Three Crowns is pleased to announce the promotion of Leilah Bruton to partner in its London office, the arrival of Shaparak Saleh as partner in its Paris office, and the hire of Donald Earl Childress III as of counsel in Washington DC, highlighting international development and growth across the firm.
Leilah Bruton, who joined Three Crowns’ London office as counsel from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in November 2019, specialises in both international commercial and investment treaty arbitration, with a particular focus on disputes in the oil and gas, energy, and telecommunications sectors. Her practice covers most major arbitration rules, including the ICSID, UNCITRAL, ICC, and LCIA rules.
She has extensive experience representing multinational corporations on the resolution of complex disputes involving investment treaties and contractual relationships, with a particular focus on oil & gas disputes arising out of long-term production sharing agreements. Her clients operate across a number of emerging markets, and include Total, BP, ExxonMobil, Petronas, and Rio Tinto.
Leilah said, “I am delighted to join the Three Crowns’ partnership and I look forward to working alongside the partners here in London and across our international offices to ensure the firm’s continued growth and success”.
In Paris, Shaparak Saleh joins Three Crowns from French dispute resolution boutique Teynier Pic, where she was a partner for several years. With over 15 years’ experience, Shaparak has acted as arbitration counsel in several commercial arbitrations, both ad hoc and institutional, including under the ICC, IEMA, LCIA, UNCITRAL, and VIAC Rules. She has also acted in some 25 arbitration-related court proceedings in the French courts. Her clients include Total, Bouygues, NGE and Trevi SpA.
Fluent in French, English, Persian, and Italian, Shaparak has experience in post-M&A disputes, and disputes in the construction, energy, aeronautics, space, telecommunications, food, chemicals and pharmaceutical sectors, relating to projects in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.
Commenting on her appointment, Shaparak said, “I am thrilled to be joining a talented team of individuals with such high personal and professional values. With its truly international reach and uncompromising commitment to excellence, Three Crowns is a natural fit for my team and me to continue to provide the excellent client service we strive to provide”.
Donald (“Trey”) Earl Childress III joins Three Crowns’ Washington DC office as of counsel. His extensive experience includes transnational arbitration and litigation, private international law (conflict of laws), and public international law. Trey was the 28th Counselor on International Law to the Legal Adviser at the U.S. State Department. Serving in two administrations, he represented the United States before international bodies, including as part of the U.S. delegation to UNCITRAL Working Group III (regarding reforms to Investor-State Dispute Settlement), before the Council of Europe’s Committee of Legal Advisers on Public International Law (CAHDI), and in the Diplomatic Session of the Hague Judgments Convention. Trey is a tenured professor at the Pepperdine Caruso School of Law and has held visiting positions at the New York University School of Law and the Washington & Lee School of Law.
Constantine Partasides QC, a founding partner in the firm’s London office, commented, “We are very excited that Leilah has taken the next step in her brilliant career to become a partner with us in London, and that Shaparak – whom many of us already know well – is joining us in Paris to augment our French law capabilities. Their expertise make them ideal additions to our partnership as we look to continue to support our clients on their most complex and significant disputes around the world”.
Constantine continued, “The arrival of Trey to our Washington D.C. offices also adds to our expertise in private and public international law, and highlights the continued growth and development of our firm across the globe”.
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