Dr. Odysseas G. Repousis is Of Counsel in Quinn Emanuel’s New York office, where he is a member of the firm’s international arbitration and litigation groups. His practice spans nearly every type of commercial dispute, including special situations and shareholder disputes, business litigation and complicated financial matters, complex cross-border disputes, claims involving state parties or governments and claims under concession agreements and international investment treaties. He has handled and tried cases in a broad range of industry sectors and regularly represents clients in such diverse industries as the telecommunications, infrastructure, transportation, banking and financial services, mining, shipping, pharmaceutical, nuclear energy and utilities sectors, among others.
Odysseas is recognized by all major directories as a leader in the fields of international arbitration and business litigation. Who's Who Legal: Thought Leaders Global Elite (2024) and Who’s Who Legal Arbitration and Commercial Litigation (2019-2024), describe him as a “first-class legal mind”, “a superb lawyer of tremendous intellectual integrity” and “a dedicated and effective communicator”, with clients noting in particular that they are “impressed by his diligence and legal expertise”, “his creativity, attention to detail and ability to handle complex issues”, his “devotion to the client’s interests” and his “ability to build the strongest case possible in any given circumstance”. Legal 500 (2020-2023) also recognizes him as a “key lawyer” in international arbitration, investment treaty arbitration proceedings and claims involving sovereigns and notes his “particular expertise in investor-state disputes”. Euromoney’s Rising Stars Awards 2022 recognizes Odysseas as a “rising star” for litigation and commercial arbitration and Who’s Who Legal Legal Marketplace Analysis (2020, 2021, 2022) notes that he impresses with his “meticulous attention to detail and ability to grasp, strategize, and respond to an ever increasingly complex litigation landscape”. He is also endorsed by Financier Worldwide, which recognizes him as a “Future Star and Power Player” in Complex Disputes.
Odysseas holds advanced degrees in law from Harvard Law School and the University of Hong Kong. He has received several prizes and awards, including the Harvard University Scholarship and the Li Ka Shing Prize (also known as the Best Ph.D. Thesis Award). He is qualified in New York, England & Wales and the EU.
Prior to joining the firm, Odysseas taught and conducted research at Harvard Law School and the University of Hong Kong, worked at the International Chamber of Commerce and the European Commission (at the Directorate General for Trade) and held research positions with the British Institute of International and Comparative Law, the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre and the United Nations International Law Commission. Odysseas has spoken and written extensively on international arbitration and litigation topics, and has delivered lectures at universities in the United States, Europe and Asia. Odysseas is also a Board Member of the Harvard Law School Association of the U.K.
- Counsel to global port operator DP World in claims arising out of interference with its port concession agreements in various jurisdictions, including in claims against Belgium arising out of Belgium’s interference with DP World’s concession in the Port of Antwerp. Obtained first-ever damages award against Belgium (DP World Limited v. Kingdom of Belgium, ICSID Case No. ARB/17/21).
- Counsel to BC Partners-owned United Group B.V., the biggest telecom and media provider in the Balkans, in an ICSID (World Bank) arbitration against the Republic of Serbia (United Group B.V., Adria Serbia Holdco B.V., and Serbia Broadband–srpske kablovske mreže d.o.o. Beograd v. Republic of Serbia, ICSID Case No. ARB/21/5).
- Counsel to a healthcare software company in a set of AAA arbitrations seated in California. Contracts governed by various US state laws.
- Counsel to an Asian technology company in an ICDR-AAA arbitration seated in California. Contracts governed by California law.
- Counsel to global steel manufacturer ArcelorMittal in potential claims arising out of the alleged interference with its rights under certain mining concessions.
- Counsel to certain private equity investors in a busted deal $500 million arbitration seated in Singapore and administered by the Singapore International Arbitration Centre. Contract governed by English law.
- Counsel to a major global uranium company. Contract governed by Delaware law; arbitration seated in New York.
- Counsel to certain private equity investors in a high-stakes shareholders’ dispute. Contract governed by Delaware law; JAMS arbitration seated in New York.
- Counsel to certain North American funds in enforcement and set aside proceedings of an international arbitration award. Proceedings before the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
- Counsel to a major telecommunications company in LCIA arbitration proceedings seated in London.
- Counsel to a high-net-worth individual in multi-million ICC arbitration proceedings seated in New York. Contract governed by New York law.
- Counsel to a pharmaceutical conglomerate in contemplated ICC proceedings seated in California. Contract governed by Delaware law.
