Peter Ashford is an independent arbitrator handling international cases. Until 2022 he was a partner with Fox Williams LLP in London, UK and was co-head of international arbitration. He remains a consultant to Fox Williams and co-head of international arbitration.

In nearly 40 years of experience as counsel and arbitrator, Peter has gained broad experience in complex, challenging and high stakes business disputes primarily around a variety of contracts including sales of goods and supply of services, M&A, transport and logistics, renewable energy, joint ventures, agency, distribution, construction, employment and insurance across a wide spectrum of industries.

As arbitrator he prides himself on his understanding of complex loss calculations (drawing on his degree in economics), the speed of his decision making and accuracy of costs estimates.

As arbitrator, Peter promotes an early assessment with the parties (and their counsel) of the issues, the process, costs options, the required directions and evidence on each issue. He draws on his own experience as counsel to understand the implications of each option.

Peter also draws on his considerable experience in acting and advising on complex domestic and international commercial arbitration with particular emphasis on arbitrations administered by the main institutional bodies across a broad range of sectors.

Peter prides himself on the speed of disseminating his decisions. He aims for all awards and substantive POs to be completed within 7 working days (in the case of awards to be delivered to the institution within that period and in the case of co-arbitrator or presiding arbitrator, to colleagues).

Peter is the author of his first book on the IBA Rules on the Taking of Evidence in International Arbitration and has also written a companion volume on the IBA Guidelines on Party Representation in International Arbitration – both published by Cambridge University Press (2013 and 2016 respectively)

Peter is also the author of the Handbook on International Commercial Arbitration published by Juris Publications of New York in 2009 with a second edition in 2014.

Peter regularly publishes articles in Arbitration – the journal of the CIArb.

Soc. Sci (Law & Economics) 1983
Admitted as a Solicitor England & Wales 1986
Chartered Institute of Arbitrators 2010