Home› Litigation & Arbitration› International Arbitration
Litigation & Arbitration · Sub-Practice

When a dispute takes
international dimensions,
we have the skills to represent you.

Businesses involved in international trade, joint ventures and energy contracts regularly choose arbitration over litigation. Our multi-jurisdictional expertise — and dual qualification in both Greece and England & Wales — enables us to conduct proceedings under ICC, LCIA and UNCITRAL rules with equal facility.

What We Handle Discuss Your Dispute
Arbitration is a choice — make it strategically
Seat, rules, governing law and tribunal composition all shape the outcome. We advise on each before proceedings begin.
ICC, LCIA and UNCITRAL proceedings
Full conduct of arbitral proceedings under the rules of the world's leading arbitral institutions — from request to final award.
Dual-qualified: England & Wales + Greece
Our Managing Partner is dual-qualified in England & Wales and Greece, so English-law questions are advised on directly in-house. Court appearances remain before the Greek courts and international arbitral tribunals; English proceedings are conducted through instructed English correspondent counsel.
Multi-jurisdictional procedural expertise
Experience across eight jurisdictions — procedural rules, document production and witness coordination across legal cultures.
Facing an international dispute?
Initial consultation to assess the merits, the most appropriate forum and the strategic options available. Confidential and without obligation.
Request Consultation
What We Handle Our Approach Process Experience FAQ Related

Scope of Practice

International arbitration
from start to enforcement.

We handle the full lifecycle of international arbitral proceedings — from the strategic decision to arbitrate, through the conduct of the proceedings, to enforcement of the award. Our multi-jurisdictional expertise means we can advise on the procedural rules of many different arbitral institutions. An international arbitration lawyer will read the clause first, because it determines seat, rules, language and enforceability.

ICC Arbitration
Proceedings under the ICC Rules of Arbitration — one of the world's most widely used institutional frameworks for international commercial disputes. We have experience in ICC proceedings across multiple sectors and jurisdictions.
01
LCIA Arbitration
London Court of International Arbitration proceedings — particularly suited to disputes involving English-law governed contracts or parties with a connection to England & Wales. Handled in-house.
02
UNCITRAL Arbitration
Ad hoc arbitration under UNCITRAL Rules — commonly used in investor-state disputes, energy contracts and joint ventures where parties prefer a non-institutional framework or where treaty obligations apply.
03
Seat & Governing Law Strategy
The choice of seat determines the law of the arbitration, the supervisory court and the enforcement regime. The choice of governing law determines the substantive rights. We advise on both before the arbitration agreement is signed.
04
Emergency Arbitration & Interim Relief
Applications for emergency arbitration and interim measures — including asset preservation orders and injunctions in support of arbitration — under both institutional rules and in the supervisory courts.
05
Enforcement of Arbitral Awards
Recognition and enforcement of arbitral awards in Greece under the New York Convention. Resistance to enforcement. Enforcement of Greek-seated awards abroad. Coordination across multiple enforcement jurisdictions.
06

Our Approach to Arbitration

Arbitration is not just a
different forum — it is a different discipline.

International arbitration demands a different skill set from domestic litigation. The procedural rules are negotiated, not prescribed. The tribunal must be selected, not assigned. The seat shapes the entire proceeding. Acting as an international arbitration lawyer means running the tribunal strategy and the enforcement strategy as one exercise.

We have the resources to handle cross-border disputes — including international arbitration — with the same depth as domestic proceedings. Our Managing Partner is dual-qualified in England & Wales and Greece, and the firm has extensive experience in handling cases with a foreign element, and our in-house GC experience across eight jurisdictions gives us an understanding of the commercial and regulatory context in which most international disputes arise. Send us the arbitration clause and we will tell you what it commits you to.

"Dispute resolution is all about tactics. In international arbitration, those tactics begin before the arbitration clause is even drafted — with the choice of seat, rules and governing law."

Businesses in international trade, joint ventures and energy contracts regularly choose arbitration because it offers neutrality, enforceability under the New York Convention, confidentiality and procedural flexibility. We advise on whether arbitration is the right choice for a given contract or dispute, and — if it is — how to structure the arbitration agreement to maximise the client's strategic position.

Institutional expertise
ICC · LCIA · UNCITRAL rules
We have conducted proceedings under the rules of the major arbitral institutions. Each set of rules has distinct features — from the ICC's Terms of Reference to the LCIA's approach to emergency arbitration — that require specific expertise.
Seat strategy
The seat determines everything
The seat of arbitration determines the supervisory court, the procedural law of the arbitration, grounds for challenge and the enforcement regime. We advise on seat selection as a primary strategic consideration.
Dual qualification
England & Wales + Greece
English-seated arbitrations and English-law governed contracts — advised on in-house, with enforcement and court proceedings handled through Greek courts and international arbitral tribunals, with English counsel instructed where a matter reaches the English courts.
Enforcement
New York Convention · Brussels I Recast
Enforcement of arbitral awards in Greece. Resistance to enforcement. Exequatur proceedings in Greek courts. Coordination of enforcement strategy across multiple jurisdictions.

