(London) – Akin Gump announced today that Hamish Lal has joined the firm as a partner in its international arbitration practice in London. Mr. Lal, who focuses on international construction arbitration in the oil, gas, nuclear, major projects and infrastructure sectors, comes to Akin Gump from Jones Day.
Renowned as a top-tier practitioner by leading legal directories, Mr. Lal’s practice covers international construction arbitration in relation to complex, high-value international projects.
“Akin Gump is committed to developing one of the world’s leading international arbitration practices,” said Akin Gump chairperson Kim Koopersmith. “With Hamish on board, we are further strengthening our offering, broadening our market-leading energy practice and continuing to grow our capabilities in London and across Europe and the Middle East. I know he will be a great addition to our team.”
Added Akin Gump litigation practice head Stephen M. Baldini, “Hamish has established himself among the world’s top lawyers in his field. With his global perspective and background in the energy and infrastructure sectors, he brings a very desirable dimension that few can match. I am confident our clients will see what we saw in him—a highly respected lawyer who will reap dividends on their behalf.”
Mr. Lal’s recent notable engagements include advising a sovereign developer on a series of complex delay/disruption disputes in Qatar; advising the employer on the world’s largest offshore wind farm project; acting for a sovereign developer defending a series of contractor’s claims on a FIDIC EPC project in Cairo; and advising on the Iraq Crude Oil Export Expansion Project. He has also acted for employers on a dispute relating to negligence causing delay and disruption on a 1200 megawatt coal-fired power station; on a dispute concerning nuclear decommissioning of a tritium reactor; and on arbitrations surrounding oil drilling contracts in the North Caspian Sea and Iraq.
“In making this move to Akin Gump, I saw a perfect complement between the firm’s international arbitration practice, its strong international platform and my own practice,” said Mr. Lal. “Combined with its very strong global energy brand, it was clear to me that joining Akin Gump was an opportunity not to be missed, and I am very excited to be here.”
About Hamish Lal
Mr. Lal represents clients in a range of high-value contentious and non-contentious construction law disputes, including complex contractual interpretation, delay and disruption, professional negligence, defects, taking over/completion, liquidated damages, payment, variations and termination.
With respect to transactional matters, Mr. Lal’s practice includes drafting International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC), New Engineering (NEC), Joint Contracts Tribunal (JCT), Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE) and Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) contracts, as well as target cost and alliance contracts.
Mr. Lal is ranked Band 1 in both construction and international construction arbitration in Chambers UK, and in the top-tier in UK Legal 500. He has been a member of the Council of the Society of Construction Law since 2006. He is a two-time recipient of the Parkman Medal by the Institution of Civil Engineers and chairman of the Oriel Law Society, University of Oxford.
Mr. Lal received his B.A. in Jurisprudence from Oriel College, the University of Oxford. He completed his L.P.C. at Oxford Institute of Legal Practice and received a Ph.D. from the University of Dundee.
About Akin Gump’s International Arbitration and Dispute Resolution Practice
Akin Gump is widely recognized for the strength of its international arbitration practice, with particular experience in oil and gas, power generation and telecommunications. The firm’s clients in this area have variously included sovereign governments and national utilities, power plant and mineral concession developers, oil companies, telecommunications operators, general EPC contractors, subcontractors, equipment and material suppliers, architects, insurers and other stakeholders.
