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About

Zannis Mavrogordato is an internationally recognised Barrister, French Avocat, and Arbitrator with extensive experience in international arbitration.

A Cambridge Law graduate and former Choral Scholar at St John’s College, he built a distinguished practice at Twenty Essex before establishing

his own independent chambers.

He acts as Counsel and Arbitrator in complex,

high-value disputes across various sectors,

with particular expertise in matters connected

to Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Mr Mavrogordato has represented states, multinational corporations, and private entities worldwide. His international career spans France, Romania, Japan, and London, United Kingdom,

where he continues to be based.

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Introduction

Chairman in ICC Case No. 22452/GR, seat Bucharest, Romanian governing law, French language, joint venture agreement, Romanian and Austrian parties (appointed by the ICC)

President in LCIA Case No. 225492, seat London, English law, English language, credit agreement, Liberian and Romanian parties (appointed by the LCIA)

Co-Arbitrator in LCIA Case No. 163485, seat London, English law, English language, sale of goods by sea, Ukrainian and Chinese parties (appointed by the LCIA)

Co-Arbitrator in ICC Case No. 23584/GR, seat Milan, Hong Kong governing law, English language, SPA dispute, German, Italian and Hong Kong parties (party-appointed)

Co-Arbitrator in DIAC Case No. 220241, seat Abu Dhabi, UAE governing law, English language, sale of defence equipment, Korean and UAE parties (party-appointed)

Co-Arbitrator in LCIA Case No. 235941, seat London, English law, English language, oil supply agreement, Ukrainian and Swiss/Azeri parties (party-appointed)

Co-Arbitrator in ICAC (Brussels) Case No. 21/2024, seat Brussels, Ukrainian law, English language, construction sector (FIDIC), Spanish and Ukrainian parties (party-appointed)

Co-Arbitrator in LCIA Case No. 184121, seat London, English law, English language, freight services agreement, Bahraini and UAE parties (party-appointed)

Emergency Arbitrator in ICC Case No. 25855/GR, seat Geneva, Iraqi governing law, English language, construction sector, Italian and Iraqi parties (appointed by the ICC)

Sole Arbitrator in LCIA Case No. 194341, seat London, English law, English language, joint venture dispute in the Russian real estate sector, Israeli parties (appointed by the LCIA)

Co-Arbitrator in VIAC Case No. ARB-5697, seat Vienna, Romanian governing law, English language, Board Member mandate contract dispute, Romanian parties (party-appointed)

Co-Arbitrator in LCIA Case No. 204662, seat London, Ukrainian law, English language, banking sector, Ukrainian and Cypriot parties (appointed by the LCIA)

Sole Arbitrator in ICC Case No. 18870/MCP, seat Paris, Romanian governing law, French language), construction sector, Romanian and French parties (appointed by the ICC)

Sole Arbitrator in an ad hoc arbitration, seat London, English law, English language, shipping sector, UAE and Iranian parties (appointed by the parties)

Sole Arbitrator in ICC Case No. 20239/MHM, seat Bucharest, English law, English language, investment agreement dispute between Moldovan parties (appointed by the ICC)

Sole Arbitrator in LCIA Case No. 246305, seat London, CISG and French law, English language, sale of military equipment, Ukrainian and French parties (appointed by the LCIA)

Investment Arbitration

Counsel to the Governments of Balochistan and Pakistan in parallel ICC and ICSID arbitration proceedings against Australian investors, mining sector.

Counsel to the Government of Romania in an ICSID arbitration concerning a BIT claim brought by a Greek investor, food retail sector.

Counsel to the Government of Turkey in an ICSID arbitration concerning a BIT claim brought by an Italian energy company, energy sector.

Counsel to Turkish investors in an ICSID arbitration under a BIT against Turkmenistan, construction sector.

Counsel to Swedish investors in an ICSID arbitration under a BIT against Bulgaria arising out of the termination of a waste management concession.

Counsel to a Dutch investor in an ICSID arbitration under a BIT against Panama, financial services sector.

