Profile: Peter Godwin

Commercial Litigation

Biography: Commercial Litigation

Peter has broad experience of litigation, arbitration, mediation and other forms of dispute resolution in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Peter's clients include major Japanese companies with problems overseas as well as multi-national companies with problems in Japan. Peter has acted on disputes arising from all major industry sectors including energy, construction and engineering, telecoms, media, electronics, financial services and insurance.

Peter has represented clients as counsel in the courts of England and Hong Kong and in addition, he is regularly asked to provide strategic advice in relation to litigation proceedings in many other courts around the globe including, most recently, in Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand, Russia and the British Virgin Islands.

Peter has acted in arbitrations under ICC, LCIA, HKIAC, SCC, SIAC, Thai Arbitration Institute, JCAA rules and before both pure ad hoc and UNCITRAL tribunals. He has represented clients in numerous arbitral centres around the world, including in London, Paris, New York, Stockholm, Oslo, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Singapore in disputes under English and other common and civil law systems.

Peter is licensed to advise in Japan as a Gaikokuho Jimu Bengoshi. Peter is on the management team of the Japan chapter of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a founder member and director of the Arbitration Association of Japan.

The following are some of the key litigation matters that Peter has been involved in advising upon recently: a Japanese trading company in relation to claims for US140 million involving litigation in Indonesia, Hong Kong and the British Virgin Islands; a Japanese telecoms company in relation to dispute worth in excess of US1 billion with respect to third generation mobile phone services in England and Hong Kong; a Japanese IT company in relation to various high value disputes in the Japanese courts; a US financial services institution in relation to over one hundred actions (civil, criminal and administrative) in the Taiwanese courts and other administrative tribunals in Taiwan. In addition, he continues to advise a Japanese engineering company in relation to ICC arbitration in London arising out of the construction of a power plant; a Japanese telecoms company in relation to ICC arbitrations in Paris concerning a defective satellite; and a Japanese construction contractor in relation to a JCAA arbitration concerning disputes arising out of a power project in Algeria.

Peter is listed as the leading foreign disputes lawyer in Japan by Chambers Global 2007 and as a leading expert by Asia Pacific Legal 500, 2007/8.