Find Lawyers in Canada for International Arbitration
Practice Area Overview
When an international commercial dispute arises, many lawyers’ immediate reflex is to institute proceedings in court; however, there is a more effective dispute resolution mechanism - arbitration. International commercial arbitration (ICA) is recognized the world over as a leading method of private dispute resolution.
Some of the benefits may be summarized:
• ICA allows parties to select as adjudicators individuals who are highly specialized and experienced in the subject-matter of the dispute. Since the only requirement to be named as an arbitrator is that the individual be an adult with capacity, parties are free to select jurists and non-jurists alike. An expert tribunal can cut down on much of the preliminary work of explaining the contours of a specific and often complex area requiring technical expertise. The tribunal’s specialized knowledge also increases the likelihood of a correct decision within the given context;
• ICA allows parties to take the dispute resolution outside of the sphere of national courts that may not be well suited to deal with dispute of the parties in question;
• In contrast with court proceedings which are often governed by rigid and detailed rules of procedure, parties to an ICA are free to determine the law and rules governing both the substance of their dispute and the arbitration process itself allowing for maximum flexibility;
• ICA may be carried out ad hoc or under the auspices of arbitral institutions such as the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) or the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA);
• While confidentiality is the exception in most national courts, it is the rule in ICA. This is particularly appealing to clients who are particularly weary of confidential and valuable information becoming public record;
• Due to international legal instruments such as the United Nations Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards (“New York Convention”) and the UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial arbitration, an arbitral award is more powerful, from an enforcement perspective, than the decision of a national court. The New Your Convention has been ratified by 156 state parties as of May 2015. Legislation based on the UNCITRAL Model Law has been adopted in 69 states (totaling 99 jurisdictions).
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John's advocacy is tried and tested, having conducted dozens of lengthy and complex arbitrations, trials, and administrative hearings. John has a robust appellate practice, having appeared at the Court of Appeal for Ontario on over 40 appeals and before the Supreme Court of Canada on multiple occasions. John does not shy from challenge. Some of John’s most notable cases are the product of his creative, boundary-testing approach, and passion for applying the law creatively to achieve sen...
Sarah Armstrong is the Chair of Fasken’s Ontario Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice Group. An experienced and strategic litigator with broad litigation, arbitration and dispute resolution experience, she has developed a robust practice focused on commercial and contractual disputes and class action defence. Sarah is also a member of Fasken’s Ontario Professional Development Committee and is Co-Chair of the firm’s Ontario Pro Bono Committee. Working with clients acros...
A partner at Woods LLP, Eric serves a wide range of industries, including financial services and natural resources. He also handles employment-related matters for employers as well as senior management. Eric is a frequent author and speaker on topics such as evidence, civil procedure and international arbitration. An accomplished trial and appellate lawyer, Eric has developed a particular expertise in domestic and international arbitration. His experience includes acting for Canada in the NAF...
With a practice spanning Canada and the US, Simon focuses on commercial and corporate litigation, directors’ and officers’ liability, securities litigation, class actions, and professional negligence. Simon represents a broad range of clients, including various regulated professionals, directors and officers, oppressed shareholders, and public and private companies. Simon delivers results, both in and out of the courtroom. He has a robust trial and appellate practice, appearing re...
Pierre Bienvenu, Ad. E. is a disputes lawyer with more than 35 years' experience in international commercial arbitration, corporate and commercial litigation, and constitutional law. He has acted as counsel or served as arbitrator in international arbitrations involving disputes in energy, transportation, telecommunications, mergers and acquisitions, construction, pharmaceuticals, international distribution and joint ventures, and foreign investment. A former co-chair of the IBA’s Arbit...
David Byers is senior counsel and former Co-Chair of the National Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group. David is highly experienced in complex commercial litigation, including product liability, securities, insolvency and insurance, as well as in domestic and international arbitration. David has extensive advocacy experience appearing before both the Trial and Appellate levels of courts in Ontario. His representations reflect a practice of extraordinary depth and scope, including acting ...
