Professor Renato Nazzini KC (Hon)

Introduction

Renato’s practices as counsel and arbitrator in international arbitration.

Renato has a substantial experience as counsel in international arbitration in high-value cases of up to billions of USD across the whole spectrum of commercial disputes. He has a wide industry knowledge, including foreign investments, construction and engineering, steel and heavy industries, oil and gas, infrastructure, energy, IT and digital, IP, pharmaceuticals, transport, commodities, consumer goods and post-MA arbitrations. He is a specialist in ICSID arbitration and ISDS more generally and has published widely on the subject. As a dually qualified English barrister and Italian advocate, he understands the different approaches of common law and civil law and is able to resolve effectively and pragmatically complex substantive and procedural problems. Aware of the multi-cultural dimension of many international disputes, he has worked across Europe, Africa, Asia, America and Australia under most internationally used arbitration rules (ICC, LCIA, SIAC, DIAC, CAM, UNCITRAL) and in purely ad hoc arbitrations. Because of his qualification as an Italian lawyer and his understanding of civil law systems, Renato has also worked in many arbitrations where the contract was governed by civil law, particularly in the Middle East and Gulf regions, in Latin America and in continental Europe. As counsel, Renato has developed a particular expertise in construction law and in the cross-examination of technical, delay and quantum experts. He has worked on cases involving bespoke contracts as well as most of the FIDIC forms, the NEC forms and many other standard forms.

As arbitrator, Renato has worked as chair/president, wing member/party-appointed arbitrator, sole arbitrator and emergency arbitrator under most internationally used rules in all five continents in cases governed by common law and civil law. He is admitted to the following panels and lists of arbitrators: SIAC, DIAC, SCCA, Polish Chamber of Commerce, Lewiatan Court of Arbitration (Poland), Serbian Construction Dispute Resolution Centre and HKIAC. He is also admitted to the HKIAC panel of adjudicators. He is a member of the ICC Arbitration and ADR Commission, Italy, of the ICC Task Force on Dealing with Corruption Issues in International Arbitration, of the Board of the International Construction Law Association and of Africa Construction Law.

In 2025, Renato was appointed King’s Counsel (Hon) for his major contribution to English law.

International arbitration
Acted as counsel in international arbitration cases relating to construction, engineering, oil and gas, energy, intellectual property, M&A, joint ventures, commercial contracts and foreign investments:
- Counsel in ICC arbitration concerning petrol-chemical plant
- Counsel in ICC arbitration with seat in London concerning oil & gas JV in Nigeria
- Counsel in ICC arbitration with seat in the QFC concerning JV and construction consortium in Qatar
- Counsel in arbitration under the rules of the Chamber of Arbitration of Milan concerning gas supply contracts, price review and take-or-pay clauses
- Counsel in ICC arbitration concerning roadworks in Qatar
- Counsel in two ICC arbitrations relating to a major infrastructure project in Panama
- Counsel in LCIA arbitration with seat in London concerning the air transport sector
- Counsel in ICC arbitration with seat in Paris concerning a project in Kuwait
- Counsel in ICC arbitration with seat in Geneva concerning a construction project in Belarus
- Counsel in ICC arbitration with seat in Paris concerning distribution agreement governed by principles of international trade law
- Counsel in ICC arbitration with seat in Doha concerning transport infrastructure works in Qatar
- Counsel in ICC arbitration with seat in London concerning road works in eastern European country
- Counsel in UNCITRAL arbitration with seat in London concerning breach of franchise agreements in France, South Africa, India and Vietnam
- Counsel in ICC arbitration with seat in Paris between a European and a US pharmaceutical company concerning the termination of US pharmaceutical licence
- Counsel in ICC arbitration involving breach of long-term supply and technical collaboration agreement between major car manufacturer and supplier of spare parts
- Counsel in ICC arbitration with seat in Geneva concerning supply of industrial equipment by German seller to Italian buyer
- Counsel in arbitration under the rules of the Chamber of Arbitration of Milan involving breach of warranties and representations under a share purchase agreement between Spanish buyer and Italian seller
- Counsel in ad hoc arbitrations in infrastructure, road and sporting facilities works
Arbitrated cases in international arbitration with seats in London, Geneva, Paris, Milan, Malta, Dubai, Hong Kong and Singapore as chair, sole arbitrator, party-nominated arbitrator and emergency arbitrator, including the following:
- Party-appointed arbitrator in ICC Arbitration under FIDIC Pink Book concerning a project in central Asia
- Sole Arbitrator in SIAC proceedings with seat in Singapore concerning a major infrastructural project in central Asia
- Sole Arbitrator in ICC proceedings with seat in London concerning breach of trademark licence between US licensor and Indian licensee
- Chair in DIAC arbitration with seat in Dubai concerning a construction project in Dubai
- Chair in DIAC arbitration with seat in DIFC concerning a construction project in Dubai
- President in ICC arbitration with seat in Malta concerning a construction project in Malta
- President in ICC arbitration with seat in Milan concerning an oil centre project in Italy
- Party-appointed arbitrator in ICC arbitration with seat in London concerning supply contract between Italian supplier and Russian buyer
- President in Milan Chamber of Commerce arbitration concerning a solar plant in Italy
- Sole arbitrator in Milan Chamber of Commerce arbitration with seat in Italy concerning the termination of energy supply agreement
- President in Milan Chamber of Commerce Arbitration relating to a plant lease agreement in West Africa
- Court-appointed arbitrator in arbitration with seat in Rome concerning flood protection engineering and construction contract
- Emergency Arbitrator in ICC proceedings with seat in Singapore concerning an aircraft lease agreement
- Emergency Arbitrator in ICC proceedings concerning the calling of on-demand bonds in road works project in Eastern Europe
- Emergency arbitrator in ICC proceedings with seat in Antwerp on an application for interim injunction to order continuing performance of an EPC contract and prevent alleged abandonment of the works
Construction Law
Cases
- Advised EPC contractors on force majeure and marine insurance in relation to the 2026 hostilities between USA, Israel and Iran
- Advised EPC contractor on the drafting and negotiation of bespoke contracts for a wind-farm project in eastern Europe
- Advised leading contractor on the negotiation of EPC (turnkey) contract for the construction of holiday resort in Montenegro
- Advised leading contractor on the negotiation of construction joint venture in Australia and the Asia Pacific region
- Advised leading contractor on joint venture for construction works in the Russian Federation
- Advised supplier of specialist equipment on potential termination of supply contract in Mozambique
Additional Information

Renato is Professor at King’s College London and Director of the Centre of Construction Law and Dispute Resolution. He has been Visiting Professor at the University of Turin, the University of Zurich, and FGV of São Paulo, Brazil.

He holds two doctorates: one in competition law from the University of London and one on international arbitration from the University of Milan (Università Statale di Milano).

He also works as an expert and has experience in doing so in the High Court. Renato works in English and Italian. He is a British and Italian national.