Sophie J. Lamb KC

Renowned for her strategic leadership and advocacy, Ms. Lamb regularly acts for boards of public companies, sovereign states, private equity houses and major corporates across the energy, technology, mining, infrastructure and life sciences sectors. She is widely recognized for her ability to navigate politically sensitive, multijurisdictional matters and has appeared as counsel in some of the most significant and high-profile disputes in recent years, including in proceedings before the U.K. Supreme Court and all major arbitral forums.

Ms. Lamb’s practice encompasses the full spectrum of international arbitration (commercial and investment treaty), public international law, class actions, parent company and corporate litigation, and climate and ESG-related disputes. She has acted as counsel under all principal institutional rules, including UNCITRAL, LCIA, ICC, ICSID, HKIAC, SIAC, AAA-ICDR and Swiss Rules. Ms. Lamb is frequently sought after for her extensive experience in disputes involving complex contractual structures, regulatory issues and market-shaping events.

Ms. Lamb is consistently ranked as a leading individual in international arbitration by Chambers Global, Chambers Europe and Chambers UK, and she is recognized as a Hall of Fame practitioner in The Legal 500. Clients and peers have described her as “ever brilliant and at the top of her game,” “in a league of her own” and “truly exceptional.” In addition, The Lawyer has highlighted her work in its lists of the year’s top 20 cases and named her one of the U.K.’s most influential and inspirational lawyers.

Ms. Lamb is a bencher of Gray’s Inn and serves on the LCIA Court. She previously represented the U.K. on the ICC Court of Arbitration and served as global co-chair of the international arbitration practice at another global law firm.

Ms. Lamb’s experience prior to joining Skadden includes:

International Arbitration

• a major private equity client in the successful defense of an $800 million SIAC arbitration following a military coup in Southeast Asia, impacting a TMT infrastructure investment
• a major conglomerate in a $1 billion ICC arbitration, successfully defending a broken deal claim arising from the global cement price collapse during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Mason Capital Partners in a landmark investment treaty arbitration against the Republic of Korea under KORUS, following revelations of government corruption in connection with a proposed merger between prominent Korean conglomerates; Ms. Lamb successfully resisted set-aside proceedings in the Singapore International Commercial Court, leading to favourable settlement
• investors in an investment treaty arbitration related to the development of an eco-tourism resort in Mauritius
• a sovereign party in an investor-state dispute concerning a bank rescue program
• a sovereign wealth fund in a BIT claim against an Asian state, challenging the tax treatment of capital gains under a double taxation treaty
• Ipek Investments in investor-state arbitration and related corporate litigation in the English courts against Turkey, following the expropriation of a gold mine and other high-value assets
• a leading automotive group in a multibillion-dollar ICC arbitration following a failed joint venture and attempted hostile takeover

Complex Commercial Litigation and Class Actions

• Shell plc and Shell Petroleum Development Company in a landmark ESG class action and parent company defense before the U.K. Supreme Court, including the jurisdictional phase of Nigerian oil spill mass tort class actions
• leading strategic international defence of a public company in landmark climate and human rights litigation
• Total Energies in a Paris Agreement-based judicial review by Friends of the Earth, seeking to block U.K. Government credit support for a $20 billion LNG project in Mozambique
• leading strategic defence of a public company in the extractives industry in parent company defence and group action management across multiple jurisdictions
• an international oil trading group and subsidiaries in insolvency litigation in the U.K. and British Virgin Islands following expropriation of assets by the government of a Central Asian state, including successful global settlement negotiations

Energy, Mining and Infrastructure

• extensive experience in disputes involving long-term supply relationships, cost recovery schemes, tax stabilization clauses, gas pipeline and consortium issues, hardship/fairness clauses and price re-openers, M&A transactions (including earnout provisions), joint venture and shareholder agreements, preemption rights/ROFRs, warranty/indemnity claims, noncompete clauses, technology licensing and IP rights, environmental disputes and climate litigation
• national oil companies and sovereign nations in cases of strategic significance, including disputes over production sharing agreements, stabilization clauses and investment treaties
• major mining companies in high-value shareholder rights and environmental disputes arising from projects in Latin America and Africa
• the Angolan national oil company in multibillion-dollar unfair prejudice actions and related litigation in Hong Kong
• a leading engineering and technology company in an OECD process following fatalities at a Korean shipbuilding yard during the manufacture of offshore oil floating facilities
• a U.S. drilling company in an LCIA arbitration seated in London, with parallel proceedings in the Saudi courts and ancillary proceedings in the English courts
• a Spanish energy company in an expert determination over price indexation in a long-term supply contract
• as counsel in a dispute over the commissioning of an onshore LNG terminal in the Philippines
• an international mining group in tax disputes with an African state

Health Care and Life Sciences

• a major biopharmaceutical company in a sensitive vaccines supply dispute, the resolution of which paved the way for its acquisition of another major vaccines business
• a Colombian distributor in a long-term distribution and commercialization agreement dispute with a leading biotechnology firm
• a major multinational health care company in expedited arbitrations with joint development partners following decisions to cease investing after missed milestones

Heavy Industry and Technology

• a multinational conglomerate in various gas turbine and aviation engine-related disputes with customers and partners
• a national airline carrier in a defective helicopter gear engine dispute with an airline company following the prolonged grounding of its entire fleet
• a Japanese automotive group in the unwinding of a technology transfer venture

High-Net-Worth and Asset Recovery

• the estate of a prominent Georgian billionaire in trusts, estates and asset identification proceedings in the U.K., Gibraltar, Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands
• an ultra-high-net-worth individual in divorce, joint venture and asset protection proceedings across multiple jurisdictions

Publications and Speaking Engagements

Ms. Lamb regularly publishes and speaks on topics related to international arbitration, public international law, ESG and dispute resolution trends. She has delivered keynote speeches and guest lectures at leading institutions and is a regular contributor to thought leadership, which is recognized for its strategic insight and practical impacts.