Subscribe

  • How Can We Help You?

    Global Problem Solving from Covington: Deal with Complex Problems Anywhere in the World

William Lowery

Of Counsel

Washington +1 202 662 5748

  • About
  • Representative Matters
  • Credentials
  • About

    William Lowery is an international arbitration and cross-border disputes lawyer who represents clients in high-stakes commercial and investment disputes across the nuclear, energy, mining, commodities, life sciences, pharmaceutical, and construction sectors. His practice focuses on complex international arbitration, arbitration-related litigation, award enforcement, and strategic dispute resolution involving technically sophisticated industries, long-term supply arrangements, infrastructure projects, and politically sensitive cross-border claims.

    He has represented clients in arbitrations governed by the ICC, AAA/ICDR, JAMS, LCIA, LMAA, SCC, SIAC, and UNCITRAL rules, as well as in ad hoc proceedings, expert determinations, court litigation related to the recognition and enforcement of arbitral awards and foreign judgments, and 28 U.S.C. § 1782 actions. His experience spans both commercial arbitration and arbitration-related litigation, allowing him to advise clients from pre-dispute strategy through final award and enforcement.

    William is recognized by Who’s Who Legal as a “Future Leader” in commercial litigation and international arbitration. Clients have told Global Arbitration Review that he is an “excellent practitioner[]” who is “practical and measured” in providing advice and “extremely responsive.”

    William is particularly known for his work in the nuclear industry, including disputes involving nuclear fuel supply, U3O8, enriched uranium, conversion services, sanctions-related delivery issues, and long-term fuel-cycle contracts. He has represented and advised uranium mining companies, nuclear fuel suppliers, commodities companies, brokers, and utilities in disputes concerning pricing, delivery conditions, sanctions, export licenses, non-performance, and project abandonment under long-term supply and conversion agreements. His experience includes disputes involving U3O8 supply agreements, enriched uranium delivery obligations, and related issues arising under New York law and other governing laws.

    William also has substantial experience in energy disputes more broadly, including upstream oil and gas disputes, investment treaty claims arising from expropriation of energy assets, gas and LNG price review disputes, midstream disputes, insurance arbitrations, and disputes involving crude oil, LPG, and other energy commodities. His matters have included representing Ukraine’s state-owned oil and gas company, Naftogaz, in its investment treaty arbitration against the Russian Federation arising from the expropriation of oil and gas assets in Crimea, resulting in an award exceeding $5 billion; representing clients in gas and LNG price review disputes valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars; and advising on disputes involving long-term crude oil and gas supply contracts.

    William also regularly represents clients in life sciences and pharmaceutical disputes, including royalty disputes, milestone payment disputes, manufacturing and supply disputes, and other complex commercial disagreements involving innovative and highly regulated products. His recent matters include representing a multinational biopharmaceutical company in an ICC arbitration concerning royalty deductions with more than $300 million at stake, representing a life sciences company in a SIAC arbitration to recover an unpaid milestone payment, representing a global biotechnology company in a JAMS international proceeding involving a CDMO’s obligation to mitigate damages in good faith, and advising an international pharmaceutical company an expedited ICC arbitration.

    In addition, William has significant experience in mining disputes, commodity trading disputes, and disputes arising from long-term supply relationships in the natural resources sector. He has handled matters involving uranium supply, mining project construction, cross-border commodity sales, sanctions-related non-delivery claims, and complex pricing disputes involving state-owned counterparties, utilities, traders, and producers.

    William has further developed a strong practice in construction arbitration and infrastructure-related disputes. He has represented clients in disputes arising from EPC contracts, turnkey design and construction contracts, highway rehabilitation and construction projects, mining project construction, drilling and shipbuilding contracts, and other major industrial and infrastructure developments in Latin America and elsewhere.