- Counsel to a group of institutional investors, including Allianz Global Investors, PIMCO, Brevan Howard and BlueCrest, in two multi-billion-dollar lawsuits in the US (Southern District of New York) and in the UK (English High Court and Competition Appeal Tribunal) for breach of antitrust and competition laws arising out of the manipulation of foreign exchange rates. Case successfully settled.
- Counsel to PrivatBank, Ukraine’s largest commercial lender, in cross-border litigation proceedings against PwC in connection with a $3 billion professional negligence suit.
- Counsel to a South African mining company in connection with claims for the expropriation of diamond mining leases, in two UNCITRAL arbitrations and parallel set aside proceedings before the Singapore Court of Appeal (Singapore’s highest court) (Swissbourgh Diamond Mines (Pty) Ltd and others v. Kingdom of Lesotho [2018] SGCA 81).
- Counsel to a major franchisee in disputes under various franchise agreements with certain multinational restaurant chains.
- Counsel to Swiss multinational Schindler Holding AG in an UNCITRAL arbitration against the Republic of Korea in connection with claims in excess of $300 million (Schindler Holding AG v. Republic of Korea, PCA Case No. 2019-44).
- Counsel to PrivatBank in its investment treaty claim against Russia arising out of the expropriation of its business in Crimea (PJSC CB PrivatBank v. Russian Federation, PCA Case No. 2015-21).
- Counsel to Lundin Energy and its key executives in a landmark prosecution in Sweden and threatened forfeiture of economic benefits of $350 million arising out of alleged complicity in war crimes in Sudan.
- Counsel to a Singaporean conglomerate in a $200 million investment treaty claim against Mexico (PACC Offshore Services Holdings Ltd v. United Mexican States, ICSID Case No. UNCT/18/5). The tribunal upheld our client’s claims.
- Counsel to the claimants in a pharmaceutical high-value CPR arbitration seated in Washington, D.C.; multi-million arbitration award obtained. Contract governed by Delaware law.
- Counsel to Azerbaijan in an investment treaty claim under the auspices of ICSID (World Bank) (Cem Selçuk Ersoy v. Republic of Azerbaijan, ICSID Case No. ARB/18/6). Case successfully settled.
- Counsel to an aviation business in a multi-million ICSID (World Bank) claim against Lebanon (Abed El Jaouni v. Lebanese Republic, ICSID Case No. ARB/15/3). The tribunal upheld our client’s claims finding that Lebanon had wrongfully revoked the aviation licenses held by our client.
- Counsel to a regional port terminal operator in an ICC arbitration involving the sale of specialized marine equipment.
- Counsel to a high net worth individual in compliance review proceedings and white-collar investigations related to Jersey and U.K. companies listed on NASDAQ, the NYSE and the LSE.
- Counsel to a real estate developer in connection with claims under a development management agreement and a shareholders’ agreement governed by English law. Case successfully settled.
- Acted for the East African subsidiary of a global port terminal operator in an LCIA arbitration seated in London; multi-million arbitration award obtained.
- Counsel to a Turkish construction company in connection with claims against Turkmenistan (SECE İnşaat ve Ticaret A.Ş. v. Turkmenistan, ICSID Case No. ARB/18/34).
- Part of a team that helped Oschadbank (the State Savings Bank of Ukraine) secure a US$ 1.3 billion victory in an investment treaty claim against the Russian Federation.
- Acted for CIS State in a confidential investment treaty arbitration. Case settled for less than 5% of the damages claimed.
- Part of a team that helped global mining company AngloGold Ashanti successfully settle its claims against Ghana (AngloGold Ashanti (Ghana) Limited v. Republic of Ghana, ICSID Case No. ARB/16/15).
