Covington Boosts International Arbitration and Energy Practices with London Hires

Covington Boosts International Arbitration and Energy Practices with London Hires

7/2/2013

LONDON, 2 July, 2013 — Covington & Burling LLP is pleased to announce that Ben Holland and Jeremy Wilson are joining the firm’s London office as partners. Both will practice in Covington’s international arbitration and commercial litigation practice groups, focusing on energy-related disputes. They are joining a well-established team that has been at the forefront of advising energy clients on major commercial and treaty arbitrations and includes, among others, Gaëtan Verhoosel, Stephen Bond and Carmen Martinez in London.

Ben Holland is an English solicitor-advocate who has been described by peers as a “true energy disputes lawyer … who has served as counsel in several multibillion-dollar arbitrations in the last year” (Chambers UK 2013). He handles large-scale commercial disputes for UK and international energy clients, including renewables and utilities sectors. Ben has advised oil and gas majors, super majors and power companies on contractual disputes under LNG sales agreements, production sharing agreements, power purchase agreements, and oil, gas and joint operating agreements both in the UK and internationally. He also handles international trade and shipping disputes.

Jeremy Wilson is New York qualified and has practiced in both Paris and London. Jeremy also has a broad range of experience handling both commercial and investment-treaty international arbitrations in the energy sector. Chambers UK 2013 notes Jeremy’s “particular expertise in the oil and gas arena” and highlights him as “definitely one to watch”. He is also recognised as a leading practitioner in the Euromoney's Guide to the World's Leading Experts in Commercial Arbitration (2013). Jeremy speaks French fluently.

Gaëtan Verhoosel, London-based partner and co-chair of the firm’s global arbitration practice, commented: “Ben and Jeremy are two extremely talented arbitration practitioners who will add deep energy industry expertise to our global arbitration practice. Their integration into our existing senior capability in London, which has seen a steady increase in instructions from energy clients over the years, will significantly expand our diverse and multi-jurisdictional offering”.

Ben Holland said: “I have been a specialist energy disputes lawyer all my career. Increased political risk is an unavoidable fact for energy companies. Deals in the energy sector are also being disrupted by volatile oil prices and regulatory changes - giving rise to price review arbitrations. Clients facing inevitable high-value disputes turn to lawyers with a strong track-record winning big-ticket energy sector disputes. Both Covington and I have been busy throughout the energy sector recently - I am excited at the opportunity to deliver further together”.

Jeremy Wilson added: "It is an interesting time for energy disputes lawyers; the sector is in a state of flux, with changing regulatory regimes, new technological challenges, and political instability in some of the key oil- and gas-producing regions. Since moving from the US to Europe, I have represented clients across the globe in high-stakes disputes connected to these developments. Covington’s international profile and its well-deserved reputation for handling novel and complex disputes provides an excellent opportunity to build on prior successes. I am very excited to be joining the team”.

Allan Moore, partner and co-chair of Covington’s global arbitration practice, commented: “Covington’s dispute resolution and energy teams have been involved in some of the most high profile disputes over the past several years, including the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill litigation and arbitrations for Exxon Mobil and Occidental in Latin America. Ben and Jeremy’s arrivals further strengthen our significant panel of experts in the firm’s ten offices, which will be of great benefit to our clients globally”.

Ben Holland is a graduate of Oxford University. Jeremy Wilson received his undergraduate degree from Rice University in Houston and his law degree from George Mason University School of Law.

Covington is widely recognised as a leading international arbitration law firm with rankings in GAR100, GAR30, Chambers Global, Chambers UK, Chambers USA, Chambers Latin America, Legal 500 UK and Legal 500 USA.