​Jeffrey Sullivan is a partner in the International Arbitration Group. He specialises in both commercial and investment treaty arbitration, as well as all aspects of public international law.

Jeff’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.

Jeff has also acted as counsel and lead advocate in numerous bilateral investment treaty and Energy Charter Treaty arbitrations. He has also appeared in numerous ICSID annulment proceedings. He has advised States in Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East on the negotiation and drafting of trade and investment treaties. Jeff also regularly advises clients on the structuring of foreign direct investments and issues of state succession.

The author of numerous academic articles and chapters on international investment law and arbitration, Jeff is frequently invited to speak at international conferences and seminars. Among other positions, Jeff is, an advisory board member of the Institute for Transnational Arbitration, a member of the Energy Charter Treaty Secretariat’s Legal Advisory Task Force, and sits on the Executive Board of the European Federation for Investment Law and Arbitration and the Executive Committee of the Foundation for International Arbitration Advocacy.

Jeff is a dual-qualified lawyer, admitted to practice in Washington DC and England & Wales.

He is consistently ranked as a leading individual by the major legal directories, including Chambers & Partners and Legal 500.   Recent commentary includes:

“He was very communicative and very thorough, with a knowledge of arbitration that was second to none” Chambers UK 2019 (Public International Law)

“He is a consummate professional and has an unbelievable command over his cases” Chambers UK 2019 (International Arbitration: Investor-State)

“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 2018 (Public International Law and International Arbitration)

“Jeff is “a ‘rising star’ and ‘genuine specialist’ in PIL.  He possesses particular experience advising on investment treaty disputes, and heads the firm’s PIL group” Chambers Global 2016 (Public International Law)

“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.” Chambers UK 2016 (Public International Law)

Chambers 2015 records that clients “praise practice leader Jeffrey Sullivan for his persuasive, solution-oriented practice and ability to ‘put pressure on the other side tactically in enormously complicated disputes.’ …” (UK – Public International Law)

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