Sven Volkmer
Biography
Overview
Sven Volkmer is a partner in the Firm's International Arbitration Group in New York. He represents companies and states in commercial and investment treaty arbitrations in a range of industries and around the globe, with a focus on the energy sector. He has been counsel in arbitrations under all major institutional rules as well as ad hoc arbitrations.
Sven is trained in common law and civil law jurisdictions, and he is a member of the bar in New York and Paris.
Experience
His commercial arbitration experience includes:
- Representing a Portuguese telecoms company in a Paris-seated ICC arbitration, governed by Angolan law, arising out of a shareholder dispute concerning an Angolan telecoms company.
- Representing Toshiba in three San Francisco-seated ICC arbitrations, governed by California law, in connection with a dispute over the sale of Toshiba's multi-billion dollar memory business.
- Representing an insurer in a London-seated ad hoc arbitration, governed by New York law, relating to an insurance claim for damage to gas assets.
- Representing a German energy company in a Stockholm-seated ad hoc arbitration, governed by Swiss law, relating to a price review dispute under long-term gas supply contract.
- Representing a French energy company in a Paris-seated ICC arbitration, governed by Dutch law, relating to a price review dispute under long-term gas supply contract.
- Representing a U.S. energy company in a contract-based ICSID arbitration, governed by English law, in a dispute arising out of the acquisition of an electric utility.
- Representing a Caribbean government in negotiations with international oil companies under production sharing agreements, licenses and long-term sales agreements.
His investment arbitration experience includes:
- Mason Capital L.P. and Mason Management LLC v. Korea: representing the respondent in an UNCITRAL arbitration relating to shareholdings in Samsung companies.
- ACF Renewable Energy Limited v. Bulgaria: representing the respondent in an ICSID arbitration relating to an investment in a solar photovoltaic power plant.
- Samsung Engineering Co. Ltd. v. Saudi Arabia: representing the respondent in an ICSID arbitration relating to the construction of a power and desalination plant in Saudi Arabia.
- Energo-Pro a.s. v. Bulgaria: representing the respondent in an ICSID arbitration relating to investments in hydropower plants.
- Schindler Holding AG v. Korea: representing the respondent in an UNCITRAL arbitration relating to an investment in an elevator company.
- B3 Croatian Courier Cooperatief U.A. v. Croatia: representing the claimant in an ICSID arbitration relating to an investment in a postal services company.
- Vigotop Ltd. v. Hungary: representing the respondent in an ICSID arbitration relating to an investment in a casino resort project.
"Balancing State, Investor Interests In The Energy Transition," Law360.com (2022)
"The Legality Requirement in Investment Arbitration," in Jurisdiction in Investment Treaty Arbitration, IAI Series on International Arbitration No. 8, at 65 (Y. Banifatemi ed., Juris Publishing, 2018) (co-author with Michael Polkinghorne)
"Price re-openers in long-term gas supply agreements", in Leading Practitioners' Guide to Oil & Gas Arbitration, 2015, (co-author with Michael Polkinghorne)
"Stay of Enforcement Decisions in ICSID Annulment Proceedings: Taking Stock", Journal of International Arbitration, Volume 29, Issue 6, 691, 2012