John Judge

Practice Areas

Anti-Corruption, Competition and Fraud

Banking & Finance

Commercial Dispute Resolution

Conflict Avoidance Boards (CABs) & Corporate Diplomacy

Construction, Engineering & Infrastructure

Cryptocurrency & Fintech

Dispute Boards

Energy, Oil & Gas

Environment, Renewables & Climate Change

Insurance & Reinsurance

Political Risk Insurance

Investment Treaty Disputes

Technology & Telecommunications

Professional Memberships

Fellow of the Chartered Institute (FCIArb),

Member of London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA),

Past Vice-President of its North American Users Council (2007-2013),

ICC Canada, Past Member of the Executive,

Member of the Institute for Trans-National Arbitration, (Dallas Advisory Board Member),

Member of the Canadian Panel of Arbitrators for the International Chamber of Commerce,

Panel Member for the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (international arm of the AAA),

Panel Member of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC),

Panel Member of Kuala Lumpur Regional Arbitration Centre (AIAC),

Panel Member of Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC),

Panel Member of Shanghai Arbitration Commission (SHAC),

Panel Member of Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM),

Panel Member of Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration (SCIA),,

Member of ICCA, International Council for Commercial Arbitration, The Hague

Founding Member of the Arbitration Roundtable of Toronto and the Toronto Commercial,

Arbitration Society, for which he is the immediate Past Chair,

Member of the London International Arbitration Club,

Founding Member of Arbitration Place in Toronto,

Member of The Advocates’ Society (past Director 1987-89,1992),

Canadian Bar Association,

American Bar Association,

International Bar Association,

Previous director and past president (2006-2007) of The Sopinka Cup Society,

Sponsor of the Canadian National Trial Advocacy Moot Competition for Law Schools,

Past Instructor at the annual Osgoode Hall intensive Trial Advocacy Program, Toronto,

Publications

Mr Judge has written many articles and spoken on a wide variety of legal and advisory issues. His most recent and notable examples include:

Speaker at the ITA Mining Arbitration Conference in Toronto, March 2024, on significant Developments in International Mining Arbitrations.

Keynote Speaker, Dispute Symposium by Keating Chambers and Worshipful Company of Arbitrators, presentation on Canadian Dispute Resolution, London, UK, December 2022.

Juris Conference on Virtual Hearings, panel presentation on perspective of arbitrator in a virtual hearing, May 2020

ICC UK Webinar, Presentation on Conduct of Virtual Hearings, April 2020.

London International Arbitration Supper Club, Keynote Speaker at the inaugural New York City dinner, February 2020.

Speaker, Latham & Watkins Energy Conference, Energy Disputes in a Disrupted World, during London International Disputes Week, 9 May 2019;

CDR Spring Arbitration Symposium, London, UK, 26 April 2018, ‘Who Owns the Arbitration,’ speaker providing perspective of the arbitrator;

Author of ‘Arbitral Advocacy’ a chapter in ‘A Practitioner’s Guide to Commercial Arbitration’, ed. M Huberman, Irwin Law, 2017;

Co-Author of Canadian chapter in Getting the Deal Through- Arbitration 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013.

Experience

Recent Appointments As Arbitrator:

Appointed by the Federal Court of Canada (2023 FC 1050, July 2023) as a sole arbitrator in an arbitration under the UNCITRAL Rules between a Federal Canadian agency, Export Development Corporation, and Suncor Energy, major Canadian oil and gas company in respect of a political risk insurance policy and a $375 million dispute relating to oil and gas assets and operations in a Libya during and following a period of civil unrest and war.

Appointed by the LCIA Court as a sole arbitrator in a dispute between a Korean bank as loss payee and a London insurer with respect to a claim under an excess of loss trade credit insurance policy issued in favour of a group of companies in located in the UK and Asia to provide credit insurance for the purchase of receivables owed to that corporate group by its customers located in various jurisdictions, including Singapore, the UAE and the Middle East.

Appointed as a party nominee by a UAE based trading company in an LCIA arbitration brought by a large global Swiss commodity and energy trading company in respect of claims under a contract for the sale and delivery of Russian blend crude oil and light crude oil, with a London seat.

