Clare is a full-time arbitrator with over 25 years’ experience of arbitration and litigation. She has practised from Twenty Essex as a barrister and now as an arbitrator.
She is a Fellow of CIArb and a Centre for Dispute Resolution (CEDR) accredited mediator. In 2017, she became a full member of the LMAA. She was appointed a Deputy High Court Judge in 2018.
Over the past 10 years Clare has developed extensive experience as a commercial arbitrator, with over 200 appointments in international arbitrations. As an international arbitrator, she is regularly appointed as chair, panel member and sole arbitrator in a wide range of disputes, under the rules of the ICC, LCIA, LMAA, SIAC, SCMA and UNCITRAL, and in many ad hoc references.
Most of Clare’s appointments have related to shipping and international trade, shipbuilding and repair, offshore construction and service contracts, energy and natural resources, ship sale and purchase, and commodity trading. However, appointments also include broader commercial disputes including aviation, banking services, competition law, construction projects, distribution agreements, entertainment, pharmaceuticals, professional negligence and share purchase agreements.
She frequently lectures on arbitration issues (having been a university lecturer at Oxford between 1999 and 2002) and is co-author of the leading textbook on shipping arbitration, London Maritime Arbitration (4th edn, Informa 2017).
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Example cases and appointments
- Presiding arbitrator in LCIA dispute under joint operation agreement for oil and gas exploration in Eastern Europe.
- Presiding arbitrator in €60 million LCIA dispute under guarantee and indemnity agreement involving Russian bank.
- Tribunal chair in US$35 million claim arising out of loss of bulk carrier vessel and lives of 18 crew members.
- Tribunal chair in US$18 million claim arising out of hijack of tanker by pirates.
- Presiding arbitrator in €18 million LCIA dispute relating to upgrade of FPSO.
- Tribunal chair in US$20 million shipbuilding dispute between Chinese yard and German shipping group for purchase and construction of four vessels.
- LCIA appointed tribunal chair under large scale contract for upgrading floating semi-submersible platform.
- ICC nominated sole arbitrator under dispute between luxury car manufacturer and distributor relating to long term exclusive distribution in Turkey.
- Tribunal chair in dispute under distribution agreement between Russian pharmaceutical company and English manufacturer.
- Sole arbitrator appointed by LCIA under airport services agreement between budget airline and airport operator, including claim for abuse of a dominant market position.
Aviation
- Sole arbitrator appointed by LCIA under airport services agreement between budget airline and airport operator, including claim for abuse of a dominant market position.
- Party nominated arbitrator in LCIA dispute under sale of a private jet.
Banking and financial services
- ICC nominated sole arbitrator under dispute between two banks relating to an international money transfer system used in Africa.
- Presiding arbitrator in €50 million LCIA dispute under guarantee and indemnity agreement involving Russian bank.
- Sole arbitrator appointed by LCIA under three international credit insurance policies.
- Party nominated arbitrator in €400 million LCIA dispute under loan agreement, involving Russian sanctions.
Energy and natural resources
- Presiding arbitrator in LCIA dispute under joint operation agreement for oil and gas exploration in Eastern Europe.
- Numerous appointments in disputes relating to long term supply agreements for oil, gas, coal and metal ores.
- ICC appointed tribunal chair under services agreement for oil and gas plants in Libya.
- Counsel in MRI Trading AG v Erdenet Mining Corp LLC [2012] EWHC 1988 (Comm); [2012] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 465; [2013] EWCA Civ 156; [2013] 1 Lloyd’s Rep 638.
Shipbuilding / offshore construction / construction
- Party appointed arbitrator under DIAC rules under contract for building of semi-submersible rigs for state entity.
- Presiding arbitrator in €18 million LCIA dispute relating to upgrade of FPSO.
- Tribunal chair in US$20 million shipbuilding dispute between Chinese yard and German shipping group for purchase and construction of four vessels.
- Party appointed arbitrator in dispute between a European yard and the buyer involving a US$20 million luxury motor yacht (LMAA).
- Tribunal chair in €40 million claim under a shipbuilding contract to build a vessel for a Scandinavian buyer.
- Sole arbitrator appointed by LCIA under contract for design and installation of a chemical plant in the UAE.
- LCIA appointed tribunal chair under large scale contract for upgrading floating semi-submersible platform.
Shipping and commodities
- Numerous appointments under charterparties, bills of lading, ship management agreements and contracts of affreightment (typically LMAA or ad hoc, also SCMA).
- Numerous appointments (typically LCIA, also SIAC and HKIAC) under trading agreements, typically oil, gas, coal, steel, metals, metal ores and soft commodities.
- Several appointments relating to consequences of insolvency of bunker operator.
- Sole arbitrator in substantial multi-party dispute concerning series of ship sales.
- Sole arbitrator appointed by LCIA under services agreement for ship management and investment advice.
- Party nominated LCIA arbitrator under joint venture for supply of cocoa and coffee beans from Cote d’Ivoire.
- Tribunal chair in US$9 million claim arising out of explosion on tanker (ad hoc).
- Tribunal chair in US$35 million claim arising out of loss of bulk carrier vessel and lives of 18 crew members.
- Tribunal chair in US$18 million claim arising out of hijack by pirates.
- Appointed by DIFC/LCIA as sole arbitrator in trading dispute, issued first award by DIFC/LCIA. Its enforcement by the Dubai Court of Cassation in Appeal No 132/2012, Airmech Dubai LLC v Macsteel International LLC [2012] was a landmark development for Dubai’s role as an arbitration centre.
- LCIA/DIFC appointed tribunal member in technical management dispute between Emirates company and owners of liquefied gas tanker.
- Counsel in Transgrain Shipping BV v Deuilemar Shipping SPA (The “Eleni P”) [2014] EWHC 4202 (Comm); [2015] 1 Lloyd’s Rep 12.
- Counsel in Louis Dreyfus Trading v Reliance Trading[2004] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 243.
General commercial
- Several LCIA appointments for disputes arising out of share purchase agreements, e.g. in property development, a Russian energy company.
- PCA appointment in dispute relating to telecom services agreement under UNCITRAL Rules.
- Sole arbitrator appointed by LCIA under contract for world-renowned opera singer to give televised concert.
- Party nominated tribunal member in ICC dispute between pharmaceutical companies relating to distribution of contact lens products.
- Sole arbitrator in claim against surveying partnership for professional negligence.
- ICC nominated sole arbitrator under dispute between luxury car manufacturer and distributor relating to long term exclusive distribution in Turkey.
- Tribunal chairman in dispute under distribution agreement between Russian pharmaceutical company and English manufacturer.
