George is an international dispute resolution specialist who resolves high-value and complex multijurisdictional disputes. He is a Solicitor Advocate who spends most of his time involved in arbitration and as a negotiator and overall problem solver. Throughout his career, George has advised and acted for (and against) governments, commercial entities and individuals from a wide range of countries.
George is regularly engaged in international arbitrations as counsel, co-arbitrator and sole arbitrator under the ICC, LCIA, LMAA, SCC and ICSID rules sitting in London, Athens, Geneva, Stockholm, Istanbul and Washington DC. He has experience in construction, energy, trade, software, securities, investment treaty and maritime disputes.
George has a very strong maritime background, having been a partner for many years in a leading London-based shipping law firm. He is Director of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIARB) Maritime Arbitration Diploma, and is Honorary Member of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers (ICS) and sits on the London Maritime Arbitrators Association User’s Liaison Committee
George works in both Russian and Greek.
Expertise
- International arbitration
- Shipping and maritime
- Energy
- Marine insurance
- Construction
- Alternative dispute resolution (ADR)
Experience
Arbitration
- Appointed as arbitrator in an investment treaty and construction arbitration – Garanti Koza LLP v. Turkmenistan ICSID Case No. ARB/11/20 ($100 million).
- Arbitrator in Russian only language LCIA and SCC arbitrations ($13 million and $350 million).
- Acted for a Central Asian country in a multimillion-dollar investment dispute in an LCIA arbitration.
- Appointed as agreed sole arbitrator in a $65 million ICC software licensing dispute.
- Negotiated a multimillion-dollar settlement between numerous claimants and a Ukrainian state entity with multiple vessels detained in India.
- Led teams in over 50 international arbitration proceedings.
Energy
- Instructed by Innsworth Advisors, the third-party funding arm of Elliott Management, in a £500 million claim against Petrofac Ltd, a publicly traded UK oil services company, with respect to investor’s losses arising out of a bribery-for-contracts scandal by Petrofac management.
- Acted for a Mexican company in several multimillion-dollar offshore oil and gas related disputes and arbitrations.
- Negotiated a high-value settlement agreement between Japanese interests and consortium of oil majors.
Shipping
- Negotiated a multimillion-dollar settlement between numerous claimants and a Ukrainian state entity with multiple vessels detained in India.
- Successfully acted in the English High Court in an important marine insurance case on behalf of a Singapore company to recover a multimillion-dollar claim against Baominh Insurance Corporation of Vietnam arising out of the total loss of a floating dock.
- Acted for numerous ship owners and charterers in dozens of LMAA arbitrations and English High Court actions.
- Negotiated a widely reported settlement agreement between Delta Tankers and Transneft arising out of a $60m port claim in Primorsk, Russia.
Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.
Recognition
Recognised by The Legal 500 for Shipping (2020-2024)
“George Lambrou is experienced and competent – and a real fighter.” The Legal 500 2023
“George Lambrou is a real troubleshooter. He inspires confidence even in the most difficult negotiations. Clients always listen to his advice because they are useful and timely. We have repeatedly worked with George on complex cross-border projects and we were delighted with his talents. He brilliantly speaks several languages, including Greek and Russian, and he also knows the specifics of doing business in the post-Soviet space. There is hardly any other lawyer with such a set of unique competencies.” The Legal 500 2021
Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb)
Co-Director of Training at the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, European Branch
Supporting Member of the London Maritime Arbitrator’s Association (LMAA)
Honorary Member Chartered Institute of Shipbrokers
Lecturer of Shipping Law at the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers
George Lambrou highlighted for being “knowledgeable, articulate and pleasant to work with.” Chambers & Partners, Global 2018
George Lambrou attracts particular attention for his experience acting as counsel to shipping companies involved in London arbitration proceedings. He knows what to fight and what not to fight in order to achieve the best results, says one client, while another describes him as quick, efficient and practical. 2017 Chambers Global
George Lambrou is highly knowledgeable in matters pertaining to shipping disputes, including international arbitration. Sources say: “He is very solution-oriented and to the point: he can overcome any dead end. He tries to accommodate clients’ wishes, even when it seems near impossible. 2016 Chambers Europe
George Lambrou clearly has a wealth of experience. He has a very good grasp of trade in general, not just shipping, say market commentators …Chambers Global 2014
George Lambrou is great: he finds innovative, cost-effective solutions to complex international disputes … Legal 500 EMEA 2014
Career
George qualified as a solicitor in 2004. Prior to joining Keystone Law in 2018, he worked at Thomas Cooper.