Senior Lateral Hire Strengthens Growing International Capabilities
Boies Schiller Flexner LLP today announced that Andrei Yakovlev has joined the firm’s London office as a partner in the international arbitration group.
Andrei brings almost 30 years of experience resolving complex, high-value disputes arising out of foreign investments, sovereign and corporate finance, M&A/joint ventures, and major projects. His practice extends across both commercial and investor-state arbitration as well as litigation before national courts, and he has worked across a variety of sectors including financial services, energy, metals and mining, communications and technology, and real estate development. His clients range from sovereign states and central banks to large corporates and ultra-high net worth individuals.
“I am excited to help BSF strengthen its already well-established international arbitration practice and expand its dynamic London team,” Andrei says. “The firm’s momentum in London is very exciting, and I am especially compelled by BSF’s ambition to continue to strengthen its international and cross-border capabilities, especially in arbitration. The firm has been phenomenally successful since its establishment in the U.S. market, and I value BSF’s dynamic, entrepreneurial, and diverse culture.”
Qualified in England, New York, and Russia, Andrei has deep, on the-ground-experience representing clients in emerging markets, with a particular concentration in Eastern and Central Europe, Central Asia, China, and the Middle East. The high-profile, high-value, international cases he has handled include an investment treaty interpretation case selected by Global Arbitration Review as one of the 10 “most important decisions” of the year and a petroleum dispute ranked as one of the top 10 largest contract arbitrations by AmLaw Arbitration Scorecard.
“Andrei is a great addition for the London office. The experience he adds affirms our commitment to working in the central European and CIS region, where we already advise numerous clients, as well as to expanding our energy practice, including renewables,” says London partner David Hunt. “Additionally, his collaborative approach to handling matters fits well with the culture of the firm.”
Andrei has acted on behalf of sovereign states, including Ukraine, People’s Republic of China, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Angola, as well as corporates, including Ukraine’s national petroleum company, Poland’s largest oil refinery, Greece’s largest telecommunications company, and one of the largest French banks, with numerous cases valued over $1 billion.
“Andrei is a terrific personality, and it could be said that his footprint in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia is the envy of the arbitration community. I look forward to helping him expand it,” says London arbitration partner Timothy Foden. “Not to mention, he adds to our office of multi-qualified and trilingual speakers with diverse international backgrounds.”
Andrei was born and grew up in Ukraine. He then pursued his legal education around the world, receiving LL.M. degrees from University of London in the U.K. and an S.J.D. from Northwestern University in Chicago. Over the past 27 years, he has practiced with leading international law firms in London, Dubai, Moscow, and New York. His arrival coincides with recent associate hires in London, all with international backgrounds and arbitration experience.
Jonathan Schiller, co-founder of BSF and the leader of its international arbitration practice, said “Andrei strengthens our established international arbitration practice in the Americas, Europe, and the U.K. As complex, multinational disputes continue to grow in prominence, our London office is a key hub for serving our international clients.”
“We are delighted to welcome Andrei to our growing team in London. He has vast experience in and a sophisticated understanding of investor state and commercial arbitration and maintains strong client relationships,” said Managing Partners Sigrid McCawley, Matthew L. Schwartz, and Alan Vickery.