Tracey Cohen, KC is a leading commercial litigation and dispute resolution Partner in the Vancouver office. Tracey has been recognized for expertise in Corporate and Commercial Litigation, Securities Litigation and International and Commercial Arbitration and has repeatedly been recognized as one of Canada’s top 25 female litigators. Tracey was appointed as King’s Counsel in 2015 and was admitted as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers in March 2019. Tracey has been n...
Geoff Cowper, KC is a leading general litigator and a leader of the Firm's Litigation & Dispute Resolution group. Geoff has served as counsel in leading private and public cases in Canada and internationally. These have included leading decisions with national and international dimensions respecting commercial law, public law and human rights.
The Honourable Pierre Dalphond is a senior counsel with the Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group. He is a Chartered Arbitrator, an accredited mediator, a former guest professor on arbitration at the Faculty of Law of the Université de Montréal and former senior judge of the Québec Court of Appeal. His practice focuses on commercial arbitration and mediation and providing strategic advice in every field of law. He conducts internal investigations, provides neutral eva...
Rick Dearden, a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, is a senior litigation partner in the firm's Ottawa office, practising primarily in the areas of international trade, investor-state arbitration, media and defamation law, freedom of information and administrative law. Rick’s accomplishments have also been recognized in the Best Lawyers in Canada ( International Trade; Defamation and Media Law ) ; Lexpert Guide To The Leading U.S./Canada Cross-Border Litigation Lawyers; Be...
Biography Christina Doria assists corporations, public entities, and states with litigation and arbitration, including enforcement of awards and judgments, and internal investigations. Christina co-chairs Baker McKenzie's North American International Arbitration Group. She is recognized by Who's Who Legal (WWL) in Canada since 2020, and by WWL Arbitration globally since 2020. She was also recognized by The Legal 500 and Euromoney Expert Guides as a rising star for dispute resolution, by the C...
Stephen L. Drymer is head of Woods LLP’s International Arbitration group. Stephen practices exclusively in the area of domestic and international arbitration and alternative dispute resolution. He acts as counsel, and serves as arbitrator and mediator, in domestic and in international commercial and investment treaty disputes. Educated and trained in both the common law and the civil law, Stephen has represented parties and served as mediator, party-appointed arbitrator or president of ...
For more than 20 years I have been focused on the resolution of business disputes. Over that time, the arbitral proportion of my practice has increased progressively, such that it now comprises a high majority, involving complex matters typically with at least tens of millions of dollars at stake. In 2005, I obtained a Certificate in Arbitration from the Alberta Arbitration and Mediation Society (now the ADR Institute of Alberta) (ADRIA), based on 11 different relevant courses including 62 ho...
Marc-André G. Fabien, Ad. E. is a seasoned litigator and Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers recognized for his mastery of high-profile complex litigation. He specializes in commercial and shareholders’ disputes, securities litigation and penal proceedings, and litigation involving federal, provincial and municipal bodies. In addition, he is the President of the Canadian Paralympic Committee. Marc-André appears before all levels of courts, including the Supreme...
Matthew Ghikas is the leader of Fasken’s Global Energy Group in the BC Region. He is a leading energy and regulatory litigator based in Vancouver, with particular expertise in the energy, utility and natural resources industries. Matt represents clients in proceedings before regulators in BC, Alberta and Manitoba, in litigation before the courts in British Columbia and Alberta, and in arbitrations and mediations. He has experience and qualifications in domestic and international arbitra...
Patrick Girard is a partner and Head of the Montréal office's Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group. Patrick practices mainly in civil litigation with an emphasis on private international law, international arbitration and in all areas of public litigation (administrative and constitutional law). Patrick is frequently consulted on regulatory or commercial energy matters and has given legal opinions on agreements involving the trading or generation of gas, hydro-electricity and wind...
