Company 

Biography 

Hayk Kupelyants, King’s College London 

Dr Hayk Kupelyants teaches at King’s College London and practices as an arbitrator and independent counsel. Hayk is admitted as a solicitor of England & Wales and has previously practiced international dispute resolution in the City of London. He is a Member of the Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and of the Arbitration Council of the Arbitration and Mediation Centre of Armenia (AMCA). Before joining King's College London, he was a University Lecturer at the University of Cambridge. Mr Kupelyants holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge and an LLM from University College London.  

Julian Cohen, Barrister & Arbitrator, Resolution Chambers 

Mr Julian Cohen is a highly regarded International Arbitrator, and Barrister. He has over 34 years’ experience of commercial arbitrations & international arbitrations. He is particularly well known for his specialist experience in construction, engineering and energy disputes.   

He has been involved with disputes involving Europe, Middle East/Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America. 

He was called to the Bar in England in 1990. He is a former partner of Pinsent Masons. He was called to the Hong Kong Bar in 2010 and founded Resolution Chambers in 2021. Mr Cohen regularly teaches arbitration and trains arbitrators across the world.   

James Lewis, Partner  

Mr James Lewis is a seasoned litigation and arbitration lawyer with two decades of experience in guiding a range of clients through intricate legal disputes.  James provides counsel through the life of business relationships, from drafting and contract reviews, and representing in courts and tribunals, negotiations and mediations.  James regularly advises clients on proceedings under ICC, LCIA, and UNCITRAL rules, handling a diverse range of disputes, including post-M&A disputes, breaches of joint ventures and supply contracts, and disputes arising out of ENR infrastructure and technology implementation projects.  James has worked with client from across the world, including clients from states in Eastern Europe and the CIS / West Asia.  Mr Lewis is currently engaged on arbitrations concerning a critical piece of transnational energy infrastructure (ICC) and a claim arising out of financing arrangements for a ship purchase (LMAA), and is waiting for an award to determine the entitlement to dividends following a share buy-out (UNCITRAL).  

Natalia Vygovskaya, Director, DLA Piper 

Ms Natalia Vygovskaya brings over 20 years of comprehensive experience across all areas of corporate law, having held partner and partner equivalent positions. Natalia specialises in cross-border mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and shareholders arrangements. Ms Vygovskaya is a trusted advisor to tech companies, ranging from established market leaders to ambitious, fast-growing businesses in their early stages. Her expertise extends to the energy and infrastructure sectors. She has considerable experience in leading acquisitions and sales relating to businesses operating in the CEE and CIS regions. Ms Vygovskaya has also acted as an arbitrator and as an expert in international commercial arbitration proceedings.  

Harout J. Samra, Of Counsel, DLA Piper 

Mr Harout J. Samra focuses hiss practice on international dispute resolution and arbitration matters. Florida Bar Board Certified International Law specialist with experience in international arbitrations administered under the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR), United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), and International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) arbitration rules. I also publish actively on topics related to international arbitration. Mr Samra is currently the Co-Chair of the American Bar Association Section of Litigation's International Litigation Committee, Co-Chair of the Section of Dispute Resolution’s Arbitration Committee, and North America Regional Representative for the London Court of International Arbitration's Young International Arbitration Group.   

Sergey Alekhin, Partner at ELWI 
Mr Sergey Alekhin is a Partner at E L W I’s dispute resolution practice, and a French-qualified lawyer. His practice focuses on international commercial arbitration and investment arbitration, with a particular focus on the post-Soviet region (acting both for and against Sovereign States). He has acted in proceedings conducted under the rules of the major arbitration center worldwide (ICC, ICSID, LCIA, etc.), as well as in ad hoc proceedings. Mr Alekhin was recognized as a ‘Future Leader’ by the Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration (2023 and 2024) ranking. Sergey was also appointed by the Kyrgyz Republic to the ICSID panel of arbitrators.  

James Caulfield, Director of Business Development, Ankura 

Mr James Caulfield is the Business Development Director at Ankura, an independent global expert services and advisory firm that delivers services and end-to-end solutions to help clients at mission critical points related to change, risk, disputes, finance, performance, distress, and transformation. He works with the Disputes & Economics team, a group of highly experienced expert accountants, valuation experts and economists who advise Ankura clients through High Court litigation, transnational disputes, international commercial arbitration and investor-state arbitration. Mr Caulfield has a strong background in the legal sector, origination, relationship management, strategic communications and business planning.