Richard Ellison

Senior Associate

Richard specialises in complex commercial disputes, with a particular focus on multi-party international arbitration (including investment treaty arbitration).

He has advised on disputes under the arbitration rules of the major international arbitration bodies (LCIA; ICC; DIAC; SIAC; UNCITRAL; OHADA), in addition to advising on English High Court litigation and interim remedies.

He has significant experience in energy-related disputes in West Africa, China, and CIS countries; he has also advised on many high-value disputes in other industry sectors, and on internal and external regulatory investigations.

Prior to joining Seladore Legal, Richard practised at a major US law firm for over eight years. Richard is fluent in French, and has a working knowledge of many other languages including Spanish, Indonesian and German.

  • Acting for a joint venture partner in an oil and gas company in central Asia in an LCIA arbitration in relation to breach of contract claims, involving claims and counterclaims with a total value of over $150 million.
  • Acting for a major US marketing company in a multi-jurisdictional dispute with a private individual and companies associated with him. Claims and counterclaims included serious allegations of fraud, together with claims for breach of contract with a total value of over $1 billion.
  • Representing Elliot Capital Management in a High Court claim for breach of a loan guarantee with a value of over $50 million; the assets guaranteed were in a variety of African jurisdictions, including Burkina Faso and DRC.
  • Acting for a financially distressed Russian property development company and its subsidiaries in a complex dispute with a major British construction firm with a value of over $90 million, involving LCIA arbitration, Russian court proceedings and an anti-suit injunction in the English High Court.
  • Representing a CIS bank in a multi-jurisdictional dispute involving a loan secured over assets with a value of over $500 million.
  • Representing the government of a central Asian country in an UNCITRAL investment treaty arbitration with claims including expropriation and violation of the most favoured nation standard, with a value of over $400 million.
  • Acting for a state-owned oil company and its subsidiaries in an LCIA arbitration with a private individual in relation to assets in Saudi Arabia and China, with a potential value of over $100 million.
  • Successfully advising on a pro bono basis on an appeal in relation to planning permission for the proposed demolition of the Sutton Estate social housing units in Kensington & Chelsea, which drew both local and national press attention.

Richard has had the following articles published in legal journals:

 

  • Oil and Gas Sale and Purchase Agreements (Chapter on governing law and jurisdiction clauses, Edition 1 (January 2017) & Edition 2 (November 2020))
  • Contract Negotiation Considerations (Arabian Oil and Gas, January 2014)

Reported cases:

 

  • Mace (Russia) Ltd v Retansel Enterprises Ltd & Ano’r [2016] EWHC 1209 (Comm): lead associate
  • Section 78 Appeal made by Clarion Housing Group Land at William Sutton Estate, Cale Street, London, SW3 3QY, Application Ref: PP/15/04878: lead associate.

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