Bennett Jones

Vasilis Pappas is Head of the firm’s International Arbitration Practice Group and is a member of the firm’s Construction Group. He is a recognized leader in the fields of domestic and international commercial arbitration, investor-state arbitration, and construction litigation and arbitration. He has been recognized by clients and market commentators as “a prominent figure in the arbitration world” who “gives expert advice”, “wins considerable support for his articulacy, responsiveness and quality of service”, and “is well regarded for his experienced work on international disputes related to the energy and mining sectors” (Chambers Global: The World’s Leading Lawyers for Business).

Vasilis has represented companies all over the world in complex commercial disputes worth many billions of dollars in a diverse range of sectors, including energy, mining, banking, insurance, telecommunications, and pharmaceuticals. He has particular expertise in construction disputes, acting for owners, contractors, subcontractors, and engineers in a wide range of disputes arising from large construction projects.

Vasilis has acted as arbitration counsel under the world’s leading international arbitration rule systems including ICC, LCIA, UNCITRAL, ICDR, and AAA, and as litigation counsel before the courts of the United States and Canada. Vasilis also represents sovereign states and multinational companies in investor-state disputes under NAFTA Chapter Eleven, the ICSID Convention, and other bilateral and multilateral investment treaties.

Prior to joining Bennett Jones, Vasilis practiced for eight years in New York City with a leading international law firm. He also practiced with the Government of Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, representing Canada in investor-state arbitrations and investment treaty negotiations.

Vasilis now works out of the firm’s Vancouver and Calgary offices. He is an adjunct professor at the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Law in the field of international commercial arbitration and investor-state arbitration, is on the Canadian roster of arbitrators of the ICC International Court of Arbitration, and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. He also publishes and speaks regularly on topics pertaining to international commercial arbitration and investor-state arbitration.