Jeff Sullivan is a U.S. and English qualified partner in the London office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, where he is a member of the firm’s International Arbitration Group. Mr Sullivan represents clients in both commercial and investment treaty arbitrations, as well as all aspects of public international law. Mr Sullivan also regularly sits as arbitrator.

Mr Sullivan’s practice has a particular focus on disputes arising in the energy, extractive industries and infrastructure sectors. His experience includes handling disputes arising out of long-term supply agreements, concession agreements, production sharing and operating agreements, joint venture agreements, EPC and other construction agreements. Mr Sullivan has also acted as counsel and lead advocate in more than 30 bilateral investment treaty and Energy Charter Treaty arbitrations. He has advised States in Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East on the negotiation and drafting of trade and investment treaties.

Mr Sullivan’s recent representations include advising a US company in a US $4 billion ICC arbitration arising out of an Middle Eastern infrastructure project; acting for an Asian government in an UNCITRAL arbitration in a US $750 million commercial dispute with a concessionaire in a transport project; acting for 25 different international investors in renewable energy projects in 10 separate ICSID and UNICTRAL arbitration claims against the Kingdom of Spain under the Energy Charter Treaty involving claims in excess of US $2.5 billion; and a Cypriot company in two parallel LCIA arbitrations with the amount in dispute in excess of US $2.2billion

Mr Sullivan is a Member of the ICC UK Arbitration & ADR Nominations Committee, a member of the Energy Charter Treaty Secretariat’s Legal Advisory Task Force, an Executive Board Member of the European Federation for Investment Law and Arbitration and an Executive Committee Member of the Foundation for International Arbitration Advocacy.

He is consistently ranked as a leading individual by the major legal directories, including Chambers & Partners and Legal 500. Chambers UK 2021 describe him as “truly excellent in investor-state arbitration. He’s extremely practical, very effective and knows how to get results” and a “very strong lawyer who is very client-friendly.” Chambers UK 2020 noted his “ability to grasp the essentials of a complex matter and very impressive tactical skills.” Chambers UK 2019 described him as “very communicative and very thorough, with a knowledge of arbitration that was second to none” and “a consummate professional and has an unbelievable command over his cases.” Chambers UK 2018 noted that “Jeff has always displayed an excellent tactical mind, a high level of client commitment and an impressive ability to grasp complicated, nuanced matters very quickly”.  Chambers UK 2016 noted “Team leader Jeffrey Sullivan is a well-known figure in the London PIL market, with substantial expertise in handling investment treaty disputes and ECT claims. He counts both states and commercial entities as clients, frequently representing them before international tribunals. Peers deem him a ‘genuine specialist’ in PIL.”  He is also ranked in Best Lawyers UK 2021 for International Arbitration.

Representative Transactions*:

• more than 25 different international investors (including RWE, AES, HgCapital, Rreef Infrastructure, Antin Infrastructure and Eiser Infrastructure) in 10 separate ICSID and UNICTRAL arbitration claims against the Kingdom of Spain under the Energy Charter Treaty relating to the regulation of the Spanish renewable energy sector and involving claims worth in excess of EUR2.5 billion
• an international engineering and construction company in an ICC arbitration arising out of a large infrastructure project in the Middle East involving claims in excess of USD3 billion
• the subsidiary of a major energy company in an LCIA arbitration arising out of two engineering, procurement and construction contracts relating to the development of an offshore oil field in Central Asia
• one of the world’s largest mining companies in an ICC arbitration regarding a South African law governed joint-venture dispute involving claims in excess of USD1 billion
• the Republic of Poland in an investment treaty arbitration brought under the UNCITRAL Rules and relating to alleged investments in the pharmaceutical sector involving claims in excess of USD250 million
• an international construction and engineering company in its successful defence of a claim brought under the ICC arbitration rules arising out of the alleged breach contract in relation to a complex construction project in the Middle East involving claims in excess of USD260 million
• the successful defence of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in two related investment treaty claims, brought under the UNCITRAL Rules involving a dispute related to a gas import terminal with claims in excess of USD600 million
• the Republic of Azerbaijan in two ICSID arbitrations involving claims under the Energy Charter Treaty, as well as contractual claims, with the amount in dispute in excess of USD300 million
• a Cypriot company in two parallel LCIA arbitrations with the amount in dispute in excess of USD2.2billion
• an Italian manufacturing company in an ICC arbitration regarding an English law governed breach of contract dispute involving claims in excess of USD250 million
• the AES Corporation in an ICSID arbitration involving Energy Charter Treaty claims against the Republic of Kazakhstan

* Includes experience prior to joining Gibson Dunn

Selected published work

• Co-Author: “Environmental Policies: A Shield or a Sword in Investment Arbitration?” Journal of World Investment & Trade 17 (2017) 19-24
• Co-Author: “Multiparty Proceedings and Mass Claims” in The Investment Treaty Arbitration Review, Law Business Research (2016)
• Co-Author: “Interim Costs Orders: The Tribunal’s Tool to Encourage Procedural Economy”, in Reshaping the Investor-State Dispute Settlement System,Brill/Nijhoff (2015)
• Co-Author: “A Comparison of ICSID and UNCITRAL Arbitration for Investment Arbitration”, Croatian Arbitration Yearbook, 20th Volume,  2013
• Co-Author: Arbitration under the Energy Charter Treaty: Recent Decisions and a Look to the Future in “Investment Protection and the Energy Charter Treaty” Juris 2011
• Author: The Future of Investment Arbitration in Asia in “Investment Treaty Arbitration and International Law” Volume 4, (eds. Weiler & Laird) Juris 2011
• Co-Author: A Comparison of ICSID and UNCITRAL Arbitration: Areas of Divergence and Concern in “The Backlash Against Investment Arbitration” (eds. Chung, Kaushal, Balchin and Waibel), Kluwer Law International (2010)
• Author: A Protected Shell? Shell Companies and Foreign Investment Law in “Legal Issues in Foreign Investment Contracts” (eds. Trunk & Aliyev) Eastlaw 2009
• Co-Author: Litigating Under the Shadow of the New York Convention, Arbitration, Vol. 74, No. 2, May 2008