Carmel Proudfoot

Carmel Proudfoot

Litigation, Arbitration & Investigations Managing Associate, Singapore

"I specialise in international arbitration and cross-border disputes, focusing on the energy, infrastructure, telecommunications and transport sectors. I have extensive experience helping clients manage dispute risks and successfully navigate complex disputes to achieve the best possible outcomes."

Overview

Professional experience

Education and qualifications

Published works

Overview

Carmel specialises in international commercial arbitration, investment arbitration and cross-border litigation.

Carmel’s practice focuses on cross-border disputes across Asia-Pacific, India and the Middle East, particularly in the energy & resources, construction & infrastructure, telecommunications and transport sectors. She acts as counsel for clients in ad hoc and institutional arbitrations under the major rules and regularly advises clients on dispute risk mitigation. Carmel also serves as a tribunal secretary.

In addition to her arbitration work, Carmel has extensive experience acting in matters before Australian and foreign courts, including complex litigation and applications to enforce or set aside arbitral awards.

Carmel is a member of the ICC Commission on Arbitration & ADR and ICC Australia Arbitration Steering Committee. She previously served as the ICC YAF Representative for South Asia (2019-2021).

Carmel is dual-qualified in Australia and England & Wales.

Work highlights

Carmel’s experience includes acting for:

  • A regional government in relation to a multi-billion-dollar investor-State claim arising out of the mining sector.
  • The applicant investors in multiple proceedings to enforce high-value investor-State awards in Australia against the Kingdom of Spain.
  • A cryptocurrency platform in a Singapore seated SIAC arbitration raising issues of Singapore and California law concerning the development of a cryptocurrency backed research platform.
  • A Korean engineering & construction company in an ICC arbitration seated in New Delhi, subject to Indian law against an Indian state-owned entity arising from the design, construction and commissioning of a steel plant complex in India.
  • The owners of one of the world’s largest LNG projects in three gas price reviews in Western Australia and related litigation before the Western Australian courts.
  • An international joint venture in a US$46m ICC arbitration seated in Singapore, subject to English law arising from the termination of a production sharing contract by Timor-Leste.

Professional experience

Prior to joining Linklaters, Carmel worked in the Perth and Singapore offices of Norton Rose Fulbright.

Education and qualifications

Carmel holds a Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) and a Bachelor of Arts (History) from Murdoch University in Western Australia.

Published works

Carmel’s recent publications include:

  • Co-Author of ‘Reforming Investor-State Dispute Settlement in Australia’, ACICA Review (2022);
  • Co-Author of the Australian chapter in ‘InDepth Feature: Litigation & Alternative Dispute Resolution 2022” published by Financier Worldwide (2022); and
  • Co-Author of “ADR: Effectively resolving cross-border disputes” in Managing and Resolving Commercial Disputes published by Financier Worldwide in association with the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (2022).