CURRICULUM VITAE Robert David Allan KNUTSON

July 2003 - Robert Knutson is a Chartered Arbitrator and specialist in comparative law and legal systems. His practice includes continual activity as an arbitrator and Counsel in international disputes.

Current clients as Counsel include British Petroleum Middle East and Stahlbau Plauen (MG Technologies group) (Germany).

He is currently arbitrator in a multi-million dollar LCIA merger dispute (Canadian and English parties) and dispute over an Indian Share Purchase Agreement. He recently completed an arbitration dispute between Spanish and American shareholders in an Asian IP venture, and was appointed as party appointed arbitrator in an all Russian pipeline construction dispute in ICC arbitration. His cases as arbitrator in the past two years have had a combined value of over US $150 million.

EDUCATION

Master of Philosophy Degree, International Arbitration, University of London 1997;
Master of Science Degree in Construction Law & Arbitration; University of London, 1991;
Master of Law Degree, Public and Private International Law, London School of Economics; University of London, 1984. Extensive and detailed study of conflicts of law issues relating to arbitration, the major oil expropriation arbitrations and International Trade Law;
Research Assistant to one of the specialist editors of Dicey & Morris on the Conflict of Laws, 1984-1986;
From 1979 – 1982 studied Law at the University of British Columbia - LL.B. in 1982;
University of British Columbia – from 1975 to 1978 studied for a degree in International Relations (Political Science and Economics).

BAR ADMISSION

Law Society of British Columbia, 1983 (no longer practicing);
Law Society of England and Wales, 1988.

AREAS OF SPECIALISATION

International Disputes, International Sale of Goods and International Construction Projects

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

• Counsel in dozens of international arbitrations and state court disputes, including having the lead conduct of individual disputes valued in hundreds of millions of dollars. Chairman or sole arbitrator in several arbitrations. Nominated as arbitrator in many ICC LCIA, CPR Institute, CIA and other arbitral disputes;

• Listed as an expert in International Commercial Arbitration in Chambers Legal Directory, The Legal 500 and Legal Experts - Legal Business 2000 – London International Commercial Arbitration;

• Experience in fraud, international and multi-jurisdictional enforcement of judgments and arbitral awards, construction project procurement and contract drafting, sale of goods contracts, Mergers and Acquisitions, banking and regulatory disputes, intellectual property, maritime and telecommunications disputes;

• Canadian member, ICC International Court of Arbitration and ICC Commission on International Arbitration, including the ADR Forum and Working Groups on the 1998 ICC Rules and the status of arbitrators;

• Speaker at many conferences and seminars around the World for the ICC, IBA, Swiss Arbitration Association, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, American and English private conference organisations;

• Active participant in the International Bar Association Committees on International Construction Projects (Chairman Publications Committee) and International Sale of Goods; long time editor of their newsletters.

• Partner in Masons from 1996 to 2002, prior to that worked for 3 years in the London office of Whitman and Ransom (a New York law firm), for 4 years in Allen and Overy (one of the “big six” London firms) and 1 year in Fraser Hyndman from Vancouver, British Columbia.

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

• Law Society of England and Wales;
• International Bar Association;
• Chartered Arbitrator, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators;
• Member, American Bar Association and American Arbitration Association;
• Member, Canadian Bar Association;
• Member, Anglo-Russian Law Association;
• Member, Dispute Review Board Foundation, Seattle;
• Swiss Arbitration Association;
• Society of Construction Law;
• International Lawyers Association (UIA);
• British Institute of International & Comparative Law and International Law Association;
• Supporting Member, London Maritime Arbitrators Association.
• Elected Fellow, Society of Advanced Legal Studies
• Elected Freeman of the City of London, Worshipful Company of Arbitrators

PANELS OF ARBITRATORS

• CCIB Arbitration Committee (ICC Canada);
• ICDR (AAA) Panel of International Arbitrators;
• CIA (England) Chartered Arbitrator;
• London Court of International Arbitration Panel;
• European Court of Arbitration Construction Arbitrators Panel (Milan);
• CPR Institute Panel of Distinguished European Neutrals (USA);
• FICA Panel of Arbitrators (Foreign Nationals) of the Indian Council of Arbitration;
• Member, Kyrgyzstan Third Party Arbitration Panel of Arbitrators;
• Stockholm Chamber of Commerce.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

• Dispute Provisions – Recent Developments at FIDIC and the World Bank 13, ICLR 1996 Part II, pp. 174-179;
• The Interpretation of Arbitral Awards : when is a final award not final? J. International Arbitration, 1994, 11(2) 99-109;
• Legal Aspects of Joint Ventures in the Middle East, MECLR 1996 2(5) 155-158;
• Japanese Participation in Joint Ventures in International Construction Contracts, IBL 1996 24(1) 28-37;
• Developments in English Law relating to costs in Arbitration, in Arbitration and Dispute Resolution Law Journal, 1998; 152.

REPORTED ENGLISH CASE INVOLVEMENT INCLUDES

• Channel Tunnel Group v Balfour Beatty and others (House of Lords);
• The Ikarian Reefer;
• Mohammad Al Fayed v Lonrho;
• Shearson Lehman v Maclaine Watson;
• BCCI

LEGAL WORK HISTORY

1982-1983 Trainee Fraser Hyndman, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
1984-1988 Litigation Associate, Allen and Overy, London, England
1988-1991 Associate Whitman and Ransom, New York (London office)
1991-1996 Senior Associate, Masons Solicitors London, England
1996-2002 Partner, Masons, London, England - Arbitration Group
2002-present Independent Arbitrator, Consultant Corbett & Co, England

LANGUAGES