Rahat Godil is a business-minded litigator with a diverse practice focusing on complex and high-value commercial and contractual disputes. She is a strategic thinker and leader committed to excellence, professionalism and inclusiveness. Rahat has significant commercial arbitration experience and regularly represents clients in both international and domestic institutional and ad hoc arbitrations. Rahat also has substantial experience with joint venture and shareholder disputes, multi-party di...
Angus Gunn is a barrister who concentrates on the resolution of commercial disputes. His practice emphasizes (a) civil appellate litigation matters; (b) appointments as counsel and arbitrator in international and domestic commercial arbitration proceedings; and (c) counsel in judicial review and other administrative law matters. He blends a traditional litigation practice with extensive experience in alternative dispute resolution. He is a member of the Law Society of British Columbia and the...
Douglas Harrison is an independent commercial arbitrator and mediator, handling both international and domestic Canadian business disputes. He also acts as legal counsel in select matters, including designing arbitral procedures and enforcing arbitral awards, as well as doing opinion work. Mr. Harrison is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a member of the CPR Panels of Distinguished Neutrals as both an arbitrator and mediator (Global Panel, Product Liability Panel and Pro Bon...
Clarke Hunter has practised litigation and dispute resolution since 1980, following a clerkship with Chief Justice Laskin at the Supreme Court of Canada. He has represented clients in domestic and international arbitrations and mediations, at all levels of the courts in Alberta, in the courts of two other provinces, and in the Federal Court, the Tax Court and the Supreme Court of Canada. The disputes on which Mr. Hunter has acted have involved a broad range of subject matters, including abori...
Carsten is a founding member and senior partner of JSS Barristers, the largest civil litigation boutique law firm in western Canada. His practice emphasizes complex and multi-party corporate and commercial litigation, commercial class actions, oil & gas litigation including royalty, environmental and CAPL issues, shareholder disputes, advising creditors and others in insolvency matters and professional negligence claims. During a leave of absence from JSS Barristers, he served as Senior L...
Greg Kanargelidis has more than 30 years of experience practicing in the areas of customs, international trade, and commodity tax law. In 2022 Greg opened his own law practice after a rewarding career at a large full-service firm based in Toronto, Ontario, the last 26 years as a partner and head of the firm’s International Trade Group. Greg is recognized as one of the leading international trade and customs lawyers in Canada and the world. Greg has extensive experience representing Cana...
Katherine Kay is a partner in the Litigation & Dispute Resolution and Competition & Foreign Investment Groups. She has served on the Partnership Board and Executive Committee, as well as the Management Committee in the Toronto office. Katherine leads the competition litigation group and her practice is concentrated on complex commercial litigation, often involving the interplay between regulatory, civil and criminal law regimes, and across multiple jurisdictions. Chambers Global has d...
Alex Kotkas is a leading, senior litigator at Fasken with extensive trial and appellate experience. Appearing as litigation and arbitration counsel and as an advocate before a variety of statutory boards and tribunals, he provides practical advice and outstanding advocacy in high stakes litigation. He is the founder and former Leader of the firm’s Litigation & Dispute Resolution group in Calgary.
Peter Mantas is a senior litigation partner frequently retained to act in complicated, high stakes matters, including those of national and international importance. Clients appreciate Peter’s experience, strategic advice, knowledge, and tough but reasonable approach. He is also valued for his skills in crisis management, reputational risk and media relations. Peter is the leader of Fasken’s Procurement group, co-leader of its White Collar Defence and Investigations group, and lea...
Paul practice focuses on corporate commercial litigation and arbitration, shareholder and fraud litigation, appellate litigation and judicial review with particular expertise in complex cases with a regulatory or cross-border dimension. He has litigated cases involving failed hedge funds, derivatives, fraud and Ponzi schemes, arbitration-related court proceedings, shareholder disputes, construction and infrastructure, defamation and employment law. A highly experienced and versatile litigator...
