Two new arbitration partners for Herbert Smith Freehills in Tokyo

Herbert Smith Freehills is pleased to announce the promotion of Christopher Hunt and Elaine Wong to the partnership, with effect from 1 May 2015. Chris and Elaine are both arbitration specialists in our Tokyo office.

Chris joined Herbert Smith Freehills' Tokyo office in 2012, prior to which he worked for six years in London and Tokyo. Chris's main practice area is commercial arbitration, in which he has experience of a wide variety of substantial disputes, particularly in the TMT, energy and construction sectors. Chris has acted in arbitrations conducted under ICC, UNCITRAL, LCIA, JCAA, VIAC and ARIAS rules, with arbitral seats in England, the Middle East and Asia, as well as litigation of international disputes in the English courts. Recent highlights of Chris's practice include: 

• Representing a Japanese company in ICC proceedings concerning the construction of a cable system
• Acting for the Japanese subsidiary of a European pharmaceutical company engaged in ICC proceedings concerning a co-promotion agreement
• Advising major natural resources companies operating in Sudan and South Sudan
• Acting for an offshore marine contractor in arbitrations in the Middle East and South East Asia. 

Elaine is qualified in Singapore and England & Wales and joined the firm in 2010, having previously practiced for eight years in Singapore and Paris. She is an experienced arbitration practitioner and has represented major Japanese and multi-national companies in complex international arbitrations in various jurisdictions, including London, Paris, Singapore and Geneva. She has acted in arbitrations under the ICC, LCIA and UNCITRAL rules and in disputes under English, Singapore, French, Swiss, Vietnamese and UAE law. She is also a certified arbitrator with the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. Her experience includes acting for: 

• a consortium of investors in an LCIA arbitration, with satellite litigation in the BVI, in respect of a shareholders dispute over the control of a natural resources project in the CIS
• a Southeast Asian oil and gas major in an UNCITRAL arbitration in Singapore in relation to a petroleum exploration, development and production project in Vietnam
• a Japanese manufacturer in relation to an ICC arbitration arising from a project in the Middle East
• several Japanese trading houses in relation to issues of anti-bribery, anti-corruption and proceeds of crime in African and Asian jurisdictions.

These promotions confirm the strength of Herbert Smith Freehills' arbitration practice in the Asia-Pacific region, where the firm is enjoying its sixth consecutive year of having the only arbitration practice rated "Band 1" by Chambers Asia-Pacific. Elaine and Chris join an exceptionally strong bench of leading practitioners, recognised by clients for "deep quality at all levels and a focus on thinking outside the box to meet the client's strategic needs." (Chambers Asia-Pacific 2015).