Counsel to UK investors in an ICSID arbitration under a BIT against Hungary, agricultural sector.

Counsel to a US company in an ICSID arbitration and related ECHR claim against Moldova, telecommunications sector.

Counsel to a US NGO in an ICSID arbitration concerning a BIT claim against Vietnam arising from the threatened expropriation of an animal sanctuary.

Counsel to a Russian high-net-worth individual in ad hoc arbitration proceedings against a Georgian state entity under the Georgian Foreign Investment Law.

Counsel to a Central Asian company in Energy Charter Treaty proceedings against a neighbouring Central Asian state arising out of a gas supply agreement.

Counsel to a Sultan in ad hoc and ASEAN arbitration proceedings against a South East Asian state seeking the alteration of a colonial-era land lease.

Counsel to investors in SCC arbitration and BIT/ECT proceedings against Ukraine arising out of a gas product sharing agreement.

Counsel to a Swiss company (Bulgarian/Georgian owned) against a Swiss multinational in Swiss arbitration (seat: Zurich, Swiss governing law), mining sector.

Counsel to a Swiss company (Bulgarian/Georgian owned) against a Swiss multinational in ICC arbitration (seat: Zurich, Swiss governing law), mining sector.

Counsel to a US company against a Caribbean government in ICC arbitration (seat: Toronto, Trinidad governing law), oil and gas sector.

Counsel to a US company against a Caribbean government in LCIA arbitration (seat: Bermuda, Trinidad governing law), oil and gas sector.

Counsel to an Israeli chemicals company against a US gas company in LCIA arbitration (seat: London, Israeli governing law), oil and gas sector.

Counsel to an Irish/Hungarian bioethanol producer against a Japanese conglomerate in LCIA arbitration (seat: London, English governing law), oil and gas sector.

Counsel to a Jordanian high-net-worth individual against a third-party funder in LCIA arbitration (seat: London, English governing law) arising from a third-party funding agreement.

Counsel to a third-party funder against Ukrainian individuals in LCIA arbitration (seat: London, English governing law) arising from a third-party funding agreement.

Counsel to an English company against Romanian companies in ICC arbitration (seat: Vienna, English governing law), construction sector.

Counsel to an Austrian construction company in a DAB application and ICC arbitration against a Romanian State Railway company (FIDIC Red Book).

Counsel to a German construction company in ICC arbitration (FIDIC Red Book) arising out of the construction of a shopping mall in Bratislava, Slovakia.

Counsel to a Swiss construction company in five sets of CACI arbitration proceedings (seat: Bucharest, Romanian law) against a Romanian state infrastructure company arising from a motorway bridge construction project (FIDIC Red Book).

Counsel to a Swiss construction company in a DAB application and CACI arbitration (seat: Bucharest, Romanian law) against a South African developer relating to a shopping mall construction project in Romania (FIDIC Yellow Book).

Counsel to a major French bank in a US$300 million ICC arbitration (seat: London, Swiss governing law) against a Russian billionaire arising out of the purchase of a 50% interest in a Russian bank. The case involved obtaining Freezing Orders and Anti-Suit Injunctions in London, Bermuda, and the British Virgin Islands, and defending parallel proceedings commenced in Russia.

Counsel to a major French insurance company in a US$100 million ICC arbitration (seat: Geneva, English governing law) against a Russian billionaire arising out of a joint venture in the Russian insurance sector.

Counsel to a Russian billionaire in a US$100 million LCIA arbitration (seat: London, English governing law) against another Russian billionaire arising from a non-performed share purchase agreement.

Counsel to a consortium of French, English, and US insurers in a US$300 million ICC arbitration (seat: Paris, UAE governing law) against a US aerospace manufacturer concerning the construction of a satellite.

Counsel to a Japanese car manufacturer in a US$75 million JCAA arbitration (seat: Tokyo, Japanese governing law) arising from an exclusive distributorship agreement.

Counsel to a Finnish energy company in a US$30 million ICC arbitration (seat: Paris, Romanian governing law) against two Romanian state-owned energy companies concerning the construction of a power plant in Romania.

