In the first virtual GAR Awards evening in its ten year history, Global Arbitration Review (“GAR”) has named Debevoise & Plimpton LLP as winner in the “International Arbitration Practice that Impressed” category.
The award ceremony, held online in response to the coronavirus pandemic, featured virtual networking, acceptance speeches from the winners, as well as the unveiling of the GAR 30.
The award for Debevoise came on the back of a highly successful year for the firm, which included a $6 billion award for client Tethyan Copper Company, (representing the second biggest ICSID award ever), and prevailing in the International Court of Justice for The State of Qatar against the United Arab Emirates in claims arising out of the measures imposed by the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Egypt against Qatar.
Accepting the award on behalf of Debevoise were Catherine Amirfar and Mark W. Friedman, partners in the firm’s International Dispute Resolution Group. In their acceptance speech, they paid tribute to “our clients, whose trust and partnership inspire us to achieve,” as well as “the larger international arbitration community, whose efforts to defend the rule of law matter now more than ever.” They also thanked the wider Debevoise team, noting the firm is “proud to have leaders in this field, across generations, and sharing values.”
The evening also saw Debevoise retain its place in the GAR 30, the definitive annual ranking of the world’s leading international arbitration practices. The firm’s performance over the last year was commended, with GAR noting in particular that the team “surged in the billion-plus hearings category.”
For over four decades, Debevoise’s International Dispute Resolution Group has offered winning advocacy, commercial judgment, and client dedication unmatched by any other firm in the world. It has an extraordinary win record, achieving some of the largest awards in the world for its clients. The team is qualified in common law and civil law systems, speaks more than 30 languages, and works in ten offices across three continents.