Wilson Sonsini’s domestic and international arbitration practice has earned a reputation for excellence through its successful representation of groundbreaking technology, energy, and pharmaceutical industry leaders. The firm’s arbitration practice has grown substantially over the past several decades, particularly as Wilson Sonsini’s clients matured and increasingly became ensnared in legal disputes. Backed by the resources of a highly regarded, international law firm, Wilson Sonsini’s arbitration attorneys represent companies and individuals in high-profile cases that have potentially profound ramifications for each client.
As arbitrations have become increasingly common means of resolving business disputes, the firm has amassed experience representing clients before key arbitral bodies both within the U.S. and abroad. For example, in addition to providing representation in a diverse range of proceedings held in the U.S., including in ad hoc arbitrations and matters administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA), JAMS, and the International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution (CPR), Wilson Sonsini has experience representing clients in international arbitration administered by:
- The American Arbitration Association’s International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR)
- The International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce
- Hong Kong International Arbitration Center (HKIAC)
- The Grand Court of the Cayman Islands
- London Arbitration Center
- Singapore International Arbitration Centre
- World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Arbitration and Mediation Center
Wilson Sonsini’s arbitration experience dates back to the firm’s early representation of clients in voluntary and required arbitrations, mediations, and other agreed-upon alternatives to traditional litigation proceedings. To date, Wilson Sonsini has handled hundreds of arbitration matters and has helped clients secure awards and settlements leading to the recovery of over a billion dollars. Likewise, Wilson Sonsini has succeeded in defending clients against claims worth at least this amount.
The scope of our relevant experience includes disputes commonly associated with arbitration, particularly intellectual property and technology-focused disputes; claims related to commercial and technology transactions, including M&A and joint ventures; and employment matters.
By way of example, Wilson Sonsini’s arbitration experience includes:
- Helping a publicly traded Indian company specializing in protocol stack software solutions recover nearly $100 million in a dispute over royalties for sales of baseband processor chipsets by a licensee
- Successfully defending a U.S.-based Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company against claims for breach of contract brought by a former supply chain partner before the ICDR
- Persuading an international arbitration tribunal to reject claims brought by a major Korean telecommunications company that it held a continuing license to technology owned by a telecommunications client
- Assisting a U.S.-based technology developer to recover hundreds of millions of dollars in royalties from major handset manufacturers in disputes over 2G, 3G, and 4G wireless technologies
- Representing a leading supplier of network security solutions software in a baseball-type arbitration proceeding to resolve claims of patent infringement
- Obtaining an award in favor of a leading software products and services provider faced with a claim of improper termination of a partnership agreement, prevailing on every issue and entitling the client to recover attorneys’ fees
- Achieving a complete dismissal of claims on behalf of a multi-national healthcare company in a dispute over delays in cancer drug development
- Successfully representing members of a consulting company in an arbitrated dispute regarding tens of millions of dollars of unpaid equity-based compensation
- Representing the selling shareholders in a dispute over earn-out payments under an M&A sale agreement claimed to be owed from the acquiring corporation; obtained a successful result following a four-week hearing
- Overcoming claims against a global electronics manufacturing services provider brought by a former executive arising from an alleged breach of an employment agreement and prevailing on client’s cross-claim
- Successfully defended a private equity consortium in the first expedited hearing process brought under the HKIAC; obtained a complete victory for the client, including dismissal of all claims and an award of substantial costs and fees
Our arbitration attorneys are fully coordinated across the firm’s 18 offices in key markets in the U.S., Greater China, and Europe. Depending on each client’s needs, our attorneys can rapidly scale and draw from a wealth of industry knowledge, language fluencies, and other resources.