Appointed as party-nominee by a large Canadian subsidiary of a multi-national oil and gas company in an ad hoc arbitration with a large Canadian chemicals company regarding an ethylene price review arbitration for a long-term sales and supply agreement of ethylene feedstock, with a Calgary seat.

Appointed as a sole arbitrator in an arbitration between a BVI company and a Cayman Islands company regarding an investment agreement governed by BVI law involving crypto currency investment funds and the impact of the insolvency of a parent company, with the arbitration seated in Toronto.

Appointed as a party nominated arbitrator by a London based global mining company as majority shareholder in one of the world’s largest gold and copper mines located in Asia in a dispute with a minority shareholder, arising under an earn-in agreement to be determined under Canadian law with a Canadian seat.

Appointed as a party-nominated arbitrator by the Canadian subsidiary of a large French corporate group in an ICC arbitration seated in Toronto against an American engineering company with respect to the engineering and construction of a large facility for processing pulses into protein with substantial claims and counterclaims (sitting with Rt. Hon. B McLachlin).

Appointed as co-arbitrator by the Canadian subsidiary of large French multinational in a substantial ICC arbitration with a large American company relating to the engineering and construction of a large facility in Canada for the processing of pulses into protein products, with claims in excess of USD $400 million.

Appointed by the LCIA Court as chair of an LCIA arbitration in a dispute governed by Irish law between a nationalized Irish banking corporation as claimant and a Luxembourg company and a French company as respondents in a complex insurance dispute for coverage and indemnity in respect of significant investment claims against the Claimant (sitting with Lord Mance).

Appointed as chair of an ICC arbitration seated in London for a dispute between a major Hollywood film studio and a UK corporation for breach of a licensing agreement for the use of intellectual property in the development of a major theme park.

Appointed as a party nominee by the Nigerian subsidiary of a major European oil and gas company in an arbitration in excess of USD 380 million with a Nigerian state owned entity for breach of a joint operating agreement for the development of an offshore oil and gas field, with the arbitration seated in Lagos, Nigeria.

Appointed as a party nominee in an Ontario arbitration between a large public gold mining company and a mining royalty company in a gold royalty dispute involving a newly producing gold mine.

Appointed president in an ICC arbitration seated in Geneva between two of the largest global wind energy companies, a Spanish subsidiary of the large German conglomerate and an American subsidiary of a large American Fortune 500 company, regarding a commercial cross-licensing patent dispute related to patented technology for use in wind power generation turbines (with Judith Gill QC).

Appointed as a Sole Arbitrator in an arbitration between a Canadian provincial power authority and an independent power producer regarding a dispute over breach of three electricity purchase agreements for three separate hydro-electric generation projects, with issues of force majeure arising from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Appointed as a party nominated arbitrator in an ICC arbitration seated in London in a shareholder dispute between two Russian businessmen and their companies regarding the operation of a B.V.I. corporation for the investment in and development of a satellite network.

Appointed as co-arbitrator in a dispute between a major Canadian law firm and a departing partner regarding the interpretation of a partnership agreement and the determination of partnership withdrawal payments.

Appointed as a party nominated arbitrator in a series of seven LCIA arbitration seated in London between the Greek and Turkish subsidiaries of a large Canadian gold mining company and a Swiss trading company regarding disputes in respect of seven off-take agreements for the production at a Greek and Turkish mine.

Appointed as Chair of an ICC Tribunal in a substantial arbitration seated in London between a Ghana-based power generation company and a South African engineering and construction company regarding claims arising from design and construction of a 350 MW combined cycle gas power plant with a wide array of claims and cross-claims of USD 235 million;

Appointed Sole Arbitrator of an ICC arbitration seated in Atlanta under New York law between an American subsidiary of a Swiss parent company and a Chinese company regarding their rights under a Supply agreement;

Appointed as Chair of an ICC Tribunal in a substantial arbitration between a Brazilian oil company and a Brazilian engineering company for the design and build of production modules for eight FPSO vessels for use in an oil and gas deep-water project with amended claims and cross-claims in excess of USD 653 million;

Appointed as a party nominated arbitrator by large multinational oil companies in an ad hoc arbitration involving a Canadian provincial government relating to a gas royalty dispute with claims in excess of CAD $ 500 million (with V.V.Veeder QC, chair);