Arbitration

Peter has over thirty years’ experience resolving commercial and other disputes through negotiation, litigation, or arbitration. Representative matters include:

• Two construction arbitrations in Africa.
• A patent rights international arbitration between two pharmaceutical companies and consequential unwinding of the parties’ joint venture for drug development and marketing.
• A US construction dispute arising out of a non-operable nuclear power plant.
• New York lawsuits to recover real estate assets purchased by a former head of state of a foreign government.
• An international construction arbitration between a Nordic construction company and a Latin American government.
• A claim by a UK company against a US company arising out of the sale of assets in Brazil.
• A London arbitration between a US oil exploration company and a South-East Asian government.
• A successful trial in the High Court of Malaysia of an intellectual property infringement case representing an international bank.
• Claims in New York by a UK-based investor against an international accounting firm alleging auditing irregularities with regard to a fund established by a California-based investment advisor.
• Successful criminal prosecution in Norway of an individual who had defrauded UNICEF, and successful tracing and recovery of the convicted’ s assets in multiple jurisdictions including the Channel Islands.
• Two major will contests in New York courts and associated trust construction proceedings.
• Will contest in Paris courts disputing the bequest to UNICEF of a major art collection.

Academic

• Ll. B., University of Sydney Law School 1984; B. Ec. (Hons.), University of Sydney 1982

Bar Admission

• Australia (New South Wales)
• USA (New York State)

Professional

• International Commercial Disputes Lawyer in Private Practice (Sydney and New York) 1985-98
• Global General Counsel of UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, 1998-2021

Memberships

• Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, London: admitted to Membership (M.CIArb) October 2021.
• London Court of International Arbitration: member.
• International Arbitration Club of New York: admitted to this invitation-only group of senior international arbitrators.
• United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL): Member of NYSBA Observer Delegation to 2021/2 sessions on amendments to ICSID rules and new UNCITRAL arbitration rules for expedited international arbitrations.
• New York State Supreme Court Roster of Neutrals: member (various Judicial Departments).
• Previously a member of the US Federal Court (SDNY) Panel of Mediators.

Associations

• Association of the Bar of the City of New York: member, and previously served on the Association’s Council on International Affairs, Council on Children, and Asian Affairs Committee.
• New York State Bar Association: member of Dispute Resolution Section and International Section.
• Co-Chair of the United Nations Committee of the New York State Bar Association.
• American Society of International Law: Executive Council Counsellor since 2017 and member of the Audit Committee since 2018; member of the Annual Meeting Program Committee 2016
• World Economic Forum (Davos) General Counsel Global Community: founding member 2021 and subsequently an Advisor to the group.
• The Conference Board Chief Legal Officers’ Council: member 2017-2020.
• National Association of Corporate Directors: member since 2019.
• The Children’s Radio Foundation: Board member since 2014 and Chair of the Audit Committee 2015-19; member of the CEO search committee.
• The University of Sydney USA Foundation: Board member since 2019; Board Chair and President since 2020.