Peter Rees KC specialises in international arbitration and is widely recognised as one of the leading practitioners in this area in the world. 

Peter is listed as a leading expert in international arbitration by various directories including Chambers UK, Chambers Europe, TheLegal 500 UK, Legal 500 Asia Pacific, Who's Who Legal and Chambers Global.

Peter's extensive experience as arbitrator extends to handling large scale and complex disputes in many industrial and commercial sectors, in diverse jurisdictions and subject to a wide variety of governing laws. He is particularly well known for handling themost complex and high-value construction, engineering, oil and gas disputes as well as investment treaty disputes.

Peter was Legal Director and Member of the Executive Committee of Royal Dutch Shell Pie from 1 January 2011 until he stepped down at thebeginning of 2014. In that role, he had ultimate responsibility for the Shell global legal function and for advising the Shell Group management on all legal matters of group-wide importance. Prior to joining Shell, Peter was a partner at Norton Rose for nearly 20 years, including eightyears as Head of Global Dispute Resolution, and a partner for five years at Debevoise & Plimpton.

Areas of expertise

• Arbitrator

• Mediator

Arbitrator

Peter has been arbitrator in over one hundred arbitrations and has significant experience in handling disputes under the rules of most of the major institutions including the ICC, LCIA, ICSID, SCC, SIAC, AAA, ICDR, CPR, AIAC, HKIAC and CIArb as well as numerous ad hoe arbitrations subject to UNCITRAL Rules.

Over the last 20 years, he has served as Vice President of the LCIA Court, Member of the Governing Body of the ICC Court of Arbitration, Member of the Board of CPR, Member of the Board of Trustees of the CIArb, and Member of the Advisory Board of the VIAC.

Mediator

Peter is an accredited mediator with ADR Chambers and handles mediations in a wide variety of commercial fields. His approach is to ensure the parties know both the strengths, but more particularly the weaknesses, in their respective cases, that the senior executives attending the mediation fully understand the other side's case, and to find the common ground, not just legally, but commercially, between the parties. Peter's corporate background helps him understand the financial and corporate drivers behind the stances the parties are taking.