Session Description

Nawi Ukabiala is a senior international disputes lawyer at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP. His practice focuses on international arbitration, transnational litigation, public international law, and ESG advisory. He represents corporations, States, and individuals in complex contract- and treaty-based disputes across industries, including mining, oil and gas, energy, construction, technology, finance, and telecommunications. Mr. Ukabiala has acted in proceedings administered by leading arbitral institutions (e.g. ICSID, ICC) and before leading international courts (e.g. ICJ). His experience includes first-chair cross and direct examinations and oral arguments on complex issues in billion-dollar disputes. He has also served as lead counsel in New York state court trial and appellate proceedings. Mr. Ukabiala advises clients on structuring investments to secure investment treaty protection, managing dispute risk in cross-border transactions, navigating sovereign immunity and enforcement risk, ESG-related litigation risk, and novel public international law issues. In addition, he advises international organizations on international administrative law and treaty drafting. Recognized by Lexology as a Future Leader in Arbitration and by CPR as a Rising Star, Mr. Ukabiala is also praised by Legal 500 for handling “very complex aspects of the cases,” explaining them “in a didactic and simple way,” and being “very intelligent” and able to “comprehensively analyze a case.” His pro bono work has been recognized by the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice and the International Bar Association. A leader in the international law community, Mr. Ukabiala serves on the Executive Council of the American Society of International Law (ASIL), is a Director of the American Branch of the International Law Association (ABILA), is a member of the CPR Arbitration Committee, and is a member of the African Arbitration Association (AfAA). He is the founder and Chair of the ASIL–New York Chapter and of CPR Africa Arbitration Day–New York. Mr. Ukabiala previously clerked for Judge Julia Sebutinde at the ICJ and Justice Edward Mansfield at the Supreme Court of Iowa. He also interned for Judge Richard Goldberg at the U.S. Court of International Trade and worked in the Legal Vice Presidency of the World Bank. Mr. Ukabiala received his LL.M. from NYU, his J.D. from Drake University (summa cum laude, Order of the Coif), and his B.A. from George Washington University.