Ania Farren is an international arbitrator with over 20 years industry experience.
She specialises in investment treaty and commercial dispute resolution and has sat as arbitrator in jurisdictions across the globe including Asia, Europe, Middle-East, US and Africa regions. Ania is appointed regularly as chair, sole, co-arbitrator and party counsel jointly by parties and institutions including ICSID, LCIA , SCC and ICC.
Prior to developing her arbitration career further, Ania also worked at a leading dispute resolution funder, assessing investment treaty arbitration claims.
Ania is currently chair of the ICC UK Committee for Arbitration and ADR and is a member of the LCIA. She also teaches pro bono courses on arbitration and mediation to State Advocates together with CIArb.
Ania has been involved in many disputes related to Energy, Oil & Gas, including disputes related to Production Sharing Agreements, expropriation of energy assets, gas transportation agreements/pipeline contracts, EPC Contracts, LNG and LNG shipping agreements; gas price reviews. She also has experience with mining disputes (coal, copper, gold).
Ania has experience with disputes related to renewables including disputes related to Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) Contracts, shareholder and joint venture agreement disputes, and breach of undertakings related to renewable energy credits and tariffs.
Ania has been involved in over a dozen investment treaty disputes, under ICSID, SCC, ICC and UNCITRAL rules. These have involved mining, oil & gas, expropriation of hotel management contracts, hospitality, concessions, tax assessments, renewables and banking.
Ania has been involved in many shareholder disputes related to the interests of the both minority and majority shareholders, breaches of shareholder agreements and memorandum of articles, breach of directors’ duties, breach of Joint Venture agreements, share valuations and buy-outs as well post M&A disputes.
Ania has experience in disputes involving telecommunications companies, privatisation of telecommunications sector; supply agreement for telecommunications equipment; exclusivity and escrow agreements; Technology companies, license termination, patent infringement and valuation, copyright, trademark claims.
Recent Experience
Sole Arbitrator, ICC Matter, London Seat, English law relating to a contractual dispute and the impact of sanctions involving parties in Ireland and Belarus.
Presiding Arbitrator, ICC Matter, London Seat, English governing law relating to a contractual dispute involving parties in Bulgaria and the Russian Federation.
Presiding Arbitrator, SCC Matter, Stockholm Seat, English governing law related to a shareholder dispute. Award issued on impact of sanctions on tribunal's jurisdiction.
Co-Arbitrator, LCIA Matter, London Seat, English governing law related to breach of contracts
Sole Arbitrator, LCIA Matter, London Seat, English governing law related to breach of sale and purchase agreement
Sole Arbitrator, LCIA Matter, London Seat, English Governing Law related to shareholder agreement
Counsel in OIC proceedings against a Central Asian State regarding the steel industry
Respresenting a government in pending ICSID proceedings against an Italian investor in a multi-million EUR claim over the withdrawl of land concession
Advising Spain and France in High Court and Court of Appeal Proceedings resisting the enforcement of two arbitral awards
Advising Canadian gold mining company on potential ICSID proceedings relating to a claim for expropriation
Counsel to a US aggregate mining company in an ICSID arbitration against the Dominican Republic relating to a claim for expropriation
Counsel to a European energy company in LCIA arbitration relating to a gas price review
Counsel to a Danish hotel group in an ICSID arbitration, and annulment proceedings against Arab Republic of Egypt
Counsel to coal mining companies in an ICSID arbitration against a provincial government
Counsel to an energy company in six LCIA arbitrations regarding contracts relating to oil operations in the Middle East
Counsel to a real estate company with subsidiary in Eastern Europe - two parallel ICC arbitrations regarding a construction contract for an office block in Moscow
Counsel to an Asian state-owned energy company in an UNCITRAL arbitration against another Asian state-owned energy company
Counsel to the Russian Federation in SCC and ECT arbitrations regarding allegations of expropriation pursuant to bilateral investment treaties and the ECT
Counsel to a US energy company in an ICC arbitration regarding a shareholder dispute in connection with ammonia plants located in the Caribbean
Academic
Bar of England and Wales, -, Solicitor, Higher Rights of Audience, 2003
Cambridge University , Cambridge, MA, 1999
Nottingham Law School, Nottingham, LPC, 2001
Professional
Fieldfisher LLP, London, Partner, Since Jan 2023
Omnia Strategy LLP, London, Partner, Nov. 2019 - Oct 2022
Chair of the ICC UK Committee for Arbitration & ADR
Chair of Taskforce on use of Third Party Funding in Russia-related arbitrations
Co-Chair of the International Arbitration Charity Ball Committee
Member of the ICCA/Queen Mary Taskforce on Third Party Funding
Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb)
Member, LCIA
Panel of Arbitrators – Hong Kong (HKIAC)
Panel of Arbitrators – Vienna (VIAC)
Pane of Arbitrators – Shanghai (SHIAC)
Panel of Arbitrators – Abu Dhabi (ADGM)
Ania regularly contributes to publications and speaks at international conferences. To request a full copy of Ania’s list of engagements, please contact info@arbitra.co.uk
“Ania is very hard working, very thorough in her analysis and a great communicator”; “She is equally fantastic and smart!”; “Ania is brilliant and a joy to work with”.