In a fillip to its international arbitration practice, Shearman & Sterling has hired the US Department of State’s Jeremy Sharpe (pictured) in London and Nils Elisasson in Hong Kong from Nordic firm Mannheimer Swartling.
Sharpe joins from his role as chief of investment arbitration at the US State department’s Office of the Legal Adviser where he led a six-lawyer team that represented the government in investor-State and State-to-State disputes arising under international investment agreements.
Eliasson previously headed Mannheimer’s disputes practice in Asia. A specialist in commercial and investment treaty arbitration with a focus on oil and gas cases, he has previously served as a legal officer at the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law.
Shearman’s senior partner Creighton Condon said: ‘We are very pleased that two top-tier international arbitration lawyers have joined our firm. Nils and Jeremy are outstanding additions to Shearman & Sterling and will reinforce a practice that is already considered the gold standard globally.’
The firm’s global head of arbitration, Emmanuel Gaillard, added: ‘The addition of Jeremy and Nils to Shearman & Sterling further consolidates a stronger-than-ever International Arbitration practice at Shearman & Sterling. They both bring to our team unique skills and experience, a deep knowledge of the market, and tremendous market recognition which our clients value.’
The firm’s international arbitration team secured the two largest awards ever issued in international arbitration: a landmark $50bn award in favour of the majority shareholders of the former Yukos Oil Company against Russia; and a $2.47bn award in favour of the Dow Chemical Company relating to a failed joint-venture dispute in Kuwait.
Other high profile arbitration moves of late includes Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) longstanding arbitration partner Matthew Weiniger QC to Linklaters, who is set to join the Magic Circle firm’s disputes team that already boasts HSF alumni Christa Band.
sarah.downey@legalease.co.uk