- Harvard Law School
(LL.M., 2016)- Harvard International Law Journal:
- Editor
- Harvard University Scholar
- Gerondelis Foundation Scholar
- Harvard International Law Journal:
- The University of Hong Kong
(Ph.D., International Investment Law, 2016)
(LL.M., Arbitration and Dispute Resolution, distinction, 2013)- Li Ka Shing Prize (Best Ph.D. Thesis Award)
- Hong Kong University Scholar
- University Research Committee Scholar
- Hague Academy of International Law
(Certificate, Private International Law, 2014) - Arbitration Academy
(Certificate, International Arbitration, 2014)- Scholarship of the Academy
- Scholarship of the Academy
- Erik Castrén Institute of International Law
(Diploma, International Investment Law, 2014) - University of Athens
(B.A./J.D., magna cum laude, 2012)- Greek State Scholar
- The State Bar of New York
- England & Wales
- Greece
- United States Courts of Appeals:
- Federal Circuit
- United States Court of International Trade
- United States District Courts:
- Southern District of New York
- Eastern District of New York
- Greek
- French
- Recognized by Who’s Who Legal as a Thought Leader Global Elite in Commercial Litigation (2024 and 2025)
- Recognized by Legal 500 USA, Dispute Resolution: International Arbitration, 2024
- Recognized by Legal 500 UK, Public international law, 2025
- Recognized by Who’s Who Legal as a Future Leader in International Arbitration (2023, 2024)
- Recognized by Who’s Who Legal as a Future Leader in Commercial Litigation (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
- Recognized by Euromoney’s Rising Stars for Litigation and Commercial Arbitration (2022)
- Recognized by Who’s Who Legal, Legal Marketplace Analysis (2020, 2021, 2022)
- Recognized by Who’s Who Legal as a Future Leader in Litigation (2019, 2020)
- Recognized by Legal 500 (2020-2023) as a “key lawyer” in investment treaty arbitration proceedings and in claims involving sovereigns
- Recognized by Legal 500 (2021-2023) as a “key lawyer” in international arbitration proceedings
- Recognized by Financier Worldwide as a Future Star and Power Player in Complex Disputes
Books
- Multilateral Investment Treaties (forthcoming, 2025)
- Getting The Deal Through: Sovereign Immunity (Law Business Research, 2018-present) (co-editor)
Articles and Book Chapters
- “Third-Party Funding of International Arbitrations in New York”, in International Commercial Arbitration in New York (Oxford University Press, 3rd edn., 2025) (with Mark McNeill)
- “Court or other authority for certain functions of arbitration assistance and supervision (Article 6)”, in The UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration: A Commentary (Cambridge University Press, 2020) (with Shahla Ali)
- “Arbitration agreement and interim measures by court (Article 9)”, in The UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration: A Commentary (Cambridge University Press, 2020) (with Shahla Ali)
- “Appointment of arbitrators (Article 11)”, in The UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration: A Commentary (Cambridge University Press, 2020) (with Shahla Ali)
- “Court assistance in taking evidence in international arbitration (Article 27)”, in The UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration: A Commentary (Cambridge University Press, 2020) (with Shahla Ali)
- “Assignment of Investment Treaty Claims”, in International Comparative Legal Guide: Investor-State Arbitration (Global Legal Group, 2019) (with Stephen Jagusch KC)
- “Introduction”, in Getting the Deal Through: Sovereign Immunity (Law Business Research, 2018-2022) (with Stephen Jagusch KC)
- “United Kingdom” Chapter, in Getting the Deal Through: Sovereign Immunity (Law Business Research, 2018-2022) (with Stephen Jagusch KC)
- “United States” Chapter, in Getting the Deal Through: Sovereign Immunity (Law Business Research, 2018-2022) (with David Orta)
- “Signatories to the Energy Charter Treaty (Article 38)”, in Rafael Leal-Arcas (ed.) Commentary on the Energy Charter Treaty (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2018)
- “Ratification, Acceptance or Approval of the Energy Charter Treaty (Article 39)”, in Rafael Leal-Arcas (ed.) Commentary on the Energy Charter Treaty (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2018)
- “The territorial application of the Energy Charter Treaty (Article 40)”, in Rafael Leal-Arcas (ed.) Commentary on the Energy Charter Treaty (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2018)
- “Accession to the Energy Charter Treaty (Article 41)”, in Rafael Leal-Arcas (ed.) Commentary on the Energy Charter Treaty (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2018)
- “Giving away home field advantage: The misguided attack on confidentiality in international commercial arbitration”, 35 Arbitration International 401 (2019) (co-author)
- “CEAC v. Montenegro: What is the “seat” requirement for nationality of corporate investors?”, 33 ICSID Review-FILJ 81 (2018) (co-author) (Oxford University Press)
- “The use of trusts in investment arbitration”, 34 Arbitration International 261 (2018) (Oxford University Press)
- “State succession and devolution agreements revisited: A note on Sanum v. Laos”, 21 Max Planck Yearbook of United Nations Law 353 (2017)
