Dimitrios Katsikis is counsel in the International Arbitration practice.

Dimitrios has experience advising and representing companies, State-owned entities and governments in international commercial and investment treaty arbitrations, as well as in pre- and post-arbitration negotiations and strategy.

Dimitrios has worked on disputes arising in the power, oil & gas, mining, and shipbuilding industries, as well as disputes relating to mergers & acquisitions.  He has advised on arbitrations under major arbitration rules such as ICC, ICSID, LCIA, LMAA, SIAC, UNCITRAL, and CRCICA as well as on arbitration-related litigation before the English, French, Swiss and Indonesian courts.

Dimitrios is a member of Shearman & Sterling’s Human Rights at Sea Arbitration team. A collaboration between Shearman & Sterling and UK-based charity Human Rights at Sea, this innovative project seeks to develop a system for the arbitration of complaints concerning human rights abuses at sea.

Alongside his work as counsel, Dimitrios is a member of the Advisory Board of the Young Arbitration Group of CIICA, Pakistan’s first international arbitration organization, as well as being selected for the Reserve Panel of Arbitrators of SIAC.

Dimitrios is qualified in England and Wales and New York, and a foreign registered lawyer with the Paris Bar.

• A large energy multinational in a complex construction dispute worth over $1 billion with a contractor in connection with a megaproject for an oil and gas facility in Central Asia. The dispute includes issues of delay and defects. English law applies.
• An international joint venture, Claimant in an ICC arbitration against a Middle Eastern State-owned company arising from a contract for the design & build of a major infrastructure project in the Middle East.
• An international joint venture, Respondent in an ICC arbitration in Paris brought by a Middle Eastern contractor in relation to the construction of living quarters for a gas processing facility in Africa. The law of the Respondent’s State applies.
• Advising a major Asian energy company on force majeure claims brought in connection with a project in Pakistan. The claims arise from restrictions imposed on the project by the government of Pakistan. The contracts are governed by Pakistani law.
• An Independent Power Producer (IPPs) in a Central Asian State in an ICC arbitration in Singapore against two State-owned entities of a Central Asian State. The dispute arises from Power Purchase Agreements and is governed by English law.
• Two Independent Power Producers (IPPs) in a Central Asian State, Claimants in an ICC arbitration in Singapore against a State-owned entity of that State. The dispute arises from Power Purchase Agreements and is governed by English law.
• The operator of a major infrastructure project in an Asian state in connection with a Concession Agreement and EPC Contract, subject to ICC arbitration in Singapore. The law of the Asian State governs.
• The subsidiary of an Asian State-owned company in the energy sector, Respondent in two parallel ICC arbitrations in Singapore initiated by its Asian co-shareholder and its parent company. The dispute arose from two agreements relating to the development of an oil storage facility and related port facilities in Asia. English law and the law of the Claimants’ State applied. 
• A Southeast Asian listed company, Claimant in an LMAA arbitration in London against a Chinese shipyard. The dispute arises in connection with various shipbuilding contracts. English law applies. 
• Nine Asian Independent Power Producers (IPPs), Claimants in an LCIA arbitration seated in London against a State-owned entity. The disputes arises out the non-payment of certain amounts under Power Purchase Agreements concluded between the IPPs and a State-owned entity. The law of the country of the State-owned entity applies.
• Two Egyptian State-owned entities in a $6 billion ICC arbitration in Geneva and a $4 billion CRCICA arbitration in Cairo arising out of a long-term gas supply contract relating to the export of Egyptian gas to Israel. English law applied to both arbitrations. More than three quarters of the Claimants’ claims were dismissed for lack of jurisdiction or on the merits.We also represented the Arab Republic of Egypt, as Respondent in two investment arbitrations concerning alleged violations under the Egypt-Poland, Egypt-U.S. and the Egypt-Germany bilateral investment treaties relating to the performance of the same long-term contract for the supply of natural gas. Around $2 billion were claimed in the investment disputes. More than two thirds of the Claimants’ claims were dismissed on jurisdictional grounds and on the merits. Following these decisions, the parties reached a global settlement, under which all claims against our clients were waived without our clients being required to make any payment.
• The majority shareholders in the former Yukos Oil Company, Claimants in a series of three arbitrations against the Russian Federation in relation to the expropriation of their investment in the company. The claims were brought under the Energy Charter Treaty, a multilateral treaty governing trade and investment in the energy sector. The arbitrations were conducted in accordance with the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules and were administered by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague. In an Interim Award of November 20, 2009, the Arbitral Tribunal decided that it had jurisdiction over the dispute and that the claims were admissible. In a Final Award rendered on 18 July 2014, the Arbitral Tribunal ordered the Russian Federation to pay over $50 billion in damages to our clients, which makes this the largest arbitral award ever rendered by an arbitral tribunal. The Tribunal also ordered the Respondent to reimburse to our clients 75% of the legal fees they had incurred in these proceedings, as well as 100% of the arbitration costs.

