Leading International Arbitration Attorney Miriam Harwood Joins Katten

(NEW YORK) Katten announced today that Miriam K. Harwood has joined the New York office as a partner and chair of the firm's new International Arbitration practice.

"Miriam is a formidable attorney, with decades of experience representing clients in international disputes involving complex, high-stakes claims," said Wendy E. Cohen, managing partner of the New York office. "With her globally respected reputation and proven track record of success, Miriam is an exceptional leader who will focus on this high-profile practice at Katten, complementing its industry-leading practices across jurisdictions."

Harwood has extensive experience advising clients in a wide range of disputes involving cross-border commercial relationships and investments around the world. She has been recognized as a leader in international dispute resolution by Chambers Global, Chambers USA, Legal 500 USA, Who's Who Legal, Benchmark Litigation and many other industry publications.

She has served as lead counsel in international arbitrations at the World Bank's International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SCC), the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, and under the rules of the United Nations Commission on International Trade and Law (UNCITRAL).

Harwood also has broad experience in commercial litigation in US courts, including contract disputes, bankruptcy, intellectual property, securities fraud, and matters involving international law, sovereign immunity and enforcement of arbitral awards.

Harwood is well known for her work in investor-State treaty arbitrations, as well as international commercial arbitrations, in cases involving government regulations, construction and infrastructure projects, telecommunications, oil and gas projects, renewable energy and mining. Over the course of her career, she has represented clients in dozens of international arbitrations, including 10 sovereign states.

Most recently, she achieved two major victories this year, for the Republic of Croatia in May and for Turkmenistan in June, serving as lead counsel representing the states in ICSID arbitrations involving disputes in the telecommunications and real estate sectors. In both cases, the tribunals dismissed all claims against her clients, and ordered the claimants to pay the costs of the arbitrations. The Turkmenistan case involved USD $2 billion in claims by a Russian telecom company, which were dismissed on the merits after a two-week evidentiary hearing in Switzerland in 2022.

"I am excited to launch the International Arbitration practice at Katten," said Harwood. "Katten's clients in the US and around the world will be well-served by strengthening the firm's capabilities to advise them in international disputes. It is an honor to lead the firm in this challenging area of the law and to continue and expand my practice at Katten."

A thought leader on international law and arbitration, Harwood has been a featured speaker at dozens of professional conferences and industry events around the globe. She has advised states on investment treaties and domestic investment laws, and taught courses on international law and arbitration, including at Columbia Law School's Executive Training Program for Government Officials. She was appointed to the prestigious ICSID Panel of Arbitrators in 2020. She also serves on the board of directors of the New York International Arbitration Center and the advisory board of The American Review of International Arbitration.

Katten's newly formed International Arbitration practice builds on its strength in dispute resolution for clients engaged in cross-border transactions and investments around the world. Katten attorneys have represented clients in international arbitrations relating to the licensing and marketing of pharmaceutical products, production and distribution of motion pictures, major construction and infrastructure projects, commercial real estate development, mining, oilfield operations and gas supply contracts, among others.

Before joining Katten, Harwood served as partner and co-head of the Investment Arbitration practice at an AmLaw 100 firm, and she was previously a partner in the International Arbitration group at an AmLaw 200 firm.