How We Conduct Arbitral Proceedings

From arbitration clause
to enforcement of the award.

STEP 01
Pre-Arbitration Strategy
Assessment of the arbitration agreement, choice of seat and rules, tribunal composition strategy and pre-arbitration notice requirements. We map the proceedings before the first formal step is taken.
STEP 02
Commencement & Constitution
Request for Arbitration or Notice of Arbitration, response, constitution of the tribunal, jurisdictional objections, Terms of Reference and the procedural calendar.
STEP 03
Conduct of Proceedings
Written submissions, document production, witness statements, expert reports, cross-examination strategy and oral argument at the final hearing. We manage all stages of the proceedings.
STEP 04
Award & Enforcement
Receipt of the award, challenge proceedings where appropriate, and enforcement under the New York Convention or Brussels I Recast. Resistance to enforcement where acting for the respondent.

Our Experience

International arbitration
across multiple sectors and jurisdictions.

Commercial Arbitration
ICC · LCIA · UNCITRAL · Ad Hoc
International commercial arbitration proceedings across technology, telecoms, energy, franchise, distribution and cargo sectors. Experience in both institutional and ad hoc proceedings, in multiple seats and under different governing laws.
Cross-Border Disputes
Foreign element · Parallel proceedings · PIL
Arbitrations involving parties from multiple jurisdictions, cross-border contracts and disputes where jurisdiction, governing law and enforcement are all simultaneously in issue. Dual qualification enables us to manage English and Greek law aspects in-house.
Enforcement
New York Convention · Brussels I Recast
Recognition and enforcement of arbitral awards in Greece under the New York Convention. Exequatur proceedings in Greek courts for recognition of foreign awards. Coordination of enforcement of Greek-seated awards in England and other jurisdictions through instructed correspondent counsel.
Clients
Listed companies · Fortune 500 groups
Dionysios Pantazis has represented national and multinational companies — including companies listed on international stock exchanges and Fortune 500 groups — in international arbitration and cross-border commercial disputes across technology, telecoms, franchise and cargo sectors.

Frequently Asked Questions

International arbitration
questions we hear most often.

What is the difference between ICC, LCIA and UNCITRAL arbitration?+

ICC and LCIA are institutional forms of arbitration administered by the International Chamber of Commerce and the London Court of International Arbitration respectively, each with its own procedural rules and administrative oversight. UNCITRAL arbitration is typically ad hoc, meaning the parties adopt the UNCITRAL Rules without an administering institution. The right choice depends on the contract, the parties' nationalities and the commercial context — we advise on this before the arbitration clause is even drafted.

Why does the seat of arbitration matter so much?+

The seat of arbitration determines the procedural law governing the arbitration, the courts with supervisory jurisdiction over the proceedings, the grounds available to challenge an award, and — critically — the enforcement regime under the New York Convention. Choosing the seat is a strategic decision, not a formality, and we treat it as one of the first questions to resolve when structuring an arbitration agreement or assessing an existing dispute.

Can a foreign arbitral award be enforced in Greece?+

Yes. Greece is a signatory to the New York Convention, so arbitral awards made in other Convention states are generally recognised and enforced by Greek courts, subject to limited grounds for refusal. We handle the exequatur proceedings required for recognition and enforcement, as well as resisting enforcement where we act for the party against whom the award was made.

Do you handle arbitrations seated outside Greece?+

Yes. Our dual qualification in England & Wales and Greece means we regularly act in English-seated arbitrations and in matters governed by English law, in addition to Greek-seated proceedings. This allows us to handle both sides of a cross-border matter in-house, without referring work to a second firm in another jurisdiction.

What is emergency arbitration and when is it available?+

Emergency arbitration allows a party to obtain urgent interim relief — such as an asset freezing order — before the full tribunal is constituted, through an emergency arbitrator appointed under the applicable institutional rules. It is available under the ICC and LCIA rules, among others, and we regularly advise on whether it is the appropriate tool compared with interim measures sought from the supervisory courts.

How long does an international arbitration typically take?+

Timelines vary considerably depending on the complexity of the dispute, the institutional rules chosen and the responsiveness of the parties, but most institutional arbitrations run from twelve to twenty-four months from request to final award. Procedural efficiency is one of arbitration's core advantages over litigation, and we structure our case strategy from the outset to avoid unnecessary delay.

Facing an international dispute?
Let us assess your options.

Initial consultation to assess the arbitration agreement, the most appropriate forum, and the strategic options available. Confidential and without obligation.

Get in Touch +30 210 36 33 694