Teresa Laboucarié-Polak

Teresa Laboucarié-Polak

Litigation, Arbitration & Investigations Partner, London

“I advise clients on their business-critical disputes, with a particular focus on the energy and construction sectors and extensive experience in international arbitration. I have a strong understanding of my clients’ commercial objectives, enabling me to deliver practical strategic and tactical advice to guide clients through the resolution of their disputes.”

Overview

Professional experience

Education and qualifications

Overview

Teresa specialises in international arbitration, with a particular focus on the energy, infrastructure and construction sectors. She has extensive experience acting in a wide spectrum of commercial disputes, including those arising from joint ventures, construction projects and mergers and acquisitions.

She has experience acting in arbitrations under all the major institutional rules (including ICC, LCIA, UNCITRAL, SCC and HKIAC), as well as on ad hoc arbitrations. She also advises on High Court litigation arising out of arbitral proceedings, including in respect of enforcement proceedings.
  
Teresa has previously been seconded to BP’s Litigation, Arbitration & Investigations team in London and spent two years on secondment to the firm’s Hong Kong office from 2011 to 2013.
 
Work highlights

Teresa has advised on many significant disputes. Those that can be disclosed include:

  • representing an international investment company in LCIA proceedings concerning a dispute that arose between joint venture partners concerning a substantial transport and logistics company involving claims in excess of US$350m
  • advising a leading global retail client on an ICC arbitration seated in Geneva concerning alleged breaches of contract in the context of a planned acquisition with a value in excess of €5bn
  • acting for a state owned oil company in Commercial Court proceedings successfully resisting the attempted enforcement of a judgment debt of the relevant State against the client’s UK assets
  • representing a major international turnkey supplier of energy equipment in an ad hoc construction arbitration seated in London concerning the supply of equipment for, and construction of, a power plant in the Caribbean
  • representing a client based in Asia in an ICC arbitration arising under an affiliation agreement, including successfully obtaining interim relief that was critical to the continuation of the client’s business
  • representing a leading Egyptian energy company in an ICC arbitration in London relating to its acquisition of an interest in an oil field in Africa.

Professional experience

Teresa is a member of the ICC YAF, LCIA and ArbitralWomen.

 

She has written on the subject of financial and trade sanctions as they apply to Iran in respect of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

Education and qualifications

Teresa studied Modern Languages and Literature (Spanish and German) at Churchill College, University of Cambridge.