Philip Devenish

Jones Day

Philip Devenish is a trial lawyer with a decade of experience resolving high-profile disputes in emerging markets. He has acted in some of the largest and most significant global cases of recent years, as ranked by The American Lawyer and Global Arbitration Review, including major and ultra-high-value claims across many sectors in a large number of jurisdictions.

Philip represents clients facing commercial disputes, business expropriation, political risk, and government abuses around the world. He has brought successful claims against corporations and sovereign states in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. He has appeared before the UK Supreme Court and dozens of arbitral tribunals and obtained more than $2 billion in settlements, awards, and judgments.

Before joining Jones Day, Philip served on the trial team that secured a $1.3 billion victory on behalf of JSC Oschadbank in an arbitration against Russia. This case marked the first occasion that Russia had been held liable by an arbitral tribunal for seizing assets in Crimea and remains one of the largest investor-State arbitration awards in history.

Philip also advises on international law matters, including questions of sovereign immunity, investment protection, treaty interpretation, and dispute resolution procedures. He counsels sovereigns on the drafting of investment treaties and advises investors on the (re)structuring of their investments for maximum treaty protection.

The Legal 500 UK (2019) recommends Philip as a "key practitioner" of public international law with "particular expertise in handling foreign investment disputes arising under treaties and contracts." He is named by Legal Media Group's Guide to the World's Leading Experts (2019, 2020) as a "Rising Star" in commercial arbitration in the United Kingdom.