Philip J. Devenish
Philip Devenish has represented private and sovereign clients in some of the world's largest and most important international arbitrations, as ranked by The American Lawyer and Global Arbitration Review, including several cases valued at more than $1bn in damages. The Legal 500 UK (2019) recognises Philip in public international law as a 'key' practitioner with 'particular expertise in handling foreign investment disputes arising under treaties and contracts'.
Philip served as a principal member of the trial team that secured a $US 1.3bn victory in a BIT arbitration against the Russian Federation in 2018. This landmark decision marked the first time that Russia had been held liable by an arbitral tribunal for seizing assets in Crimea. Philip also has helped respondent states secure highly favourable settlements, including for less than one percent of the claimed damages.
Philip has a particular focus on emerging markets and has spent considerable time working across Eastern Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia. Over the past 10 years, he has handled complex and high'profile disputes originating in Angola, Azerbaijan, Czech Republic, Egypt, Ghana, Hungary, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.