Éric Mongeau is a partner and former Head of the Montréal office's Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group. Recognized as the Québec Litigator of the Year in 2020 by Benchmark Litigation , Éric regularly appears in front of civil courts under provincial and federal jurisdictions, including the Supreme Court of Canada. He also has vast experience in front of administrative and arbitration tribunals. Éric is highly esteemed for his general commercial litigat...
Bruce Reynolds has earned a stellar reputation in the construction industry for settling disputes and drafting and negotiating contracts. Who’s Who Legal has recognized him as “one of the foremost construction practitioners in the world,” while his clients have praised him for his legal skills, integrity and clarity of insight. Bruce is Co-Managing Partner and Co-Chair of the firm’s International Construction Projects Group. He specializes in the resolution of construc...
The Honourable François Rolland, Ad. E. is senior counsel, mediator and arbitrator in Langlois lawyers’ litigation group in Montréal. Mr. Rolland was a Justice of the Superior Court of Québec from 1996 to 2015, and Chief Justice from 2004 to 2015. He presided numerous trials in all areas of the law, including commercial law, class actions, insolvency and corporate reorganizations, as well as matrimonial disputes. He also presided many settlement conferences in civil...
Alexander Rose is a partner in the Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group. His practice focuses on complex commercial litigation, including securities litigation; litigation relating to oppression, takeover bids, proxy contests and other types of shareholder disputes; arbitration; and restructuring and insolvency proceedings. Alex has been involved in regulatory proceedings, injunctions and complex civil matters and has assisted companies in the conduct of internal investigations. He has a...
Glenn now practices in the areas of administrative law and civil litigation, focusing on corporate, commercial and contract litigation (including corporate and securities disputes, oil and gas litigation, contract disputes, commercial landlord and tenant disputes, land disputes, employment litigation and debt collection), wills and estates litigation, Securities Act and Alberta Securities Commission proceedings, Judicial Review hearings, real estate litigation, serious personal injury, profes...
Wendy Wagner is a partner in Gowling WLG's Ottawa office and leader of the firm's Privacy & Data Protection Group. Her practice focuses on international trade law, as well as privacy, access to information and defamation law. In her international trade law practice, Wendy represents the firm’s clients in matters involving trade and investment agreements, export controls and sanctions/embargos, and all aspects of customs compliance (tariff classification, origin, valuation, and Admin...
Frank Walwyn is known for his resourceful approach to litigating some of the most challenging business cases in Canada and the Caribbean. Frank is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and is repeatedly named as one of Canada’s top lawyers in the area of Corporate and Commercial Litigation in The Best Lawyers in Canada , Who’s Who Legal , Benchmark Canada, the Guide to Canada’s Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys , and The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory , am...
Andrew received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Waterloo in 1998, where he achieved Dean's List standing. He then obtained his Bachelor of Laws degree from Dalhousie University in Halifax in 2001. He again achieved Dean's List standing and was the recipient of numerous scholarships and awards. Andrew was called to the Alberta bar in 2002. After completing his articles Andrew obtained his Master of Laws degree from Queens' College, Cambridge University, England ...
James A. Woods , senior partner of the firm, practises in litigation and arbitration and pleads at all levels of federal and provincial courts in Ontario and Québec including the Supreme Court of Canada. Once again, named by Lexpert® 2017 as one of the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada – Montreal, Corporate and Commercial Litigation. Recognized by the Best Lawyers Directory since 2006 for his expertise in the fields of Bet-the-Company Litigation, Class Action Litigation, Corporat...
Karen is the Co-leader of the Litigation Group at the Calgary office. Her practice focuses on complex commercial, construction, and contract litigation and arbitration. Providing counsel to clients in the energy, agricultural, chemical and construction industries, she has been involved in the resolution of a variety of claims, including: multi-party actions, contract disputes, estate litigation, product liability claims, and construction disputes. Across her practice areas, Karen is a keen pr...
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