Jonathan Wood
Chair of International Arbitration
Jonathan Wood has deep rooted experience supporting clients in a wide number of jurisdictions in arbitration proceedings and cross border litigation. He Chairs RPC's International Arbitration practice.
Jonathan specialises in international arbitration and dispute resolution relating to international trade (including Bilateral Investment Treaty claims), joint venture and shareholder disputes, project and energy claims, credit and political risk insurance, reinsurance, cultural property and specie, banking and trade finance, fraud and asset tracing, public and private international law.
He has handled numerous institutional and ad hoc arbitrations as counsel, and related court proceedings, and has sat as arbitrator in many cases.
Jonathan is Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. He is also former Chairman of the International Bar Association's International Sales Committee and is currently a member of the advisory board of the European Regional Forum. Jonathan has been an adviser and litigation counsel to the British Government's Export Credits Guarantee Department ( UKEF) for over 25 years.
Directory quotes
"Jonathan Wood is outstanding. A calm, authoritative and extremely likeable character." - Legal 500 UK 2024
"Jonathan Wood is very active and vastly experienced, and has seen it all before." - Legal 500 UK 2023
Top Ranked – Chambers UK 2022
"Jonathan Wood offers a wealth of experience in commercial arbitration, acting as both advocate and arbitrator. He is noted for his experience appearing in proceedings held under the auspices of the LCIA and LMAA. He is very knowledgeable and very calm, and he has a lot of judgement and good strategic thinking. He's highly experienced and insightful." - Chambers UK 2022
"A knowledgeable team with a strong arbitral practice led by Jonathan Wood, who is hugely experienced in international arbitration. Jonathan Wood stands out. His judgement is very sound and his breadth of experience means that there is not much he has not seen or dealt with before. Jonathan Wood is a seasoned veteran who has seen it all – safe hands and a shrewd operator." - The Legal 500 UK 2022
Leading individual - The Legal 500 UK 2022
Leading individual - The Legal 500 UK 2021
"A knowledgeable team with a strong arbitral practice led by Jonathan Wood, who is hugely experienced in international arbitration." - The Legal 500 UK 2022
"Jonathan Wood stands out. His judgement is very sound and his breadth of experience means that there is not much he has not seen or dealt with before." - The Legal 500 UK 2022
"Jonathan Wood is a seasoned veteran who has seen it all – safe hands and a shrewd operator." - The Legal 500 UK 2022
Jonathan Wood offers a wealth of experience in commercial arbitration, acting as both advocate and arbitrator. - Chambers UK 2021
"He is noted for his experience appearing in proceedings held under the auspices of the LCIA and LMAA." - Chambers UK 2021
"He is extremely experienced and has an encyclopedic knowledge of arbitration disputes. He is very commercially minded." - Chambers UK 2021
"Jonathan Wood is a classy lawyer, providing clear advice and who is friendly and approachable." - The Legal 500 UK 2021
"Jonathan Wood is simply outstanding. He is calm, approachable, client friendly and is at the very top of his game. A great person to work with." - The Legal 500 UK 2021
Leading individual - The Legal 500 UK 2021
"Jonathan Wood is a star arbitration partner – he is simply superb." - The Legal 500 UK 2020
Leading individual - The Legal 500 UK 2020
Jonathan regularly acts in arbitrations concerning international supply agreements and other commercial matters. -
[Jonathan is] "very experienced in all forms of international arbitration - he is calm, professional and has very good judgment." - TheLegal 500 UK 2018
Jonathan Wood is head of RPC's International Arbitration practice and has expertise acting in commercial arbitrations involving energy, joint venture and shareholder disputes. [He is appreciated for his] "ability to explain quite complex issues clearly and gets on well with people." - Chambers UK 2018
Jonathan Wood is "a real statesman, who can run massive arbitrations with his eyes shut, and is always one step ahead of the other side." - TheLegal 500 UK 2017
Recommended - The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2017
Sources say Jonathan Wood of RPC has a "calming influence on clients and cases." Wood is best known for his expertise in international arbitrations relating to international trade, cultural property, trade finance and energy. He has significant experience in ad hoc and institutional arbitrations, including those conducted under LCIA, LMAA, ICC and AAA rules. - Chambers UK 2017
Recommended - The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2016
The "exceptionally experienced" Jonathan Wood of RPC is a "well thought of litigator and arbitration practitioner." He has substantive experience handling joint venture and shareholder disputes, as well as arbitration-related enforcement matters. - Chambers UK 2016
"Understands arbitration procedures." - The Legal 500 UK 2016
Jonathan Wood "stands out." - The Legal 500 UK 2015
Jonathan Wood "provides clear tactical insight." - The Legal 500 UK 2014
Memberships
International Bar Association
London Court of International Arbitration
Worshipful Company of Arbitrators
Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
American Bar Association
Institute of Art and Law
Arbitrators Club - financial services section
Swiss Arbitration Association
Relevant work
Accentuate Ltd v Asigra Inc - acting for Canadian software supplier in relation to Canadian arbitration proceedings and the mandatory effect of the European Commercial Agent's Directive before the English courts
Acing in relation to enforcement proceedings of ICSID award for $100m against Republic of Georgia against Bonds issued in London
Represented Russian property company in a dispute with bondholders with a value of over £250m
Tillman and Hartlepool- represented the BVI companies involved in major LCIA arbitration and commercial litigation relation to Ukrainian Oblenergos (Power Companies) and associated corporate disputes arising out of the "Orange Revolution"
Representing the Turkish Government and Italian contractors in the recovery of $115m in a mediation as a result of earthquake damage to the Ankara/Istanbul Highway project and related ICC and Commercial Court proceedings with joint venture partners