Cyrus Benson is a New York and English qualified specialist in International Arbitration whose principal focus is sitting as arbitrator. Prior to joining Chambers in June of this year, Cy served as the founding member, Chair and more recently Co-Chair of Gibson Dunn’s International Arbitration Practice Group, a practice that under his stewardship has been consistently ranked in Global Arbitration Review’s top 20 practices worldwide.
During his 34-plus years of practice, Cy has been involved in more than 100 international arbitration disputes and has served as arbitrator in over 20 of those. His international arbitration experience encompasses a wide variety of industry sectors and geographic regions, commercial disputes under both common and civil law and investment treaty disputes governed by public international law. He has particular experience in oil & gas, construction, telecoms, energy, mining, financial services, hospitality and infrastructure.
Cyrus has long been ranked as a leading lawyer for International Arbitration, most recently being placed in The Legal 500 UK 2024’s Hall of Fame (inclusive of Public International Law). He has been described as “superb [with] an excellent grasp of strategy“, “a formidable advocate”, “a class act” and “an exceptional lawyer and a first-rate advocate among the best-regarded practitioners in the market.” Other rankings include the 2007-2024 Chambers UK guides, 2014-2022 Chambers Global guides, 2021-2022 Chambers Europe guide and the 2009-2025 editions of Best Lawyers International in the UK.
Cy was a member of the IBA Arbitration Committee Task Force that drafted the IBA Guidelines on Party Representation and served as one of the UK members to the ICC Rules Revision Task Force. He has written and lectured on a wide variety of arbitration issues. He also championed a USAID-backed joint legal reform initiative (with the Mongolian Ministry of Justice) to design and teach a course on international arbitration law and practice (covering both commercial and investment treaty arbitration) to Mongolian lawyers and judges.
Representative Matters
Investor-State
- Related multi-billion-dollar UNCITRAL proceedings under the Energy Charter Treaty arising from the expropriation of Yukos Oil Company by the Russian Federation.
- Parallel USD 1.7 billion ICSID and ICC proceedings arising from the divestment of an interest in a Kurdish telecommunications company directed by the Republic of Iraq.
- USD 1.5 billion ICSID arbitration arising from the expropriation of a refinery and related businesses by the Kingdom of Morocco.
- USD 100 million LCIA arbitration alleging breaches of a concession agreement for a port and terminal project in Djibouti.
- USD 300 million ICSID arbitration arising from the termination of a geothermal concession by an East African State.
- LCIA arbitration in respect of termination by an Asian State of a joint operating agreement for an off-shore gas field.
- ICC arbitration arising from expropriation by a Central Asian state of an airport ground handling services company.
- USD 1 billion ICC arbitration concerning the termination of an agreement to implement a digital terrestrial television network in an Eastern European state.
Commercial/Other
- USD 2 billion LCIA arbitration arising from pricing and related disputes under a long-term contract for the purchase and sale of iron ore produced at a Brazilian mine.
- Multi-billion-dollar ICC proceedings arising from the planning, design and construction of an airport project in the Middle East.
- ICC arbitration arising from an EPC contract for a low-density ammonium nitrate project in the Middle East.
- USD 100 million LCIA arbitration under Deeds of Suretyship made in respect of various financing instruments for a financing/retail business in Eastern Europe.
- USD 1 billion ICC construction arbitration arising from the expansion and upgrading of an oil refinery and crude oil pipelines owned by a Latin American government.
- Parallel UNCITRAL arbitrations involving disputes related to decommissioning under Technical Services, Development and Production Sharing Agreements for off-shore gas fields in the Middle East.
- CZK 2.4 billion LCIA arbitration arising under an SPA for a precious metals business in Eastern Europe.
- UNCITRAL arbitration under a Build, Lease and Transfer agreement for a rail system in Manila.
- LCIA arbitration arising from disputes under a hotel management agreement for a property in Saudi Arabia.
- USD 100 million ICC construction arbitration arising under an EPC contract for a polysilicon production plant in Saudi Arabia.
- Euro 200 million ICC arbitration arising from a long-term contract for supply of natural gas to a European power generation company.
- USD150 million ICC arbitration for a price review under a long-term contract for supply of LNG to a European utility.
- USD 1.5 billion ICC arbitration alleging material adverse effects under an SPA for a Lithuanian refinery and pipeline transit business.
- ICC proceedings arising from a multi-billion-euro M&A transaction relating to a West African telecommunications provider.
- Parallel USD 500 million LCIA arbitrations involving disputed ownership of a Moscow hotel development project.
- LCIA arbitration in respect of trade financing extended for coal mining purchases/sales from a Russian mine.
- SIAC proceedings arising from a project to develop hotel properties in India.
- ICC arbitration arising under contracts for power generation services in Tanzania.
- DIAC proceedings arising from a property development project in the UAE.
- LMAA arbitration proceedings arising from a luxury yacht construction agreement.
- ICC arbitration arising from the termination of long-term contracts for a Brazilian mining conglomerate to purchase and ship iron ore.
- ICC and LMAA arbitration proceedings arising from volatility in the world steel market affecting a Brazilian conglomerate.
- ICC construction arbitration arising from a gas plant project in Saudi Arabia.
- DIFC-LCIA arbitration arising from telecommunications projects in Central Asia.
- USD 150 million ICC arbitration arising out of a contract for the expansion and modernization of the telecommunications system in Saudi Arabia.
- AAA/ICDR arbitration concerning the disputed sale of a holding company with interests in various Russian wireless ventures.
- ICC arbitration arising out of the termination of services and technology agreements for the establishment of a structured derivatives business by a European financial institution.
- USD 100 million arbitration arising from a refinery upgrade project in Saudi Arabia.
- USD 100 million AAA/ICDR arbitration arising out of the construction of an offshore natural gas pipeline in the United States.
- USD 75 million ICC arbitration involving on- and off-shore pipeline construction on the Sakhalin Island project.
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