Boies Schiller Flexner LLP today announced that Kristen Young has joined the Washington D.C. office as a partner in the international arbitration group.
Kristen’s practice focuses on the full array of international investment and commercial arbitration matters, including annulment and international enforcement proceedings. With an extensive background representing both respondent states and claimant investors in high-profile, investor-state disputes, Kristen has successfully handled billions of dollars in claims arising under numerous bilateral investment treaties, free trade agreements, and the Energy Charter Treaty.
“I am excited to add to the momentum of Boies Schiller Flexner’s dynamic international arbitration team and to the strength of the firm’s international and cross-border capabilities in the U.S. BSF has done a tremendous job in building out its international arbitration platform, particularly in mining and energy disputes,” Kristen says. “I look forward to partnering with my new colleagues in New York, London, Milan, and Rome to continue to grow the firm’s international arbitration practice.”
Kristen has an established track record of taking on and winning complex, ground-breaking arbitration matters, including some of the most significant investor-state victories over the past decade. Her extensive experience working on behalf of governments strengthens the firm’s global arbitration capabilities, and her work in the mining and energy sectors, as well as in the CIS and Central Asian region, will bolster the firm’s offering in those areas.
“Having been on the other side to Kristen in the past, I can say first-hand what a fantastic addition she is to the team,” says London-based international arbitration partner Timothy Foden. “Kristen brings deep experience in areas where we are currently very active, particularly mining, and her work representing both respondents and claimants gives us added flexibility as we continue to grow the arbitration practice. Additionally, her successful background across the CIS and Central Asian region complements other recent London additions and solidifies our strategy to target the growing investment disputes market in those jurisdictions.”
Kristen’s corporate clients have included TECO Energy, Israel Chemicals Ltd., Webuild, Orascom TMT Investments, and other international corporations mainly within the mining, energy, and resource industries. State clients she has defended include Uzbekistan, Georgia, Romania, the Philippines, Jordan, and Ukraine, notably in Global Trading Resource Corp. and Globex International, Inc. v. Ukraine, the first-ever summary dismissal of an ICSID case under ICSID Rule 41(5). The case was nominated for Arbitration Win of the Year by Global Arbitration Review.
“We are thrilled to welcome Kristen to the firm,” says Chairman-elect Matthew L. Schwartz. “Not only will she be an immediate positive addition to the Washington, D.C. office, where we continue to strengthen our platform, but she will serve as a key contact in what is arguably the most important hub for international investment disputes in the U.S.”
Prior to joining BSF, Kristen was a partner at a top 10 global law firm. She also spent time practicing in Paris and speaks fluent French. Kristen has taught arbitration courses all over the world, including at the Georgetown University Law Center, the University of Chicago Law School, the University of Richmond School of Law, and the Tashkent State University of Law.
Kristen's arrival was covered in several articles. Please see links below.
Global Arbitration Review: Boies Schiller Hires from White & Case in DC
Reuters: Boies Schiller Grows International Arbitration Team with White & Case Hire
Bloomberg Law: Boies Schiller Flexner Adds DC International Arbitration Partner
Law360: Boies Schiller Hires White & Case Int'l Arbitration Atty In DC
Commercial Dispute Resolution: BSF Buttresses DC Arbitration Abilities