Dispute Resolution Support
We are your strategic partner in any dispute, anywhere in the world.
Our senior team has extensive experience dealing with some of the most complex and high-profile disputes in history.
We have spent decades helping some of the world’s most successful leaders, companies and individuals resolve large, multi-jurisdictional disputes while managing and protecting their reputations.
We work with governments, multinational corporations, global brands, NGOs, charities and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, providing strategic counsel around the clock.
We do this by:
Gathering Intelligence
Leveraging open source and human intelligence to understand the opposition, trace their assets and inform the strategy
Building Pressure
Targeting weaknesses to help strengthen the case and bring the other side to the negotiating table
Protecting Reputation
Countering disinformation and managing the media to insulate against reputational risks and outside pressures
We believe that winning a dispute requires a dedicated strategy outside the courtroom to bring the other side to the negotiating table and protect your reputation.
Case Studies
Former Yukos Shareholders vs. Russian Federation
GML, the majority shareholder in Yukos, faced asset dismantling by the Kremlin during Vladimir Putin’s early presidency. In 2005, former Yukos shareholders initiated arbitral proceedings, accusing Russia of unlawfully expropriating their investment. APCO’s strategy involved building a coalition and linking the case to Russia’s repression, aiming to avoid interference while countering Russian attempts to protect its global assets. The 2014 arbitral ruling and GML’s victory at The Hague’s Court of Appeal set the stage for a decisive win in 2020, allowing former shareholders to enforce the ruling worldwide. The Yukos case is now a pivotal moment in Putin’s authoritarian shift, recognized globally for unlawful expropriation with broad international support.
Mobilizing the international community to help a waste management company under attack in Africa
APCO was enlisted by a prominent African waste management company facing a coordinated assault from a commercial rival using political allies to seize market share and halt operations in the energy sector. Leveraging a network of on-the-ground experts and understanding the various actors involved, APCO developed a strategy highlighting the illegality of the attack. This approach positioned the case as an example of the erosion of the rule of law. Implementing stakeholder engagement, third-party advocacy, and selective media engagement across continents, APCO secured support from U.S. and European ambassadors. Journalist inquiries and diplomatic interventions prompted the government to halt its attack, initiating meaningful negotiations that secured the client’s license to operate.
Securing a favorable settlement for a utility company
APCO successfully aided a European utility company in complex arbitration cases against a major international engineering firm over delays in constructing a power plant. Engaging in 2016, APCO strategically leveraged the influence of the European Commission and Parliament. By organizing briefings, protecting the utility company’s reputation, and defending its interests in EU reviews, APCO applied intense political and reputational pressure on the engineering company. The combined impact compelled the engineering company to return to negotiations, resulting in a €450 million settlement in 2018 and ensuring the completion of the nuclear power plant unit.
APCO frequently advises political leaders, CEOs and high profile individuals, helping them successfully navigate reputational challenges, investment opportunities, crises and complex geopolitical issues. For information about APCO’s Global Solutions practice, click here.
