Alastair Livesey
Shearman & Sterling LLP
United Kingdom
England & Wales
London
Oil and gas
Metals, mining and natural resources
Aviation & defence
Energy, infrastructure and construction
Telecommunications & technology
Retail and consumer good
Private equity
Banking and financial services
English (Native)
French (Limited professional proficiency)
German (Basic)
Portuguese (Basic)
University of Oxford - MA Law with Legal Studies in Europe (English, French and European Law)
Paris II Pantheon-Assas University - Certificat Superieur de Droit Francais et Europeen
Queen Mary University of London School of International Arbitration - LLM, International Dispute Resolution
University of Law, London - Legal Practice Course
University of Law, London - Higher Rights of Advocacy (Civil Proceedings)
'Court confirms power to order taking of evidence from non-parties to a foreign-seated arbitration', International Law Office, 23 April 2020
'Urbaser S.A. and Consorcio de Aguas Bilbao Bizkaia, Bilbao Biskaia Ur Partzuergoa v. The Argentine Republic', World Trade Review, January 2018, volume 17, issue 1, pp. 175-178
Various case commentaries in the European Human Rights Law Review, including Identoba and others v Georgia and Maguire v The United Kingdom
The English law of confidentiality sections of Kluwer Arbitration's 'SmartCharts'
'Reform of the Arbitration Act 1996: Law Commission's Final Report and Amendment Bill', Shearman Perspectives 19 October 2023
'United Kingdom Supreme Court clarifies when court proceedings will be stayed in favour of arbitration', Shearman Perspectives 26 September 2023
'Reform of the Arbitration Act 1996 - Section 44: The Court's Supportive Powers', Shearman Perspectives 8 September 2022
'Red flags as evidence of corruption in arbitration proceedings', Shearman Perspectives 6 December 2021
'Is the CJEU further undermining intra-EU investment protections?', Shearman Perspectives 9 November 2021
'Increasing assertiveness of the EU courts in the energy sector', Shearman Perspectives 8 November 2021
'What law applies to an arbitration agreement? The UK Supreme Court clarifies in Kabab-Ji v Kout Food Group', Shearman Perspectives 8 November 2021
Co-Chair, Campaign for Greener Arbitration Implementation Task Force
EMEA Co-Convenor, Delos Remote Oral Advocacy Programme
Director, JUSTICE (law reform organisation focused on the UK justice system)
Director, Civil Liberties Trust (human rights organisation based in the UK)
Member and Former Director, Bail for Immigration Detainees (charity that exists to challenge immigration detention in the UK)
Member, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
Member, International Bar Association
Member, ICC YAAF
Member, Young ICCA
Member, YSIAC
Member, LCIA Young International Arbitration Group (YIAG)
Alastair Livesey is a Counsel in the International Arbitration practice at Shearman & Sterling LLP. Al acts as counsel in business-critical international commercial disputes across a variety of jurisdictions and industries.
Al acts for clients in relation to both commercial and investment treaty arbitrations, as well as complex multi-jurisdictional litigations. Al has experience in disputes governed by a wide variety of national laws and institutional rules, including recent experience in English, French, Irish, Korean, Kuwaiti, Kazakh, Russian, Saudi, Singaporean, South African, Spanish, Swiss, Turkish and EU laws. Al's sector experience spans disputes relating to mergers & acquisitions, private equity, joint ventures, shareholder agreements, mining & metals, aviation, defence, energy, major construction and infrastructure projects, telecommunications & technology, retail, banking and financial services.
Al has particular experience acting as counsel in international disputes arising out of situations of fraud, regulatory breaches and other compliance issues, drawing on several years' experience advising multi-national corporates on a range of board-room legal and compliance risks and crisis situations. Alongside his arbitration practice, Al has led more than a dozen internal investigations into allegations of bribery and corruption, anti-trust issues, sanctions breaches, money laundering, fraud, human rights violations and corporate governance issues.
Al is trained in both common and civil law disciplines, with legal qualifications from Oxford University, the University of London and the University of Paris. Al understands distinct legal approaches and cultural sensitivities, having lived and worked as a lawyer in London, Paris, Zurich, The Hague, Moscow and Sao Paulo. Al has significant experience both in developed and emerging markets, working with clients across Africa, South America, the Middle East, CIS region and Southeast Asia.
Alongside his client work, Al is Co-Chair of the Implementation Task Force for the Campaign for Greener Arbitration, an industry initiative to reduce the environmental impact of international arbitrations. Al is also a Co-Convenor for the EMEA chapter of Delos's advanced oral advocacy training programme in international arbitration. Al maintains a busy international and domestic pro bono practice, with a particular interest in law reform, the rule of law and strategic litigation in the international courts. Al currently sits on the Boards of two of the best known and respected legal charities in the UK. Before entering private practice, Al worked for a number of law reform organisations and for the Associated Defence Counsel at the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. Al has recently been heavily involved in the preparation of a playbook for an African State on international law issues arising in post-conflict peace negotiations. Al has also briefed several UK government departments on international arbitration and investment protections.