Emerging markets-focused boutique Trinity International has launched an international arbitration practice after hiring partners in London and Paris.

The new offering will be spearheaded by Poupak Anjomshoaa, who joined from US energy specialist law firm Baker Botts in London in September to head up the firm’s disputes and international arbitration practice.

She is joined this week by Gide Loyrette Nouel counsel Natasha Peter in Paris. Peter, who is dual qualified in English and French law, will focus on Francophone markets. Her arrival grows the disputes team to four partners.

The firm, which is highly-rated by the legal directory Chambers and Partners for its projects and energy work across Africa, said the rationale for its move into arbitration was a growing demand from clients for it to handle disputes arising out of their activities.

The pair boast a track record advising arbitration clients on jurisdictional issues, the enforcement of arbitral awards and on applications to set aside arbitral awards in both common and civil law jurisdictions.

Anjomshoaa spent three years at Baker Botts as an international arbitration partner, having joined the US firm from Norton Rose Fulbright. From 2013-17, she was general counsel and company secretary at Egypt-based privately owned midstream and downstream petrochemical and process industrial plant company Carbon Holdings.

Peter, who spent more than 16 years at Gide, is also a barrister, as well as being a French avocat, with more than 20 years’ experience in international arbitration with a particular focus in the energy sector, including renewables.

She sits as a Deputy District Judge on the South Eastern Circuit in England and is a member of the London environmental chambers Cornerstone Barristers.

Trinity's push into arbitration follows the firm’s hire of Paris-based Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) partner Stephane Brabant in May last year to lead a crisis management, ESG and business and human rights practice. He brought with him HSF senior associate Lucien Bou Chaaya, who joined as a partner

Brabant said the firm now had “added bench strength to represent clients in international arbitration and all other forms of alternative dispute resolution. I also have a particular interest in business and human rights law which is becoming more prevalent in investor-state disputes, so the team is well placed to deal those issues which are very important to our clients.”

Trinity International was founded 16 years ago by senior partner Paul Biggs, managing partner Simon Norris and senior consultant Patrick Leece.

It has offices in London, Paris and Washington DC, with a head count of nearly 40 lawyers.

Last month, DLA Piper bolstered its Africa offering with the hire of international projects partner Titus Edjua in London from UK rival Watson Farley & Williams.

The Global Legal Post will be publishing a Law Over Borders comparative guide to arbitration. For further details email associate publisher [email protected]