Trinity International launches International Arbitration practice

With the arrival of international arbitration partners Poupak Anjomshoaa and Natasha Peter, and following its success in Africa, the Middle East and other emerging markets, Trinity has now set its sights on becoming a go to firm for international arbitrations in those regions with the successive hires in London and Paris of two very experienced international arbitration practitioners.

Poupak Anjomshoaa who joined from Baker Botts in September to head the disputes and international arbitration practice, is based in London. She is now joined by Natasha Peter from Gide Loyrette Nouel, who is dual-qualified in England and France and will be based in Paris and focusing on the Francophone markets.

The international arbitration practice will complement the existing crisis management, ESG and BHR practice which is led by Stephane Brabant and Lucien Bou Chaaya who left Herbert Smith Freehills for Trinity International, Paris last year.

The international arbitration practice has been set up to address a growing demand from the firm’s clients for the firm to handle their disputes arising from projects and transactions in the regions in which they operate, in view of the firm’s renowned knowledge of operating in those markets and the increasing value clients place on trusted advisors and the need for continuity.

The four-partner disputes team, who have been involved in both commercial and investor-state international arbitrations across the globe, in Africa, the Middle East, Europe, the Far East, North America, South America and the Caribbean, enable Trinity, which is involved in many strategic and first of its kind projects in the renewables, power, energy, oil and gas, mining, construction and infrastructure sectors in the emerging markets, to offer a one-stop shop to its clients.

“This new offering is an important step for Trinity and its clients. The boutique nature of our firm, which allows us to operate more closely and collaboratively, combined with our sector and geographical knowhow, will allow us to operate as one incredibly strong team with a deep knowledge and understanding of our clients and their projects and transactions and all the necessary skills to manage any crisis and pursue claims and defend our clients in any arbitral proceedings.”, comments London based Senior Partner Paul Biggs.

“I have been fortunate enough to work with many great clients operating in Africa in the past 35 years, especially in the mining, oil & gas and infrastructure sectors, and in that time I have developed with Lucien a crisis management and also an arbitration/mediation investment law practice. Lucien and I have continued with that work since we joined Trinity (e.g. on the ICSID arbitration against the State of Mali on which we were co-counsel) but Poupak and Natasha’s arrival, internationally known and highly respected international arbitration experts, together with specialist international arbitration associates in Paris and London, shall make a huge difference for our clients because Trinity now has added bench strength to represent clients in international arbitration and all other forms of Alternative Dispute Resolution. I also have a particular interest in business and human rights law which is becoming more prevalent in investor-state disputes so the team is well placed to deal those issues which are very important to our clients.”, note Stephane Brabant, Senior Partner.

Poupak Anjomshoaa and Natasha Peter have an in-depth experience of all stages of an arbitration procedure. They also advise clients on jurisdictional issues, the enforcement of arbitral awards and on applications to set aside arbitral awards in both common and civil law jurisdictions.

Thanks to their combined 46 years’ of international arbitration and disputes experience and the diversity of their backgrounds, they approach each case with a deep understanding of the commercial, sectoral and geo-political issues at stake, as well as a strong cultural sensitivity. Poupak Anjomshoaa, who is a construction barrister by training, spent several years as the GC of a Middle Eastern petrochemicals company and has a very strong technical knowledge and grasp of project development and project financing which match perfectly the expectations of the firm’s clients. Natasha Peter, also a barrister and an avocat, has extensive experience of arbitrations in Africa and a deep understanding of financial and technical matters and the energy and renewables sector, which accounts for much of the firm’s projects.

“Joining Trinity to establish the international arbitration practice was an easy decision because the regions and sectors in which the firm operates fit perfectly with my own profile and I have always believed that when a client ends up in dispute with a counterparty, the most natural choice of firm to handle the dispute is the firm which acted on the transaction and has the background knowledge to it so the addition of the international arbitration capability to Trinity’s already very successful platform makes perfect sense. I am delighted that Natasha has agreed to join me on this journey and we are both very excited to be working with Stephane and Lucien and the rest of the team. Our ambition is to be among the top tier international arbitration practices in the markets in which the firm operates within the next 3 to 5 years” adds Poupak Anjomshoaa.

“I am excited to be joining the partnership of such a dynamic and ambitious firm. Trinity has a reputation for excellence in its existing fields, and its strong presence in Africa means that it is a natural place to grow my practice. I very much look forward to working with team”, says Natasha Peter.

Press related articles: Global Arbitration Review, CDR, Global Legal Post, Agence Ecofin