- “Yukos and the Provisional Application of the GATT: An (im)perfect analogue?”, Kluwer Arbitration Blog (2017)
- “An Overview of Provisional Measures in ICSID Proceedings”, 32 ICSID Review-FILJ 431 (2017) (Oxford University Press) (with Anthony Sinclair)
- “Multilateral Investment Treaties in Africa and the Antagonistic Narratives of Bilateralism and Regionalism”, 52(3) Texas Int’l L. J. 313 (2017) (lead article)
- “Investor-State Mediation and the Rise of Transparency in International Investment Law: Opportunity or Threat?”, 45(2) Denv. J. Int’l L. & Pol’y 225 (2017) (with Shahla Ali)
- “The Application of Investment Treaties to Overseas Territories and the Uncertain Provisional Application of the Energy Charter Treaty to Gibraltar”, 32(1) ICSID Review-FILJ 170 (2017) (Oxford University Press)
- “Why Russian investment treaties could apply to Crimea and what would this mean for the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian territorial conflict”, 32 Arbitration International 459 (2016) (Oxford University Press)
- “Armed Conflict and State-Succession in Investor-State Arbitration”, 22(3) Columbia J. Eur. L. 421 (2016) (with James Fry)
- “Standing of Locally Incorporated Entities in International Investment Law and the Notion of ‘Foreign Control’”, 24(2) Tulane J. Int’l & Comp. L. 327 (2016) (lead article)
- “Transparency, the UNCITRAL Rules and the Mauritius Convention: Towards a newer world for investor-State arbitration?”, 48(3) NYU J. Int’l L. & Policy 796 (2016) (with James Fry)
- “On Territoriality and International Investment Law: Applying China’s Investment Treaties to Hong Kong and Macao”, 37(1) Michigan J. Int’l L. 113 (2015)
- “Intertemporality and international investment arbitration: Protecting the jurisdiction of established tribunals”, 31(2) Arbitration International 213 (2015) (Oxford University Press) (with James Fry)
- “Investment Arbitration in the Nuclear Energy Sector: Environmental Protection versus Investor Protection”, in Yulia Levashova et al. (eds.) Bridging the Gap between International Investment Law and the Environment (2015) (with James Fry)
- “Overlapping investor-State arbitration clauses for energy and environmental disputes in the Energy Charter Treaty Area”, 8(2) World Arb. & Mediation Rev. 181 (2014)
- “Investment Arbitration in the Nuclear Energy Sector: A Brief Note on Investors and Investments”, Kluwer Arbitration Blog (2014)
- “Multiple Investment Treaties between the Same States?: The Case of the ECT”, Kluwer Arbitration Blog (2014)
Lectures
- Investor-State Arbitration: Trends, Challenges and Opportunities, Global Legal Group, London (2021)
- The interaction between International Investment Law and the EU Renewable Energy Industry, Jean Monnet Chair Workshop, Queen Mary University of London, Centre for Commercial Law Studies (2018)
- International investment law and territoriality, Harvard Arbitration Discussion Series, Harvard Law School (2016)
- Suing states under pre-succession or secession investment treaties, ESIL Research Forum, European University Institute, Florence (2015)
- Territoriality in international investment law, Workshop for Junior Scholars, Université de Louvain, Belgium (2014)
- From the UNCITRAL Rules to the Mauritius Convention: Review, treaty interpretation and comparison, 2014 UNCITRAL-UM Asia-Pacific Fall Conference, Macau (2014)
- African regional investment treaties as a means to promote human rights?, 2014 AHRI Human Rights Conference, Copenhagen, Denmark (2014)
- Perspectives on jurisdictional overlaps in the enforcement of awards and decisions against sovereigns, ILA Regional Conference in Lisbon, Portugal (2014)
- New paradigms and remnants of the past: Assessing co-existence over unity, ESIL 10th Conference, Vienna, Austria (2014)
- Regionalism in international investment law and the combating forces of parallelity and codification, SIEL, Bern, Switzerland (2014)
- State-owned enterprises as investors in the nuclear energy industry: ICSID and non ICSID Considerations, SIEL, São Paulo, Brazil (2014)
- Overlapping investor-State arbitration clauses for energy and environmental disputes in the Energy Charter Treaty Area, ITA-IEL Joint Winter Forum, Houston (2014)
- Investment treaties as a pattern of dominance: Another pitfall for the African States?, Young Scholars Workshop on International Law, Trento, Italy (2013)
- China’s FTAs and corresponding BITs: Parallel, overlapping or dissimilar investor protection regimes?, Student Workshop on Research in International Law, New Delhi (2013)
- Stripping the Jurisdiction from Established Investment Arbitral Tribunals, ILA Regional Conference, Cape Sounion, Greece (2013)
- The investor-State arbitration clause of Greek BITs, Symposium on Arbitral Resolution of Investment Disputes, Ministry of Development, Athens, Greece (2013)
Teaching
- Workshop on International Investment Law, Harvard Law School (2015-2016)
- Guest Lecturer, EU and International Investment Law, Tufts University, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy (2015-2016)
- Workshop on International Investment Law, FDI Moot teams, The University of Hong Kong (2014-2015)
- Guest Lecturer, Public International Law, International Arbitration and International Investment Law, the University of Hong Kong (2013-2015)