Counsel to a Turkish construction company in a €100 million ICC arbitration (seat: Geneva, Ukrainian governing law) under the FIDIC Red Book against a Ukrainian state-owned railway company regarding the construction of a bridge over the River Dnieper.

Commercial Arbitration

SIAC Panel (Singapore) SCCA Roster (Saudi Arabia)

HKIAC Panel (Hong Kong) AIAC Panel (Malaysia)

KCAB Panel (Korea) CACI List (Romania)

ICDR Panel (United States of America) GIAC List (Georgia)

DIAC Panel (United Arab Emirates) SAKIG List (Poland)

Mr Mavrogordato’s work as an Arbitrator has been described as:

“Combin[ing] sharp analytic skills… with strong intuition.”

“His award drafting was first class.”

“An absolutely first-class arbitrator.”

“I thought the quality of Mr Mavrogordato’s decision-making on matters of fact and law was excellent.”

“Highly efficient.”

“Scrupulously fair.”

“Exemplary speed and efficiency in his handling of all aspects of the arbitration.”

Champion for Animals Through International Law

Zannis also dedicates significant time pro bono to invoking international law and creating international litigation strategies to help animals.

Representing a U.S. NGO whose animal sanctuary was under threat of expropriation by a government official in a Southeast Asian state. Zannis identified a bilateral trade agreement providing international

law protections and an international arbitration mechanism for U.S. investors (defined to include NGOs)

and drafted a formal claim, which was submitted in draft to a Deputy Prime Minister. Following this intervention, the government reversed its decision to expropriate the sanctuary.

Representing the Born Free Foundation in a complaint under the Bern Convention challenging the U.K. government’s badger cull policy. He drafted detailed written submissions and a formal legal opinion that helped build pressure on the government to impose an immediate moratorium. In July 2025, the Bureau of the Bern Convention issued a decision confirming the unavailability of an Article 9 derogation in respect of the policy, “as there are clear satisfactory alternatives available,” and calling on the government “to move with greater urgency and progress on the ending of the badger culling policy”. It follows from the unavailability of an Article 9 derogation that the badger cull policy necessarily constituted a breach of Article 8, which prohibits “the use of all means capable of causing local disappearance of, or serious disturbance to, populations of a [protected] species”.

Advising an international coalition of NGOs on developing and implementing a litigation strategy

against a North African government, invoking General Comment No. 26 to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (“Children must be protected from all forms of physical and psychological violence and from exposure to violence, such as… violence inflicted on animals”) to challenge the brutal culling of stray dogs.

Advising an NGO in the Philippines on a litigation strategy against the Philippine government, invoking

the constitutional “right to a healthy environment” in relation to the proposed construction of twelve industrial-scale broiler farms.

Assisting an international coalition of NGOs (S3F) in challenging proposals by the IFC and other multilateral development banks (MDBs) to invest in factory farms around the world. His work included drafting high-level correspondence, participating in consultations with MDB representatives, and advising on the strategic use of international and domestic legal tools, including injunctions

(for example, in Mongolia).

Acting as an Expert to the Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and

Natural Habitats, advising on and helping to implement reforms to its complaint system promoting

the successful resolution of complaints by NGOs through structured negotiations.

Acting as an Advisory Board Member of Bank Climate Advocates, contributing to the design and execution of international litigation strategies to hold multilateral development banks (MDBs) accountable for the non-alignment of their policies and investment practices with their, and their member states’, climate change due diligence and harm prevention obligations under international law.

Advising an NGO in the Philippines on drafting and amending legislation concerning animal welfare,

animal sentience, and rights of nature.

Beyond his legal advocacy, he also serves as a Board Member of the Middle Marches Community Land Trust in rural England, contributing to grassroots efforts to identify and acquire land for nature recovery and to use conservation covenants to secure long-term protection for wildlife habitats in the

area where he grew up.

Recent examples of his pro bono work include:

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Champion for Animals Through International Law

Recent examples of his pro bono work include:

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