Eversheds Sutherland is pleased to announce the arrival of three international arbitration partners to the firm’s Litigation Practice Group. The high-profile team joins from Dentons and includes Meriam Nazih Al-Rashid in New York, and William O’Brien and John Lomas in Washington DC. Ms. Al-Rashid and Mr. O’Brien are already resident in their respective offices while Mr. Lomas will join Eversheds Sutherland in the next few weeks.

“In today’s global economy, international arbitrations are increasingly complex and strategically important for our clients—be they companies, investors, or financial institutions,” said Mark D. Wasserman, Co-CEO of Eversheds Sutherland. “Our ability to effectively advise our clients has increased significantly with the addition of Meriam, Will and John. We welcome them to our fast-expanding international arbitration team.”

“Enhancing our international arbitration team in the US has been a top priority for the global litigation practice, and this highly regarded group of attorneys vaults us forward,” said Ronald W. Zdrojeski, Co-Head of the Eversheds Sutherland global litigation group. “The depth and diversity of their experience—which spans numerous regions, arbitral rules, deal types, and industries—will greatly benefit our clients in need of sophisticated international dispute resolution.”

In addition to growing the practice in the United States, Eversheds Sutherland added seven partners in key arbitration markets around the world last year. The global arbitration practice covers all the leading global arbitration hubs, including New York, London, Paris, Singapore, Hong Kong, Zurich and the Middle East. With a solid presence in the US, the group will continue to grow in the Americas, and is looking to build in Latin America, as well as the US.

“Eversheds Sutherland’s growth trajectory generally, and specifically to international arbitration, over the last two years demonstrates their commitment to accelerating their capacity to handle large, intricate international arbitrations for their existing and new clients,” said Ms. Al-Rashid. “We are excited to join a practice that has a clear understanding of the capabilities necessary to meet the global mandates of our clients. To be joining the 7th largest litigation practice is a wonderful opportunity, and we are both honored and delighted to join Eversheds Sutherland’s global network.”

About the Lawyers

Ms. Al-Rashid represents and advises clients on complex international disputes with a focus on public international law, including issues related to human rights, war crimes, genocide, and international investment arbitration, international commercial arbitration, foreign investor risk management, and arbitration legislative reform in various jurisdictions. Her practice covers a broad spectrum of industries, including mining, mineral resources, infrastructure, oil and gas, civil engineering, textiles, hospitality, and real estate. Ms. Al-Rashid has served as counsel in disputes and transactions involving parties from around the globe, including Latin America, the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia, and Europe. Her experience includes participation in arbitrations before the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), International Court of Justice (ICJ), Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR), London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), and International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), as well as under the rules of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL).

Mr. O’Brien guides clients through complex and high-stakes international arbitrations, litigation, and dispute resolution, in which he serves as lead counsel before all major arbitral institutions and US courts. His work spans a wide variety of sectors, including aviation/aerospace and defense, construction, energy, government, manufacturing, and transportation. He focuses on high-profile, and often politically charged, cross-border matters, including enforcement of arbitration awards, treaty issues, foreign sovereign immunity, government contracts, and defense against fraud or corruption allegations.

Mr. Lomas helps his clients from across the globe achieve their strategic goals in complex and challenging transnational disputes before US trial and appellate courts and the major international arbitration institutions. He focuses his practice on commercial and business disputes, intellectual property, False Claims Act and fraud claims, and competition/antitrust issues. His work spans a variety of industries, including technology, health care, manufacturing, finance, transportation, and defense.

About the International Arbitration Practice

Eversheds Sutherland’s International Arbitration Group represents companies, financial institutions, States and State entities in major commercial and investment-treaty arbitrations around the world. Known for our forensic preparation, pragmatic strategic advice, innovative working practices and convincing advocacy, we have over 80 international arbitration lawyers around the globe, including in all the major arbitration hubs. Our teams are experienced in conducting arbitrations under all major arbitral rules and ad hoc proceedings in disputes governed by laws across a wide range of common law and civil law systems.

About Eversheds Sutherland

As a global top 10 law practice, Eversheds Sutherland provides legal services to a client base ranging from small and mid-sized businesses to the largest multinationals, acting for 73 of the Fortune 100, 66 of the FTSE 100, and 119 of the Fortune 200.

With more than 3,000 lawyers, Eversheds Sutherland operates in 69 offices in 34 jurisdictions across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the United States. In addition, a network of more than 200 related law firms, including formalized alliances in Latin America, Asia Pacific and Africa, provide support around the globe.

Eversheds Sutherland provides the full range of legal services, including corporate and M&A; dispute resolution and litigation; energy and infrastructure; finance; human capital and labor law; intellectual property; real estate and construction; and tax.

Eversheds Sutherland comprises two separate legal entities: Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP (headquartered in the UK) and Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP (headquartered in the US), and their respective controlled, managed, affiliated and member firms. The use of the name Eversheds Sutherland is for description purposes only and does not imply that the member firms or their controlled, managed or affiliated entities are in a partnership or are part of a global LLP. For more information, visit eversheds-sutherland.com.