Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is pleased to announce that Janet Whittaker has returned to the Firm as a Counsel in the Washington, D.C. office. She is a member of the International Arbitration and Litigation Practice.
Ms. Whittaker returns to the Firm from The World Bank Group, where she served as Legal Counsel at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), the leading international arbitration institution dedicated to resolving investment treaty arbitration disputes between investors and member States. In her role as Legal Counsel, Ms. Whittaker was responsible for cases brought under bilateral and multilateral investment treaties and national investment laws in Latin America, Asia and North America. She acted as counsel and secretary to tribunals in cases in the oil and gas, mining, construction, refining and telecommunication industries, including several conducted in both English and Spanish. Ms. Whittaker joined the World Bank in 2010, after six years at the Firm, during which she served as counsel in several significant international litigations and arbitrations. Prior to joining the Firm, she practiced in litigation and international arbitration in the United Kingdom.
“We are thrilled to welcome Janet back to the Firm,” said Rob Smit, Co-Chair of the Firm’s International Arbitration and Litigation Practice. “Janet developed additional, unique international arbitration insights and gained valuable experience while at ICSID that will help us deliver even more value to our clients in cross-border disputes.”
“Janet’s talents and experience with investment treaty arbitrations, together with her superb advocacy skills, will complement and deepen our successful international arbitration practice. We are delighted that she is joining our Washington, D.C. office” said Peter Thomas, Managing Partner of the Firm’s Washington, D.C. office and Co-Chair of the International Arbitration and Litigation Practice.
Ms. Whittaker received LL.M. degrees from Columbia Law School and the College of Europe, Bruges. She obtained an LL.B. in Law and Italian Law from University College London. She taught the International Arbitration course at Stanford Law School from 2006 to 2007, and is a frequent speaker and author on international arbitration and litigation issues. She speaks French, Spanish and Italian.
For decades, Simpson Thacher has acted as counsel to corporations, investors and foreign states in many of the most significant international disputes worldwide. Our leading practitioners have a track record of achieving excellent outcomes for clients, including through many hearings and trials, such as the successful result for Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) in the ICC arbitration against Andersen Worldwide and the Arthur Andersen firms. Our lawyers act as counsel and serve as arbitrators under the major international arbitration rules. In addition, members of our team hold teaching appointments in international law and international arbitration at leading law schools, and play key roles in prominent international arbitration organizations. The Firm also advises clients on drafting arbitration and dispute resolution provisions for international transactions.