Arif Ali joins Arbitra International as full-time arbitrator

Arif Ali, FCIArb, widely recognised as one of the world’s leading international arbitration practitioners, has joined Arbitra International as the firm celebrates its fifth anniversary.

After more than three decades of practice, more than 100 complex disputes at counsel’s table, advising sovereign states, holding senior positions in two international organisations and leading the arbitration practices of three AmLaw 100 firms, Ali will now devote his career predominantly to serving on tribunals.

Ali accepts appointments as sole arbitrator, presiding arbitrator and party-appointed arbitrator in international commercial, construction, investor-State and State-to-State disputes.

His practice draws on more than 35 years at the forefront of international arbitration, in proceedings ranging in value from tens of millions to multiple billions of dollars.

These matters span the energy and extractives industries — including oil and gas, LNG, power generation and transmission, energy infrastructure, and mining and minerals — as well as construction and infrastructure, technology and intellectual property, financial services, and telecommunications.

Ali has arbitrated and argued disputes across six continents, moving fluently between common-law and civil-law systems and across public international law, European Union law, and Shar??a commercial law.

He works in English and Spanish, reads French and Portuguese legal materials, and is conversant in Urdu, Hindi and Bengali.

He has sat and served under all the major arbitral regimes, including the ICC, ICSID and the ICSID Additional Facility, the LCIA, the AAA/ICDR, SIAC, DIAC, the SCC, WIPO, and UNCITRAL rules in both administered and ad hoc proceedings.

His work has involved states, state-owned entities, multinational corporations and major international investors across North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Latin America.

For more than twenty years, Ali has been ranked in every leading directory, including Chambers and Partners — USA, Global and Latin America —, Lexology Index and The Legal 500.

His honours include the Financial Times Award for Most Innovative Legal Practitioner in North America, the Law360 MVP Award for International Arbitration, the BTI Client Service All-Star Award, and the Order of Bahrain (II).

He is also the lead author of The International Arbitration Rulebook: A Guide to Arbitral Regimes and International Investment Protection for Global Banking and Finance: Legal Principles and Arbitral Practice.

Owen Lawrence, chief executive of Arbitra International, said:

"Arif is entering the next chapter of his career, focused on sitting as an arbitrator, and we are honoured that he has chosen to join us as we mark our fifth anniversary. He has built a reputation and a network that have consistently advanced the field — generous with his time in mentoring junior lawyers and providing government-level thought leadership. His standing as a go-to arbitrator across Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East and North Africa makes him exceptionally well placed to thrive as a full-time neutral. His experience, judgement and global reputation speak for themselves."

Arif Ali said:

"This is a choice I have been moving toward for years. Having sat on both sides of the table, I’ve come to deeply appreciate what parties and counsel need from a tribunal: engagement, efficiency, and an award they can rely on — delivered by a tribunal at ease across legal systems, languages, and cultures. Arbitra is the ideal home for that work. Its independence and conflict-free model, backed by genuinely excellent administrative support, enables independent arbitrators to concentrate fully on their cases and on the parties they serve. I am extremely proud to have Arbitra’s exceptional team supporting and guiding my practice."

About Arbitra International

Founded in 2021, Arbitra International provides dedicated practice management and business development support to independent arbitrators, mediators, adjudicators and dispute board members.

Arbitra also assists law firms, general counsel and institutions in identifying the most appropriate neutrals for their matters.

With offices in London, Washington, D.C., and Abu Dhabi, Arbitra supports many of the world’s leading dispute resolution professionals while remaining independent and conflict-free.

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