Natalie Reid is a partner in the firm’s International Dispute Resolution Group, co-chair of the firm’s Public International Law Group, and co-chair of the Caribbean practice. She focuses on international arbitration, public international law, and complex commercial litigation matters. Ms. Reid also serves as Co-Chair of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at the firm.
Ms. Reid has deep sector experience with clients in energy (including renewables), natural resources, mining, and oil and gas. She advises on a broad range of international matters, with particular experience advising on ESG issues, including business and human rights considerations.
A Jamaican national, she advises and represents multinational corporations, sovereign States, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations in proceedings in international courts and tribunals and in U.S. courts. Ms. Reid acts as counsel in commercial, investment treaty, and public international law arbitrations, and sits as an arbitrator in a wide range of commercial cases.
Ms. Reid is recognized by the leading legal directories for her outstanding experience in international disputes. In Chambers Global and Chambers USA, she is said to have “a really good strategic mind, good attitude and experience to work complex cases.” Clients also note that she is “fair and balanced” and has a “terrific ability to keep calm.” Described as “a gem … the right mix of intellect, focus and commercial nous,” she is said to represent “the best of the latest generation of arbitration specialists.” She has also been declared “a spectacular, talented and great technical lawyer” who is “so steeped in the law and international arbitration” that she is “the whole package,” “a clear rising star who is precise in her ability to explain things and put them into context both factually and legally” and “truly an upcoming leader in the space of PIL, human rights and sustainability.” She receives further praise from clients who note that she is “phenomenal,” a “superstar” and one of the “leaders of international arbitration” of her generation. In 2021, Benchmark Litigation recognized Ms. Reid as a Litigation Star for International Arbitration in New York and, since 2018, has listed her as one of the “Top 250 Women in Litigation.” The Legal 500 US (2024), which has described her as “supremely talented,” recommends her as a Leading Lawyer, with previous editions of the guide describing her as “creative and inspiring.” She is also recommended by Who’s Who Legal (2024) as a Thought Leader for Arbitration. The guide has described her as “an exceptional lawyer who stands out in complex cases,” “a great and very positive leader who values flexibility and teamwork,” and has noted that “peers also speak highly of her expertise in public international law.”
Ms. Reid’s current leadership positions include serving as a member of the ICC Court of Arbitration, a Board Member of the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), President of the LCIA North American Users’ Council, and a Counsellor of the American Society of International Law (ASIL). She previously served on the ASIL Executive Council, the Board of Editors of the American Journal of International Law, the International Commercial Disputes Committee of the New York City Bar Association, as a Co-Chair of the Young Attorneys in Dispute Resolution Steering Committee of the International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution (CPR Y-ADR), a Co-Chair of the 2015 ASIL Annual Meeting, a co-chair of the 2022 ITA-IEL-ICC Annual Joint Conference on Energy Arbitration, and the Co-Chair of New York Arbitration Week 2022.
Ms. Reid speaks and lectures frequently on international law and international disputes, including guest lectures at Yale Law School, Columbia Law School, New York University School of Law, and the University of Michigan Law School. She is the author or co-author of a number of publications concerning international arbitration and public international law, including contributions to the ICSID Review, The Arbitration Review of the Americas, the ICCA Congress Book and Current Issues and Future Challenges in International Arbitration, and is a co-author of the International Criminal Law Practitioner Library (Cambridge University Press).
Ms. Reid received her J.D. cum laude from Harvard Law School, where she was co-managing editor of the Harvard International Law Journal. She received her A.B. magna cum laude from Brown University, where she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Prior to joining Debevoise, she was an Associate Legal Officer at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.