sovereign states and international organisations in public international law matters; Pieter Bekker leads the investment arbitration task force; and Sarah Vasani is ‘a standout practitioner’.
London > Dispute resolution > International arbitration
(Leading partners)CMS is well known for its representation in arbitrations across the energy, infrastructure, construction, TMT, insurance, and life sciences sectors. The practice houses experts in climate change-related disputes and the intersection between arbitration and IP rights. The firm also maintains a robust investor-state arbitration offering. Richard Bamforth specialises in international commercial arbitration, both as counsel and arbitrator. Sarah Vasani has ‘a proven track record in arbitration’ and Phillip Ashley is an energy disputes expert. Guy Pendell
routinely handles major corporate and commercial disputes. Other names to note are Adrian Bell
, Sarah Grenfell, Philip Norman, Louise Boswell and Kushal Gandhi.
Lawyer Rankings
- Leading partners London > Dispute resolution > International arbitration
- International arbitration London > Dispute resolution
- Public international law London > Dispute resolution
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Real estate > Commercial property: corporate occupiers
- Real estate > Commercial property: development
- Real estate > Commercial property: investment
- Real estate > Construction: contentious
- Real estate > Environment
- Corporate and commercial > Equity capital markets – small-mid cap
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Fintech: corporate and commercial
- Crime, fraud and licensing > Fraud: civil
- Crime, fraud and licensing > Gaming and betting
- Insurance > Product liability: defendant
- Industry focus > Hospitality and leisure
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Infrastructure: Project finance and development
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Intellectual property: trade marks, copyright and design
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > IT and telecoms
- Insurance > Product liability: defendant
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Media: Digital content & social
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > PATMA: Patent attorneys
- Employment > Pensions (non-contentious)
- Employment > Pensions: dispute resolution
- Real estate > Planning
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Power (including electricity and nuclear)
- Real estate > Property litigation
- Investment fund formation and management > Real estate funds
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Renewables
- Industry focus > Retail and consumer
- Investment fund formation and management > Retail funds
- Industry focus > TMT
Firm Rankings
- Corporate and commercial > Commercial contracts
- Real estate > Construction: non-contentious
- Risk advisory > Data protection, privacy and cybersecurity
- Employment > Employers
- Corporate and commercial > Financial services: contentious
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Fintech: regulatory
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Infrastructure: M&A and acquisition financing
- Insurance > Insurance and reinsurance litigation
- Insurance > Insurance: corporate and regulatory
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Intellectual property: patents (contentious and non-contentious)
- Industry focus > Life sciences and healthcare
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Media: Advertising & marketing
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Media: Film & TV
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Media: Media finance
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Oil and gas
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > PATMA: Trade mark attorneys
- Dispute resolution > Professional discipline
- Insurance > Professional negligence
- Real estate > Property finance
- Transport > Rail
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Sport
- Corporate and commercial > VAT and indirect tax
- Corporate and commercial > Venture capital
- Finance > Bank lending: investment grade debt and syndicated loans
- Dispute resolution > Banking litigation: investment and retail
- Insurance > Clinical negligence: defendant
- Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: premium
- Corporate and commercial > Corporate tax
- Finance > Derivatives and structured products
- Employment > Employee share schemes
- Corporate and commercial > Financial services: non-contentious/regulatory
- Employment > Health and safety
- Dispute resolution > International arbitration
- Investment fund formation and management > Listed funds
- Corporate and commercial > M&A: Upper Mid-Market And Premium Deals, £750m+
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Media: Music
- Corporate and commercial > Private equity: transactions - mid-market deals (up to £500m)
- Risk advisory > Regulatory investigations and corporate crime (advice to corporates)
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Reputation management
- Public sector > Administrative and public law
- Transport > Aviation
- Dispute resolution > Competition litigation
- Finance > Corporate restructuring & insolvency
- Finance > Debt capital markets
- Corporate and commercial > Equity capital markets: mid-large cap
- Corporate and commercial > EU and competition
- Dispute resolution > Public international law
- Dispute resolution > Tax litigation and investigations
- Finance > Acquisition finance
- Finance > Transport finance and leasing
- Investment fund formation and management > Private funds