Professional Affiliations

• Regional Representative, ICC Young Arbitrators Forum, South Asia Chapter
• Member, International Advisory Board of the Pakistan Center for International Investment and Commercial Arbitration (CIICA) Young Arbitration Group (YAG)
• Member, SIAC Reserve Panel of Arbitrators 
• Member, HKIAC List of Arbitrators
• Member, YSIAC
• Member, ICC Hellas

Publications

• “’Necessity’ due to COVID-19 as a Defence in International Investment Claims,” ICSID Review (2021)
• “Breach of the Agreement to Arbitrate due to Third Party Conduct,” Arbitration International (2021)
• “Enforcement in Indonesia: Obtaining a Power of Attorney for Registration of the Award,” 37(5) Journal of International Arbitration 665 (2020) (with A. Nicholls) 
• “The Meaning of Investment in Investment Treaty Arbitration,” in Arbitration under International Investment Agreements: A Guide to the Key Issues 266 (K. Yannaca-Small ed., OUP, 2nd ed. 2018) (with K. Yannaca-Small)
• “Combating Norm and Forum Shopping in Investment Arbitration,” 3(2) BCDR International Arbitration Review 279 (2016)
• “A Philosophical Justification of an Individual’s Right to Sell her Body Parts,” 2009 UCL Jurisprudence Review 72
• “Fair and Equitable Treatment as Ex Aequo Et Bono” (Dissertation for the Bachelor of Civil Law, Oxford University, under the supervision of Dr Martins Paparinskis) (2011)

Speaking Engagements  

• “Climate Change in Pakistan: What Disputes Will Arise, and How Can Arbitration Resolve Them?,” CIICA YAG Webinar, 8 July 2021 (Panelist)
• “This house believes that party appointed expert witnesses can remain truly independent," ICC YAF Global Conference debate, 29 September 2021 (Speaker)
• “Transformation of Dispute Resolution in Pakistan: Digital Litigation and Arbitration for the Post-Covid-19 World,” CIICA YAG Webinar, 3 June 2020 (Moderator) 
• “Techniques, Tips, and Strategies for Efficient Arbitration,” SIAC International Arbitration Webinar Series - SIAC Indian Council Of Arbitration Webinar Part 1, 16 May 2020
• “YSIAC Virtual Mock Hearing: Cross-Examination,” SIAC International Arbitration Webinar Series 2020, 15 May 2020
• “Dialling 101 - Emergency Arbitrations - Clarifying concepts: applicability, admissibility, jurisdiction and urgency of Emergency Arbitration,” ICC India Arbitration Conference, Mumbai, 7 December 2019
• “Controlling Time and Costs in Arbitration,” 2^ndEuropean Organization for Mediation & Arbitration (EODID) Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Conference, Athens, 29 November 2019
• “Arbitrating power disputes: recurring issues and how to resolve them,” Arbitration in Pakistan: Opportunities for the next generation, Conference organized by the Centre for International Commercial and Investment Arbitration in Pakistan, Islamabad, 15 November 2019
• “Getting an early advantage: Key decisions for clients at the beginning of a complex dispute,” MedArbId Seminar Series, Jakarta, 9 October 2019
• “Jurisdiction Ratione Materiae: Defining Foreign Investment,” European Law Students’ Association, Summer Law School, Athens, 19 August 2019
• “Investment Arbitration and Public International Law,” Lecture at the University of Indonesia, Faculty of Laws, Jakarta, 3 May 2019
• “Non-discrimination in investment arbitration,” European Law Students’ Association, Summer Law School, Athens, 20 August 2018
• “Can a ‘gift’ be an investment under international investment law?,” ICC YAF, Paris, 20 February 2017