Milena Szuniewicz-Wenzel

Milena advises on high-value international arbitration proceedings under major institutional rules, handling complex, multi-jurisdictional disputes for states, corporates, and insurers. 

• Advised on complex arbitrations under ICSID, ICDR, ICC, and LCIA rules across multiple jurisdictions. 
• Acted for a Middle Eastern government in more than 15 high-value investment law disputes of major political significance including disputes over the validity of an operator’s notice of early termination, with issues concerning handover protocols, equipment maintenance records, and the contractor’s entitlement to outstanding payments. 
• Acted for a state electricity company in a dispute concerning claim termination on grounds of war risks of a contract for the construction and installation of electricity transmission lines. 
• Advised a sovereign state in an ICSID arbitration brought by a foreign construction investor, providing analysis on jurisdiction and the merits of the claim. This included interpretation of “forkintheroad” provisions, Most Favoured Nation clauses, the definition of an investment, alleged uncompensated expropriation, and questions of governmental authority following a period of political instability. 
• Acted for a sovereign state in UNCITRAL arbitration proceedings concerning a claim of over USD 400 million brought by a foreign telecommunications investor. The case involved allegations relating to withdrawal of tax exemptions, discriminatory treatment favouring a stateowned competitor, and claims for moral damages. 
• Acted for a refinery company in a dispute relating to construction of a local hospital and claims concerning late delivery of the project and construction defects.  
• Acted for insurers in an international arbitration arising from a major aviation accident, successfully defending jurisdictional challenges concerning the validity of arbitration agreements in a draft aircraftsharing arrangement. 
• Defended a global pharmaceutical company in an LCIA arbitration concerning the termination of a distribution agreement, including complex jurisdictional issues relating to authority to enter into arbitration agreements. 
• Represented a national sports federation in two appeals before an international sports arbitration tribunal concerning election procedures and governance under the federation’s statutes. 

Milena has been advising clients for 20 years on many aspects of their oil and gas operations. 

• Advised on costoil recovery across multiple petroleum blocks, providing strategic guidance, dispute management, and implementation of international best practices.  
• Advised on Work Programs & Budgets (WPBs), including optimal WPB formats, government approval processes, contractual status of updates, identification of nonrecoverable expenses, and development of training programmes for national staff.  
• Assisted with the establishment of state oil companies and supported handover of producing blocks from international oil companies, including transition of operations for fields, pipelines, and transport assets.  
• Guided constitutional and contractual amendments to PSAs.  
• Advised on PSC termination, relinquishment, abandonment and decommissioning, and posttransaction rights and obligations.  
• Advised on operatorship and financing for an integrated LNG project.  
• Advised on Main Oil Line Agreements, Facility Usage Agreements, Third Party Tariff Agreements, LPG Processing & Lifting Agreements, Feedgas Agreements, Upstream Services Agreements, and Refinery Agreements.  
• Advised on EPC contract issues for LNG terminal construction. 

Milena has extensive experience of handling commodities and demurrage disputes (LMAA, FOSFA, GAFTA), and providing legal advisory support to trading houses and their shipping divisions.  

• Acted for a major international commodities company in a copper pricing dispute before a leading global metal exchange. 
• Represented an agribusiness trading company in multiple contamination disputes under FOSFA arbitration rules involving several international sunflower oil shipments. 
• Managed a portfolio of several hundred demurrage matters including negotiation and recovery of significant payments for a major shipping business. 
• Advised a major steel and industrial group on longterm supply contracts and contracts of affreightment for coal and iron ore. 
• Represented a trading group and its liquidators in High Court litigation concerning derivatives and freight agreements following the 2009 market collapse. 
• Advised on an international trading dispute with Chinese buyers concerning quality issues in a shipment of zinc ore. 
• Represented a trading company in a FOSFA arbitration concerning contamination of a salvaged agricultural cargo, including issues of quality, condition, contractual obligations, and liability. 
• Advised an agribusiness in a dispute involving force majeure declarations arising from the 2022 Ukraine/Russia crisis. 

