Nigel BLACKABY

Nigel is a partner and Co-Head of the firm’s Latin America practice. He has acted as counsel and arbitrator in over 100 ad hoc and institutional arbitrations conducted in English and Spanish (including over 90 investment arbitrations). He has particular expertise in Latin America and energy and mining disputes.
Nigel is widely recognized as a leading authority in international arbitration. He is ranked Band 1 for international arbitration by Chambers & Partners (Global, Latin America and USA) and for public international law (Global), has been selected for The Legal 500 Hall of Fame (Latin America and USA), recognized as a Global Elite Thought Leader in Arbitration by Lexology Index, recognized by Lawdragon as one of the 500 Leading Lawyers in America (2025), recognized as both a “Litigation Star” (2025 & 2026) and a “National Practice Area Star” (2026) in the Benchmark Litigation US Guide, and was selected for Lawdragon’s Hall of Fame for International Arbitration and Energy (2026). In 2020, he was appointed King’s Counsel for excellence in advocacy (only one of a handful of English solicitor advocates to receive that distinction).
Nigel is co-author of Redfern and Hunter on International Arbitration (fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh editions, Oxford University Press), Guide to ICSID Arbitration (first and second editions, Kluwer) and International Arbitration in Latin America (Kluwer).
Nigel is a member of the Court of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre, a board member of the Centro de Arbitraje de Mexico and of the international commission of the Centro Internacional de Arbitraje de Madrid.
Nigel speaks English, French, Spanish and Portuguese and has law degrees from the University of Exeter (UK) and the Université d’Aix-Marseille III (France).