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Profile Picture

Cyrus Benson

Cyrus
Benson

Partner

CONTACT INFO

cbenson@gibsondunn.com

TEL:+44 (0)20 7071 4239

FAX:+44 (0)20 7070 9239

London

Telephone House, 2-4 Temple Avenue, London, EC4Y 0HB United Kingdom

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PRACTICE

International Arbitration Litigation Transnational Litigation

BIOGRAPHY

Cy Benson is a U.S. and English qualified partner in the London office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and serves as Co-Chair of the firm’s International Arbitration Practice Group.

Mr Benson represents clients from a wide variety of sectors before commercial and investment treaty tribunals with particular experience in telecoms, oil & gas, mining and infrastructure disputes. He continues to represent a Dutch and a Luxembourg investor in two separate multi-billion dollar arbitration proceedings against the Russian Federation under the Energy Charter Treaty.

He is lead advocate for a major international contractor in billion dollar ICC proceedings against a Middle Eastern state arising from an airport project, and spear-headed a team in the successful prosecution of a US$ 2 billion LCIA arbitration for a global mining corporate against a Middle East steel manufacturer. He also continues to represent a Middle Eastern conglomerate in a US$ 500 million ICSID arbitration under the Kuwait/Iraq bilateral investment treaty arising out of an investment in Kurdistan; and a Swedish holding company in a US$ 1.5 billion ICSID arbitration against a North African State for expropriation of a refinery and related businesses.

This past year he successfully defended a European telecommunications company in an ICC arbitration brought by a middle-eastern telecommunications provider arising from a multi-billion euro M&A transaction.

He was a member of the IBA Arbitration Committee Task Force on Ethics for Counsel and served as one of the UK members to the ICC Rules Revision Task Force. He sits regularly as an arbitrator, and writes and lectures on a wide variety of arbitration issues.

He has championed the USAID-backed joint legal reform initiative (with the Mongolian Ministry of Justice) to design and teach a course on international arbitration law and practice (covering both commercial and investment treaty arbitration) to Mongolian lawyers and judges.

Mr. Benson is ranked as a leading lawyer for International Arbitration in the 2007-2023 Chambers and Partners UK Guides, who describe him as “he’s superb and has an excellent grasp of strategy. He’s an excellent advocate and first-rate cross-examiner.” In previous editions, he is noted as “an exceptional advocate. He understands the legal issues and the tactics. He is a really effective advocate and cross-examiner” and “a formidable advocate.” He is also ranked in the 2010, 2014-2022 Chambers and Partners Global Guides, 2021-2022 Chambers Europe Guide and in the 2009-2023 editions of Best Lawyers International in the UK. In addition, Legal 500 UK 2023 ranks Mr. Benson in the Hall of Fame listing for International Arbitration and recognises him for Public International Law as well as recommending Gibson Dunn’s International Arbitration Practice generally (the publications recently cited him as being ‘a class act’ and “an exceptional lawyer and a first-rate advocate among the best-regarded practitioners in the market. He is tactically astute and a strong strategist. He is the lawyer that I would want in my corner).” He is “highly recommended” for Dispute Resolution: Arbitration in Practical Law Company’s Which Lawyer? (2007-2012), is identified by UK Legal Experts 2012 as an expert in the field of Arbitration and recommended in Arbitration in Who’s Who Legal 2023.  He has also been recommended for Dispute Resolution: International Arbitration in Chambers Europe and is ranked as a ‘Litigation Star’ for International Arbitration by Benchmark Litigation Europe 2022. He is also ranked for International Arbitration and Litigation in the Lawdragon 500 Global Litigation Lawyers guide 2021.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Mr. Benson was co-head of the London international arbitration group at a U.S. law firm.