    Areas of Expertise

  • Practices and Industries
  • Representative Matters
    • Representing a multinational biopharmaceutical company in an ICC arbitration against a license rights holder concerning deductions in the calculation of royalty payments, with an amount claimed in excess of $300 million.
    • Representing a life sciences company in a SIAC rules arbitration to recover an unpaid milestone payment.
    • Representing a global biotechnology company in a JAMS international rules proceeding concerning a CDMO’s obligation to exercise good faith in mitigating damages.
    • Advising an international pharmaceutical company in negotiations to respond to and resolve a claim subject to expedited arbitration proceedings under the ICC rules.
    • Advising a European trading company on a “price majeure” claim by Niger state-owned entity, and its refusal to deliver quantities under a long-term supply agreement for U3O8, subject to New York law.
    • Advising a nuclear fuel marketing company on issues related to sanctions and the delivery of enriched uranium to a state-owned utility, under a series of long-term nuclear fuel contracts subject to various laws.
    • Representing a UK oil and gas company in arbitration proceedings against the Russian Federation arising from the expropriation of oil and gas investments.
    • Advising a mining company on a dispute with a Chinese utility company concerning the delivery conditions under a long-term supply agreement for U3O8.
    • Representing a uranium mining company and nuclear fuel supplier in ICDR arbitration proceedings against a utility company related to breach of a long-term supply and conversion agreement and decision to abandon the construction of a nuclear power plant.
    • Advising a commodities company on issues relating to Canadian export licenses, and the impact of sanctions on the delivery of uranium to a utility under a long-term nuclear fuel supply agreement, subject to New York law.
    • Advising a commodity broker on claims by a Niger state-owned entity that sanctions imposed by regional authorities prevent delivery of U3O8 under a mid-term sale and purchase agreement, subject to New York law.
    • Representing an American midstream energy company in pursuing general liability insurance coverage claims in London arbitrations valued at over $175 million.
    • Representing Ukraine’s state-owned oil and gas company, Naftogaz, in an investment treaty arbitration against the Russian Federation arising from Russia’s expropriation of Naftogaz’s assets in Crimea, resulting in an award in excess of $5 billion.

    • Advising a European gas buyer in consecutive price review negotiations against a North African seller under the terms of two long-term gas supply contracts, related to issues arising from the Covid-19 pandemic, with a cumulative value in dispute in excess of $500 million.
    • Representing a joint-venture in an ICC arbitration arising under an EPC Contract related to a concession for the rehabilitation, improvement, and construction of highways in Colombia.
    • Representing a major gas utility company in a LNG price-review arbitration under the UNCITRAL rules with a value in dispute of approximately $800 million.
    • Representing a North American mining company in an ICDR arbitration arising from cost plus construction, project management, and construction management agreements in connection with the construction of a mining project in Chile and Argentina.
    • Representing a nuclear fuel supplier in ICC arbitration proceedings against a Japanese utility company related to breach of a long-term supply agreement.
    • Representing a UK utility in an UNCITRAL Rules arbitration against a Central American state agency arising from a turn-key contract for the design and construction of a drinking water plant.
    • Representing a provider of government services in U.S. court proceedings related to the recognition and enforcement of a foreign court judgment.
    • Representing Naftogaz in U.S. discovery proceedings in support of efforts to collect a $2.56 billion arbitral award against Gazprom.
    • Advising a consortium of Asian buyers in a price review with an Asian seller under two LNG SPAs, with a value in dispute exceeding $800 million.
    • Representing a logistics company for the defense sector in ad hoc arbitration proceedings arising from a multinational entity’s failure to pay invoices.
    • Representing an investment company in an LCIA arbitration under the terms of a shareholders’ agreement with a value in dispute exceeding $80 million. The dispute related to the operation of an oil terminal connected to the CPC pipeline.
    • Representing an operator of semi-submersible oil platforms and drillships in an LCIA arbitration against a shipbuilder arising from delay under a construction contract for a drillship.
    • Representing an independent oil and gas company in court proceedings against a drilling contractor related to the interpretation of a charter party agreement and delays with respect to the commencement date.
    • Advising a state-owned oil company in a pricing dispute valued in excess of $16 billion under a long-term crude oil supply contract, including the preparation of a request for arbitration for potential proceedings under the LCIA rules.
    • Representing the oil trading affiliate of a major international oil and gas company in a multiparty arbitration (seated in Stockholm and under the UNCITRAL rules) concerning the component variables of a complex quality bank calculation, including the successful challenge of a party-nominated arbitrator due to conflict of interest.
    • Representing a consortium of foreign contractors in an ICC conciliation against a North African state oil company in relation to the proper construction of a production sharing contract and the impact of changes to tax legislation.
    • Representing a power purchasing company in an expert determination related to the interpretation of outage planning provisions within the grid code for Northern Ireland.
    • Representing an energy trading and distribution company in an arbitration related to LPG supplies under the LMAA rules.

    Areas of Expertise

  • Credentials
    Education
    • George Mason University School of Law, J.D., 2010
    • Calvin College, B.A., 2006
        • Political Science and Philosophy
    Bar Admissions
    • District of Columbia
    • New York
    Memberships and Affiliations
    • Association of International Energy Negotiators
    • American Bar Association
    • Energy Bar Association
    Previous Experience
    • Associate in the energy disputes practice at an international law firm.
    • Stagiaire at the Paris office of an international law firm.
    • Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of International Commercial Law

    Areas of Expertise

News and Insights

Events