Theo Hall is a special counsel in the firm’s International Arbitration practice group. Theo advises owners, developers, contractors, traders and investors in high value multi-jurisdictional disputes in the energy and construction sectors. He is particularly experienced in both offshore construction and gas and LNG disputes. His broader experience includes disputes relating to offshore drilling, FPSO operations, oilfield services, offshore wind and onshore constructions projects, as well as insurance issues arising from these activities. Theo’s commercial understanding of risk associated with operations in the energy and construction sectors is bolstered by his previous career at an insurance and reinsurance market.
Theo has acted in around ten arbitrations for buyers of offshore assets against some of the world’s biggest shipyards. The disputes concerned projects for the construction of drillships, semi-submersible drilling units, pipelaying vessels and floating production units. These disputes frequently involved sums in dispute of over US$500 million. He has also advised on shipbuilding disputes involving commercial vessels and superyachts.
Theo focusses strongly on disputes arising from gas, LNG and emerging fuel markets. He advises market participants on issues arising from supply disruption, geopolitical instability, sanctions, force majeure events and price volatility. His recent experience includes acting for a European gas buyer in a dispute arising from the war in Ukraine involving sums in dispute exceeding EUR$7 billion, advising LNG buyers on force majeure issues connected with conflict in the Persian Gulf and advising on a dispute arising out of a greenfield SPA for alternative fuels.
Theo is a solicitor-advocate. He has acted on behalf of clients in arbitrations both ad hoc and under LCIA, ICC, UNCITRAL, LMAA and GAFTA rules. In addition to his experience in English law disputes, Theo has acted as advocate in civil law disputes in numerous jurisdictions, including Austria, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kazakhstan. He has extensive experience working alongside foreign counsel and navigating the procedural and substantive differences between common law and civil law systems.
He is listed as a Recommended Lawyer by The Legal 500 United Kingdom.
