Williams Arbitration

Australian

Australia

Australia

Erika Williams is a leading international arbitration practitioner with over 10 years’ experience acting in some of Australia’s largest disputes resolved through arbitration. Erika is experienced in commercial, construction and investment arbitration and has acted in arbitrations under various arbitral institutions including ACICA, LCIA, ICC, SIAC, CIETAC and JCAA.

English

Diploma in International Commercial Arbitration
Chartered Institute of Arbitrators

Admitted to Roll of Lawyers
Supreme Court of New South Wales
High Court of Australia

Bachelor of Laws (Honours Class II)
The University of Sydney

Bachelor of Arts (Japanese Studies)
University of Sydney

https://williamsarbitration.com/

Links to my publications are available here: https://williamsarbitration.com/publications/
Links to my presentations are available here: https://williamsarbitration.com/presentations/

Fellow
Chartered Institute of Arbitrators

Fellow
Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (ACICA)

Fellow and Graded Arbitrator
Resolution Institute

Approved Arbitrator
Queensland Law Society

Admitted Member
Rising Arbitrators Initiative

Director
ArbitralWomen

Since establishing her independent practice, Erika has been engaged as:

- Sole Arbitrator in a Resolution Institute arbitration in relation to a dispute valued at over AUD 1 million between a contractor and sub-contractor on a construction project in Australia.
- Presiding arbitrator in an ICC Singapore arbitration in relation to a dispute between parties in two South Pacific Island territories valued at USD 5 million.
- Arbitrator in a commercial dispute between purchaser and boat builder. Final award delivered within four months of appointment.
- Arbitration Consultant to GRT Lawyers, acting as counsel defending a Mongolian State-Owned Entity in a jurisdictional challenge under the SIAC Rules (claim and counterclaim totalling USD 40 million)
- Tribunal Secretary to a panel of three referees in the unique Supreme Court of Queensland matter of Santos Limited v Fluor Australia Pty Ltd & Anor, the questions in which the Court has referred out to the referees. The matter involves claims exceeding $1.4 billion

Previous key experience as Tribunal Secretary includes assisting Tribunals in the following matters:

- $10 million claim against the defence force of a Pacific Island nation in relation to a catering services contract where the respondent did not participate substantively in the arbitration
- USD$10 million repudiation claim involving iron ore mine and Chinese steel mill concerning an offtake agreement and involving a jurisdictional dispute
- arbitration under the Sugar Code involving the terms of a sugar contract between approximately 250 growers and the relevant sugar mill
- restraint of trade dispute involving the sale of a cleaning and facilities management business
- expedited arbitration to resolve a partnership dispute between unrepresented parties arising upon the dissolution of the partnership
- arbitration to resolve the finalisation of a 30-year lease of a caravan park in North Queensland, and
- expert determination regarding a warranty dispute following a multi-million dollar commercial real estate transaction.

Previous key experience as counsel includes:

- acting as lead solicitor on a multi-million dollar construction arbitration involving over 1,000 separate claims and managing a large team of 12 lawyers and five barristers
- acting as lead solicitor in Supreme Court litigation in $60 million claim against a China and Hong Kong based fashion clothing retail group for unpaid consultancy and development fees
- acting in an investor-state claim under a bilateral investment treaty against a South American country for an Australian investor in a lithium mine
- acting for a coal trader in a misrepresentation dispute administered by SIAC
- acting in a dispute involving delay claims and standby claims in relation to an oil refinery project in Qatar under the JCAA Rules, including drafting detailed witness statements following which the parties were able to reach a settlement beneficial to our claimant client
- acting for Netherlands principal contractor against subcontractor in a dispute arising from termination of a construction contract under the Resolution Institute Rules
- advising and acting in relation to international commercial arbitrations under various arbitral institutions including ACICA, LCIA, UNCITRAL, SIAC and JCAA, and
- advising and acting in relation to complex issues arising in arbitration and litigation proceedings including obtaining cross-jurisdictional freezing orders and evidence in cross-border arbitration and litigation.