Paul Hastings has made a major addition to its international arbitration team, hiring partner Jonathan Hamilton in Washington DC from White & Case.

Hamilton will serve as global co-chair of the firm’s international arbitration practice alongside London partner Garreth Wong, who himself joined Paul Hastings last year from Shearman & Sterling as global practice chair.  

Hamilton has spent the past 25 years at White & Case, where he has been a partner since 2007 and was head of the Latin America arbitration practice for more than a decade.  

Consistently recognised by legal rankings guides as a leader in international arbitration, Hamilton’s experience encompasses bet-the-asset commercial and investment arbitration, cross-border litigation and investment and complex negotiations and mediation.

“Jonathan’s exceptional experience and international reputation will enable us to further expand our international arbitration and complex litigation platforms,” said Paul Hastings’ chair, Frank Lopez. “He is known as an innovative and strategic leader, and we are thrilled that he has joined us.”

At Paul Hastings Hamilton will co-lead an international arbitration team that houses around 20 lawyers globally and is noted by Chambers for its broad experience in international commercial arbitrations and expertise in the pharmaceuticals, tech and automotive sectors. The US team is “particularly well-placed to handle arbitrations arising from Asia and Latin America,” a strength that will dovetail nicely with the Latam slant of Hamilton’s own practice.  

Another recent prominent addition to the team was partner Oliver Browne, an international arbitrator and complex litigator who joined earlier this month having chaired Latham & Watkins’ London litigation and trial department for the past six years.  

“There is tremendous momentum at Paul Hastings across its global footprint, as well as strong synergy between the firm’s platform and my practice,” Hamilton said. “I look forward to working with the firm’s lawyers to make the most of opportunities to provide premium legal services to clients.”