Milena has extensive experience advising on, leading, and coordinating complex multijurisdictional enforcement proceedings across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Australia, Taiwan, England, the United States, Brazil, India, Norway, and Canada. Her work spans enforcement of major arbitral awards, defence in annulment proceedings, assettracing strategies, and crossborder recovery actions. 

• Defended a major industrial group in an ICC arbitration involving attachment measures under international procedural rules. 
• Represented a global commodities company in an LCIA arbitration against a South Asian steel producer, followed by successful crossborder enforcement of the award against shares held in Australia. 
• Acted for an international trading company in enforcing a loanrelated arbitral award in Taiwan, securing recovery against the debtor. 
• Enforced an agricultural commodities award in India on behalf of a European trader, coordinating with local counsel on asset identification and execution strategy. 
• Advised and represented a European shipbuilding and engineering company in an appeal before the English High Court challenging an ICC award. 
• Led the defence of a sovereign state in an ICC arbitration award annulment proceedings before the Paris Court of Appeal and French Court of Cassation, and appeared before the European Court of Justice. 
• Oversaw enforcement of three major ICC awards in Norway, securing victories before the District Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court. 
• Managed enforcement of multiple awards in Canada and the United States against international energy companies. 
• Advised Middle Eastern financial institutions on multijurisdictional debtrecovery actions involving loan defaults, working closely with insolvency practitioners and assettracing specialists. 

Milena advises on complex energy disputes, including oil and gas projects, LNG infrastructure, oil block issues and production sharing agreements, acting for states and national energy companies. 

• Advised on securing significant damages for a Middle Eastern state arising from oil block and energy sector disputes. 
• Advised on contractual claims and settlement relating to the construction of an LNG terminal. 
• Advised on all aspects of production sharing agreements, including environmental, labour, auditing, tax, customs, force majeure, termination, and end-of-PSA claims. 
• Advised on acting for Yemen on a wide range of energy-related disputes over a 15-year period. 

Milena advises on shipping and transportation disputes, including cargo claims, shipbuilding matters, and arbitration award challenges across multiple jurisdictions.

• Advised on cargo disputes involving complex cross-border logistics and shipping arrangements. 
• Advised on representing a major shipbuilder in an appeal of an arbitration award, successfully establishing fraud as the basis for the appeal. 
• Advised on grain trading disputes for international traders. 
• Advised on high-value cargo disputes spanning multiple jurisdictions in Asia, Europe, and South America. 

Recognised by Chambers Global for General Business Law 2026

Speaking Engagements and Sector Events

ITA-IEL-ICC Joint Conference on International Energy Arbitration, Houston (January 2022) 

Kluwer Webinar: “Tensions, Turning Points, and Tactics: Making Choices about the Evidence in International Arbitrations” (March 2022) 

ARANZADI Congress for In-House Lawyers: “Issues to Consider When Choosing a Good Arbitration Venue” (16-17 November 2023) 

Current Challenges for Foreign Investors in the Mexican Mining Sector (May 2024) 

Energy Arbitration Club: “Legal Issues Affecting the Solar Industry” (11 September 2024) 

International arbitration tactics, strategy, and cultural expectations – with Huan Zhong Law Firm  

Cultural Differences in International Arbitration – with Grandall Law Firm 

 Organised the Advocacy Training Programme with the AIFC Court, Astana (online and in-person advocacy courses for Kazakh legal practitioners, October 2024 and September 2025) 

Lead, Young Arbitration Group at Clyde & Co; founded and ran the forum “Issues & Developments in International Arbitration,” a multi-jurisdictional perspective by the Young Arbitration Group, in partnership with Jus Mundi. Topics included Arbitration Reform, Mining, Renewables, Space Law, Sports Arbitration, and AI in Arbitration