Julia Zagonek

Partner, Dubai, London

Biography

“She sees several steps ahead and is a great strategist.”
Chambers Global 2021

Overview

Julia Zagonek is an English solicitor-advocate and a partner in the international arbitration practice of White & Case leading the Russian disputes team. She has built a career in international arbitration (both commercial and investment) having represented states, leading global corporations and high net worth individuals in complex multi-jurisdiction disputes conducted under all major arbitral institutions and rules. She is regularly appointed as arbitrator.

Julia also represents clients in English court proceedings and has experience in applications for interim measures such as disclosure and worldwide freezing orders.

Julia has authored a number of articles and chapters on international arbitration. Legal benchmark publications, such as The Legal 500 (including The Legal 500 "Arbitration Powerlist: CIS and Caucasus"), Chambers and Who's Who Legal, recommend Julia as one of the world's leading arbitration practitioners.

Julia is a member of the ICC Court and the VIAC's International Advisory Board.

Bars and Courts
Law Society of England and Wales
Solicitor Advocate (Higher Rights of Audience)
Education
PGDL
LPC
College of Law
London
BA (Hons)
Courtauld Institute of Art
London
Languages
English
Russian
French

Experience

Advising the Republic of Belarus in investment treaty claims commenced by: (i) Manolium Processing under the UNCITRAL Rules concerning a real estate project in the centre of Minsk; (ii) Grand Express under the ICSID Additional Facility Rules concerning insolvency of a railcar producing plant; (iii) Delta Belarus Holding under the ICSID Rules in connection with the revocation of Delta Bank's licence.

Advising a Belarussian contractor in an SCC arbitration against Turkmenistan and a Turkmen state concern. The dispute relates to the construction of an ore fertiliser plant in Turkmenistan under a US$1 billion contract.

Advising a major telecommunications company in LCIA proceedings involving issues of fraud, actual and apparent authority in several jurisdictions and parallel proceedings.

Advising a major cement producer in two English law governed arbitrations at International Commercial Arbitration Court at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation (ICAC) against a group of Russian individuals in a post-M&A dispute related to the breach of indemnities and warranties.

Advising an investment group in connection with liabilities created by former partners.

Advising a major Russian bank with successful settlement of a dispute arising out of debt restructuring. Our work included developing strategy of debt recovery in multiple jurisdictions, as well as coordinating local counsel in Cyprus, the Netherlands and the UK, including in connection with a number of litigation proceedings in Cypriot and Dutch courts.

Advising a major Russian mining and smelting company in connection with a dispute arising out of supply agreements.

Advising an Asian multinational electronics company in an LCIA arbitration against a software developer.

Advising one of the largest steel companies in Russia in a dispute with a long-term supplier.

Advising a private equity fund in connection with wrongdoings by its managers.

Advising a Ukrainian client in an LCIA arbitration and supporting court proceedings against a JV partner.

Advising a Receiver appointed by a Cypriot court over two Cypriot companies and their subsidiaries in Russia in support of arbitration proceedings on the issues of preservation and recovery of their assets and representing them in various court proceedings in Russia.

Speaking Engagements

ICC X International Arbitration Conference "Russia as disputes location" in the session "ICC kitchen" of selecting arbitrators and disputes administration, 28 November 2017.

English Law Week in St.Petersburg – moderated the session "Recent English judgments involving Russian and CIS parties", 22 November 2017.

RAA conference "Collecting Bad Debts: Throwing Good Money after Bad?" on practical aspects of hiring and working with an expert in arbitration, June 2017.

Roscoe Pound Moscow Conference on commercial disputes resolution in the session called "What do parties want, what is necessary and what is expected?", June 2017.

St. Petersburg International Legal Forum – SIAC session devoted to comparison and availability of interim measures in support of arbitration seated in Singapore and in Russia, May 2017.

ICDR seminar "Looking Ahead: Effectively Arbitrating Complex Disputes in the Global Energy Sector", April 2017, Houston.

Moscow State University conference "Investments under the new economic conditions", March 2017, Moscow.

SCC Arbitration Institute seminar "SCC 2017 innovation drivers: treaty-based arbitrations" on emergency proceedings under the SCC Rules involving Russian and CIS parties and SCC new rules for treaty-based arbitrations, 16 February 2017, Moscow.

ICC Advanced Arbitration Academy for Central and Eastern Europe on the cost and quality of arbitration, November 2015, Minsk.

International Chamber of Commerce in Russia seminar on on bank guarantee disputes in English courts, March 2015, Moscow.

Publications

Co-author: "Overview of the latest changes in the bankruptcy legislation", LawTEK, March 2017.

Co-authored "Liability for breach of obligations", Power and Law and Oil & Gas and Law, 2016 г.

Chapter 2: "Relevant Aspects of the English Legal System", book "Arbitration in England, with chapters on Scotland and Ireland, Lew, Bor, et al. (ed) (2013)".

"Optional Arbitration Clauses", Legal Insight Magazine, January 2013.

"Cases involving Russian parties in English courts", International Law Quarterly, November 2012.

"Dispute Resolution in the LCIA", Legal Insight Magazine, November 2012.

"English court considers public law aspects of enforcing arbitral awards", W&C insight: Commercial Litigation, July 2012.

Awards and Recognition

"Thought Leader: Arbitration" 2021 Who's Who Legal

The Legal 500 2017 – Leading Individual in International Arbitration

Chambers Global 2018 – Dispute Resolution

Who's Who Legal 2018 – Arbitration, Julia is recommended as one of the world’s leading arbitration specialists