arbitration for international commerce
London based international commercial arbitrator
James Clanchy, FCIArb. London based arbitrator in independent practice
Arbitration is the mechanism of choice for the resolution of disputes arising from international commerce, including transactions under standard form contracts and projects involving joint venture agreements, shareholders’ agreements and loans.
Arbitration offers parties, their insurers, funders and advisors a wide range of options for a route to a final and binding award enforceable worldwide. The arbitration procedure may be conducted on an ad hoc basis or it may be administered by a trade association or an institution.
As a lawyer with a background in shipping, international trade, and commodities, and having served as the Registrar of the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) and as the Honorary Secretary of the London Maritime Arbitrators Association (LMAA), I understand the different types of arbitration.
No longer practising as a solicitor, I am a full-time arbitrator, an Associate Member of Six Pump Court chambers in London, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb) and an Aspiring Full Member of the LMAA.
or see the Profile page>
Arbitration expertise
as solicitor and arbitrator
International trade
Cases involving sale and purchase, transport, financing and insurance of commodities
ENERGY
Oil and gas exploration, production, sale and purchase, transportation; offshore wind, solar projects
SHIPPING
Charterparties, bills of lading, MoAs, bunker supply contracts, superyacht management, insurance, containers
Cruise and travel
Outsourcing contracts, employment, trade disruption and liability insurance claims
Joint Ventures
ICC, LCIA and ad hoc arbitrations in shipping, oil and gas, and construction industries
Africa
Cases involving Algeria, Libya, Nigeria, Senegal, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, Malawi, South Africa
ARBITRATION KNOWHOW
Having been involved in arbitrations of all shapes and sizes for more than 30 years, including 4 years as Registrar of the LCIA and 6 years as a content provider for Lexis®PSL Arbitration, I have accumulated an unusually varied knowledge of the law and practice of arbitration in London and around the world. Alongside my full-time practice as an arbitrator, I am co-editor of Lloyd’s Maritime Law Newsletter, for which I compile anonymised summaries of London maritime arbitration awards.
Visit my Arbitration Knowhow page to find snapshots of my own perspectives on arbitration and some useful links:
Arbitration v Court
Ad hoc v institutional arbitration
London Court of International Arbitration
Arbitration insurance and funding
Maritime arbitration
Expedited arbitration
Commodities arbitration
Arbitration statistics
Blog articles
I have given presentations at conferences and lectures at universities. My publications have included articles in academic journals, practical guidance notes and case analyses for Lexis®PSL Arbitration, and posts for LexisNexis Blogs:
The race to expedite
Faster, cheaper, greener arbitration for smaller and simpler claims.
Arbitration statistics
Rising caseloads and repeat appointments: my analysis of 2023 caseloads.
Arbitration Act 2025
The English Arbitration Act 2025 received royal assent on 24 February 2025. It makes some useful, but largely minor, changes to the 1996 Act. I took part in a discussion of the main issues in a Worshipful Company of Arbitrators podcast which you can find here.
A Neglected Blueprint: the LMAA’s Small Claims Procedure
I am pleased to have contributed a chapter to Expedited International Arbitration: Policies, Rules, and Procedures (Herman Verbist and Alan M Anderson ed., Kluwer, 2024). My chapter discusses the irony that the UNCITRAL Expedited Arbitration Rules 2021 are intended for use in ad hoc arbitrations but UNCITRAL Working Group II mainly studied institutional procedures and neglected the rules that apply in more international commercial arbitrations than any others, namely the Terms and Procedures of the London Maritime Arbitrators Association (LMAA). The LMAA’s SCP has been used in thousands of arbitrations since 1989 and deserves attention.
International Congress of Maritime Arbitrators (ICMA XXII) in Dubai
I was delighted to attend the International Congress of Maritime Arbitrators (ICMA XXII) in Dubai in the second week of November 2023. It was hosted by the Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC) and held at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers hotel. In a session on Current Arbitration Issues, I gave a paper entitled ‘The law of the arbitration agreement: a non-issue’, which you can download below.
The Arbitration Station podcast: The Maritime Arbitration
I was invited as a guest speaker on the Arbitration Station podcast for an episode entitled ‘The Maritime Arbitration’; click here to listen to the podcast. In the interview with Saadia Bhatty, I discuss ad hoc arbitration, London as a hub for the resolution of disputes arising from international commerce, and my role as Honorary Secretary of the LMAA.