EDUCATION

New York University - 1991 Juris Doctor

Syracuse University - 1986 Master of Arts

Syracuse University - 1984 Bachelor of Arts

ADMISSIONS

England & Wales - Solicitor

New York Bar

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Firm News - March 16, 2023 | Gibson Dunn Ranked in Chambers Europe 2023
Firm News - December 27, 2022 | Who’s Who Legal Recognizes Eight Gibson Dunn Partners
Firm News - October 20, 2022 | Gibson Dunn Ranked in Chambers UK 2023
Firm News - September 29, 2022 | Gibson Dunn Ranked in The Legal 500 UK 2023
Firm News - June 9, 2022 | Best Lawyers in the United Kingdom 2023 Recognizes 18 Gibson Dunn Attorneys
Firm News - March 17, 2022 | Gibson Dunn Ranked in Chambers Europe 2022
Client Alert - February 18, 2022 | Which Law Governs the Arbitration Agreement? UK Supreme Court Refuses to Enforce a Paris-Seated Award Already Upheld by the French Courts
Client Alert - February 4, 2022 | The Latest Chapter of the Intra-EU Investment Arbitration Saga: What It Entails for the Protection of Intra-EU Investments and Enforcement of Intra-EU Arbitral Awards
Firm News - December 6, 2021 | Who’s Who Legal 2022 & 2021 Guides Recognize Seven Gibson Dunn Partners
Firm News - October 26, 2021 | Benchmark Litigation Europe 2022 Recognizes Gibson Dunn
Firm News - October 21, 2021 | Gibson Dunn Ranked in Chambers UK 2022
Firm News - October 8, 2021 | Jus Mundi Featured Gibson Dunn as Arbitration Team of the Month
Firm News - October 7, 2021 | Gibson Dunn Ranked in the 2022 UK Legal 500
Firm News - June 3, 2021 | Best Lawyers in the United Kingdom 2022 Recognizes 10 Gibson Dunn Attorneys
Firm News - March 19, 2021 | Gibson Dunn Ranked in Chambers Europe 2021
Firm News - February 23, 2021 | Sixteen Partners Named Among the Lawdragon Global Litigation 500
Firm News - January 14, 2021 | Who’s Who Legal 2021 Recognizes Gibson Dunn Partners in Arbitration, Tax and Competition
Firm News - October 23, 2020 | Gibson Dunn Ranked in Chambers UK 2021
Firm News - October 5, 2020 | Gibson Dunn Ranked in the 2021 UK Legal 500
Firm News - October 5, 2020 | Benchmark Litigation Europe 2021 Names Four Partners Stars
Firm News - June 12, 2020 | Best Lawyers in the United Kingdom 2021 Recognizes 12 Gibson Dunn Attorneys
Client Alert - February 21, 2020 | UK Supreme Court Paves the Way for Enforcement of an ICSID Award in the Long-Running <em>Micula v Romania</em> Dispute
Client Alert - February 12, 2020 | Coronavirus and Force Majeure: Addressing Epidemics in LNG and Other Commodities Contracts
Firm News - January 30, 2020 | Who’s Who Legal Names 12 Partners to Practice Guides for Trade & Customs, Arbitration and Restructuring & Insolvency
Firm News - November 4, 2019 | Benchmark Litigation Europe 2020 Names Four Partners Stars
Client Alert - October 14, 2019 | Argentina and Other States Adopt Currency Restrictions, Raising Potential Investment Treaty Claims
Firm News - October 10, 2019 | Gibson Dunn Ranked in Chambers UK 2020
Firm News - October 4, 2019 | Gibson Dunn Ranked in the 2020 UK Legal 500
Client Alert - August 22, 2019 | The Singapore Convention on Mediation and the Path Ahead
Client Alert - July 24, 2019 | Digital Services Taxes May Violate Investment Treaty Protections
- June 28, 2019 | Best Lawyers in the United Kingdom 2020 Recognizes 11 Gibson Dunn Partners
Firm News - December 28, 2018 | Four Gibson Dunn partners recognized by Who’s Who Legal
Firm News - November 21, 2018 | Gibson Dunn Ranked in the 2019 UK Legal 500
Firm News - November 2, 2018 | Gibson Dunn Ranked in Chambers UK 2019
Firm News - June 15, 2018 | Best Lawyers 2019 Recognizes Nine UK Partners
Client Alert - October 3, 2017 | The DIFC Court’s First Ever Judgment on State Immunity Is a Welcome Sign for Investors
Article - September 26, 2017 | UK Seeks Dispute Resolution Options Outside The CJEU
Article - June 1, 2016 | Covered Investment
Article - November 6, 2015 | Investment Treaty Considerations For Deal Makers
Client Alert - September 25, 2015 | Bilateral and Multilateral Investments Treaties: What All Dealmakers Need to Know
Client Alert - February 25, 2015 | Venezuela’s Currency Regulations May Violate Investment Treaty Protections
Client Alert - October 6, 2014 | Protecting Your Investments in Emerging Markets
Client Alert - April 1, 2014 | The IBA Guidelines on Party Representation: An Important Step in Overcoming the Taboo of Ethics in International Arbitration
Client Alert - January 8, 2014 | Will Africa Be Lit By “BITs”?
Client Alert - March 2, 2009 | Can Professional Ethics Wait? The Need for Transparency in International Arbitration
Client Alert - October 7, 2008 | Recent Decisions Cast Substantial Doubt on Whether “Manifest Disregard of the Law” Constitutes a Valid Independent Ground for the Judicial Vacatur of Arbitration Awards under the United States Federal Arbitration Act
Client Alert - March 7, 2008 | An Injunction too Far: C v D
Client Alert - February 27, 2008 | U.S. Supreme Court Holds That the Federal Arbitration Act Supersedes State Laws Lodging Primary Jurisdiction in Another Forum
Client Alert - October 19, 2007 | UK House of Lords Proclaims Fresh Start to the Interpretation of English Law-Governed Arbitration Agreements
Article - July 23, 2007 | What Price Accuracy? A Recent House of Lords Decision May Be a Recipe for Delay in UK Contract Law Arbitrations
Client Alert - June 1, 2006 | Wanted: An Ethical Compass
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