Vasilis F.L. Pappas

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Vasilis F.L. Pappas

Vasilis F.L. Pappas, FCIArb
Partner

Law office of Bennett Jones, LLP, Vancouver, BC (British Columbia), CA (Canada)

ADR Certified Designation : FCIArb

Additional Language(s) : French, Greek

VanIAC Panel(s) : Domestic Arbitration, International Arbitration

Practice Areas : Commercial Lease, Construction, Consumer, Corporate Commercial, Defamation, Energy, Financial Services, Government, Healthcare, Insurance and Reinsurance, Intellectual Property and Licensing, Partnership and Shareholder, Technology, Transportation

Professional Experience

Vasilis Pappas is Head of Bennett Jones’ International Arbitration Practice Group and is a member of the firm’s Construction Group. He is a recognized leader in the fields of domestic and international commercial arbitration, investor-state arbitration, and construction litigation and arbitration. He has been recognized by clients and market commentators as “a prominent figure in the arbitration world” who “gives expert advice”, “wins considerable support for his articulacy, responsiveness and quality of service”, and “is well regarded for his experienced work on international disputes related to the energy and mining sectors” (Chambers Global: The World’s Leading Lawyers for Business).

Vasilis has represented companies all over the world in complex commercial disputes worth many billions of dollars in a diverse range of sectors, including energy, mining, banking, insurance, telecommunications, and pharmaceuticals. He has particular expertise in construction disputes, acting for owners, contractors, subcontractors, and engineers in a wide range of disputes arising from large construction projects.

Vasilis has acted as arbitration counsel under the world’s leading international arbitration rule systems including ICC, LCIA, UNCITRAL, ICDR, and AAA, and as litigation counsel before the courts of the United States and Canada. Vasilis also represents sovereign states and multinational companies in investor-state disputes under NAFTA Chapter Eleven, the ICSID Convention, and other bilateral and multilateral investment treaties.

Prior to joining Bennett Jones, Vasilis practiced for eight years in New York City with a leading international law firm. He also practiced with the Government of Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (now Global Affairs Canada), representing Canada in investor-state arbitrations and investment treaty negotiations.

Vasilis now works out of Bennett Jones’ Vancouver and Calgary offices. He is an adjunct professor at the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Law in the field of international commercial arbitration and investor-state arbitration, is on the Canadian roster of arbitrators of the ICC International Court of Arbitration, and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. He also publishes and speaks regularly on topics pertaining to international commercial arbitration and investor-state arbitration.

Dispute Resolution Experience and Training

Vasilis has practiced commercial and investor-state arbitration exclusively for nearly 20 years. He has acted as arbitration counsel in dozens of international and domestic arbitration proceedings seated in jurisdictions all over the world, including in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America. He is also an Adjunct Professor and teaches Commercial Arbitration at the University of Calgary Faculty of Law and frequently appears as guest lecturer at other universities in the field of arbitration.

Professional and Other Activities

Chambers Global – Dispute Resolution: Arbitration – Band 2

Chambers Canada – Dispute Resolution: Arbitration – Canada – Band 3

Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory – Repeatedly Recommended: Commercial Arbitration

The Legal 500 Canada – Recommended, International Expertise

Lexpert/Report on Business Special Edition – Canada’s Leading Litigation Lawyers

Member, ICC Canada

Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators

Academic Qualifications

University of British Columbia, BA, 1999

McGill University, LLB, 2002

McGill University, BCL, 2002

FCIArb. – Charter Institute of Arbitrators