Led by Ryan Junck and bolstered by the February 2026 arrivals of Sophie Lamb KC and Samuel Pape, the public international law team at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (UK) LLP has notable strength in sanctions and international arbitration, acting for both investors and States in investment treaty arbitration. Lamb has a strong track record handling multijurisdictional litigation and arbitration, handling investment treaty disputes across the full range of arbitral rules. Pape is another key contact for international commercial and treaty arbitration. Jonathan Benson, promoted to partner in April 2026, is another core member of the team.
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Accolades
Client satisfaction: Lawyer & team quality
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Key clients
- Agility Public Warehousing Company KSCP
Work highlights
Advising a multinational oil and gas corporation in connection with a multi-billion UNCITRAL bilateral investment treaty dispute against the Russian Federation arising from an expropriation.
Representing Agility in re-filling a dispute relating to the annulled parts of a first award to ICSID, after submitting a new Request for Arbitration, following the successful annulment of a 2021 award issued by the ICSID, dismissing Agility’s $664 million claim against the Republic of Iraq brought under the Iraq 2015 Iraq-Kuwait bilateral investment treaty (BIT) and international law.
Providing EU, UK and US sanctions advice to a global energy company in connection with a potential trading arrangement that would involve purchasing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from a plant in Russia operated by a blocked party for onward sale into the European Union.
Lawyers
Leading partners
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Practice head
Ryan Junck
Other key lawyers
Sophie Lamb KC; Samuel Pape; Jonathan Benson