Alastair Livesey

Alastair focuses on the largest and most complicated business-critical international disputes, across a variety of jurisdictions and industries.

Al is a multi-specialist disputes lawyer representing clients both in complex international arbitrations and multi-jurisdictional litigations governed by a wide variety of national laws and institutional rules. His sector experience spans disputes relating to private capital, mining & natural resources, aviation & defence, major infrastructure projects, construction, telecommunications & technology, financial services and retail amongst others. Al has particular experience in disputes involving allegations of fraud, corruption, regulatory breaches, rights violations or other forms of heightened wrongdoing.

Al has significant experience both in Europe and in emerging markets, working with clients across EMEA, the Americas, the CIS region and APAC. Having lived and worked as a lawyer in London, Paris, Zurich, The Hague, Moscow and São Paulo, Al understands distinct legal approaches and cultural sensitivities. Al is trained in both common and civil law disciplines, with legal qualifications from Oxford University, the University of London and the University of Paris. Al is well versed in different client perspectives having undertaken secondments to the litigation and investigations team of an international bank; the legal and compliance team of a major commodity trading and mining company; and the litigation team of an NGO. Al has also briefed several government departments on international disputes and investment protections.

Al regularly offers strategic guidance to clients in responding to crisis situations and board-room legal and compliance risks. Al draws on his extensive experience in advising clients on multi-jurisdictional risk management and conducting investigations into allegations of bribery and corruption, anti-trust issues, sanctions breaches, money laundering, fraud, human rights violations, corporate governance issues and other forms of wrongdoing.

Alongside his client work, Al is Co-Chair of the Implementation Task Force for the Campaign for Greener Arbitration (an industry initiative to reduce the environmental impact of international arbitrations), Co-Convenor for the EMEA chapter of Delos Arbitration's advanced oral advocacy training programme; and a member of the Rising Arbitrators Initiative. Al is also Co-Chair of the firm’s LGBT+ Network. In 2024 he was recognised by INvolve and Youtube as one to the Top 100 Global LGBT+ future leaders.

Al also maintains a busy international and domestic pro bono practice, with a particular interest in law reform, the rule of law and strategic litigation in the international courts around LGBT+ rights. Al has recently been heavily involved in the preparation of a playbook for an African State on international law issues arising in post-conflict peace negotiations, as well as spearheading interventions in the European Court of Human Rights. Al is Deputy Chair of the Board of JUSTICE and a Boardmember of the Civil Liberties Trust – two of the best known and respected legal charities in the UK. Before entering private practice, Al worked for a number of law reform organisations and for the Associated Defence Counsel at the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.