Sophie Nappert

Education

• MCGILL University (Degrees in both civil law and common law);
• Kings College London (Masters degree in law);
• Diploma in public international law, Magdalen College, Oxford.

Professional career

• 2007-present:  Arbitrator in independent practice at 3 Verulam Buildings, Gray’s Inn, London;
• 2000-2007:  Head of International Arbitration, Denton Wilde Sapte LLP, London;
• 1997-2000:  Solicitor, Masons LLP, London;
• 1992-1996:  Solicitor, Norton Rose LLP, London and Paris.

Arbitration experience

• Chair: A dispute between the parties to a JOA concerning the drilling of offshore wells in an African country, and issues of unlawful cash calls, under the ICC Rules, pursuant to English law. Sum in dispute: USD 25 ;
• Chair: A dispute regarding the supply of coal under the SCoTA Terms, including a jurisdictional challenge, striking out application and application for bifurcation of the proceedings; 
• Chair: A dispute between the parties to a Shareholders’ Agreement in relation to the development of an energy project in Africa, under the ICC Rules. Injunctive relief is claimed;
• Party-appointed arbitrator: A gas price revision dispute between a Turkish company and a Greek company under the ICC Rules;
• Party-appointed arbitrator: A fast-track dispute under the ICDR Rules in relation to the operation of a luxury resort in the Caribbean. The arbitration agreement provides for 45 days between the composition of the arbitral tribunal and the final award;
• Party-appointed arbitrator: A joint venture dispute between two US public companies in the pharmaceutical industry, under the UNCITRAL Rules, pursuant to French law. Sum in dispute: USD 33 million;
• Party-appointed arbitrator: A dispute (including a request for interim injunctive measures) between an oil company and a State under a Concession Agreement, under the SCC Rules. Sum in dispute: USD 3 billion;
• Party-appointed arbitrator: A joint venture project in Turkey between an international oil company and a local company, including complex issues of multi-party arbitration, consolidation and inter-linked agreements. ICC arbitration Rules, pursuant to Swiss law. Sum in dispute: USD 25 million;
• Party-appointed arbitrator: An LCIA arbitration concerning an advisory agreement on the restructuring of a CIS country’s external debt. Sum in dispute: USD 6 million;
• Party-appointed arbitrator: An ad hoc arbitration concerning a BOT agreement between a Chinese company and an English company. Sum in dispute: GBP 15 million;
• Party-appointed arbitrator: An LCIA arbitration concerning the supply of pipelines, between a German company and a French company. Sum in dispute: US 8 million;
• Sole Arbitrator: An ICC dispute regarding a sulphuric acid plant tail gas unit treatment between an Italian company and the Canadian subsidiary of a major oil and gas corporation;
• Sole Arbitrator: An LCIA Arbitration between a global law firm and one of its partners concerning allegations of professional misconduct;
• Sole arbitrator: An LCIA arbitration concerning allegations of misconduct against the director of a Russian company;
• Sole arbitrator: An ICC arbitration in relation to an aircraft supply agreement. Sum in dispute: USD 5 million;
• Sole arbitrator: An LCIA arbitration concerning the supply of military equipment in Pakistan. Sum in dispute: USD 10 million;
• Sole arbitrator: An ad hoc arbitration concerning a shipbuilding contract between a Lithuanian shipping company and a Russian company, pursuant to Russian law. Sum in dispute: USD 2 million;
• Sole arbitrator: A number of related LCIA arbitrations between Russian parties to a military supply agreement, and the guarantors thereto, pursuant to English law. Sum in dispute: USD 4 million;
• Sole arbitrator: An LCIA arbitration between the Mexican distributor and supplier of children’s books, pursuant to English law. Emergency injunctive relief is claimed in relation to ongoing criminal proceedings against the Claimant in Mexico. Parallel ADR in relation to a commercial settlement for the return on unused books;
• ADR: Sophie also acts as mediator.

Membership in organizations

• The Law Society of England and Wales;
• The Bar of Quebec;
• The AIPN;
• The International Center for Dispute Resolution (ICDR), Roster of Arbitrators – Commercial and Energy Disputes;
• The International Bar Association;
• The London Court of International Arbitration;
• The International Chamber of Commerce;
• The International Law Association.

Publications

1. Tending One’s Garden:  What To Do About the Weeds in International Arbitration, on the occasion of the launch of the Belgian Review of Arbitration, Brussels, June 2013;
2. Le Québec doit-il se doter d’une véritable institution d’arbitrage? IMAQ-McGill Colloquium, Montreal, May 2013.

Sophie has authored a Commentary on the 2010 UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules:  A Practitioner’s Guide, Juris, 2012. 

Forthcoming publications:

1. “Assessing Expert Evidence”, Leading Arbitrators’ Guide to International Arbitration, Juris;
2. “Re-Thinking the Evidence of Corruption in International Arbitration”, Yearbook on Int’l Inv. Law & Policy, OUP;
3. “Russian BITs in the post-ECT landscape: Sword and Shield?”, J Gaitis, ed., The Leading Practitioner’s Guide to International Oil & Gas Industry Arbitration.

Other publications include:

1. Tending One’s Garden:  What To Do About The Weeds in International Arbitration? Belgian Review of Arbitration, b-Arbitra, December 2013;
2. Dealing in Uncertainty: Educating International Tribunals on Risk, (2013) 1 b-Arbitra, 123;
3. Book reviews in the Journal of Risk Research.