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PRACTICE AREA

International
Litigation & Arbitration

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Institutional and ad hoc arbitration, complex commercial litigation, and post-award enforcement coordinated across multiple seats and forums.

International disputes rarely live in one forum. A construction dispute under an institutional arbitration clause may need parallel court proceedings for emergency relief in the country where assets sit. An arbitration over a share purchase agreement may need post-award enforcement in multiple jurisdictions where the respondent has operations.
VLO coordinates litigation and arbitration as a single integrated strategy. One partner owns the procedural map. Foreign counsel act under coordinated instructions. Clients receive consolidated reporting in English regardless of how many forums are involved.
Typical engagement length: 12–36 months for full arbitration; 3–18 months for litigation-only matters. Matter values typically €1M–€100M+.
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WHAT WE DO
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Multi-forum dispute resolution
WHEN CLIENTS COME TO US
Three common scenarios

EMERGENCY MEASURES

Asset dispersal is imminent. You need freezing orders in multiple jurisdictions before substantive proceedings can start.
MULTI-SEAT ARBITRATION
Your contract has an institutional arbitration clause but counterparty has a parallel court claim in a non-cooperative jurisdiction. You need a strategy that holds both fronts.
AWARD ENFORCEMENT
You won an arbitral award. The respondent has assets in multiple countries and is contesting recognition in each. You need a coordinated enforcement campaign.
OUR APPROACH
Engagement methodology

SCOPING

Identify all jurisdictions and forums involved

STRATEGY MEMO

Procedural map, merits, fees — 5 business days.

EXECUTION

Local counsel coordinated by VLO partner

RESOLUTION

Settlement, award, or judgment — coordinated.

WHY VLO
Differentiators for this practice
PARTNER OWNERSHIP
One named partner stays on the matter from first call to final outcome. No reassignment, no transition meetings.
Local counsel managed by VLO — clients receive one consolidated reporting in English, not separate bills from multiple firms.
CROSS-BORDER COORDINATION
TRANSPARENT FEES
Fixed-fee, capped, or hourly with monthly caps — chosen at engagement. No surprises in billing.
No press without explicit consent. Confidential by default. Enhanced communications encryption.
DISCRETION
REPRESENTATIVE WORK
Selected practice areas in action.
Examples illustrate the type of matter VLO handles in this practice. Specifics are withheld for confidentiality.
ARBITRATION
Construction dispute
Counsel role in institutional arbitration involving cross-border infrastructure contract.
ENFORCEMENT
Award recognition
Coordinated parallel exequatur proceedings across multiple jurisdictions.
ARBITRATION
Emergency proceedings
Obtained interim relief through emergency arbitrator procedure within compressed timeline.
LEAD PARTNERS FOR THIS PRACTICE
ADJACENT PRACTICES
Often combined with
CORPORATE DISPUTES
When director liability arises from insolvency.
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When IP judgments need cross-border recognition.
ENFORCEMENT
BANKRUPTCY
When counterparty becomes distressed during proceedings.
EXPLORE →
FREQUENTLY ASKED
Common questions
Do you act in arbitrations under any institutional rules?
Yes — institutional and ad hoc proceedings under the major sets of rules used in our coverage regions. The choice of forum is part of our scoping conversation.
Yes. We litigate in Portuguese, German, English, and Spanish courts directly through our admitted partners. In other jurisdictions, we coordinate vetted local counsel.
Can you also act in court litigation?
What is your fee structure for arbitration?
Hourly with monthly caps for arbitration counsel work. Fixed-fee for scoping and pre-arbitral memos. Success fees considered for specific recovery-focused matters.
VLO partner owns strategy. Local counsel act under our instructions and report through us. Clients receive one consolidated update in English.
How do you coordinate with local counsel?
WE ARE TYPICALLY ENGAGED BY
Who comes to VLO
GENERAL COUNSEL & CHIEF LEGAL OFFICERS
Of European, MENA, and CIS-linked industrial groups facing a cross-border dispute that cannot be resolved within their existing panel. We are typically called when the matter spans more than two jurisdictions or where local counsel coordination has stalled.
CFOs & CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICERS
Of cross-border PE sponsors and family-owned holdings. Engagement triggers: post-closing earn-out disputes, FDI screening for non-EU buyers, tax controversy with international dimension.
HEADS OF SPECIAL SITUATIONS
At credit funds, banks, and institutional creditors pursuing recovery against layered debtor structures. We coordinate parallel enforcement campaigns across multiple jurisdictions as a single integrated mandate.
FAMILY OFFICES & PRIVATE PRINCIPALS
With multi-jurisdictional structures and disputes that require discretion alongside technical complexity. Our boutique model, partner-led engagement, and standing confidentiality protocols make this a natural fit.
Have a litigation or arbitration matter?
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